Gerald Lester "Jerry" Vandiver was born February 24, 1929, in Malott, WA. He passed away unexpectedly on January 3, 2010, in Yuma, AZ. Jerry was the eighth child of Will Vandiver and Ada (Hilderbrand) Vandiver, a longtime pioneer family in the Okanogan Valley. Jerry attended school in Malott, until his mother's death. At age 11, he went to live with his sister and brother-in-law, Anne and Leo Douglass of Tonasket, WA. At age 16, Jerry participated in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Church of the Brethren humanitarian effort as a "seagoing cowboy," to replenish domestic livestock in war-devastated Europe. Ten young men from Tonasket School made this journey aboard the Liberty Ship Clarksville Victory, with a load of 750 head of wild mares in foal from the Canadian Prairies. This extraordinary voyage took three months of their school year and greatly affected each of these young men who served in this capacity. Jerry graduated from high school in 1947, and attended Washington State College in Pullman, WA for one year. He went to work for Weyerhaeuser Timber Company and advanced to the position of Pulp Digester Cook in Springfield, OR. On September 24, 1949, Jerry married Neoma J. Vermillion. The couple returned to live in Oroville in 1950, and have lived there since. A daughter, Lorraine, was born in 1951, and a second daughter, Elizabeth Ann "Liz" was born in 1953. Jerry worked in a variety of jobs, including orchard work, ranching, Manager of the Lake Osoyoos State Park, Manager of the Orada Theaters and Forest Warden for the Department of Natural Resources, prior to returning to Central Washington State College to earn a teaching degree. He taught at Oroville Public School for the next 27 years, then retired to spend his time in Oroville during the summers and traveled south to Yuma, AZ, to enjoy warm winters with Neoma.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Neoma; daughters, Lorraine (Jack) Powell and Elizabeth (Roger) Stucker; four grandchildren, Christopher and Skye Powell and Ryan and Michael Stucker; one sister, Lilly Hoover; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Will and Ada; brothers, Richard, Emery, Johnny and Everett; sisters, Anne and June; and nephew, Larry Douglass.
Family Services will be arranged at a later date.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Neoma; daughters, Lorraine (Jack) Powell and Elizabeth (Roger) Stucker; four grandchildren, Christopher and Skye Powell and Ryan and Michael Stucker; one sister, Lilly Hoover; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Will and Ada; brothers, Richard, Emery, Johnny and Everett; sisters, Anne and June; and nephew, Larry Douglass.
Family Services will be arranged at a later date.
Gerald Lester "Jerry" Vandiver was born February 24, 1929, in Malott, WA. He passed away unexpectedly on January 3, 2010, in Yuma, AZ. Jerry was the eighth child of Will Vandiver and Ada (Hilderbrand) Vandiver, a longtime pioneer family in the Okanogan Valley. Jerry attended school in Malott, until his mother's death. At age 11, he went to live with his sister and brother-in-law, Anne and Leo Douglass of Tonasket, WA. At age 16, Jerry participated in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Church of the Brethren humanitarian effort as a "seagoing cowboy," to replenish domestic livestock in war-devastated Europe. Ten young men from Tonasket School made this journey aboard the Liberty Ship Clarksville Victory, with a load of 750 head of wild mares in foal from the Canadian Prairies. This extraordinary voyage took three months of their school year and greatly affected each of these young men who served in this capacity. Jerry graduated from high school in 1947, and attended Washington State College in Pullman, WA for one year. He went to work for Weyerhaeuser Timber Company and advanced to the position of Pulp Digester Cook in Springfield, OR. On September 24, 1949, Jerry married Neoma J. Vermillion. The couple returned to live in Oroville in 1950, and have lived there since. A daughter, Lorraine, was born in 1951, and a second daughter, Elizabeth Ann "Liz" was born in 1953. Jerry worked in a variety of jobs, including orchard work, ranching, Manager of the Lake Osoyoos State Park, Manager of the Orada Theaters and Forest Warden for the Department of Natural Resources, prior to returning to Central Washington State College to earn a teaching degree. He taught at Oroville Public School for the next 27 years, then retired to spend his time in Oroville during the summers and traveled south to Yuma, AZ, to enjoy warm winters with Neoma.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Neoma; daughters, Lorraine (Jack) Powell and Elizabeth (Roger) Stucker; four grandchildren, Christopher and Skye Powell and Ryan and Michael Stucker; one sister, Lilly Hoover; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Will and Ada; brothers, Richard, Emery, Johnny and Everett; sisters, Anne and June; and nephew, Larry Douglass.
Family Services will be arranged at a later date.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Neoma; daughters, Lorraine (Jack) Powell and Elizabeth (Roger) Stucker; four grandchildren, Christopher and Skye Powell and Ryan and Michael Stucker; one sister, Lilly Hoover; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Will and Ada; brothers, Richard, Emery, Johnny and Everett; sisters, Anne and June; and nephew, Larry Douglass.
Family Services will be arranged at a later date.
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