Sonja Estes, 64, of Richland, died Feb. 21, 2005, at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise.
A memorial service celebrating her life will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Richland Methodist Church. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck afterward at the Richland Grange.
Sonja Lou was born in Bend on Sept. 6, 1940, to Leonard and Lucille Larson. She lived in Central Oregon most of her childhood. She moved to Milton-Freewater with her family where she graduated from high school in 1958.
She married James Franklin Estes on June 13, 1968, at Lewiston, Idaho. Sonja was a ranch wife, cowboy, helper, hunting companion, fishing partner and best friend.
She enjoyed the outdoors, laughing and joking with family and friends. Sonja loved her work as a bartender of 28 years and never knew a stranger. She was a member of the Oregon Chapter of CowBelles, a dedicated volunteer at Jacob’s Dream and coach of the Pee-Wee T-ball baseball team.
Survivors include her husband, Jim, of Richland; brother, James “Pinky” Larson of Umapine; stepchildren, Rusty Estes, Rita Bergstrom and Ginny Nairns, all of Heppner, Buck Estes of Irrigon, Robyn Curtis of West Richland, Wash.; four stepgrandchildren, Emily and Adam Bergstrom and Kiel and Krystal Nairns of Heppner.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Joe Larson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eagle Valley Ambulance Service through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 25, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
