Leslie Raymond Owen , September 25, 1919 — April 21, 2018

Leslie “Les” Owen September 25, 1919 – April 21, 2018 Leslie Raymond Owen passed away on April 21, 2018 at a local care facility in Pendleton, Oregon. He was born on September 25, 1919 in Pendleton to parents John Daniel Owen and Helen Minnie BeilkeOwen, joining older brother Ervin. The family lived on several farms from Weston, to east of what is now McKay Reservoir where he attended McKay school, then moving several times to the west, finally to Butter Creek.

One of these moves was accomplished with mule-drawn wagons and a Model T. When they lived near Alkali Canyon he attended a one-room school house to which he traveled via horse. When he was a little older he lived with relatives near Pendleton and attended and graduated from Pendleton High School. He then attended Albany College (now Lewis and Clark) in Portland and Linfield College in McMinnville.

Prior to WWII, he received machinist training in Pendleton and started working at Boeing just two weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He worked on wing assemblies on B-17 bomber airplanes. Leslie worked mostly on the family ranch.

He did take some time off to finish his college education atthe University of Oregon in 1952 with a degree in business administration. Leslie met Leolyn “Lee” Alberta Wilcox (originally from LaGrange, Ohio) in Cincinnati, Ohio while visiting his cousin. Leslie and Lee were married on March 5, 1960 in Cincinnati.

They resided in Pendleton for two years before moving to the family ranch on Butter Creek after the death of his father. He was partners with Ervin with Owen Ranches of Pilot Rock. Leslie and Lee moved to Pilot Rock in 1992.

He moved to Suttle Care and Retirement in 2009 and liked to go out to the ranch and work on projects as often as possible. Leslie was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and his brother. He is survived by son Dan (Mary Kaye), Renton, WA; daughter Cheryl Owen-Gousse (Michael), Cle Elum, WA; and daughter Jeannie Jensen (Karl), Pilot Rock.

Grandchildren include Kristin Gousse, Kylee Jensen, Laney Jensen, Thomas Owen, and Titus Owen. Leslie was a member of the Umatilla County and Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Wheat Grower’s League and the Umatilla County and Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. He was also a life-long member of Peace Lutheran Church in Pendleton where his service will be held Friday, April 27 at 10:00 am.

Interment will follow at Olney Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to Peace Lutheran Church.

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