Obituary of Vern Cornelius

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at Jasper Christian Church for Vern Frederick Cornelius of Springfield, who died Oct. 8 following a stroke. He was 92. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Springfield Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home.He was born Aug. 25, 1918, in Acton, Mont., to Frederick and Hazel Cornelius. He and his wife, Elsie, were married Dec. 27, 1947, in Portland.A graduate of Northwest Christian College, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He owned and operated Vern’s Landscape Company for 35 years.Survivors include his wife; four sons, Ken of Springfield, Roger of Bend, Ron of Colleyville, Texas, and Allen of LaGrande; two daughters, Marilyn Costin of Belfair, Wash., and Nancy Wildinson of LaQuinta, Calif.; a sister, Lydia Sherman of Portland; 15 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.Burial will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Springfield Memorial Gardens. Remembrances to Gideons International.