Derease "Dee" Bones

Derease "Dee" Bones, 80 of Reedsport and formerly of Union, died July 24 at Reedsport Lower Umpqua Extended Care Hospital of complications related to breast cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Elks Wapiti Park up Drift Creek in Lincoln City.

Derease was born Oct. 16, 1926 to Flossie May (Gaylor) and Benton Starkey in Cassville, Mo. She was the seventh of nine children. She was raised in Cassville and graduated from Cassville High School in 1946. She worked as a candy striper in high school

Derease moved to Hopewell in 1947 and went to work for General Hospital in McMinnville as a nurse's aide. She met Robert Bones while he was in the hospital and they married on Jan. 7, 1949, in McMinnville. They raised their family in Lincoln City. She worked at North Lincoln Hospital for 18 years as a nurse's aide until her retirement.

Derease liked to hunt, fish, camp and dig clams with her family. She enjoyed her grandchildren and made each one a quilt. After she and her husband retired, they traveled south to Arizona to be one of the state's "Snowbirds" for 18 years. They met many people from all over and made strong friendships in Arizona. When their travels ended due to health problems, they settled for a couple of years in La Grande then moved to the Oregon Coast, where they loved for the past three years.

Derease is survived by her husband, Robert of Reedsport; sons, Ammon "Pete" and his wife, Joy of Vancouver, Wash., Ben and his wife, Cindy, of Otis, Bob and his wife, Anita, of Union and Jeffrey of Lincoln City; daughter, Linda Poage and her significant other, Ed Kosach, of Reedsport; sisters, Marcella Long of Joplin, Mo., Colleen Hensen, of Ridley, Mo., and Doogie Harvey of Cassville. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.