IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Elmer

Elmer Watts Profile Photo

Watts

March 7, 2019

Obituary

Elmer Layton Watts (1930 –  2019) Elmer was born May 14, 1930 in Hillsboro, Oregon and passed away on March 7, 2019 in Hines, Oregon. He was 88 years old. Elmer was born to Marie (Schlesser) and (David) Layton Watts in 1930.  He was raised on his family's dairy farm in Hillsboro.  He attended elementary school at the Rosedale School, a one-room school house, and later graduated from Hillsboro's Hilhi High School in 1948. Elmer made his first trip to Harney County in the summer of 1948 where he worked as a farm hand for various ranches, including the Ausmus Ranch where Louise Ausmus was the camp cook.  Soon he was called to service by Uncle Sam and joined the Korean Conflict as a medic.  His Army buddies remembered him as wanting to go home to be a farmer. After 21 months in the Army, he came home to farm filberts, prunes, and cherries in Washington County.  Later he would farm alfalfa in Harney County. Elmer enjoyed working as a mechanic, maintaining his own farm equipment and even created his own filbert harvesting machine with the help of his brother, John.  He was always ready and willing to help friends and neighbors with their repair jobs. He also enjoyed photography and traveling. A gentle, quiet man with a sense of humor and a quick wit, he left a long trail of goodness on this earth, with many lifelong friends.  He raised his own family within 1.5 miles of the house where he was born.  He moved to Princeton, OR in Harney County in 1998 to form the Watts Ranch with his brother John where he farmed for several years before retiring. Elmer married (Ella) Nina Breunig Greenslate in 1959. Together they raised two daughters, Donna and Marilyn.   Nina passed away in 1997. Life came full circle when Elmer re-married in 2000 to (Marilyn) Louise Ausmus Bamberry, the former cook at the Ausmus Ranch. Elmer is survived by his wife Louise; brother John of Princeton, OR; sister Mary of The Dalles, OR; and two daughters, Donna Burt (Earl) of Bremerton, WA and Marilyn Watts (Carol) of Ocean Park, WA ,and two grandchildren, Scott Burt (Rebecca) and Casey Burt, as well as two great grandchildren, Mahalia and Andrew. Elmer was preceded in death by his parents, Layton & Marie; and his first wife, (Ella) Nina. Memorial services will be In Burns, Oregon at 1 PM Saturday March 16th, 2019 at St. Andrews Episcopal Lutheran Church, 393 W. "A" Street, Burns, OR  97720. A second service will be held in Hillsboro, Oregon at 1 PM Saturday March 23rd, 2019 at All Saints Episcopal Church, 372 NE Lincoln Street in Hillsboro, OR  97124 Donations in Elmer's memory may be made to Harney County Hospice or your local Hospice. Please visit www.lafolletteschapel.com and sign into the online guestbook.
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Services

Memorial Service

Calendar
March
16

St. Andrews Episcopal Church

393 West A Street, Burns, OR 97720

Starts at 1:00 pm

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