The Observer

Timothy Jon "Tim" Conklin, 57, passed away unexpectedly in Anacortes, Washington on July 21, 2022. Born in La Grande, Oregon, he grew up on the Conklin family farm in Cove with his sisters in the same house in which his dad was born, on Conklin Lane. The farm was run by Conklins for generations. As an adult, he spent time living in La Grande, the Portland area, Northern California and Walla Walla Washington before moving to the Pacific Northwest . He settled in Anacortes in 2001 where his mother and one of his sisters were already living. Tim worked for Puget Sound Rope for many years and more recently for Puget Sound Provisions at the Anacortes ferry dock. Tim was a motorcycle...

Vern Ellis Bean, 82, of Walkersville, MD, returned home to his Heavenly Father on October 28, 2019. He was born in La Grande, Oregon on January 19, 1937 to Walter Arnold and Rose Emily Ellis Bean. Education was always important to Vern and he earned a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and PhD in physics, all from Brigham Young University. He also attended Eastern Oregon University, where he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2015. Vern had a notable career as a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD. A favorite part of the job was the opportunity to work with 14 scientists from around the world who came to his lab to learn...