Dorothy Karen Beckwith
October 15, 1918—May 10, 2023
Dorothy Karen Beckwith, 104, passed away peacefully at home in Vale, Oregon, on May 10.
She was born at home in Escalon, California, on October 15, 1918, the youngest of five, to Thomas Olsen and Emma Kamm Olsen. She lived on a small farm and learned to milk the cow and help in the garden. Summers during high school years she cut peaches for a drying shed and picked prunes and lady finger grapes. She graduated from Escalon High in 1936. She then attended Humphrey’s Business College. Her first job was with the State of California Relief Administration as a stenographer. In 1941 she began working for the War Department at Stockton Field.
Dorothy met the dashing young Frank Fovinci at a dance at Coconut Grove in Manteca, California. They married in Roswell, NM, the day after he graduated from pilot training. Frank flew 50 missions in a B-17 from North Africa over Italy until returning to the US to train in a B-29. He was killed in a mid-air explosion on a training flight over Pueblo, Colorado, in June of 1945. Two months later, Dorothy gave birth to their only child, Bonnie.
Dorothy returned to Stockton and, in 1946, to support herself and her daughter, began work at the Stockton post office. Mutual friends encouraged co-worker Wade Beckwith to ask her out on a date. He literally swept her off her feet by taking her for a ride in his Cessna 140 airplane. They flew to Las Vegas in November of 1948 and were married at the Little Chapel of the West. They spent the next 11 years of leisure time in the air. Daughter, Robin, was born in 1954. The Beckwiths lived in Stockton for 28 years.
In 1977, the couple moved to Hornbrook, California, where they spent the next year building their retirement home. They lived in their little paradise until Wade passed away in 1997. In 2005, Dorothy joined daughter and son-in-law Robin and Larry Frazier in Vale, Oregon.
Dorothy had a life-long zest for travel. She visited Europe, China, Japan, Australia and the South Pacific, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico and almost every US state. On one memorable trip to Europe, she rented a car and drove alone throughout East Germany, before The Wall came down, despite speaking no German. Dorothy was a talented painter, golfed into her 80’s and played cards almost to the day of her death. Her friends and family loved her famous sweet smile.
Dorothy always told her grandchildren the most important decision of her life was when she believed in Jesus as her Savior. She was saved at a Hyman J. Appelman crusade in February, 1951. She said that she changed forever that day.
Dorothy is survived by daughter Bonnie Fovinci and son-in-law David Wyllie, daughter and son-in-law Robin and Larry Frazier, three grandchildren, Jamey, Christy and Jesse Frazier, five great-grandchildren, and two nieces.
Dorothy was laid to rest beside Wade at the Henley/Hornbrook Cemetery on May 19th. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on June 10th at Butte Baptist Church. Memorial donations may be made to Butte Baptist, 3848 Butte Drive, Ontario, Oregon, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
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Craig Siddoway
April 18, 1941 – May 27, 2023
Craig C Siddoway, 82, of Brogan, passed away just as he wanted, in his chair at home, on May 27, 2023.
Craig was born April 18, 1941, in Laketown, Utah, to George Alden and Della Clark Siddoway. He joined Val, Nancy and Dee Ann as the baby of his family, a position he relished his entire life. Craig grew up on the shores of Bear Lake in northern Utah. His childhood was one filled with hard work, adventures at the lake, and hunting with his brother and friends.
He attended school in Laketown and graduated from North Rich High School in 1959. After graduation, he traveled the Alaska-Canadian Highway to Palmer, Alaska, where he worked on a small dairy farm. Craig returned to Utah, and soon after, met and married Lorene McKee. They were married in Logan in 1963 and spent the next 16 years ranching and farming in Canada and Utah. Craig moved his growing family to Brogan in 1978. While he tried his hand at growing a variety of crops and animals, the crop he was the most proud of was his 11 children.
As an avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting with his children and good friend Larry. In his later years, his hunting rifle was replaced by a camera. He had an extensive catalog of wildlife photography. Whether hunting big game or ground squirrels, nothing brought him more pleasure than a drive in the mountains and the company of good friends and his kids. He loved the simple things in life; a visit from a good friend, a high school basketball game, a trip to a local hot spring, a trip to the hills to put salt out for the cows, and most of all, stories about his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Val, sister Dee Ann and granddaughters, MaKayla and Brentan. He is survived by his sister Nancy, his former wife Lorene, his children Reed, Leland, Bert (Terri), Cheri (Lung), Jeanne (Monte), Monty (Shelly), Trent, Mindy (Jeramy), Lance (Rachel), Joy (Steve), Annie, 23 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at the Brogan Community Center on June 10 at 10:30 a.m. MST. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made in his memory to Brogan Community Society, 3046 8th Ave., Brogan, OR 97903.
Condolences may be sent at harenwood.com.
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Alan Williams
October 10,1931-May 29, 2023
Alan Williams was born to Lee and Gladys (South) Williams on October 10, 1931, in Burns, Oregon. He lived at the Gearhard Ranch at Van the first 10 years of his life, attended school at Van for two years and another at the small school at Wolf Creek. The family then moved to the upper ranch at Drewsey in 1942, where Alan attended the remainder of his elementary schooling. His high school years were spent at Crane High School where he graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1949. After high school, Alan attended Oregon State University.
Alan married his high school sweetheart Juanita (Sissy) Bejino on October 12, 1951. They lived on the Davis ranch at Van for three years. After ranching, Alan got a job with Harney County Road Department as a heavy equipment operator (cat skinner in other words). During this time they resided in Drewsey, Oregon, where they were blessed with their daughter Kay, born on June 11, 1961. Around this time, they purchased the Valley Service Station where Alan provided maintenance, fuel, and was the postmaster. Side by side Alan and Sissy ran the business. Wanting a larger family, in 1965 they adopted a baby boy Josef Williams. Life was good, but in 1975 tragedy struck when they lost their business and home and all their belongings to a fire. While rebuilding their home and shop over the next couple of years they operated the Post Office out of a gutted camper and Alan did maintenance wherever he could until a new shop was operational and a new home was built. Alan and Sissy loved to entertain company and were always welcoming others. Alan served on Crane High School board for nine years and on Harney County ESD for six. He resigned from these positions in 1973 when their daughter Kay was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was a battle over the years between doctors and hospitals. Battle they did until Kay lost her life to the cancer in 1991.
After 30 years of service running Valley Service Station and the Post Office, they closed in 1992. In 1999, they moved to Ontario, Oregon, where Alan took up golfing, and golf he did, being proud of getting two “Hole-In-One” on the golf course. Wanting to be closer to family, they moved to Vale, Oregon in 2016, where they enjoyed watching their grandchildren in sporting and other events.
Alan passed away on May 29, 2023. He is now in peace. He is proceeded in death by his parents Lee and Gladys Williams, his daughter Kay Williams. He is survived by his wife, Juanita (Sissy) Williams, his son Josef Williams, daughter-in-law Monica Williams, grandchildren Chase Williams, Danyelle Williams, great-grandchildren Rhyan Williams and Corbyn Williams.
Service at Valley View Cemetery 1699 Valley View Rd Vale, Oregon on June 9, 2023 at 2 p.m. Lunch to follow at Vale Parish Hall, 690 A St West, Vale, Oregon.
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