Dwight Osborne Wyckoff

Dwight Osborne Wyckoff passed away June 9, 2009. He was 88 years old. He was born on June 18, 1920 at the Wyckoff farm home near Luray in Russell County, Kansas. His parents were Christian Cornelius Wyckoff and Frances Naomi (Bratton) Wyckoff. He was the first child of the union. Other brothers and sisters are Charles Dean Wyckoff, Burl Bryson Wyckoff, Bette Ruey Stover, Jean Bratton Wyckoff, Barbara Ann Sorenson; step-sister, Elaine Stein and step-brother, Richard Sherley (deceased).

The family moved to Gove County in 1935. After three years in the dustbowl in Kansas, the family moved to Nyssa, Oregon. Dwight's father, a World War I Veteran, won a drawing for one hundred plus acres of raw sagebrush land under the Owyhee Irrigation Project in Malheur County, Oregon. The family developed the land into an irrigated farm.

Dwight graduated from Nyssa High School in 1939. He enrolled at Oregon State University in 1941. His education was interrupted by service in World War II. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and farm crops. Dwight enlisted in the Navy Air Corps in 1942. After graduation from officer's training at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida he was transferred to the US Coast Guard and spent most of his time in service in Air Sea Rescue in Port Angeles, Washington.

On June 18, 1944 he married his high school sweetheart, June-Marie Wilson from Nyssa, Oregon. They shared 65 years together. Dwight and June-Marie moved from Port Angeles after his military service ended. They moved to Nyssa, where Dwight was a FFA Instructor at Nyssa High School from 1951 to 1955. Following his teaching career he was manager for Ralston Purina Feed Stores in Nyssa and Weiser, Idaho. After moving to Portland in 1967, he was the office manager for Western Propane. Dwight then worked as office manager of the Bill Wolfe Hereford ranch in Wallowa, Oregon for ten years before retiring in 1986.

After retirement, Dwight and June-Marie spent eleven years traveling the United States in their 5th Wheel. They retired in Florence, Oregon for eleven wonderful years. Dwight had a passion for flying. Just ask him about his beloved PBY Coast Guard Rescue Plane. He loved gardening, music and reading. Dwight was a member of the United Methodist Church for 61 years.

He is survived by his loving wife, June-Marie; three children, Christy Neal and his wife Laura of Portland, Oregon; Barney Gerald Wyckoff of Aspen, Colorado; Marcia Marie Sheehy and her husband Dennis of Wallowa, Oregon; five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at the Wallowa United Methodist Church at a later time. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to the Memorial Fund of the United Methodist Church of Wallowa in care of Daniels~Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 7th Street in La Grande.

HIGH FLIGHT
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings; sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sunsplit clouds and done a thousand things
you have not dreamed, you have not dreamed of.

Wheeled and soared and swung, high in the sunlit silence. Hovering there, Hovering there.

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious burning blue.

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, where never lark, or even eagle flew, and while with silent lifting mind I've trod the high un-trespassed sanctity of space; put out my hand; put out my hands, put our my had and touched the face, the face of God.

By John Magee, Jr.

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