Jo Ann Austin Cereghino, 70

Jo Ann Cereghino, 70, of Lucile, Idaho, passed away Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at her home on John Day Creek after a 17 month battle with cancer.

Jo Ann was born in St. Helens, Oregon on May 13, 1937, to Astrid and Jay R. Austin. She graduated from St. Helens High School and followed her sister, Sally, to Oregon State College.

She married David E. Cereghino on February 13, 1960. They lived in Sherwood, Oregon where they raised their four children. In 1978, they bought a cattle ranch in Lucile, Idaho and made their final move from their onion farm operation to Idaho in 1980.

Jo Ann’s passions where cooking for crowds and crowds of family and friends, painting, gardening, fishing, and penny slots in Jackpot, Nevada.

Her selfless character will be missed by all those who’s lives where touched by her love.

She is survived by her husband, David; daughters, Gina Turnlund and Carrie Rock; sons, David and Mike; eight grandchildren; her sister, Sally Nelson; nieces and nephews and many, many close friends.

A private graveside service was held at John Day Cemetery near Lucile on Friday, February 22.

The family suggests that remembrances may be made in Jo Ann’s name to the Syringa General Hospital Hospice Care Program, 607 W. Main, Grangeville, Idaho 83530. Their warm and loving care sustained Jo Ann and the entire family through the last month.

Arrangements were handled by Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville, Idaho.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Sharon C. Wing, 68

Sharon Colleen Wing, 68, of Elk City, passed away in her sleep after a hard, long, battle with cancer which claimed her life Tuesday morning, February 19, 2008. She had been residing with her son in Elk City, where she spent her remaining days.

To those of us who were fortunate enough to know Sharon, we will always remember her positive, “can do” attitude, which she maintained all through her difficult ordeal.

Sharon was born on October 18, 1939, in Minnesota, but her family moved to Spokane, Washington when she was a very young girl. She graduated from high school in 1957 in Spokane.

Sharon was married when she was 28 years old to Bob Horrocks, and from that moment on, most of the rest of her life was spent on the back of a horse or around them, where she acquired all of the knowledge of a master horseman and all who knew her respected her opinion on the subject. She cooked in backcountry hunting camps, delivered first calf heifers, and lived the life of a rancher’s wife. Sharon’s true passion was horses and she was fortunate to spend most of her life doing what she loved.

Sharon is survived by her sister, Billye, of California, and may other cousins, nieces and nephews in California; her son, Cole Horrocks, who resides in Elk City with his wife and young son; and two other grandchildren, Hud and Fallon of Winchester, Idaho.

We will all miss Sharon, but we may all take some comfort in the knowledge that she is now at peace and free from pain, free to ride wherever the wind takes her on her best horse, with green grass underfoot, no fences, good water, with two good stock dogs at her side.

Goodbye Mom, we love you.

Cremation has taken place, and at Sharon’s request, no services will be held.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Mary Jeanne Nordin, 77

On February 16th, together Jesus and Orrin reached out their hands to take Mary Jeanne home after a long and challenging battle with Alzheimer's.

Mary Jeanne Kottke was born to Arthur B. and Elsie Ida Clara Wendt Kottke on February 4, 1931 in Graceville, Minnesota. Just 60 miles away the love of her life, Orrin C. Nordin was born just a few hours later. However, they did not meet until they went off to boarding high school at West Central School of Agriculture in Morris, Minnesota in 1946.

While at WCSA, Mary Jeanne was involved in chorus, YWCA, and the class plays. They held onto those high school friendships their entire lives. Together they graduated in 1948. Soon after, Mary Jeanne left to attend nursing school in Oregon City, Oregon, where her parents had moved to. Mary found nursing school too intimidating for her at the time so she returned to Morris for another year in Advanced Studies at WCSA. However, we all know it was really because she missed Orrin too much.

They were inseparable and married on June 26, 1951 in Hoffman, Minnesota where Orrin was working as a carpenter. They bought their first home, a 40 acre farm just 5 miles south of Hoffman for $2,000.00. It was on the farm that Dana Mark, the first of their 5 children, was born in September of 1952.

The following summer of 1953 they moved to California. It was in their home on Gamma Street in Garden Grove that they added 3 daughters, Jill Christine, Lynn Marie and Beth Nancy and finally, another son, Reid Timothy. During those years the family spent countless weekends out in the desert and sand dunes jeeping and camping with the 4 Wheelers of Orange County. There were also many family houseboat vacations on Lake Meed and Lake Mojave.

Mary Jeanne was a stay at home mom until 1970 when she returned to school to finish her nursing degree in 1973, the same year her first born daughter graduated from high school. Mary Jeanne spent her entire career working the night shift at Western Medical Center as an Oncology nurse. She worked for 15 years until she was forced to retire early due to an acute onset of Bells Palsy that never improved. Mary's 3 daughters have all followed in their mother's footsteps and are all nurses working night shift in different areas of nursing.

In 1994 Orrin went into semi-retirement so he and Mary moved to Grangeville, Idaho to live with their daughter, Lynn and husband Jim. In 2001, the Nordin's celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the home of the Welborn's with family and friends coming from all over the country.
Along with traveling back to Morris for most all of their class reunions, the Nordin's also attended several Kottke Family reunions. Mary and Orrin's family grew from 5 children to include spouses, 11 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Mary Jeanne will always be remembered by her love of purple, her beautiful voice and her sweet gentle spirit. She loved any occasion she could dress up. She had impeccable taste and could easily look as elegant as a queen. She loved her soaps and even got Orrin hooked on them. She could make a mean bowl of oatmeal and believed no one should start the day without it. Her Christmas breakfast tradition and singing grace continues to be carried down through the generations. In her earlier years in OC, she could be seen bee-bopping around in her baby blue BMW. She had quite the lead foot. Orrin was known for his joking phrase regarding this habit, "Step on it Parnelli, their gainin' on us". Despite the ravages of this horrible disease known as "The Long Goodbye", still there were times when she'd laugh with us and hum to her favorite hymns. During this time of decline still her sweet kind spirit shown through at the most unique times with simple yet profound comments. She was a blessing to all who met her. Although we will miss our mother, grandmother and great grandmother terribly we are glad her suffering is over and she is gone to be with our Lord and with Orrin, the love of her life.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Orrin, in October of last year; her parents; 2 sisters, Muriel Oliver and Beth Griess; a brother, Eugene Kottke, and a son-in-law, Jan Kline.

Mary is survived by her 5 children, Dana Nordin of Grangeville, Lynn & Jim Welborn of Grangeville, Jill Kline of Anaheim, California, Beth & Bo Wendel of Farmington, Utah and Reid & Jill Nordin of Lake Elsinore, California; her 11 grandchildren, Jeremy, Ryan and Heather Welborn, Krista, Chad, Jennifer and Adam Kline, Katie and Reid Wendel, Trevor and Peyton Nordin; 4 great grandchildren, Krystan, Justin and Owen Welborn, Brayden Kline and Orrin Welborn. She is also survived by two sisters, Jackie McMames of Arizona and Theola Lohr of New Jersey, and a brother, Ron Kottke of Minnesota.

Funeral services will be at Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville on Saturday, February 23, 2008, at 1:00 p.m., with burial following at the Mt Idaho Cemetery. There will be a dinner for family and friends at the Grangeville Christian Church following the burial.

Condolences may be sent to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.