Edward John “Bob” Birkenfeld, Jr., 89, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, died on November 17, 2017 after a stroke.
Virginia Marie “Gina” Birkenfeld, 91, handed away peacefully on November 18, 2019 at her daughter’s residence in Vancouver, Washington.
The Birkenfelds have been married 71 years earlier than Bob’s surprising loss of life.
The household held a funeral service in honor of Bob and Gina at Silver Creek Cemetery in Randle, Washington on Thursday, June 24, 2021.
Bob was born in Clatskanie, Oregon on January 8, 1928, to Olive (Edmonds) and Edward J. Birkenfeld, Sr. His grandfather was the founder and namesake of the small group of Birkenfeld in Columbia County, Oregon. Throughout his eighth grade, Bob’s household moved to Randle, Washington, the place he met the love of his life.
Gina was born on March 28, 1928 in Tacoma, Washington, the third of 4 kids of Emerson Duane “Invoice” and Marie Elvira “Elvy” (Nelson) Hickey. She grew up in Randle as an open-minded, blue-eyed magnificence.
Earlier than assembly, Bob and Gina constructed robust values that everybody dropped at the connection, together with having fun with the outside, robust friendships, sensitivity, and exhausting work. These values began early, and missteps have been teased, as an oft-told story reveals:
In the summertime of 1943, Gina (aged 15) and her finest good friend, Frances Pittman (McMahan), volunteered as a fireplace station to guard these concerned within the battle. The 5,180 foot Council Bluff Lookout is gone, however the path the women hiked up and down this summer season to replenish their water provide stays (Path # 117, Gifford Pinchot Nationwide Forest, WA).
The native press of August 12, 1943 studies in regards to the summer season that Gina spent along with her finest good friend on the fireplace station: One night Gina acquired misplaced within the fog and couldn’t discover the way in which again to the summit.
Dusk. She determined to spend the evening on a fallen log that was crossing a stream as a result of it needed to be a secure place, away from wild animals. “About 100 males have been secured to hunt them down.” -Lady Lookout Misplaced in Wilds however discovered Lewis County Advocate. Every time the story was advised throughout their marriage, Bob stepped in to tease her that sleeping on a path that animals use to cross the creek wasn’t the very best determination she’d ever made.
Nonetheless, Gina earned the place of salutator in her class. The family members married on November 1, 1946, on the age of 18, shortly after commencement.
Her first monetary success was a small restaurant, The Randle Lunch. Gina’s cooking was successful and worthwhile, though Bob gave away milkshakes to mates when he may.
Gina and Bob first moved to Myrtle Creek in 1947, the place they raised 4 daughters. Collectively they owned and operated Southern Logging Co., Inc. from 1967 till she retired in 1996 on the age of 68.
They crammed their lives with a love of household, work, lifelong mates, and journey. Gina oversaw the development of the household residence in Tri-Metropolis and a trip residence in Bend, OR, the place the household frolicked snowboarding and {golfing} collectively. Gina and Bob loved internet hosting dinner and card events. Blackjack and Duplicate Bridge have been her favourite video games.
Throughout their 71-year marriage, Bob loved rising tomatoes that Gina became BLTs.
They loved watching and cheering the Oregon Geese and Seattle Mariners.
Above all, Bob was an avid Portland Trailblazers fan, the place he was a season ticket holder for over 20 years. He additionally started leisure biking and graduated from Cycle Oregon on the age of 70. Shortly earlier than retiring, he purchased a farm within the South Myrtle space and spent many spring and summer season days on his John Deere tractor harvesting his hayfields and taking care of the bushes he planted.
When Gina was stricken by imaginative and prescient issues late within the marriage, she proved her braveness to face life’s challenges. She maintained her magnificence however was recognized to joke, “Getting outdated isn’t for wimps”.
Bob was Gina’s solely carer from 2009 till his surprising loss of life in 2017. When she misplaced her 71-year-old husband (two years earlier than her personal loss of life), she mentioned with a sigh, “I miss his arms round me.”
Bob and Gina leaves behind 4 daughters: Judy Sjogren from Vancouver, Washington; Carol Berl of Belvedere, California; Boni (District) Buringrud of Seattle, Washington; and Kim Birkenfeld of Miami, Florida; Grandsons: Eric and Carrie Sjogren; Bob’s sister Clarice McDonald and different prolonged household. They’re additionally survived by particular nephew Kris DeWalt.
Bob and Gina preceded their first-born daughter Christine Lynn, her mother and father, Gina’s three siblings and her son-in-law Howard Berl in loss of life.
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