FRAZIER, LaVerne Francis

LaVerne Francis Frazier of Pendleton died Oct. 7, 2012 at the age of 84. Mrs. Frazier was with her family at home when she passed. Mrs. Frazier was born Sept. 10, 1928 in Wallowa, Ore., to Charles Isaac Johnson and Mabel Frances Fields. She grew up on the family farm in Lower Valley outside of Wallowa with 6 other siblings. She attended Wallowa High School and helped her mother run the farm after her father’s death in 1940 before moving to La Grande and then to Bates, Ore. There she met Ralph Truman Frazier who was employed at Hines Lumber Company. Mr. and Mrs. Frazier married on Sept. 16, 1948, in Baker, Ore., at the Baker County Courthouse. On July 28th, 1952, they gave birth to their only child, Vickie LaVerne Frazier. They lived in Bates, Condon, Baker, and Albany, Ore., before moving to Pendleton in 1981. During her many years of work, Mrs. Frazier was employed as a waitress, retail clerk, postal clerk, and was the Clerk of Baker School District for 16 years. She and her husband also managed an RV Park in Albany before returning to Northeast Oregon. After moving to Pendleton, she was employed by Heritage Land Company as a Realtor and later served payroll and bookkeeping clients at Read and Bose, CPAs for 26 years before her retirement at age 80. Mrs. Frazier enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s sporting events and rooting on the Pendleton High School Buckaroos. Many PHS athletes and their families simply knew her as “Grandma.” She also loved seeing her friends at Wildhorse Casino and Headquarters Beauty Salon and traveling to Nevada with the Eagles on numerous occasions. She spent hours rooting on her beloved Seattle Mariners and Portland Trail Blazers. Mrs. Frazier is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and five siblings, Viola Frazier, Geneva “Bid” Werst, Jesse “Jess” Johnson, James “Mike” Johnson, and Robert “Bob” Johnson. She is survived by her brother, Aldon Johnson of Wallowa, Ore.; her daughter, Vickie, and son-in-law, Lonnie Read of Pendleton along with two grandchildren, Kelli Renee Bullington of Pendleton and Jeffrey Parker Read of Washington D.C. and one great-grandchild, Truman Hubert Bullington, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Donations may be made in her honor to the Pendleton Foundation Trust, c/o Pendleton Pioneer Chapel, Folsom-Bishop, 131 SE Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801. Online condolences may be sent to www.pioneerchapel.com. The Record-Courier 18 October 2012