System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!David Victor Knott
David Victor Knott, 82, of Talent, died March 21, 2011 at the Rogue Valley Medical Center, Medford. He was born April 7, 1928 in Ashland, the son of Gladys and Victor Knott.
Dave was raised in Ashland and attended Ashland Schools. He began working for Ted's Feed and Seed in downtown Ashland in the late 50's. Beginning in the early 60's he worked for Provost Home Furnishing as a flooring installer until his retirement.
During the Korean conflict he served in the United States Army.
On September 4, 1951 in Ashland he married the former Wilma Audrey Schuster who preceded him in death in 2003.
Dave loved being outdoors. He was an avid fisherman, and has hiked most every trail in the Ashland area.
He was a member of the Ashland First Baptist Church.
Surviving are: two daughters, Victoria Davis of The Dalles, Oregon and Elizabeth Casci of Carson City, NV; one sister, Rosemary Bevel of Talent, Oregon; four grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.
In addition to his wife he was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc, Southern Oregon Chapter, 2860 State Street, Medford, Oregon 97501 or to the Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, 3975 Mercantile Dr. Ste 154 Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Friends are invited to stop by an open house to visit with family at the Community Center of the Mountain View Estates from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Thursday, March 24, 2011.
Pastor Robert D. Mathers
Pastor Bob went with God peacefully at his home on October 1, 2011.
Pastor Bob was born to Luticious Lamar Mathers and the former Mary Laura Brown on April 1, 1932 in Lakeland, Florida. He had three brothers and five sisters. During the Korean War (1954) he served in the U.S. Navy as a Airplane Electrician. While attending Cascade College in 1955 he met and married Gloria Mae Miller of Portland Oregon.
Pastor Bob graduated from Cascade College in 1958 (Cascade was a private 4 year liberal arts college associated with the Church of Christ) Over a lifetime of ministry, he pastored three churches. In 1978 he and his family were called upon to minister in Ashland, Oregon. He currently served as the ordained minister of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He was the Senior Pastor of Alliance Bible Chapel for over 30 years. Pastor Bob touched many lives through his servitude of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a marriage and life counselor. He worked with the homeless through park ministries and the shelters. He was a missionary in Columbia and South Africa. He did not want a lot made of him as he was only a servant to the Lord Jesus Christ, desiring the salvation of loved ones and all others.
Pastor Bob was survived by his son, David Mathers; daughter-in-law, Cheryl Mathers; grandsons, Joseph Mathers, Kyle Adkins and his significant other, Emily Sieger; granddaughter, Shasta Rodriguez and her husband David Rodriguez; great granddaughters, Mistaya Adkins and Emily Rodriguez; a new great grandson, Zaden Adkins (to be born late October).
Pastor Bob was preceded in death by his beloved wife Gloria in 2008. They would want to be known that this is to be a time of celebration because they are absent from the body and present with the Lord! If you grieve, grieve with rejoicing, and keep looking to the Lord for strength and understanding and peace.
The "Celebration of Life" for Pastor Robert D. Mathers (Pastor Bob) will be held at 11:00 am. Saturday October 15, 2011. It will be held at his home church Alliance Bible Chapel, 748 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, Oregon. A reception will follow.
The Pastor Jay Wolfman will officiate at the service. In attendance will be soloist, Bonnie Wolfman and pianist, Tim Hancock.
Pastor Bob desires that instead of flowers you give to the "Great Commission Fund” Christian and Missionary Alliance. (Checks may be given through the Alliance Bible Chapel.)
Arrangements by Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ashland.
Max Omer Burford
Max O. Burford, of Jacksonville, Ore., went to be with the Lord on November 15, 2011, with his family by his side. He was born July 17, 1917, in Rockville, Ind. At a very young age, Max's family moved to Long Beach, Calif., where Max's father was in search of employment as a finish carpenter.
