Published East Oregonian September 15, 2016
Floyd “Vance” Pumphrey, of 1304 S.W. 23rd, Pendleton, passed away September 13, 2016, of natural causes.
A memorial service will be held Monday, September 19, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Pendleton First United Methodist Church. Burial will be later in Western Nebraska at the family plot. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund in care of Burns Mortuary of Pendleton, P.O. Box 489, Pendleton, OR 97801. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is handling arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at www.burnsmortuary.com.
He was born to Floyd Douglas and Mabel Metcalf Pumphrey, February 9, 1922, in Ohiowa, Nebraska, at the home of his grandparents. He began his schooling in Lyman, Nebraska. In 1929 the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he attended country school. They returned to the family farm in Lyman in 1933, where he graduated from high school.
He began attending the University of Nebraska in 1939. In 1942 he joined the Navy, which allowed him to first graduate in 1943 with a Bachelor of Agronomy (crop production). He served aboard a subchaser in the South Pacific for two years, entered the reserves in 1946, and was later discharged as a Lieutenant JG in 1954.
He married Niola H. Chapman on December 28, 1945. The couple moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Vance pursued his Master of Science degree in agronomy (soils). He received his degree on the day his son Keith Vance was born, June 7, 1948. The couple had a son, Wayne Douglas in 1951, who died August of 1954, and a daughter, Pamela Mae, born April of 1954, who died November of 1954; each had blood complications.
Vance moved his family to Mitchell, Nebraska, in 1948, where he worked at the Scotts Bluff Experiment Station until 1957. The family moved to Union, Oregon, in 1957, where he worked for the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station, OSU. Vance was selected as Oregon’s Father of the Year in 1970. Shifting research to the Pendleton Experiment Station led the family to move to Pendleton in 1970. Vance joined the OSU Wheat Team in Ankara, Turkey, for two years assisting the government of Turkey to improve wheat production. Publication of these results earned him advancement in rank to professor, and in retirement, professor emeritus, after publishing 125 articles.
He retired from OSU in 1987 and kept active with several part-time jobs and volunteering. He loved spending time with family, and researching genealogy. He enjoyed the local mountains, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. He was accused of having the biggest collection of the smallest deer horns (he had shot) in the state of Oregon.
He was passionate about his work. Agriculture changed terrifically in his lifetime; from horse-power to large tractors and machinery, application of fertilizers and pesticides, improved irrigation, and a great increase in knowledge about what various crops need for optimum growth. Compared to dryland wheat farmers in the 1930s, today’s farmers have easily doubled annual crop production. He rejoiced in that his small contribution made it possible for this great increase in food production.
Vance is survived by his son Keith and wife Jane of Walla Walla, Wash.; grandson Scott and wife Hillary, their sons Kyler, Cooper and Kase of Touchet, Wash.; grandson Curtis and wife Laura, their son Parker, and daughter DeLaney Jane (the first girl born in three generations of Pumphreys), all of Milton-Freewater, Ore.; his extended family Allan and Dorrine Kendrick and Barbara Palmer; his neighbors that took care of him so he could live on his own until the age of 92; and his good friend and hunting companion Dale and wife Judy Wilkins, who together went on many elk hunting expeditions.
Floyd “Vance” Pumphrey, of 1304 S.W. 23rd, Pendleton, passed away September 13, 2016, of natural causes.
A memorial service will be held Monday, September 19, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Pendleton First United Methodist Church. Burial will be later in Western Nebraska at the family plot. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund in care of Burns Mortuary of Pendleton, P.O. Box 489, Pendleton, OR 97801. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is handling arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at www.burnsmortuary.com.
He was born to Floyd Douglas and Mabel Metcalf Pumphrey, February 9, 1922, in Ohiowa, Nebraska, at the home of his grandparents. He began his schooling in Lyman, Nebraska. In 1929 the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he attended country school. They returned to the family farm in Lyman in 1933, where he graduated from high school.
He began attending the University of Nebraska in 1939. In 1942 he joined the Navy, which allowed him to first graduate in 1943 with a Bachelor of Agronomy (crop production). He served aboard a subchaser in the South Pacific for two years, entered the reserves in 1946, and was later discharged as a Lieutenant JG in 1954.
