Category Obituaries & Tributes

By Dana Merryday – Special to The Chronicle Editor’s note: Dana Merryday, a former Chronicle columnist and current Cottage Grove City Council member, wrote a series on Pupke in 2022. Following Pupke’s passing, The Chronicle invited him to submit this column. COTTAGE GROVE – On…

■ Holly Vannatta, 73, of Eugene, Ore., passed away on May 13, 2025. Arrangements are in  the care of Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Crematorium & Cemetery. ■ Karen Lee Dulley, 76, of Cottage Grove, Ore., passed May 17, 2025. Arrangements are in the care of…

Patricia Beth Cooper, 84, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, was born in Berkley, California on Feb. 22, 1941.  She was the beloved daughter of Gerald and Elvis (Argo) Flenniken. On March 31, 2025, in Cottage Grove, Oregon, Patricia’s journey came to a peaceful end as she…

Bill Morrisette, who lived a full life dedicated to family, education, and public service, died peacefully at the age of 93 on April 15, 2025. He was born and raised in Anaconda, Montana, to William and Genevieve (Martell) Morrisette, on October 18, 1931. He was…

SPRINGFIELD – Longtime residents are mourning the loss of Bill Morrisette, a former educator, mayor, state senator, and lifelong public servant, who passed away on April 15 at the age of 92 due to natural causes.  “He was a true public servant and a pillar…

David was born to parents, Donald Edward Cole and Elaine Betty Cole (nee Wolbrink) in Klamath Falls, Or. His family moved to Anchorage AK. in ‘71. After graduating from Pleasant Hill High School in 1986, he spent the next 5 years in the U.S. Navy,…

Arlene Eunice Hanson, 93 passed away on April 1, 2025, in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Born on Christmas Day, 1931, in Sheyenne, North Dakota. The daughter of Summond “Sam” and Edith (Frosaker) Rue, Arlene grew up in a loving family alongside her 16 siblings. Her early…

Sharon Lee Martin of Rockford, Ill., died March 28, 2025, in Dallas, Ore.

■ Clinton Ames Van Antwerp, 90, of Cottage Grove, died on March 18.  ■ Sandra Jane Strom, 74, of Cottage Grove, died on March 20.  ■ Kenneth Batson, 71, of Eugene, died on March 22.  ■ Thomas Lemon, 71, of Eugene, died on March 26.…