Max displayed his positive work ethic by selling magazines and newspapers to help support his family. Completing primary and secondary education in Long Beach, Calif., Max displayed a superior ability in accounting which would serve him well in his business career.
Out of school, Max gained employment at a Ford Motor dealership. Starting as a lot boy, Max climbed to the position of general manager of accounting at the Ford dealership.
On May 10, 1938, Max married Ruby I. Davis. A few years into their marriage, Max enlisted into the U.S. Army to help with the war effort. Early in 1942, Max completed basic and advanced training. While waiting for deployment, Max was ordered to the War College in Washington, D.C. Later, he participated in the winter engagement to become known as The Battle of the Bulge. Max was with a detachment behind German lines for information gathering. He was awarded the bronze star for meritorious service during the European Campaign. After V.E. Day, Max returned to Ruby before leaving for Asia. The war with Japan ended before his deployment date.
After serving his country, Max returned to his accounting career and settled in to a routine of husband, businessman and father. Max and Ruby were blessed with a beautiful daughter in September 1946, naming her Valerie Lorene.
Max wanted his own dealership, and an agreement was made with a financial backer to open a General Motors agency in Grants Pass, Ore. Early in 1951, Max was a G.M. dealer with a partner selling all of the General Motor's line except Chevrolet. During these six years, Max fulfilled his desire to become a pilot. Earning his private pilot certificate and buying several private aircrafts, he was invited to an active position on the Board of Commission to the Grants Pass Airport. A bronze plaque at the airport bears his name to this day.
While at the Grants Pass G.M. dealership, Max was approached by General Motors offering a Chevrolet franchise in Lindsay, Calif. The summer of 1961 found Max as a Chevrolet dealer in the Central Valley of Calif. During the years in Lindsay, Calif., Max continued his interest in aviation and purchased a new high performance airplane in 1965.
Always wanting his business to grow, Max added Buick to his selling line. On his birthday in 1965, he moved into his new building of Burford Chevy-Buick which he had designed. His design was featured in a national magazine, noting several of its unique features.
Wanting to slow down, Max and Ruby decided to retire and return to their favorite place, the Rogue Valley. After working so many years side by side, they settled in Ashland. Max and Ruby became avid square dancers until the loss of his beloved wife of 42 years in February 1979.
Max is survived by his daughter, Valerie (Tom) MacLennan, of Jacksonville, Ore.; grandson, Steve (Allison), of Phoenix, Ore.; granddaughter, Terri (Arne), of Dalles, Ore.; six great grandchildren; and his wife, Virginia E. Mayfield Burford, of Medford, Ore.
A celebration of life will be held at Medford Friends Church, 525 DeBarr Avenue, at the corner of Table Rock Road, Medford, OR 97501, at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 3, 2011. Pastor Jim Fields will officiate. A reception will be held in the church's fellowship hall after the service. All family and friends are invited.
Ellen Margaret Mittag
Ellen Mittag, age 90, quietly and peacefully slipped into the care of God on February 8, 2011. She was born on June 15, 1920, in Springbrook, North Dakota, the youngest of four children of Anna and Martin Johnson.
She graduated from high school first in her class, and, subsequently, married Vilas Mittag at Hankinson, ND, on December 28, 1938. Ellen and Vi moved from Montana, to Idaho, and finally to Ashland, where they established long-time roots.
Ellen took great pride in her role as homemaker and mother. Her home and heart was always open to friends and neighbors who discovered her rich skills as a baker and a cook-her pies, cakes, cookies, and warm fresh bread became legendary. For a time, she was persuaded to sell her pies and cakes to appreciative buyers.
As dorm mother in the mid-60s at Susanne Homes Hall at SOC (SOU), she established lifelong connections with her charges and their friends. Her apartment became a gathering spot for students seeking advice, friendship, and chocolate chip cookies.
Ellen is survived by her daughters, JoAnne Grisham, Tustin, CA; and Sue Corp (Terry) of Medford, OR; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by Vi, sisters, Anna and Nellie; brothers, Fred, Adam, and Steen.
