Roseburg Oregon News Paper
‘Jim’ Kohltfarber Jr., Imogene Everidge, Kenneth Neider, ‘Kurt’ Krigbaum
‘Jim’ Kohltfarber Jr.
James Dean “Jim” Kohltfarber Jr., 46, of Baker City and formerly of The Dalles, died of a heart attack at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, Calif., on Jan. 6, 2010.There will be a celebration of his life at 11 a.m. Feb. 13 at the Covenant Christian Church in The Dalles with Pastor Fritz Stranz officiating. A Baker City celebration of his life is scheduled at 1 p.m. Feb. 20 at the family home at 903 Ninth St.
Mr. Kohltfarber was born on Nov. 15, 1963, at Wellington, Nev., to James Dean and Mary Kohltfarber. He was the oldest of four children.
He grew up in Portland, Dufur and The Dalles were he graduated from The Dalles High School in 1982. He worked at Northwest Aluminum for several years until the company layoff in 2002.
He then enrolled at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, graduating in 2004. After graduation he worked for Union Pacific Railroad where he remained employed until his death.
He was a member of the Covenant Christian Church at Hood River and was an avid NASCAR racing fan. He loved to golf, shoot clay pigeons and ride his bike. He became interested in photography in high school and recently purchased a new camera to get started in it again.
Survivors include his wife, Elisha of Baker City; his mother, Mary, and her husband, Bob Caldwell; his children, James and Jessica of The Dalles and Joseph, Elijah and Rebekah of Tacoma, Wash.; his brothers, John of Oceanside, Calif., and Scott of Middletown, Del.; his sister, Lynette, and her husband, Marty Leisure, of Milwaukie; stepbrother, Vince Caldwell of Dufur; stepchildren, David Grashoff of Baker City, Rachel and her husband, Lee Adams, of Texas, and Richie Shaver of Baker City; five uncles, six aunts, nephews, nieces and several cousins and one granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by his father, James Kohltfarber Sr., who died on Jan. 10, 1972; grandparents, Albert and Esther Madding, Alex and Minnie Kohltfarber and Veva Caldwell; and uncles, John Madding and Dick Caldwell.
Imogene Everidge
Her memorial service will be scheduled in the spring of 2010.
Imogene Spencer Everidge was born on Oct. 13, 1923, at Wapato, Wash., to Noble W. and Verna Jones Spencer. She graduated from Wapato High School. She married C. Herman Everidge on July 4, 1943.
Imogene worked for the La Grande Observer in the mail room for many years. After she retired, she ran a motor route for years.
She moved to Baker City in 2004 and lived with her daughter and son-in-law. She enjoyed fishing and crafts and was involved with the Elkhorn Baptist Church, the Rebekah Lodge and was a den mother for the Cub Scouts when her boys were in Scouting.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Roberta and John Smith of of Baker City; son and daughter-in-law, Vernon and Terry Everidge of La Grande; son, Frank Everidge of La Grande; brother, Delbert Spencer of Fairbanks, Alaska; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Herman Everidge; brother, William Spencer; three sisters, Mary Keyes, Kathleen Parashall and Doreen Burgess; and granddaughter, Teressa Everidge.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Kenneth Neider
Kenneth Gordon Neider, 90, of Hermiston, died Feb. 1, 2010, at his home.
Disposition was by private cremation at Mr. Neider’s request.
Mr. Neider was born July 7, 1919 in Halfway to Robert George and Delpha Neider. He served in World War II and was a very proud veteran U.S. Army sergeant who served his country well.
He married his loving wife, Wilma Lorriane Kirby, in 1945 at Boise.
Survivors include sons, Kenneth J. and Robert G. Neider of Hermiston; daughter, Sharlet M. Neider of Hermiston; grandson and his wife, Bobby A. and Ashley A. Neider of Umatilla; niece, Susan Maddock of Billings Mont.; cousin, Joe Kenison of San Diego; nine grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Wilma L. Neider; sister, Rozelle Downing; mother, Delpha Wright; father, George Neider; and brother, Bob Neider.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. To sign the condolence book visit www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
‘Kurt’ Krigbaum
Kurtis Roy “Kurt” Krigbaum, 47, died Jan. 25, 2010, at Everett, Wash.