He married Niola H. Chapman on December 28, 1945. The couple moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Vance pursued his Master of Science degree in agronomy (soils). He received his degree on the day his son Keith Vance was born, June 7, 1948. The couple had a son, Wayne Douglas in 1951, who died August of 1954, and a daughter, Pamela Mae, born April of 1954, who died November of 1954; each had blood complications.
Vance moved his family to Mitchell, Nebraska, in 1948, where he worked at the Scotts Bluff Experiment Station until 1957. The family moved to Union, Oregon, in 1957, where he worked for the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station, OSU. Vance was selected as Oregon’s Father of the Year in 1970. Shifting research to the Pendleton Experiment Station led the family to move to Pendleton in 1970. Vance joined the OSU Wheat Team in Ankara, Turkey, for two years assisting the government of Turkey to improve wheat production. Publication of these results earned him advancement in rank to professor, and in retirement, professor emeritus, after publishing 125 articles.
He retired from OSU in 1987 and kept active with several part-time jobs and volunteering. He loved spending time with family, and researching genealogy. He enjoyed the local mountains, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. He was accused of having the biggest collection of the smallest deer horns (he had shot) in the state of Oregon.
He was passionate about his work. Agriculture changed terrifically in his lifetime; from horse-power to large tractors and machinery, application of fertilizers and pesticides, improved irrigation, and a great increase in knowledge about what various crops need for optimum growth. Compared to dryland wheat farmers in the 1930s, today’s farmers have easily doubled annual crop production. He rejoiced in that his small contribution made it possible for this great increase in food production.
Vance is survived by his son Keith and wife Jane of Walla Walla, Wash.; grandson Scott and wife Hillary, their sons Kyler, Cooper and Kase of Touchet, Wash.; grandson Curtis and wife Laura, their son Parker, and daughter DeLaney Jane (the first girl born in three generations of Pumphreys), all of Milton-Freewater, Ore.; his extended family Allan and Dorrine Kendrick and Barbara Palmer; his neighbors that took care of him so he could live on his own until the age of 92; and his good friend and hunting companion Dale and wife Judy Wilkins, who together went on many elk hunting expeditions.
Published East Oregonian September 15, 2016
Floyd “Vance” Pumphrey, of 1304 S.W. 23rd, Pendleton, passed away September 13, 2016, of natural causes.
A memorial service will be held Monday, September 19, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Pendleton First United Methodist Church. Burial will be later in Western Nebraska at the family plot. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund in care of Burns Mortuary of Pendleton, P.O. Box 489, Pendleton, OR 97801. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is handling arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at www.burnsmortuary.com.
He was born to Floyd Douglas and Mabel Metcalf Pumphrey, February 9, 1922, in Ohiowa, Nebraska, at the home of his grandparents. He began his schooling in Lyman, Nebraska. In 1929 the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he attended country school. They returned to the family farm in Lyman in 1933, where he graduated from high school.
He began attending the University of Nebraska in 1939. In 1942 he joined the Navy, which allowed him to first graduate in 1943 with a Bachelor of Agronomy (crop production). He served aboard a subchaser in the South Pacific for two years, entered the reserves in 1946, and was later discharged as a Lieutenant JG in 1954.
He married Niola H. Chapman on December 28, 1945. The couple moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Vance pursued his Master of Science degree in agronomy (soils). He received his degree on the day his son Keith Vance was born, June 7, 1948. The couple had a son, Wayne Douglas in 1951, who died August of 1954, and a daughter, Pamela Mae, born April of 1954, who died November of 1954; each had blood complications.
Vance moved his family to Mitchell, Nebraska, in 1948, where he worked at the Scotts Bluff Experiment Station until 1957. The family moved to Union, Oregon, in 1957, where he worked for the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station, OSU. Vance was selected as Oregon’s Father of the Year in 1970. Shifting research to the Pendleton Experiment Station led the family to move to Pendleton in 1970. Vance joined the OSU Wheat Team in Ankara, Turkey, for two years assisting the government of Turkey to improve wheat production. Publication of these results earned him advancement in rank to professor, and in retirement, professor emeritus, after publishing 125 articles.
He retired from OSU in 1987 and kept active with several part-time jobs and volunteering. He loved spending time with family, and researching genealogy. He enjoyed the local mountains, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. He was accused of having the biggest collection of the smallest deer horns (he had shot) in the state of Oregon.
