La Grande High School
Classes of 1962 - 1966
Roland (Ron) Keffer
| Class Year: | 1962 |
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| Residing In: | San Jose, CA USA |
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| Spouse/Partner: | Kathy Ames |
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| Homepage: |
ronkeffer.com |
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| Occupation: | Retired. Mortgage Industry |
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| Children: | Sarah Keffer Ashburn Born May 1967. Tyler and Alexa grand children Marcy Keffer Boyd More… |
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| Military Service: | US Navy Seabees MCB 133 Phu Bai Vietnam 1968  |
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Roland (Ron)'s Latest Interactions
Happy Birthday Susan Hope your day is the most enjoyable
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR Mc Conkie I hope your special day is most enjoyable
Posted on: Feb 16, 2024 at 9:57 PM
Happy Birthday Pete. I hope you are enjoying your special day.
Happy Birthfay Mary Jo
Happy Birthday Patty. I hope your special day is phenomenal
A big hug for you on your special day. God Bless
Posted on: Jan 21, 2024 at 8:25 PM
Happy Birthday day to you, my friend
Janice Pipes Kerns posted a message.
Jan 21, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Janice (Jan) Lee Pipes Kerns passed away peacefully at her home in Haines, Oregon on January 3, 2024. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 6 at the Haines United Methodist Church. Sally Wiens will officiate. A meal in the church hall will follow the service.
Jan was born July 16, 1944 in La Grande, Oregon to Taylor (TR) Roby Pipes and Anita Herrmann Pipes. She grew up in La Grande and graduated from La Grande High School in 1962. While attending high school she played both flute and oboe in the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra. During this time the Eisenhower Administration had created the People to People program to encourage cross-cultural awareness, and the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra was chosen to participate. They performed throughout western Europe including London, Paris, and Belgium. While in Belgium, Jan had the privilege to stay in Antwerp with a family her father had befriended during WWII. The performance in Berlin was canceled because Russia had sealed the Berlin border.
Jan was a gifted seamstress. She paid for most of her 4-H and Make-it-Yourself-With-Wool projects as well as a good portion of her college tuition selling night crawlers with her sister, babysitting, and later working at Glass Rexall Drug in La Grande. She attended Eastern Oregon College in La Grande for her first year following high school. During the summer of 1963 she was persuaded to go on a blind date and met the young man she would later marry. She married Tim Kerns September 5, 1964 at the First Christian Church in La Grande. They both continued their education at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Between Jan and Tim’s junior and senior year Tim accepted an agriculture engineering/design job with Cherry Burrell in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They soon decided Iowa was not for them and they returned to Haines after graduation.
Having graduated in 1966 with a B.S. in Home Economics Education, Jan began her career as homemaker and remodeler, a partner in an interior design business, the farm accountant, and mother of two young boys: Timothy A. (Timmy) and Thomas (Tom). She became a swim instructor, insuring her sons could receive lessons. She shared her education by substitute teaching and judging 4-H Home Economics competitions at county fairs.
The Kerns are well known for their cattle production, but during the first 2 decades of Jan and Tim’s farming endeavors, swine was their focus. They had several hog barns and a couple silos; their goal was getting their fat hogs to market. 600 hogs was a reasonable expectation. Occasionally Jan would deliver a load of fat hogs to La Grande in their blue 1962 Dodge truck. That was not her comfort zone, but if someone was there to unload the pigs she was game. (She was in familiar territory because her dad and granddad had hauled cattle to and from the La Grande Stock Yard; even after they quit hauling, they would occasionally take the young girls out to walk the platforms and see the animals.) Tim experimented with growing different kinds of feed, but they eventually moved to cattle and potato production which proved to be more prosperous enterprises.
The growing farming enterprise became Kerns Rainbow Ranch, and Jan’s bookkeeping responsibilities also expanded. She embraced computer technology early-on and never stopped educating herself on all aspects of farm accounting. When the farm began raising seed potatoes she immersed herself in information about potato health and diseases. She was an expert at searching out problem potatoes in their seed fields and removing them. Jan knew no boundaries: she mucked in the hog barns, nursed scores of newborn calves in her living room, worked on the potato harvest lines, and cooked meals for huge harvest crews.
When the ranch’s cattle were not performing as expected, Tim and Jan partnered with agricultural pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) to conduct research on liver flukes, using Kerns Rainbow Ranch cattle. Thus began Jan’s research and education into liver flukes and copper deficiency. Apparently many locations in the Baker Valley were also afflicted, and the county stock industry benefited greatly from these trials and studies. Jan’s diligence and precise record-keeping contributed to the success of the MSD field trials.
The potato business later led Jan to become a pilot. When Tim purchased equipment from Dick Marshall, flying lessons for Jan were part of the deal. Jan secured her instrument rating and they purchased a Cessna 182. She flew for many reasons, but she is locally famous for delivering the first fireworks for the Haines 4th of July celebration. The fireworks had been mistakenly shipped to Sacramento California and would not have made it to Haines in time if Jan had not flown down to retrieve them.
Jan’s involvement in her county and state governing boards were her way of ‘giving back’ to her community. The Baker County Republican Central Committee, Oregon Board of Agriculture, St. Alphonsus Board, Baker Rotary Club, and the Haines United Methodist Church all benefited greatly from her dedication. Among numerous honors, Jan was named Baker County Soil and Water Conservationist of the Year and Baker County Natural Resource Advisory Committee Chairperson.
A stroke in 2016 set Jan back. She enjoyed attending events with the help of her family and she still had her lovely smile. She resided in her home at the foot of the Elkhorn Mountains until her passing.