Kurt’s life was celebrated Jan. 30 at the First Baptist Church in Connell, Wash. Interment will be later this summer at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.
Kurtis Roy Krigbaum (better known as Kurt) was born on Oct. 19, 1963, at Los Angeles, to Philip Blake Krigbaum and Janet (Jill) Sharon Langley (now Keller). Phil and Jill are both formerly of Halfway. Kurt spent the first six years of his life in California.
However, because Kurt’s mother and stepfather (then John Preston “Pres” Whited also formerly of Halfway) were telephone contractors the family went to where the jobs led them. This meant many different homes in many different places, similar to that of a military life.
In the summer of 1970, when Kurt was 7, the family moved to Harlingen, Texas, where Kurt attended first and second grade. The next summer the family moved to Eldora, Iowa, where Kurt went to third grade.
Then the family moved to International Falls, Minn., where Kurt attended fourth grade. The family then moved to Webster, N.D., where Kurt spent fifth and sixth grades.
In the summer before seventh grade, they moved 12 miles south to Devils Lake where Kurt went to seventh grade. Then, in June of 1977, the family packed up and moved back west to Portland. Kurt went to eighth grade in southeast Portland and ninth grade in southwest Portland.
Then, during the summer before 10th grade, Kurt and his twin brother, Kent, went to live with their dad, Phil Krigbaum, in Connell, Wash., where they attended Connell High School for 10th and 11th grade and then went to the Connell Christian Academy for 12th grade where they were the only two graduates in May of 1982. Kurt enjoyed spending his summers in Halfway with his grandparents, George and Edna Langley.
In April of 1983, Kurt married Rita Steele and her 2-year-old son, Jeffrey Christopher Steele. In November of 1983 their son, Kelvin Roy Krigbaum, was born.
In October of 1984, Kurt decided to join the U.S. Army to support his family, and continue that military lifestyle to which he was so accustomed. Kurt went to boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., then on to Russian language school at Monterey, Calif.
In November of 1985, he and Rita packed up and headed for Intelligence School at Good Fellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. They also spent some time at Fort Stewart in Georgia, and Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and in August of 1987, Kurt was sent to Korea.
Rita and the boys went back to Connell to stay with her folks while Kurt was out of the country. When Kurt was discharged from the Army, and reunited with his family, they moved to Auburn, Wash. They also spent some time at Kent, Wash., and finally bought a home and settled down at Tacoma, Wash., where they lived for several years.
Then in April of 1998, a 15-year marriage ended. Kurt stayed on in western Washington and pursued his education at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., where he graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in geology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
During this time, he met Kristine Gordon. They fell in love and later married and bought a home at Everett, Wash. Kurt took a teaching position at Dartmoor, a prestigious private school at Bellevue, Wash., where he taught science.
He was well loved at Dartmoor by both the students and the staff and was often referred to as the campus manager’s “right-hand man,” his family said. Kurt often mentioned how working with the kids at Dartmoor brought him so much joy.
Kurt was a man of many passions. He loved writing poetry, and was even published on two separate occasions. His love of World War II history led him to war-gaming, which he greatly enjoyed.
Because of his passion for music, he taught himself to play the bass guitar and the six-string guitar, and spent many hours jamming with other talented friends and family members.
“Kurt was a kind-hearted, multi-talented, highly intelligent man with a great sense of humor and an infectious laugh,” his family said. “He was dearly loved by many and will be profoundly missed!”
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, George and Edna Langley, Claude Krigbaum and Rachel Makinson Nocchi; and his aunts, Jackie Langley Ritter, Carmen Krigbaum Whitely, and Joanne Krigbaum Hulse.
