Obituaries: ONA HARWOOD

Ona E. Harwood, of Milton-Freewater, died July 1, 2007, at the St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 79.

Mrs. Harwood was born Aug. 1, 1927, in Elgin, to Harold L. “Curly” and Millie D. McLune Hug. She grew up in Elgin and graduated from Elgin High School in 1945.

After high school she attended Eastern Oregon College (now Eastern Oregon University) in La Grande. On Nov. 21, 1953, she married Reed Harwood in La Grande. She lived and worked in the Elgin area for many years. Mrs. Harwood worked at the Western Stud Mill as a bookkeeper and she and her husband owned and operated a restaurant and bar in Elgin before moving to Milton-Freewater.

In 1960, she moved with her family to Milton-Freewater where she and her husband owned and operated Kaser Fuel, a coal fuel business. When inexpensive electric rates made coal stoves obsolete, she began working at Saager’s Shoe Shop, where she was the office manager for over 40 years until her retirement in 2004. 

She went snorkeling for the first time at age 75 and parasailing at age 78. She was proud of her family and enjoyed her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Pythian Sisters. 

She is survived by three sons and a daughter-in-law Reed and Sharon Harwood, Cort Harwood and Chuck Bertleson all of Milton-Freewater; two daughters and sons-in-law, Bob and Millie Dombrosky of Milton-Freewater and Michael Hill and Holly Harwood of Vancouver, Wash.; a brother Davy Hug of El Paso, Texas; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, twin grandsons, a great-granddaughter and her husband on Nov. 18, 2004.

Funeral services were held July 9, 2007 at the First Christian Church in Milton-Freewater. She was interred in the Summerville Cemetery.