Jan is survived by her husband Tim of Haines, sons Tim (Julie) and Tom (Fawn) also of Haines, grand children Cameron, Samantha, and Tayler (Kirby) along with great-grandson Cornelius Thomas, numerous nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces. She is also survived by her younger sister Jean (Dave) Conklin of Oklahoma. Jan was preceded in death by both her father and mother.
Remembrances may be made to Best Friends of Baker City, Oregon. Funeral arrangements are being made by Cole’s Tribute Center of Baker City. Tributes may be left at colestributecenter.com
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today.
JUL
16
Jul 16, 2023 at 1:33 am
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today. New comment added.
Jul 16, 2022 at 4:48 pm
Posted on: Jul 16, 2022 at 1:33 am
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Roland (Ron) Keffer
Happy Birthday Janice. I hope your day is full of joy and happiness
Jul 16, 2022 at 4:48 pm · Like · Reply
Judy Foster Campbell
Judy Foster Campbell posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 17, 2021 at 6:51 pm
Happy Birthday Janice and Enjoy Your Day---prayers are always said for you!!!!!
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Roland (Ron) Keffer
Roland (Ron) Keffer posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile. New comment added.
Jul 17, 2021 at 7:59 am
Posted on: Jul 16, 2021 at 8:29 am
Happy Birthday Janice. Oi think and pray for you often
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Barbara Huffman Weeks
Happy Birthday! Here's to many more great ones!
Jul 17, 2021 at 7:59 am · Like · Reply
Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today.
Jul 16, 2021 at 1:33 am
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Judy Foster Campbell
Judy Foster Campbell posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 16, 2020 at 1:12 pm
Happy Birthday Jan and Enjoy Your Day. Judy
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Roland (Ron) Keffer
Roland (Ron) Keffer posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile. New comment added.
JAN
21
Jan 21, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Posted on: Jul 16, 2020 at 11:31 am
Janice: I think of you often and I want to wish you a happy Birthday. I know your health is not what we would all like for it to be, but God, has at least given you more time to enjoy your family and friends. I say a prayer for you every now and then asking god to make you as comfortable as possible. Keep yourself protected from the COVID-19. No one wants that ordeal. God bless you and your family. Have a wonderful Birthday
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Roland (Ron) Keffer
Janice: it was so good to see yoiu at yhe class reunion. You look fabulous. So happy you were able to attend. God Bless you, my friend
Sep 22, 2023 at 8:34 am · Like · Reply
Janice Pipes Kerns
Hi Ron. I’m Jean, Jan’s sister. I noticed your note before Christmas & sent it to Tim to read to Jan. S o thoughtful of you. She passed away jan 3, peacefully. I’m waiting on the obit- will post soon. But did want to thank you for being a faithful friend. She always enjoyed hearing your greetings.
Jan 09, 2024 at 8:58 pm · Like · Reply
Roland (Ron) Keffer
Oh my God. She is in a better place. She deserves the best heaven has to offer. May she rest in peace. Please send me the obit so I can publish it on Facebook in 1962 LHS Class
It was so nice seeing her at the reunion.
Jan 10, 2024 at 10:33 am · Like · Reply
Janice Pipes Kerns
I posted her obit here for her - with a more recent photo & a class reunion photos of Jan.
Jan 21, 2024 at 3:45 pm · Like · Reply
Doug Spencer
Doug Spencer posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 16, 2020 at 10:24 am
Janice, Happy Birthday to you!! If we were together you and Doug could have a BIG celebration, being you both have the VERY same birthday within hours!! Lol. Hope you are doing well and enjoy your day! Luv & Hugs to U Sharon Spencer
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today.
Jul 16, 2020 at 1:33 am
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today.
Jul 16, 2019 at 1:33 am
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today. New comment added.
Jul 16, 2018 at 2:01 pm
Posted on: Jul 16, 2018 at 1:33 am
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Doug Spencer
Happy Birthday Janice!! Hope things are going well for you!!
Doug always tells the story that his Mom had to wait for you to be born
Before they would be ready for Doug’s mom and he could be born!! Lol
I guess you can’t get much closer than that to Having the same Birthday!!
????????????????????
Jul 16, 2018 at 2:01 pm · Like · Reply
Judy Foster Campbell
Judy Foster Campbell posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 11, 2018 at 8:02 am
Happy Birthday a little early. Have a wonderful day, the first day of the rest of your life and life is so good. Love Judy Campbell
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Doug Spencer
Doug Spencer posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 10, 2018 at 4:04 pm
Hope you are doing well and have a very special day!!! Luv & Hugs
Doug & Sharon ????????????????????
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Roland (Ron) Keffer
Roland (Ron) Keffer posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 17, 2017 at 2:59 pm
Happy Birthday Janice. Last report, you are doing awesome. Keep up yhe hard work. We love you. God Bless you
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Judy Foster Campbell
Judy Foster Campbell posted a message on Janice Pipes' Profile.
Jul 16, 2017 at 3:02 pm
Happy Birthday---hope your day is wonderful and all the days to follow!!!!!
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns has a birthday today.
Jul 16, 2017 at 1:33 am
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Janice Pipes Kerns
Janice Pipes Kerns posted More…
Happy Birthday Diane I hope you enjoyed your special day
happy New Year as well
Happy Birthday Marvyl. I hope you enjoyed your special day
Happy New Year ss well
Happy Birthday Linda. How about a response.
Would love to hear from you. ron.keffer@gmail.com
Happy Birthday Nancy. I hope it is a wonderful year for you and John
Happy birthday Jim. Hope you are doing well
While I’m at it Happy New Year
Posted on: Dec 27, 2023 at 6:22 PM
Happy Birthday Judy. I hope it is a memorable one
Happy new year as well
Happy Birthday Patricia. Sure is awesome to be reconnected Enjoy your special day
Happy Birthday Jkm. Hope you and your family is well
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