Vera "Ada" (Ford) Otzenberger

Vera “Ada” (Ford) Otzenberger longtime Stanfield resident of Hermiston, Oregon, was born on October 30, 1933 to parents, on a farm known as “The Ford Brothers”, located on the Old River and Bensel Road about 4 miles north of Hermiston, Oregon . She died on May 8, 2023 in Hermiston, Oregon at the age of 89 years.

The Ford Brothers had owned and operated the farm since 1926. Ada was the second of six children born on the farm, to William Roy Ford Sr. and Lola (Housden) Ford. In October of 1943, the brothers sold the farm and moved to smaller farms on the out skirts of Hermiston. The Ford children began attending the Hermiston Schools in 1943, Ada was in the 5th grade.

Ada was united in marriage to Robert Dale “Bob” Otzenberger on October 17, 1950. She was a homemaker until her children were in school. She then worked for her neighbor sitting her children, ironing, sewing and cleaning. Ada was an avid seamstress. She sewed for her family and friends as well as making the Cheer Leader’s outfits for some of the high school girls. 

Ada attended First Christian Church for many years where she sang in the choir, served as Deaconess and on the outreach committee. Ada and her husband went to the nursing home every Sunday for 23 years where they gathered residents into the activity room for a church service presented by the Elders and Deacons of the First Christian Church. Ada led the singing, accompanied by the pianist of the church.

One of Ada’s passions was genealogy. She spent hours researching and gathering information and pictures on every branch of the family that she put into books and gave to family members. She also put together an album with stories and pictures of her childhood memories. Ada was as colorful in telling the latest memory when you went for a visit as she was authoring the book itself.

Ada and Bob lived in the country, on Feedville Road from 1951 to 2012 when they moved to Sun Terrace Assisted Living. When Bob passed away, Ada moved to the Memory Care Unit at Guardian Angel where she resided until her passing. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.   

She is survived by her son: Steve Otzenberger (Paula), Stanfield, OR; grandchildren: Eric Otzenberger, Stanfield, OR and Erin Covert (Kevin), Stanfield, OR; great grandchildren: Seth, Jonah, Emmeline and Elijah.

Ada was preceded in death by her husband; daughter: Laura Ann Quayle; her parents; brother: William Ford Jr., and her sister: Amy Ford Branscum.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 19, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at the Hermiston Cemetery, Hermiston, Oregon.

A celebration of life service will follow at 11:00 A.M. at the Stanfield Baptist Church, Stanfield, Oregon.

Please share memories of Ada with her family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com

Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon is in care of arrangements.

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