Laurel Ann (Jug) Cannon was born to parents Albert and Echo Palmateer in Heppner December 12, 1929 in the old Heppner hospital which was located on Quaid Street. She died peacefully in her sleep at Willow Creek Terrace on August 29, 2018.
As a young girl Laurel lived at the Palmateer ranch and attended school at Morgan for first and second grades. Following the death of her father, the family moved to Ione where Echo worked as the Ione City recorder and public librarian, and also took in boarders in their home. Laurel attended grades 3-12 in Ione, graduating from Ione High School in 1947. At Ione High she was the volleyball captain, “yell queen” and was involved in all school activities. Jug was well known for her roller and ice skating abilities. Following graduation Laurel was a member of the Heppner Rodeo Court with Francine Hisler, Shirley Wilkinson, Corabelle Nutting, and Queen Merlyn Kirk.
After graduation Laurel moved to Portland where she worked for the telephone company for a short time before returning to Ione to marry Pete Cannon. Pete and Laurel married on Laurel’s birthday, December 12, 1948 and made their home in Ione for their 55 years of married life. The newlyweds lived in town while Pete worked on the Palmateer ranch before going to work for Morrow County Grain Growers. Laurel was a lifeguard at the swimming pool and taught countless young people to swim. She worked for many years at the Ione Post Office and occasionally drove the school bus.
Laurel was an avid collector, usually with the Ione United Church of Christ Auction in mind. She scoured old dump sites and attended every yard sale in the area searching for treasures for the auction. Laurel and Marilyn Rietmann spent countless hours in Marilyn’s garage refinishing furniture, talking and laughing. The tight-knit neighbors were a source of joy for Laurel as they met for morning coffee and then sat on Bristows’ porch in the summer evenings catching up on the latest events of the town.
Laurel was a staunch supporter of the Ione Cardinals and an active member of the Cardinal Booster Club. Everyone who attended Ione games would see Laurel with a stack of community calendars and a sales pitch. While she especially loved watching her grandchildren Ryan, Jason and Allison play sports, she enjoyed cheering on all members of the teams from her corner of the gym.
As Laurel’s health deteriorated, she made the decision to move to Willow Creek Terrace in Heppner. She moved in July and said over and over that she wished she would have moved much sooner. Laurel so enjoyed the people who lived and worked there, and raved about the delicious food! Even though her stay was short-lived, it was the perfect place to live out her final days.
Laurel is survived by her children - son Terry of Tillamook, daughter Cathy Halvorsen and her husband Frank of Ione, and Arlene of Phoenix, Arizona. Her grandchildren were the light of her life, and she is survived by Ryan and his wife, Mollie and their three daughters Ziya, Tru and Eila of Henderson, Nevada and Allison and her husband A.J. Tetrick of Portland. Preceding Laurel in death were her husband Pete, grandson, Jason, brother Ted Palmateer and sister Doris Stract.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 7, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the Ione Community Church with potluck to follow.
Memorial donations may be made to the Jason Halvorsen Memorial Scholarship Fund, PO Box 106, Ione, OR 97843, or to Pioneer Memorial Hospice PO Box 9, Heppner, OR 97836 or to Willow Creek Terrace, 400 Frank Gilliam Drive.
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