Verna Lee Pettyjohn

Verna Lee Pettyjohn (Wood) was born August 21,1937 in Baker, Oregon. She passed away May 23, 2026, in Burns, Oregon.

She was born in her grandmother’s house in Baker and grew up in Seneca with parents Milburn Wood and Mary (Merkle) Wood as the second in a family of four girls. She attended school in Seneca, participating in many school activities, such as softball, volleyball, boy’s baseball team, and even a rope jumping contest. In the 5th grade she became ill with rhematic fever and was bedridden for a year. The principal tutored her at home to help her keep up with class studies. When she grew stronger, her father discovered that some of her symptoms subsided when she was outdoors, so he frequently took her hunting and shooting with the gun he bought her. She continued her schooling through her sophomore year. She later studied and received her GED in 1977.

At 14 she met Ray, the love of her life. Ray was crushed in a very serious logging accident and spent months in St. Vincent’s Hospital in Portland. While he was in the hospital Verna kept in touch by writing letters and traveled to Portland many times to visit him there. That is when he first proposed to her. They later married on August 29, 1953 in her grandmother’s home when Verna was 16. They began their married life in Oklahoma, where they started their family which consisted of five children, Dean, Teresa, Joe, Brenda, and Tom. They later moved to Burns and into the logging industry as log truck owners. She worked hard to manage keeping up with a logger’s long hours and daily challenges, learning to keep books and manage finances.

She raised her five children on a limited budget by sewing their clothes, gardening, canning food, and tanning deer hide to make them chaps and moccasins. They spent many summers camping in the woods to be near her husband’s work. Her children still tell of the great adventures they had playing in the woods. Throughout the years she volunteered for several youth organizations, such as Cub Scouts and 4-H and worked in the cafeterias at the Burns and Hines schools.

After her children left home, she turned her focus to community issues. She pursued formal education and skills in tax preparation and became a Tax Accountant. In the 1980s, she opened her own tax and bookkeeping business and taught basic tax courses for tax preparers. One of her most treasured memories is centered around an appeal through the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (Western Division). She was successful in her appeal to allow legitimate tax deductions that the gyppo loggers were being denied. She successfully argued for a change in the tax law that directly benefits loggers. She prepared tax returns until 2011. By the time she sold her business she had acquired 600 clients.

In 1992, she began volunteering at the Senior and Community Service Center in the AARP Free Tax Service Program and the SHIBA program.

She was coordinator of the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program at the Senior Center and served the program for over 25 years. Besides researching and successfully securing multiple thousands of dollars’ worth of medication and medical benefits over the years, she served as the campaign manager for the 2,400 square foot addition to the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center. She helped in securing $500,000 in grants for the project ensuring its completion in 2013. She also received an OTEC Volunteer Award of $25,000, which provided funds to purchase the electronic reader board.

She made herself available to seniors in need at all times of the day. The people she helped were more than clients, they were her neighbors and friends, and she was always there for them. She frequently went above and beyond in her efforts by attending numerous training courses on how to serve others in accessing needed medications and complex Medicare issues.

As a volunteer with the Patient Assistance and Chronic Disease Fund program she assisted many - through the program as well as outside the center. She appealed several long-term care policies for elderly residents who were denied by their insurance companies and was able to get them additional funds and care as a result of her dedication and persistence.

She served on the Harney District Hospital’s Health Advisory Committee for the hospital and Harney County Senior Center Board of Directors. She received the governor’s Senior Woman of the year award in 2009 and the 2013 Rural Health Hero of the Year award. In 2013 she was selected Harney County Woman of the Year and in 2014 Harney County Senior Woman of the Year for her many years of volunteer service within the county.

She was a longtime member of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church and volunteered in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, choir, and any other church activity that needed assistance.

In April 2026 she was recognized as an Honorary Life Member of Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (USA). This honor was given in recognition of her extraordinary service to the Pioneer Presbyterian Church through her time, talent and personal finances. Verna actively served “the least of these” and served not for recognition but from a heart devoted to others. Her love for the Lord was evident in her tireless service to her church.

As a resident of the Aspen’s for two years, she openly shared her faith and God’s love with fellow residents, staff, and everyone who visited her. She always reached out to hold the hand of whomever she was visiting with and frequently ended the conversation with, “Let’s pray” or a short rendition of the song “Isn’t He Wonderful? Isn’t Jesus my Lord, wonderful!”

Verna’s faith, generosity and servant’s heart were an inspiration to her family, friends, neighbors, and the many individuals whom she served with tenacious dedication.

Verna was preceded in death by her husband Ray (2001), sisters JoAnne Hild, Barbara Officer, and Sandy Mead. She is survived by her five children Dean Pettyjohn (Stefanie), Teresa Mireles (Russell), Joe Pettyjohn (Connie), Brenda Travis, Tom Pettyjohn (Karen), ten grandchildren Lisa, Andy, Darcie, Tashia, Laura, Billy, Blake, James, Katie, and Chris, as well as many great grandchildren.