Peake Funeral Chapel

12/11/2025

Herman Miller Stewart

Herman Miller Stewart, aka Jim, was 99 years of age, when he passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 8th, 2025, in Clackamas, Oregon.

Herman had been planning to make it to his 100th birthday in April 2026, but God called him to his Heavenly Home five months before that Big Birthday!

Herman was one of eleven children born to Alonzo Claude and Effie Ellen Stewart of Oldham County, Kentucky. Herman was the third to the youngest of the eleven children and was driving a tractor on the farm at the age of five years old. At the age of nine Herman used to help his Uncle take moonshine made at his Uncle’s still, into town and sell it. Herman enlisted in the Navy in March of 1944 at the age of 17; he had to have his Dad sign for him. Herman served as a Gunner, GM3c, aboard the USS St. Patrick, PC563. During World War II Herman’s Patrol Craft was acknowledged for having sunk One Submarine, shot one Bomber down and two Fighter Planes.

Herman was in the Philippines when General MacArthur went ashore, and the Philippines became a liberated country. Herman recounts the story that when General MacArthur first stepped off the Landing Craft, he sunk in the water up to his armpits. Since everything was being filmed they got back on board the Landing Craft and found a spot near shore that wasn’t as deep as the first attempt. General MacArthur then jumped off the Landing Craft and walked ashore.

For 3 weeks prior to his death he was cared for by a wonderful family at their Lilac Adult Care Home in Clackamas. They had family living in the Philippines at the time their country was liberated. They called Herman a Hero for being a part of the US Military that helped liberate their country.

Herman, who was known as ‘Stew” on board ship, was the only non-drinker among the crew. He was selected to be the Captain’s designated driver whenever the Captain left the ship. Herman was also known as one of the top sharp- shooters with a rifle on board ship. During practice shooting Herman was known to hit every target that was thrown in the Ocean.

While Herman was on Liberty in Portland, Oregon he met Betty Ruth Sorrell on a street corner. It was during their three months of dating that Betty asked Herman if she could call him Jimmy; that is how his name was changed to Jimmy. Three months after meeting they were married. After Herman was discharged from the Navy he officially moved from Kentucky to Portland, Oregon.

Herman and Betty were married for 73 years and had 6 children, 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandkids. Herman was a “Superhero” to all of his family and always gave 110% to every family situation. Herman worked for the Portland Traction Co and TriMet for 40 years after moving to Oregon.

Herman was an avid hunter and fisherman. During the salmon runs you could find him out on his boat “Daddy’s Toy” fishing for the big one. He also enjoyed gardening and took care of 3 large gardens. Herman was always helping his neighbors with anything they needed.

Herman was preceded in death by his wife, Betty and much-loved grandson and son-in-law: Timothy Palmer and Ron Hodges. He is survived by his children, Mary Hodges, John Stewart (Kathleen), Patricia Stewart, Linda Palmer (Michael), Steve Stewart and Susan Stewart Broqvist. The family thanks treasured friends and neighbors, Sonny and Sally Newsom.

A Celebration of Life and Military Honors will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at Stehn Family Chapels Milwaukie Tribute Center, Milwaukie, Oregon. Private interment will be held at Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, Oregon.

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11/28/2025

11/25/2025

John Scott Jurgens

John Scott Jurgens, our beloved son and brother, died unexpectedly on November 1, 2025, at his home in Battle Ground, Washington.

John was born on November 23, 1989, Thanksgiving Day, in Billings, Montana to the Rev. Scott and Cheryl (neé Valentine) Jurgens. He was issued a special birth certificate signed by the Governor of Montana because he was born in Montana’s centennial year. As an infant and a toddler he had a hard time sleeping, spending many a night with his mother watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno substituting for Johnny Carson. He would often say, “No Johnny, I want Jay Leno” when Johnny would be on. He grew up in Columbus, Montana; Odessa, Washington; Hayden, Idaho; and Lewiston, Idaho as his father served in several Lutheran churches around the inland northwest. He graduated from Lewiston High School. When he started his career with Walmart he lived in the Moscow-Pullman area, later moved to Eugene, OR and ultimately landed in the Portland-Vancouver area. He worked as an associate manager, and then transferred to Walmart’s optical department and worked as an optical technician up until his death.

He married Grace Richards in October of 2018; they later divorced. He then met Camica Cox in August of 2022 and they were later engaged.