Survivors include his mother, Jill Keller of Roseburg; and his father, Phil Krigbaum of Connell, Wash., his wife, Kristine Gordon of Everett, Wash.; his sons, Jeff Steele and Kalvin Krigbaum of Kennewick, Wash., and his two grandsons, Talon, who is 10, and Gavin, who is 5; his four brothers, Jeff Killgore-Cathcart of Scio, Forrest Krigbaum of Vancouver, Wash., Wade Krigbaum of Tampa, Fla., and his identical twin, Kent Krigbaum of Spokane, Wash.; his two sisters, Cyndi Thomson of Twisp, Wash., and Wren Thomas of Moulton, Ala.; cousins, Marcus Montgomery of Phoenix, Ariz., and Sharol Chandler and Melody Huff of Halfway as well as numerous other cousins, nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dartmoor-Kurt Krigbaum Science Memorial (to provide hands-on science equipment for the students) through Tami’s Pine Valley Home P.O. Box 543 Halfway, Oregon 97834.
Despite setbacks, Roseburg firm still making boats
By CRAIG REED
The (Roseburg) News-Review
ROSEBURG (AP) - A half dozen silver-colored boat hulls in various stages of production sat in the large industrial building.
Workers were busy at various tasks on the boats last Wednesday. It was another day of work for North River Boats Inc. and its 55 employees.
Contrary to some reports and rumors, the company and its workers have been in production mode since May 4.
They're happy to be in business after a three-week shutdown last April when an investigation of fraud by owner Brian Brush was first announced by the FBI.
In unrelated action, Brush has since been charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend and is awaiting trial in the Pacific County jail in South Bend, Wash.
The company is in receivership and John Mitchell Inc., a Portland company, became the court-appointed receiver after the Bank of the Cascades of Bend filed a lawsuit against North River last April because loan payments were not being made. That bank is the major secured creditor of the boat company.
"I think a lot of people think we're not in business," said John Mitchell whose job is to "operate the company."
"But we have enough commercial boat orders to operate at the level that we're at through 2010," he added.
The company's base of production and sales is in Roseburg.
"We're still here and alive," said Jay Conn, the company's general manager and a 24-year employee of North River. "We're still looking for a new owner."
To clarify its business situation and to improve its image, the company sent out 6,000 "Happy Holidays" letters to individuals and businesses who are owners of North River boats dating back to 2001. The letters explained that North River Boats would be represented through independent boat dealers at upcoming boat shows in Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, Eugene, Roseburg and Spokane.
"The response to that (letter) has been phenomenal," said Conn. "Customers have been calling with love for this product, and love for the company."
"We're hoping the boat shows will produce work," Mitchell said. "We hope to see a resurgence in interest that'll get us up to the level of producing 300 boats this year. I know of no negative responses (to the holiday letter)."
North River presently has contracts to build 94 18-foot boats for the U.S. Coast Guard, several boats for the U.S. Navy, five for the Panama Canal Authority and a boat for the U.S. Marine Corp.
Mitchell said he believes one aspect of the company that has kept it afloat through some rough times in the last year was that the quality of the boats being made remained high. He added that the key management people stayed with the company through the tough times.
Mitchell explained that efforts to sell the company have been made since last May, but the right buyer has yet to be found.
"At the right time in history, this business would have sold in a couple months," he said.
He's hoping North River can begin to show a profit again in February or March and that loan payments to the bank can begin to be made.
"We think this is a very good company with very good employees," Mitchell said.
North River is the largest producer of heavy gauged aluminum boats in the boating industry, according to Mitchell. In 2009, the company had the largest number of boats sold and registered in Oregon, California and Washington.
North River's peak boat building years were 2006 and 2007, when about 1,250 finished boats rolled off the end of the production line each year. The number of employees peaked at about 230 in 2007.
With the economic woes of 2008 and 09 and then Brush's financial problems, the company's boat sales declined and its employees total decreased to 103 when North River was closed last April.
About three weeks later when the company resumed production to complete boats that had been in the building process and to begin work on boats that were on order, about 30 people were rehired. The employee number has gradually grown since, and Mitchell and Conn hope that if the boat shows over the next couple of months result in more orders a few more employees can be hired back.
"It depends on whether the recreational market pops up," said Conn.
Nine independent boat dealers in Oregon, Washington and central California are actively selling North River craft. The company is having discussions with several more dealers, including ones in Alaska, and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta.
Conn said at any one time, North River has 90 to 120 bids out to potential boat customers.
"We've lost a few contracts because agencies have said they don't know what's going on here, they don't know if we're going to be here, but most have stayed with us and supported us," he said.
"We're going about our business, building boats and fulfilling contracts," he said.
