Yvonne Rose Merrow, Cornelia ‘Nhia’ Albering, Rory Alan Haller, Thomas Leroy Misfeldt

Yvonne Rose Merrow

Sept. 12, 1953 – Aug. 4, 2023

Tribal Elder Yvonne “Vonnie” Rose Lillard Merrow, 69, of McGill, Nev., passed away on Aug. 4, 2023, in Ely, Nev.

She was born Sept. 12, 1953, in McMinnville, Ore., to Jasper and Blanche Lillard.

Vonnie enjoyed riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle. She liked decorating wood boxes and loved spending time with her friends. Miss Vonnie was an awesome lady; she had the heart of gold. She also was a ball of fire and wouldn’t go down without a fight. Miss Vonnie will be missed dearly.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, William Earl Merrow; brother, Phillip Lillard; and sisters, Donna, Norma and Shirley. She is survived by her brother, John Lillard.

A celebration of life was held Tuesday, Sept. 12, in McGill, Nev. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20, in the Tribal gym, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, followed by a meal at the Elders Activity Center on Blacktail Drive in Grand Ronde.

Mountain Vista Chapel in Ely, Nev., assisted the family.

*Editor’s note: We are rerunning this obituary due to incorrect information submitted by the funeral home.

Cornelia ‘Nhia’ Albering

April 6, 1937 – Oct. 11, 2023

Grand Ronde community member and Tribal grandmother Cornelia “Nhia” Albering passed away on Oct. 11, 2023, in Grand Ronde, Ore.  She was 86 years old. 

Nhia was the mother-in-law to Tribal Elder Steven E. Soderberg and had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who are Grand Ronde Tribal members.

Nhia was born on April 6, 1937, in San Francisco, Calif., to John and Genevieve Bocar.

She was a lover of music, particularly jazz, and was a concert pianist.  She was also very proud of her Filipino heritage.  She married Vince Gomez and had one daughter, Ronee.

She later married Thomas Albering and had two sons, Niles and Keir, and another daughter, Erika.

Nhia spent her much of her life working in the hospitality industry and enjoyed interacting with her guests. Nhia spent many years living on Maui with her children and grandchildren before spending her final six years in Grand Ronde.

Nhia is survived by her daughters, Ronee (Steven) Soderberg and Erika Albering; sons, Niles and Keir (Tricia) Albering; grandchildren, Tyrell (Heather) Soderberg, Keoni Guzman, Luke (Missy) Soderberg, Kristina (Travis) Cooper, Bronson Albering, Steven V. Soderberg, Erik Albering, Kierra Albering, Tiare (Cyru) Edayan, Mark Soderberg, Mark Kekoa Garnaas and Will Soderberg; and 15 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Genevieve; sister, Genevieve “Bebe” Palabay; grandsons, Christopher Soderberg and Thomas Flierl; and one great-grandson.

Nhia loved her family deeply and especially bragged about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Her loving personality and storytelling with her family will forever be missed.

Bollman’s Tribute Center in Dallas, Ore., is assisting the family. There are no formal services planned at this time.

Rory Alan Haller

June 7, 1953 – Oct. 18, 2023

Tribal Elder Rory Alan Haller, 70, of Kettle Falls, Wash., passed away on Oct. 18, 2023.

He was born on June 7, 1953, in Stayton, Ore., to Audrey and Ronny Haller.

Bollman’s Tribute Center in Dallas, Ore., is assisting the family.

Rory’s family is deeply saddened by his sudden death. We find comfort in knowing that heaven is the ultimate destination where reunions are eternal and love never fades.

Rory was Kalapuya and a Grand Ronde Tribal Elder from the Haller-Menard family, descended from Chief Joseph Sangretta.

Before his recent move to Washington, Rory lived in the Grand Ronde area and worked as a host at Spirit Mountain Casino and then bartended at Dillon’s in Willamina, where he made many friends.

Rory will be remembered for the infectious laughter he shared with his friends and family. He truly loved each of them. If you knew him, you knew it.

Rory enjoyed spending time panning for gold, but spending time with his grandchildren was his greatest joy.

Rory was preceded in death by his mother, Audrey. He is survived by his father, Ronny Haller; daughter, LeAnn Haller; grandchildren, Tatum Burcham, Shaun Jones, Cody Jones, Alex Zuniga and Nicholas Zuniga; and great-grandson Elijah Burcham. His aunt, along with many cousins and extended family members, will miss him dearly.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, in the Tribal gym, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. A graveside service at the Tribal Cemetery on Grand Ronde Road will follow, with a meal at the Grand Ronde Community Center on the Tribal campus.

All are welcome to attend and celebrate Rory’s life.

Thomas Leroy Misfeldt

July 4, 1940 – Oct. 23, 2023

Tribal Elder Thomas Leroy Misfeldt of Brookings, Ore., passed away on Oct. 23, 2023. He was 83.

Redwood Memorial Chapel in Brookings is assisting the family.

Funeral services will be held at noon Sunday, Nov. 5, at the BPOE #1934 Elks Lodge, 800 Elk Drive, Brookings.