Gary Merle Winters

Gary Merle Winters, 70, formerly of La Grande and Wallowa County, died Jan. 18 in Eugene after a battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. At his request, there was no service.
He was born Jan. 23, 1939, to Joy (Fine) Bartmess and Virgil Winters in Joseph. Joy later married Arthur Bartmess of Lostine.

He graduated from Lostine High School in 1957, attended Eastern Oregon College in La Grande and received a degree in business from Lane Community College.

He met Betty Trump of Wallowa at a dance and married her July 10, 1961, in Lewiston, Idaho.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963 and was stationed at Fort Steward, Ga.

He worked as a heavy equipment operator on Clear Lake cutoff road, Green Peter Dam and Cougar Reservoir. He worked for the Eugene Water and Electric Board in 1964 and retired as construction supervisor in 1994 after 30 years of service.

His hobbies included hunting, camping, reading, fishing, bowling, woodworking, scouting, attending grandkids' activities and meeting for coffee with the McDonald's group.

He is survived by his wife, Betty (Trump) Winters of Eugene; daughters, Laurie Byerly and her husband, Shane, of Dayton and Andrea Hartman and her husband, Ron, of Eugene; son, Derek Winter and his wife, Laura Chen, of Eugene; stepfather, Arthur Bartmess of Joseph; sisters, Verna Rhodes of Enterprise, Corliss Boner and her husband, Dale, of Enterprise, and Linda LaRue and her husband, Del, of Ione; brother, Gorden Winters of Pendleton; stepsister, Diane Snodderly and her husband, David, of Lodi, Calif.; stepbrother, Dale Bartmess and his wife, Shirley, of Hurricane, Utah; sister-in-law Zora Roley and her husband, Edward, of South Beach; and four grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepbrother, Don Bartmess; and brother-in-law, Archie "Bud" Rhodes.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Eugene Public Library, 100 W. 10th Ave., Eugene.

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