Doris H. Yriarte passed away peacefully Sept. 1, 2019, at the age of 91.

Doris was born Feb. 19, 1928, in Burns to her parents, Louis and Myrthelene Hughet. She lived at the Double O all her life. First, working at her father’s ranch along with her brother, Louis Jr., and her two sisters, Helen and Beth, through grade school and high school. She attended grade school at Double O, where she either rode a horse or walked to school and always worried about rabid coyotes chasing her. After grade school, she attended and graduated from Burns Union High School. Shortly after graduating from high school, she met and married Louis Yriarte. They lived in Burns for a short time where she worked at the US Bank and he worked for the railroad. Later, her father helped them begin a small ranch at the Double O. With two children, Harland and Charles, Doris and Louis worked hard to make ends meet. They worked extra jobs such as building new fences for the Refuge and contract haying. Doris also worked for Al Brown Accounting during tax season.

Doris always remembered the depression and talked about the struggle to make ends meet. Living through the depression taught her to be strong, tough, and a good neighbor. It also taught her to love family and save everything. She always looked forward to the many homemade meals and visits with neighbors on Sundays and playing cards until daylight, and then getting back to work upon getting home. Her children remember Doris getting up at 3 a.m.; kicking them out of bed; cooking homemade sourdough pancakes, T-bone steaks, gravy, and eggs for all of them; and then heading out to work cattle on the desert, always getting home after dark. Even with all the work required on the ranch, Doris found time to serve on the Burns Union High School and Double O school boards.

She enjoyed raising cattle to the point that most of them had names. She also loved her horses, cow dogs, and all the wildlife around the ranch, especially the killdeer and quail. Above all, Doris loved her family and always enjoyed talking and visiting with her brothers and sisters and their families, her sons, and her grandchildren. She loved her grandchildren and always looked forward to them stopping by. She really enjoyed playing cribbage with them and rarely lost a game.

She enjoyed embroidering, crocheting, needle point, gardening, painting, making wooden spoons, and constructing miniature chairs out of tin cans and match sticks. Another passion she had was eating. Whenever she went to Burns, even if she had just eaten lunch, she wanted to dine at a restaurant. In addition, she loved to watch the sunrises and sunsets, as well as the stars on a clear night. She always believed the best things in life are free if we just look around this beautiful earth that God gave us.

Doris is survived by her sons, Harland and Charles Yriarte; sister, Beth Sayles; grandchildren, Javan Yriarte, Kael Yriarte, Jenner Yriarte, Darren Yriarte, Jamin Yriarte, and Shelesha Kelso; and great-grandchildren, Jordan Yriarte, Hannah Kelso, Grace Kelso, Asher, Ella, Sylvia, Ayden, and Ava Rose (Yriarte). She was very appreciative for her nephew, Duane Morgan, visiting Louie while he was at Fox Hollow Care Facility. His almost daily visits made Louis’ days there much more enjoyable. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews residing in Oregon, Washington, and California; and stepgrandchildren and great-grandchildren residing in Eugene, Springfield, Seattle, and Klamath Falls.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Louie; father, Louis Hughet; mother, Myrthelene Hughet; brother, Louis Hughet Jr.; sister, Helen Katter; mother-in-law, Josie Ebar; father-in-law, John Ebar; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Stanley Sayles, John Ebar (Emmy), Mary Zunino (Frank), Delores Method, Lisa Morgan (Leo); nephews and nieces, Tony Warbington, Brian Morgan, Kerry Hughet, Duane Hughet, Lori Mcneese, Janice Loya, Wayne Hughet, and Wade Hughet.

A private graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Burns Cemetery.

Mom, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, you are missed and loved dearly. You enriched many lives and brought joy and happiness to those you met. It is hard  to say goodbye, but as you always said on your departures, “So long for now” or “Goodbye for now.” It was never a permanent goodbye. We will all reunite again. Rest in peace.