Dec. 2, 1922 – Dec. 8, 2014
Thomas Rothmer Hufford, 92, of Sweet Home died Dec. 8, 2014 at Albany General Hospital.
He was born Dec. 2, 1922 to John Frank and Mamie Estelle (Tolbert) Hufford, in Crawfordsville, the seventh of nine children. His family traveled extensively on the Pacific Coast as migrant workers before finally settling east of Foster in the area now known as Hufford Hill.
He attended grade school on Hufford Hill at Wildwood School. There he met the love of his life at age 11; her mother was his schoolteacher. He left school at a young age to help support his family, working primarily in the timber industry.
Mr. Hufford was a true outdoorsman. He hunted with his older brothers and even killed a cougar with a slug-loaded shotgun at age 9. His family farmed and logged the area and built their own log house and surrounding out-buildings.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Hufford, like many young men of the era, was eager to serve his country. He enlisted in the United States Navy on Sept. 28, 1942 at the age of 19. He served as a gunner’s mate first class on the USS Dewey, and always had plenty of lip for his superior officers. During his time in the service, Tom was stationed in the South Pacific and visited many of the countries there. He also survived Typhoon Cobra, which caused the ship to do an 80-degree roll onto its side in the water, and then right itself.
Mr. Hufford was honorably discharged Dec. 6, 1945 and for his time in the service was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal (10 Stars), and the World War II Victory Medal.
After his discharge, Mr. Hufford rode the train from New York home to Oregon. There he reunited with his childhood love, Mardelle Nothiger, and they wed in Stevenson, Wash. on April 6, 1946.
He and Mardelle settled on her family property and raised five children together. Mr. Hufford worked as a gypo logger and log truck driver for DHP, of which he was a partner. He also worked with Guy Jeppsen, Charlie Vaughn and then eventually Timberline Logging, which is owned by his son, Teddy.
Using Mr. Hufford’s business skills, the family opened the Cedar Shack Drive-In in 1965. To this day, the business is run by their family.
In 1990, Mr. Hufford received a formal invitation and attended the decommissioning of the USS Dewey in Charleston, S.C. In 2012, he was able to tour the new USS Dewey during the Rose Festival, where he was treated as guest of honor. His photo with the ship’s commander was engraved and placed in the hall of honor, where it will remain until the ship is decommissioned.
Mr. Hufford was an active member of the community, serving for 69 years as a member of the American Legion and a member of the Veterans Club Executive Board for many years. He was an American Legion commander for six years; he also coached the Legion Baseball team and acted as driver and equipment manager. Through the American Legion, Mr. Hufford helped to raise money for the community swimming pool and donated money for the building of the Lebanon Community Hospital.
During the years that his children were in school, he was actively involved. He served as the first president of the Band Boosters Club. Even at home he served, providing food and shelter for those in need. For his efforts in the community and surrounding areas, Mr. Hufford received numerous awards. He was Veteran of the Year in 1995; in 1998 he won the Distinguished Service Award. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the American Man Award in 2007. He was also Parade Grand Marshall for the Sportsman’s Holiday Parade.
He was the inspiration for the creation of a car show held annually in his honor. Grampa Tom’s Get Together kicked off the tourist season in Sweet Home for 20 years.
Mr. Hufford reluctantly retired from driving log truck at age 87, but stayed busy visiting with friends and family at the Cedar Shack. He never knew a stranger. He enjoyed hunting, car shows, collecting Studebakers and reading. He was a life-long learner; you never saw him without a book in his hand.
Mr. Hufford is survived by his wife, Mardelle (Nothiger) Hufford; daughters Vicki and son-in-law Joe Lucky, daughter Tommy and son-in-law Ronald (Chip) Dalton; and daughter Jan Hufford Wilson; son Teddy Hufford and daughter-in-law Peggy; siblings Helen Morris of Eugene and Dolores Roberts of Christmas Valley; 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mamie; two daughters, Diane Lee Lucky and Cheryl Adele Hufford; son-in-law Marvin Wilson; granddaughter-in-law Beth Wilson; and siblings Hazel Reynolds, Les Hufford, Belle Pattie, Dorothy Elliot and Frank Hufford.
A memorial service with military honors is planned at noon Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Sweet Home Evangelical Church Activity Center with a reception following.
A private family graveside service has been held at Gilliland
Cemetery.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.