Halfway, Oregon
Donald Leslie “Don” Marshall, 78, of Halfway, died Sept. 30, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
There was a celebration of his life today at the Pine Baptist Church in Halfway.
Don was born on Sept. 10, 1926, at Drake, N.D., to Laurence Franklin Marshall and Melissa Louise McCarty. He was their only surviving child.
Don’s father hopped a train from North Dakota to Oregon in September 1931. Don and his mom used the same hobo method of transportation to reach Oregon in October of 1931. They settled at Corbett.
In the early 1940s, the family moved to Woodburn where Don attended school. He played basketball and baseball and remained a sports enthusiast until his death.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 and served in the Pacific on the USS Saratoga. Don met Jo-Ann Gregory at Woodburn and they were married in 1950.
They had three children: Gary, Mike and Vicki. Don and Jo-Ann divorced in 1986.
Don had his own dump truck business for a time and also worked on building the Detroit Dam in 1949 and 1950. He then worked for several trucking companies including Exley Trucking, Zellerbach Paper Co. and Georgia Pacific until his retirement in 1988.
Don was also part owner of 4M Cattle Co. with his wife, son and daughter-in-law.
He obtained his private pilot’s license at age 53. He loved his Cessna 152 and time spent in the air. Don was an avid outdoorsman and especially liked to hunt, fish, horseback ride and team rope.
He loved to spend time in Eastern Oregon and dreamed of living there one day. Don moved to Halfway in 1991 where he took pleasure in building his own home and pursuing his outdoor hobbies.
Don married Wilma Williamson in 1993. They enjoyed fishing, dancing and traveling together until Don’s ill health slowed him down.
Survivors include his wife, Wilma Marshall; his son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Kathy Marshall; his daughter and son-in-law, Vicki and Steve Brocato; his stepsons and their wives, Keith and Jean Williamson and Ken and Chris Williamson; and seven grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son, Michael Marshall; and his mother and father, Louise and Laurence Marshall.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Halfway Ambulance through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, October 8, 2004
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor