Rex T. Barber

May 6, 1917 July 26, 2001

Rex T. Barber, Col. Ret., of Terrebonne died Thursday. He was 84.

A private memorial will be held. A public memorial will be announced at a later date.

Mr. Barber was born May 6, 1917, in Culver to William and Charlotte Barber. He went to Oregon State College from 1937 to 1940, majoring in Agricultural Engineering.

He joined the Army Air Force in September 1940. He graduated as a second lieutenant in the flight training class of 41H at Mather Field, Sacramento, Calif.

Mr. Barber’s first assignment during World War II was to the 35th Fighter Group at Hamilton Air Force Base, Calif. As a member of the 70th Fighter Squadron, he was a principal participant in the Yamamoto Mission on April 18, 1943, over the Bougainville Islands. From late 1943 to early 1944, he flew P-38s over China with the 449th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, where he was shot down over the Yangtze River. He managed to escape to friendly territory in June of 1944. He then was assigned to the 412th Fighter Squadron, 29th Fighter Group, at Oxnard, Calif., where he flew and tested America’s first P-80 jet fighter.

He flew 110 combat missions from Guadacanal and 28 from China. He is officially credited with five confirmed kills and three probables. He received the Purple Heart, numerous Air Medals, two Silver Stars and the Navy Cross.

He married Margaret Smith on Oct. 3, 1947, in Panama City, Fla.

Mr. Barber continued active duty after the war and retired April 1, 1961, from the 354th Fighter Wing as a Colonel.

He is affiliated with the Culver Christian Church.

Survivors include his wife of Terrebonne; two sons, Rex Jr., of Terrebonne and Richard; two sisters, Mary Elizabeth Clement and Eileen Olson; and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Culver Christian Church, 501 W. Fourth St., Culver 97734.

Redmond Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Dorothy Irene (Vaught) Hollenbeck

Jan. 2, 1923 July 26, 2001

Dorothy Irene (Vaught) Hollenbeck of Bend died Thursday. She was 78.

A celebration of life funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church on Newport Avenue.

Mrs. Hollenbeck was born Jan. 2, 1923, in Pendleton, to Jabin and Helen (Koch) Vaught. She married Willard Hollenbeck on Oct. 20, 1946, in Pendleton.

She was a model at John Robert Powers Modeling Agency in New York. She moved to Bend in 1950. She was the co-owner and agent of Cascade Travel and retired in 1977.

Mrs. Hollenbeck was affiliated with First Christian Church. She was a member of the Bend Professional Women and Welcome Wagon.

She enjoyed playing the piano and traveling.

Survivors include her husband of Bend; one daughter, Linda Cohn of Portland; one sister, Beverly Heyden of Bellevue, Wash.; and two grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother and two sisters.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Christian Church of Bend.

Deschutes Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Marla (Gigi) Lee Ricks

Sept. 21, 1950 July 26, 2001

Marla (Gigi) Lee Ricks of Prineville died July 26. She was 50 years old.

A private cremation will be held.

Mrs. Ricks was born Sept. 21, 1950, in Yakima, Wash., to Richard and Dorothy (Denman) Haack. She attended school in Washougal, Wash. She married James Thomas in 1967. They moved to Ty Valley and then Fossil. Mrs. Ricks moved to Camus, Wash., in 1983 and became a certified nurses aide.

In Camus, she met Frank Ricks in 1985 and married him in 1993.

They moved to South Lake Tahoe, Calif., where she was a cashier at a casino. The couple moved to Prineville in 1998.

Mrs. Ricks’ hobbies included home decorating, gardening, playing darts, listening to Elvis, camping and being with her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband; son Dennis Thomas of Redmond; son and daughter-in-law Dan and Lacy Thomas of Redmond; daughter Jamilee Thomas of Prineville; son Jean-Paul Ricks of Costa Mesa, Calif.; daughter Tamara Lynn Ricks of Lake Tahoe, Calif.; brother Richard H. Haack of Redmond; brother and sister-in-law Bob and Linda Emberg of The Dalles; sister and brother-in-law Vicki and Ron Wilton of Yakima, Wash.; sister Debbie Wilton of Phoenix; sister Sheryl Haack of Washougal; sister Debbie Haack of Vancouver, Wash.; and two grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, son Toby James Thomas and a nephew.

Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of the Ochocos.

Whispering Pines Funeral Homes of Prineville is in charge of arrangements.