A funeral service for longtime Boring resident, Tillford “Tip” Howard will be held at Sandy Funeral Home at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Sandy Ridge Cemetery.
Tip died at his home on Friday, November 13, 2009 with his family by his side as he requested. He was 88.
Tillford Merrell Howard was born on November 18, 1921 in Mitchell, Oregon on the family ranch, “The West Branch Ranch”. He was also raised on that ranch and received his schooling in Mitchell. As a young boy, he worked with father and brothers on the ranch until he began working as a logger on the ranch. At the start of WW II, was drafted. Due to health problems, the military moved him to Portland where he worked in Civil Defense, repairing the air filtration systems in bombed and shelled naval ships. While Tip was on his way from Mitchell to Portland he made a stop in Prineville for fuel and this where he met his future wife Pauline. The following day, they both came to Portland where they both served the war effort. In 1945, Tip was discharged and he and Pauline returned Prineville where they were married. After they were married they returned to the “West Branch Ranch” in Mitchell where they made their home and began their family. Tip did ranch work with his father for a time prior to pursuing his logging career. Eight years later in 1955, Tip and his family moved to Willow Creek, California where he continued his career as a self employed logger. In late 1956, they immigrated to Canada, making their home in Clemina, British Columbia. Tip leased sections of land from the Canadian Government for logging until 1970 when he began operating aggregate iron ore transportation, which consists of silver and zinc. One year later, he and his family returned to the United States and made their home in Portland. Tip joined his younger brother long hauling heavy equipment across all 48 states. In 1979, Tip and Pauline were divorced. Tip then moved to Boring where he pursued his trucking career until retiring in 1983.
Surviving is his son Dean Howard of Boring; his daughters, Tami Hanson of Canada and Lisa Davis of Roseburg; his sisters, Crystal Stevens of Astoria and Retha Russell of Redmond; 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.