The Enterprise - White Salmon, Washington

Obituaries

Death notices for Dick Miller and Lois Clark

November 06, 2012

Richard "Dick" Hugh Miller passed away Oct. 21, 2012, in Underwood; Dick was born June 19, 1940, in Redding, Calif., and was 72 years of age at the time of his death.

Dick lived his younger life in the Hood River area, then in Underwood where he raised his family, and most recently in Oakland, Ore. He also lived in Gresham, Ore., and Renton.

He graduated from Wy'East High School and attended Clark College in Vancouver. In his youth he worked with his father; Lester Trucking Co., and Lester Moving and later for Silver Wheel Trucking Co., before buying D & M Wholesale where he was a local beer and wine distributor up and down The Gorge.

On Dec. 10, 1966, he married Marcie Ann Eccles and they were blessed with two daughters: Michele and Amy. Dick enjoyed the outdoors: fishing, crabbing, digging razor clams and hunting. He also enjoyed artistry: painting, his garden and landscaping.

He was active with both the Elk's Lodge and Eagles clubs.

Dick is survived and will be dearly missed by his daughters Michele Miller (and Terry Reiss) of Portland, Ore., and Amy Miller (and Matt Cox) of Underwood; sister Carma Swaney of Ocean Shores, Ore.; three grandchildren, Callahan Miller-Reiss, Allie Miller-Reiss and Conner Miller-Cox; and a host of friends that he has collected over the years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marcie Miller, mother, Virginia Lester, father, Sidney Miller and step-father, Archie Lester.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, at Anderson's Tribute Center with graveside rites to follow at the Pine Grove Butte Cemetery and then a reception to celebrate Dick's life that afternoon at the Hood River Elk's Lodge starting at 3 p.m.

Memorials are encouraged to be made in Dick's name to Heart of Hospice.

Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center, Hood River.

Lois Clark, a longtime resident of Lyle, died in Gresham, Ore. on Oct. 30, 2012. Mrs Clark was born in Seneca, Neb. on Aug. 21, 1929, the firstborn child of Edith and Elmer Williams.

In June, 1938, the Williams family headed westward, traveling from Wyoming to Washington's Olympic Peninsula in a 1932 pickup. Elmer Williams had built a "canopy" on the truck bed so that it looked like a motorized covered wagon. The family -- which now included four children -- camped their way across five states, to arrive on the Elwha River, near Port Angeles, where Lois's uncle ran a riding stables at which her father worked.

Mrs. Clark's family moved to the slopes of Mt. Hood in Oregon during the late 1940s. In July 1950, Lois married John Waldron. The couple lived in Sandy until 1961, and had four children: Kaye, Michael, Daniel and James. A subsequent marriage to David Pederson, in 1964 produced two sons: Eric and Curt. In 1970 Lois married Everett Clark, and together they raised Everett's six and Lois's five sons.

The Clarks moved to Lyle in 1980. In the years since, Lois's almost full-time volunteer work took her many places across the United States and around the globe. She volunteered for, and often led, the Dorcas Society (the community service arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church) in every community in which she lived.

The church played a very important role in Mrs. Clark's life. In addition to the Dorcas Society, Lois was a leader in the Pathfinders Club, a spiritual version of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Pathfinders learned the same practical outdoor skills and respect for nature as Scouts do, with an emphasis on the Creator. Lois was a Master Guide and helped many youngsters achieve that level.

In addition, Lois has been active for decades in the American Red Cross, where she served as a disaster relief worker, traveling to many other states and countries. Lois received advanced training so that wherever a flood, earthquake, fire or other natural disaster occurred, she could mobilize and help quickly organize Red Cross relief teams. In that capacity, she traveled to the Southeast, the Northeast, the Midwest, Central America and the British Virgin Islands, to name only a few destinations.

She was awarded numerous honors and citations for her community service work, from Pathfinders, Dorcas and the American Red Cross.

Husbands David Pederson and Everett Clark preceded her in death, as did her son Daniel and brother, Larry. She is survived by eight siblings: Doris Brownhill of Sherwood, Ore., Norma Stiles of Sandy, Ore., Fran Kilmer of Spokane, Cathy Garrett of Portland, Ore., Lela Markwell of Sandy, Ore., Chuck Williams of Prineville, Ore., and Karen Rathjen and Mari Nielsen, both of Sandy, Ore.

Mrs. Clark is also survived by five children: Kaye Winona of Kalispell, Mont., Mike Waldron of Port Angeles,, James Waldron of Connell, Eric Pederson of Lyle, and Curt Pederson of Airway Heights. She has 12 surviving grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandson.

Arrangements were made by the Estacada, Ore. Funeral Home for private burial in Appleton.