John and Camica bonded over their love for dogs and punk rock music. He loved going to concerts no matter the genre. He had various interests including, disc golf, snowboarding, fishing, firearm collecting, and watching hockey. His favorite teams were the Capitals (hockey) and the Ravens (football). He also liked to watch vintage horror films but watched comfort movies too like The Expendables.

John had a great sense of humor. He liked to give funny gifts, like the ones he gave to his father; a t-shirt with a cross on it that said, “The Sermonator”, or the coffee mug with a picture of Jesus on it with the caption, “Straight Outta Heaven.” He liked to make his boss, Nina laugh with movie quotes, like, “I’m sorry, sir. I’m trying my best sir” when she would correct him for something. They even would have “Creed-offs” to see who could remember more of the Nicene Creed from their confirmation classes, since they were both Lutheran Pastor’s kids.

His fiancée Camica says this best: John was full of love for everyone he came across. He loved to make new friends whenever going to live music shows, and loved to share those experiences with those he held close. Punk music was his favorite, if you lost him at a concert you would always find him in the pit. He could talk about his love of films endlessly, and always was happy to go fishing or play Frisbee golf with friends. If he could do it with those he loved, he was absolutely going to have them there. He always found an excuse for a nice dinner and his favorite puzzle was figuring out what wine might perfectly pair with what he was eating. He knew how to make people laugh, and always had a goal to spread joy. Sometimes that meant a joke that may or may not have actually brought someone joy. He had a “we will figure it out” attitude and did his best to support those he loved, even if it meant experiencing styles of movie or music that he hated.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Cheryl Jurgens; aunts, Colleen Loewen and Linda Smith; uncles, Juan Miranda and Donald Valentine; and grandmother, Patricia Jurgens.

He is survived by his father, the Rev. Scott Jurgens (Sue Clovis); sisters, Kate Jurgens (Michael Gates), Jessica Jurgens, and Patricia “PJ” Hillemann (Eric); fiancée, Camica Cox; aunt, Anita Miranda; uncle, Mike Loewen; various cousins; and his dog, Crosley.

A Memorial Service will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 12, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 920 8th Avenue, Lewiston, Idaho. A Celebration of Life will be 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 3, 2026 at Hooligan's Sports Bar & Grill, 8220 NE Van Plaza Dr., Vancouver, WA 98662.

The family suggests memorials in John's memory be sent to a local animal shelter of choice, the American Kidney fund, or the National Kidney Foundation.

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08/27/2025

Violet Gwendolen Aldridge

Violet Aldridge died at her home in Happy Valley, Oregon at the age of 101. Before her death on August 17, 2025, she enjoyed a full life of family and friends, varied employment, and many interests.

Violet Gwendolen Parrish was born on August 8, 1924, in Portland, Oregon, to Bethel B. Parrish and John Arthur Parrish. Her father named her Violet after his favorite half-sister, and the middle name, Gwendolen, came from a community near Condon, Oregon, where her parents were married. She was the third child in the family, joining older brothers Norwood (Woody) and Justin.

Her family attended Central Church of the Nazarene in Portland, Oregon, where they were living. At the age of six, the family moved to a new home heated by a wood burning stove in the living room on the Nazarene Campgrounds at Stark and Craig streets. Her father was caretaker and patrolled the grounds. She remembered summers during camp meetings as especially good times. Two large tents were staked up for meetings and meals with straw scattered over the floors. She and her brother Justin would search for coins after the large meeting tent was removed and the straw burned. At the age of five during one camp meeting for children, she went to the altar and had her “sins” forgiven. At nine years old, her family left the campgrounds and moved to the city where they lived in a stucco home with heat and hardwood floors! She said her brother Norwood loved to wax, polish, and shine those floors.

Violet married Harold Aldridge on August 17, 1946, at the Portland Central Nazarene Church where she attended. She said that he was her “dream” during high school years. They kept contact while he served overseas during World War II and later married. Their first home was in Seattle, Washington, where Harold attended Seattle Pacific College and their first child, Wayne, was born in August 1947. Upon her husband’s college graduation, they moved to Portland, Oregon. Their second child, Gail, was born in Portland in January 1951.

As a young married adult, her church continued to be an important part of her life. From Central Nazarene Church, she moved her membership to Milwaukie Nazarene Church after she and her husband relocated the family to Milwaukie, Oregon. After moving to Oregon City, she attended Oregon City Nazarene Church. Over many years, she volunteered as a Sunday School teacher, church office support, church board member, missionary society president, Bible School teacher, among many other church related activities. When aging required moves to adult communities, she attended the worship meetings in her care communities as her health allowed. She never wavered in her Christian faith and belief that she would go to heaven upon her death.