A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 17, at Scenic Hills Memorial Park.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Scholarship Fund, Rotary Club of Ashland - Lithia Springs, PO Box 1304, Ashland, OR 97520 or to St. Vincent DePaul, Rogue Valley District Council, PO Box 1663, Medford, OR 97501.
David Shane Levi
David "Dave" Levi died at his home on June 9th with his beloved wife Fran at his side, along with daughters Jerilyn and Susan ("Suni") and her husband Theo Vermont.
Dave battled congestive heart failure for years, amazing his caregivers and doctors with his countless rallies. He was handsome (no one looked better in a bow tie), a tease with a playful twinkle in his eye, and a formidable spirit that enhanced the many lives in his world.
Born April 29th, 1923 in Chicago to Jerome and Miriam Levi, Dave was the oldest of three boys. He graduated from the University of Chicago's Lab School and attended the University of Chicago; joining the Air Force and serving as a flight instructor during World War II. Dave met Fran in Los Angeles by chance when she returned her father's rental car in 1951. It was "love at first sight" and they were married July 5, 1953. He delighted in the births of his daughters and time spent as a family. Dave owned several car dealerships and worked in the rental car industry in southern California for 30 years. Fran and Dave moved to Ashland in 1980, having fallen in love with southern Oregon. He was active in the community, delivered "meals on wheels" for 20 years, lived life to the fullest, and enjoyed the great fortune of a long and wonderful life with a woman he loved.
Dave is survived by his wife Fran, two daughters, Jerilyn Levi (husband Denny Truesdale) of Arlington, Virginia, and Susan "Suni" Levi (husband Theo Vermont) of Santa Rosa, California; two grandsons, Jason Truesdale and Shane Sippel, his brother Jerry Levi of San Clemente, California and sister-in-law, Ursula Levi of Beverly Hills. Dave's extended family and dear friends will remember his one-of-a-kind wit, wise observations and joy of living.
A memorial service and celebration of his life is planned for June 19th, 2011 at Temple Emek Shalom, 1800 East Main Street, Ashland, Oregon, 97520 at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Meals on Wheels Inc, 110 East Main Street, Ashland, OR 9752, Hospice Foundation, 1970 Ashland Street, Suite 1, Ashland OR 97520; Temple Emek Shalom Pomegranate Preschool, PO Box 1107, Ashland, OR 97520 or the charity of your choice.
Noreen A. Balog
Noreen Ada Balog died at sunrise on Saturday, March 12, 2011. She was born February 13, 1923 in North Fremantle, Western Australia to Charles and Eva Ann Dale.
Our mother left Australia as a war bride to marry John Xavier Balog on November 16, 1946. Their marriage endured for 27 years. John preceded Noreen on July 12, 1973.
Upon his death, Noreen embarked on an education achievement at Southern Oregon State College that resulted in her Bachelor of Science in General Studies diploma on June 4, 1977.
Noreen is survived by her brother Keith and sisters Eve and Joan in Australia, her three daughters, Dale Suzanne Doolen, Darlene Marie Buckhout and Mary Denise Nodus; their husbands, David, Tim, John; four grandchildren and three great grand children.
A long and adventurous life was experienced by Noreen. She will be remembered for her volunteer contribution to Ashland, her culinary skills and expert seamstress ability. Her love of horses was passed onto her daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughter.
Noreen's declining health was no deterrent to her daily coffee ritual at Albertsons. The family expresses their deep appreciation for the many kindnesses from the staff at Albertsons and Bi-Mart, the professional care by Dr. Patrick Honsinger and his staff; father Sean Weeks and staff at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church where Noreen did flower arrangements for many years, as well as her many friends, especially Nilde Callahan and Barbara Barats.
In lieu of flowers, please honor our mother with a donation to Ashland Community Hospital Hospice at 1970 Ashland Street, Suite 1, Ashland, Oregon 97520.