He was passionate about his work. Agriculture changed terrifically in his lifetime; from horse-power to large tractors and machinery, application of fertilizers and pesticides, improved irrigation, and a great increase in knowledge about what various crops need for optimum growth. Compared to dryland wheat farmers in the 1930s, today’s farmers have easily doubled annual crop production. He rejoiced in that his small contribution made it possible for this great increase in food production.
Vance is survived by his son Keith and wife Jane of Walla Walla, Wash.; grandson Scott and wife Hillary, their sons Kyler, Cooper and Kase of Touchet, Wash.; grandson Curtis and wife Laura, their son Parker, and daughter DeLaney Jane (the first girl born in three generations of Pumphreys), all of Milton-Freewater, Ore.; his extended family Allan and Dorrine Kendrick and Barbara Palmer; his neighbors that took care of him so he could live on his own until the age of 92; and his good friend and hunting companion Dale and wife Judy Wilkins, who together went on many elk hunting expeditions.
Floyd “Vance” Pumphrey, of 1304 S.W. 23rd, Pendleton, passed away September 13, 2016, of natural causes.
A memorial service will be held Monday, September 19, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Pendleton First United Methodist Church. Burial will be later in Western Nebraska at the family plot. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund in care of Burns Mortuary of Pendleton, P.O. Box 489, Pendleton, OR 97801. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is handling arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at www.burnsmortuary.com.
He was born to Floyd Douglas and Mabel Metcalf Pumphrey, February 9, 1922, in Ohiowa, Nebraska, at the home of his grandparents. He began his schooling in Lyman, Nebraska. In 1929 the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he attended country school. They returned to the family farm in Lyman in 1933, where he graduated from high school.
He began attending the University of Nebraska in 1939. In 1942 he joined the Navy, which allowed him to first graduate in 1943 with a Bachelor of Agronomy (crop production). He served aboard a subchaser in the South Pacific for two years, entered the reserves in 1946, and was later discharged as a Lieutenant JG in 1954.
He married Niola H. Chapman on December 28, 1945. The couple moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Vance pursued his Master of Science degree in agronomy (soils). He received his degree on the day his son Keith Vance was born, June 7, 1948. The couple had a son, Wayne Douglas in 1951, who died August of 1954, and a daughter, Pamela Mae, born April of 1954, who died November of 1954; each had blood complications.
Vance moved his family to Mitchell, Nebraska, in 1948, where he worked at the Scotts Bluff Experiment Station until 1957. The family moved to Union, Oregon, in 1957, where he worked for the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station, OSU. Vance was selected as Oregon’s Father of the Year in 1970. Shifting research to the Pendleton Experiment Station led the family to move to Pendleton in 1970. Vance joined the OSU Wheat Team in Ankara, Turkey, for two years assisting the government of Turkey to improve wheat production. Publication of these results earned him advancement in rank to professor, and in retirement, professor emeritus, after publishing 125 articles.
He retired from OSU in 1987 and kept active with several part-time jobs and volunteering. He loved spending time with family, and researching genealogy. He enjoyed the local mountains, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. He was accused of having the biggest collection of the smallest deer horns (he had shot) in the state of Oregon.
He was passionate about his work. Agriculture changed terrifically in his lifetime; from horse-power to large tractors and machinery, application of fertilizers and pesticides, improved irrigation, and a great increase in knowledge about what various crops need for optimum growth. Compared to dryland wheat farmers in the 1930s, today’s farmers have easily doubled annual crop production. He rejoiced in that his small contribution made it possible for this great increase in food production.
Vance is survived by his son Keith and wife Jane of Walla Walla, Wash.; grandson Scott and wife Hillary, their sons Kyler, Cooper and Kase of Touchet, Wash.; grandson Curtis and wife Laura, their son Parker, and daughter DeLaney Jane (the first girl born in three generations of Pumphreys), all of Milton-Freewater, Ore.; his extended family Allan and Dorrine Kendrick and Barbara Palmer; his neighbors that took care of him so he could live on his own until the age of 92; and his good friend and hunting companion Dale and wife Judy Wilkins, who together went on many elk hunting expeditions.
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