Her first paying job was at nine years old washing dishes in the evening for a neighbor and his wife for which she received a few coins. She attended Commerce High to learn office skills and, later, Girls Polytechnic High School for cooking and sewing. After graduating from high school, she often took evening classes to keep her office skills sharp. She enjoyed secretarial work, especially when she could manage a one-woman office. She worked in that capacity for several different businesses over the years including a bank, phone company, exercise equipment retailer, lawyer, and construction explosives company. She also at one time worked for the Tariff Bureau typing tariffs for truckers, a Portland florist, and even tied fish grass for another local Milwaukie business. She said they lived on her husband’s income, and her income was for saving and travel.

The list of activities she enjoyed beyond family and church were many. She liked to sew and made clothes for her husband, children, and grandchildren. She also tried her hand at needlework doing cross stitch and embroidery. She took evening classes in knitting, stained glass, and painting; producing many completed projects. Arts and crafts continued to be a part of her activities until her death. Her real love was gardening and working on flower arrangements. She maintained a lovely yard and productive garden. She enjoyed swimming, and once, she was even talked into trying waterskiing. When she was in her early adulthood she liked to hike, backpack, and tent camp. In later years, she and her husband had an RV and traveled cross country in more comfort. She visited more distant travel locations including several trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, England, and Scotland. In later years, she spent many hours reading and working on jigsaw puzzles.

When Violet and her husband needed an easier lifestyle, they moved into Homewoods on the Willamette, a retirement community near Gladstone. After her husband needed more care, they moved together to Homewood Heights for assisted living. In April 2018, following a serious fall that required rehab, she moved to The Fountains in Happy Valley where she lived until her death.

Violet was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Aldridge. She is survived by her two children, three grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. We are grateful for the life she lived. She will be missed by her family and friends.

A Memorial Service and Reception will be 2 p.m., Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the Forum at Town Center, Fountains Building 8607 SE Causey Ave, Happy Valley, OR 97086.

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05/30/2025

Jeffrey Joseph Matter

Jeffrey Joseph Matter passed away on March 18, 2025, in Clackamas, Oregon. He was 41 years old.

Born in Portland, Oregon, on July 2, 1983, Jeff was the second son of Allen and Barbara Matter. He spent most of his childhood in Milwaukie, Oregon, and graduated from Milwaukie High School in 2002. During high school, Jeff was active in sports—he played on the football team, participated in track, and was often found in the weight room.

After high school, Jeff began a career with Huser Fire Fighting Equipment, where he worked with dedication and pride for 21 years.

In 2004, Jeff met the love of his life, Elizabeth. Together, they enjoyed weekends filled with adventure—4-wheeling, trips to the beach and mountain, but most evenings you could find them quietly playing cribbage. The couple married in 2010 and were overjoyed to welcome their beautiful daughter, Peyton, in 2013.

As an adult, Jeff found joy in golf, sports of all kinds, and caring for his garden. Like his father before him, he took great pride in grilling for friends and family. A devoted Oregon State Beavers fan, Jeff rarely missed a game. He could often be found in his backyard or watching the latest sporting event on TV.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; their daughter, Peyton; older brother, Chris; sisters, Meghan (Andrew) and Sarah (Marcus); niece, Lily; and nephew, Sawyer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Allen and Barbara.

Jeff was a loving husband, devoted father, caring brother and uncle, and a loyal friend to many. His presence, humor, and kindness will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

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05/20/2025

Join us in congratulating Milwaukie Police Captain Tony Cereghino on his recent presentation of the Exemplary Service Award from Portland FBI Field Office. We appreciated the attendance of City of Milwaukie City Manager Emma Sagor and Finance Director Michael Osborne in support.

Captain Cereghino (then a Detective) has worked numerous cases over the past years with our Federal partners and US Attorney’s Office on a variety of domestic cases affecting local Milwaukie community members.

Two examples are the Phillip Gatto Homicide in 2016 and the recent conviction of a man for shooting a US Postal Worker in December of 2022. Captain Cereghino investigated, oversaw and coordinated a variety of complex and complicated factors surrounding these events while working with our local FBI field office to resolve them.

05/06/2025

View Janet Maureen Cranor's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.