A private family graveside service will be held at the Scenic Hills Memorial Park, Ashland.
William Dale Sauers
Bill Sauers, attorney, author, board member, horseman, theater lover, friend, family man, and catalyst passed away in his home in Ashland, Ore., on November 16, 2011.
Bill imagined Big. He made things happen.
Bill was born Dale Gilbert Sauers in Santa Cruz, Calif., to Myrl Melvin Sauers and Helen Fightmaster. He became self-sufficient at an early age after his mother's death when he was nine, and abandonment by his father at age fourteen. He worked as a ranch hand in Aptos, Calif. He went to Holy Cross High School in Santa Cruz, Calif., and graduated early and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps two months after turning age 17. He entered basic training in Wichita Falls, Texas, in August 1943. He was promoted to second lieutenant at age 18 in November 1944 and was honorably discharged as second lieutenant, navigator of a B-24 Liberator in October 1945.
Bill married in May 1945 and then returned with his new bride to Fresno, Calif., where he attended Fresno State College and worked for one of the major construction firms, Taylor and Wheeler, building new housing following the War. In 1949, he entered Stanford University Law School, graduating in 1952. The San Francisco Peninsula would become his home until moving to Ashland, Ore., in 2001.
Bill's law career began with a position as an assistant secretary of the State Bar in San Francisco. He joined the District Attorney's office in San Jose in 1955 working as a trial attorney. In 1957, he started a private practice in Palo Alto, Calif. Starting in 1962, Bill found his legal passion as a corporate attorney when he joined the firm Howe, Finch and Glass, which later became Finch, Sauers, Player and Montgomery. He worked for 24 years with the firm representing many major corporations and institutions such as Hewlett-Packard Company, Watkins-Johnson Company, Granger Associates, Varian Associates, Menlo School and College, Micro Electronics and many others. Bill also taught law at Santa Clara University and Stanford University Law schools.
From the late 1980s through 2000, Bill worked with several law firms in the South Bay Area, bringing his corporate skills to start-up companies. He was appointed of-council by Mount and Stoelker (now Mount, Spelman and Fingerman) in December 2000 and moved to Ashland, Ore.
Bill's association with Ashland began in 1973 when he and wife, Barbara, first visited the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Avid theater goers, they spent weeks in Ashland seeing each season's plays multiple times. Bill served on the O.S.F. board of directors, (1989-1995). Eventually purchasing a house in Ashland, for eight years they offered it to the Festival for actor housing. After moving to Ashland in 2001, Bill was a catalyst in the creation of Oregon Stage Works. He also served on the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation Board. He kept an office at the Armory until 2009.
Bill loved to write. He was a regular contributor to the Rancheros Visitadores daily trek and annual newsletter, with his column, "Sauers' Grapes." He authored plays, four of which were produced or read. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival produced, "Did Not I Dance with You?", in 1994 and "A Fork in the Road", in 1995. Play readings of "Lynch Mob Hunt", in 2006 followed by "Reluctant Strangers", were produced by Oregon Stage works.
Bill was an ace at dominoes. He played doubles tennis, was a skier, fly fisherman and horseman. He was member of the San Mateo County Mounted Patrol, serving a term as president of the organization. He owned and rode horses. He was also a decades-long member of the Rancheros Visitadores, Los Picadores camp. He remained friends with his riding buddies participating in an annual event in Visalia, Calif., in March, 2011.
Bill served on a number of boards including, secretary of the Urban Coalition of Palo Alto, from 1969-72; chairman, American Red Cross, Palo Alto, Calif. chapter, from 1973-76; Family Service Association, from 1973-76; Senior Council Affiliates, Palo Alto, from 1981-85; chairman, Board of Trustees, Menlo College, Atherton, Calif., from 1984-88; director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, Ore., from 1989-95; President, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Jose Repertory Theatre, San Jose, Calif., from 1994-98; Oregon Stage Works and Ashland Community Hospital Foundation Board.
