Bernard Howard Donnelly

Bernard Howard Donnelly was born
July 29, 1926, in Newell S.D., to Richard
Henry Donnelly and Lucy Brott. He
passed away on Oct. 16, 2014, at age 88.

Due to dry, dusty weather conditions of the time, the
family in 1937 left their farm in South Dakota. They
packed their own eleven children, a cousin, and all
of their belongings into a 1926 Chevrolet and headed
west. A young cousin had preceded the family and
found work in Dayton, so the family settled there.
Bernard attended Pine Grove School, where he acquired
his love of poetry, under the tutelage of Juanita
Harting. Throughout his life he recited the poems
he learned at Pine Grove.

After the death of his father, in 1941, Bernard and
his family moved to Waitsburg, where he graduated
from Waitsburg High School. He served in the U.S.
Navy from 1944 to 1946 aboard the USS Mackinac
and witnessed the signing of the peace accord from
its deck.

In 1948, he married Betty Jo Hanger at St. Joseph’s
Church in Dayton. They resided in Waitsburg, where
Bernard ran the Chevron station on Coppei Avenue.
In 1955, Bernard began working for Hinchliffe
Trucking as a driver and mechanic. Later, he added
custom hay work to his agenda and, in 1991, retired
from trucking and maintained his hay business and
his small herd of Hereford cattle. He tilled gardens in
the community and helped maintain the local baseball
field. He loaned his bull to the Waitsubrg FFA
chapter.

Bernard and Betty Jo raised three children, Shane
Donnelly (MerryLynn) of Walla Walla, Kathy Donnelly
Conrath of Cheney, Wash., and Sherri Donnelly
Erikson (John) of Waitsburg.

Bernard was a life member of the NRA and Waitsburg
Gun Club. He taught a firearms safety class that
a number of his children and grandchildren attended.
He was known in the community as a firearms expert
and was often consulted on the subject. All his life,
he and his family hunted in the Blue Mountains, a
tradition carried on by his son, grandsons, and great granddaughter.
Bernard was a member of St. Marks Catholic Church,
VFW, American Legion, and The Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation.

His other interests included a love of horses, collecting
antique tools, caring for his cattle, gardening,
welding and collecting cartridges from all over the
world. Several times he displayed his tools, cartridges,
or firearms at the local Fall Festival.

Bernard lost his wife of 60 years, Betty Jo, in 2009 to
cancer. Later, he moved to Booker Rest Home, where
he joined an old classmate from Pine Grove School.
Bernard was preceded in death by three brothers,
Richard, John, and Delbert Donnelly, and three sisters,
Elma Brown, Mary Hopkins, and Eleanor Supon.

He is survived by three brothers and two sisters:
Frank, David and Patrick Donnelly, and Lillian
Pereira and Catherine Basta. Survivors also include
his children named above; grandchildren Ellis Erikson
(Kristin), Chris Conrath (Beth), Adam Erikson,
Matt Conrath (Madeline), Meghan Conrath Jensen
(Dylan), Marshall Donnelly (Jenny), Shaun Donnelly
(Elsa), and Sam Donnelly; and great-grandchildren
Madeline Erikson, Ryan Conrath, Tyler Conrath,
Signe Erikson, Clara Conrath, Lyla Jensen, Linley
Donnelly, Molly Jensen, Eli Erikson, Hudson Conrath,
Emmet Erikson, Lilliah Donnelly, and Lincoln
Conrath.

Services will be held at St. Marks Catholic Church
on Nov. 1, 2014, at 10 a.m. and will be officiated by
Father Bob Turner. Interment with military honors
will follow at the Waitsburg Cemetery, and then a
luncheon will be held at the Waitsburg Lyons Memorial
Building at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Marks
Catholic Church or charity of the donor’s choice
through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315
W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA 99362.