Bill was social and outgoing. He was loyal and trusting and optimistic. He made friends and kept them for a lifetime. He would often refer to people as my good friend and mean it.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife, of 65 years, Barbara Gean Cole, of Fresno, Calif., Sauers, in July 2010; his parents, Helen in 1936 and Myrl in 1973; his brother, Myrl Melvin Sauers, Jr., Pfc USMC, who was killed in the battle at Tarawa on November 20, 1943.
Bill is survived by daughters, Kathleen Helen Sauers McCarty, Susan Patricia Sauers Reeves, Deborah Lane Sauers Nelson; son-in-law, Peter Carl Nelson; and grandchildren, Andrea Elizabeth Nelson and Emmett Samuel Nelson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the organizations on whose boards Bill served with passion.
Jane Marie Love Hitt
Jane Marie Love Hitt, 85, passed away at her home in Ashland, Oregon on February 16, 2012. She was born December 2, 1926 to H. Bolie Love and Nell Stafford Love in Coleman, Texas. Jane married John Hitt in Dallas, Texas in 1945. Together they shared a loving and fruitful marriage of 50 years before his passing in 1995. They spend their beginning years in Dallas and, briefly, in Detroit, Michigan. In 1955 they moved with their three young children to Lancaster, Texas. They had many wonderful years there, raising their children, working, and being involved in the community. A career move for John took them to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1973. Here, they had a lovely home and enjoyed many new friends. Jane became a grandmother and loved hosting her granddaughters for visits there. They traveled several times to Europe, Hawaii, the Bahamas and other destinations. She continued living in Tulsa for several years after her husband’s passing. In 2006, Jane move to Ashland, Oregon, a community that she and John had loved and visited many times over the last 30 years, to be close to family.
Jane is remembered by her family as a loving wife, daughter, sister, and mother. She was a spunky Texas woman who possessed great fortitude and courage. She never lost her sense of humor, flavored with that Texas accent and those colorful Texas phrases. Her family remembers a home filled with her beautiful voice singing jazz and shoe tunes. Jane was an artist, painting lovely still life and nature scenes. She loved to garden, growing wonderful vegetables and beautiful flowers. Her home was a refuge for a myriad of animals, lost or abandoned, who managed to always find their way to her safe haven. Jane especially loved cats, including her recent companion, Tootsie.
Jane was preceded in death by her parents, Bolie and Nell Love; her sister, Peggy Love Osuna; and her husband, John Hitt. She is survived by her children, Patti Hitt Lefler of Talent, Oregon; Tim Hitt of Ashland, Oregon; and Dr. Mike Hitt (Karen) of Grapevine, Texas, as well as grandchildren Cameron and Natalie Lefler, Heather Hitt Kramer, Hilary Hitt, Holly Hitt Mason and great-granddaughter, Mia Mason.
She was deeply loved and will forever be missed. The family wishes to thank Ashland Hospice for their compassionate support of Jane and her family.
Arrangements by Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ashland, Ore.
Elizabeth C. "Betty" Matteson
Born August 26, 1921 in Lake Mills, Iowa to Nels and Bertina Charlson.
Betty, an Iowa farm girl, started as a teacher in a one-room school house. In 1944 she moved to Minneapolis to work for Augsburg Press. An avid reader, Betty became interested in the West and jumped at her chance to move to Salem, Oregon with cousins in 1947. Betty then moved to Seattle, Washington where she met and married James Swift Matteson, a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army. Jim and Betty traveled with the military to Stuttgart, Germany; Taipei, Taiwan; Bayside, New York; and retired in Alexandria, Virginia.
In retirement, Betty and Jim moved west to Ashland, Oregon where she became active in many volunteer organizations such as: taking tickets at OSF, Chamber of Commerce, establishing volunteers for the Plaza Visitor's Booth; Lutheran Brotherhood and the Ashland Rotary Club. After Jim passed March 5, 2010, Betty moved closer to more family in Spokane, WA. She went home to be with the Lord on June 5, 2011.
She is survived by daughter, Patti Malott, Spokane, WA; son, Richard Matteson, Los Alamos, NM; daughter, Susan Matteson, Spokane, WA and grandchildren, Nikki Atkins, Douglas Malott, Maribeth Leach, Morgan Matteson, Miranda Malott and Steven Malott.
The Memorial Service will be held Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 2:00 P.M., at Grace Lutheran Church, Ashland, OR. Private interment will be in Eagle Point National Cemetery, Eagle Point, OR
Emile E. Cloutier, Jr.
Emile E. Cloutier, Jr., 72, of Ashland, Ore., passed away on Friday, February 4, 2011, following a brief battle with cancer. He was born June 11, 1938, in Lewiston, Maine, to Emil and Blanche Cloutier. He spent his teen years in Redwood City, Calif., before entering the Navy, where he served as a corpsman stationed at Camp Pendleton. Following discharge from the Navy, Emile worked at Stanford Medical Center as a respiratory therapist, and later as manager of the department. He met his wife, Mavis, at Stanford, where she was working as an R.N. They were married in 1966.
Emile and Mavis moved to Ashland, Ore., with their two daughters, and bought Puck's Doughnuts, which became the "gathering spot" of the town. Emile was active in the Chamber of Commerce, serving as board president and 4th of July chair, for many years. He enjoyed his Kiwanis membership, serving as president and lieutenant governor.
Emile is survived by his wife, Mavis; daughters, Michelle (Damon) Langley, and Angela (Bill) Reeds; three grandsons; and brother, Richard (Lorrie) Cloutier. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2011, at 1:00 p.m., at the First Baptist Church, 2004 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, Ore. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Kiwanis Youth Foundation of Southern Oregon, P.O. Box 449, Ashland, OR 97520.
Michael D. Rydbom
Michael David Rydbom, 65, went to be with the Lord on March 5th, 2011. He was born June 15th, 1945 in Burbank, California to David and Ruth Rydbom. He was the oldest of three children. He attended San Marino High School and USC, graduating with a degree in Business. He was drafted into the Army and fought for his country in the Vietnam War from 1968 - 1969. Soon after returning to the States, he met and married his lifelong loving partner, Beverly Mosser on June 17th, 1972. Together, they raised four children and started a thriving and successful roofing supply company, Coastal Roofing Supply, in Southern California in 1974. After selling the company in 1988, he bought the Ashland Shopping Center and moved his family to Ashland, Oregon, where he could enjoy the outdoors with his children. He was a pivotal member of the community until his death, involved with Rotary and the Elks Club. He was also a past board member of Ashland Community Hospital and Ashland YMCA.
His greatest love in life was his family and his dogs. His priority was always to provide for them, working tirelessly every day. He was a godly man committed to living a good, honest, and decent life. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and, more than anything, being with his children and grandchildren. He was truly a dedicated family man and will be missed deeply.
He will always be remembered for his giving spirit, stoic nature and big heart. While on the outside he was seen as a big stubborn Swede, he had a very tender side, that those close to him were blessed to experience. He was known to be the first to help a friend in need, buy you a meal or force you to eat dessert. He wanted nothing more than to protect and provide for those he loved. He will be remembered for his generosity and the great sacrifices he made.
He is survived by his wife: Beverly Rydbom, children: David Rydbom, Kimberly Rydbom, Michelle Christian, Michael Rydbom, sisters: Nancy Roos and Sharon Williamson, 6 grandchildren and his beloved dog Sig.
Litwiller Simonsen Funeral Home is handling arrangements. There will be a memorial service on March 12th at 2:00 at First Baptist Church on Siskiyou Blvd in Ashland. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Southern Oregon Humane Society in memory of Mike Rydbom.
