Smith Cemetery ~ Barry Brian Ostrom ~ part of the Polk County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon
Ostrom, Barry Brian
LAST: Ostrom FIRST: Barry MID: Brian
GENDER: M MAIDEN NAME:  TITLE: 
BORN: 29 March 1939 DIED: 24 June 2010 BURIED:  (Smith Cemetery)
OCCUPATION:  
BIRTH PLACE:  Everson, Whatcom Co, Washington
DEATH PLACE: Oregon
NOTES: 
1940 WA CENSUS - Barry B. Ostrom (1y, b Wash) enumerated with parents Oscar (34y, b Wash) & Gladys M. (32y, b Wash) and 3 siblings, Arthur C. (7y, b Wash), Myrna A. (4y, b Wash) & Dixon L. (2y, b Wash); family was living in same house in 1935 1st MARRIAGE - Barry Ostrom & Margaret Couper md 5 Aug 1967, Marion Co, Oregon 2nd MARRIAGE - Barry Ostrom & Janet Alderson md 23 Aug 1980, Polk Co, Oregon
OBITUARY: 
Barry Brian Ostrom, March 29, 1939-June 24, 2010 Barry Brian Ostrom, 71, of Monmouth died June 24 following a courageous battle with stomach cancer. He was born in the family home near Everson, Wash, to Swedish parents Oscar and Gladys Sahlborn Ostrom. Barry graduated from Nooksack Valley High School where he excelled in academics, track, and earned a State Farmer Degree in FFA. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western Washington University and master’s in business administration from Washington State University. Barry came to Oregon in 1964. He worked as a fiscal auditor for the secretary of state’s division of audits for four years. Following an audit of Oregon College of Education, he was offered a job as the college’s first budget officer. He served in that position for 13 years. In 1981, Barry became personnel-payroll manager for the Oregon State System of Higher Education, working out of the controller’s division of Oregon State University. In 1986, Gov Atiyeh presented Barry with the award for outstanding management service employee in higher education. After retiring in 1994, he remained active as a consultant at Western Oregon University. He also taught preparation classes for the Certified Payroll Professional Examination, and founded two chapters of the American Payroll Association. Barry married Margaret Couper in 1967. Three sons were born of that marriage, which ended in divorce. He married Diane Alderson in August 1980. Together they had one daughter. Barry served eight years in the Oregon National Guard as a cook, which fostered a life-long hobby in food preparation, especially Scandanavian recipes. He grew a big garden and was known for his beautiful dahlias. The Ostrom family exhibited award-winning produce and flowers at the Polk County and Oregon state fairs for many years. Together Barry and Diane led a 4-H horticulture club. Barry received the distinguished service award in 2009 from the Polk County 4-H Leaders Association for his years serving as treasurer of that group. In his retirement Barry helped Diane prepare projects for her second-grade classes at Santiam Christian School. In 1998, Barry and Diane accompanied the high school choir on a mission trip to Latvia. The trip included four days of training in east-west ministries in southern Sweden. That experience resulted in a passion for genealogy, and he made subsequent trips in 2001 and 2005 to visit relatives. He taught himself to read and write Swedish and was a member of the Tre Kronor, Vasa Order of America. He also served as a Scandanavian cuntural consultant for the World Beat Festival. As part of the Monmouth writers group, he honed his writing skills for family history projects and produced various styles of poetry. Barry was a member of Monmouth Christian Church. He was preceded in death by a son, Eric. Survivors include his wife, Diane; sons, Karl (Heather) of Valley Center, Calif, and Glen of Monmouth; daughter, Karyn of New York, NY; brothers, Arthur (Dee) of Mount Vernon,Wash, and Dixon (Carol) of Vancouver, Wash; sister, Myrna Mills of Leaburg; and four grandchildren. Memorial service is at 11 am Thursday, July 1, at Monmouth Christian Church. Contributions are suggested to Monmouth Christian Church’s “Helping Hands” food bank, Santiam Christian School’s missions fund, or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice of Albany. Farnstrom Mortuary, Independence, handled arrangements. To send an online condolence: www.farnstroms.com. Itemizer Observer, Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 6A
INSCRIPTION: 
Ostrom Barry Brian March 29, 1939 June 24, 2010 Married August 23, 1980 [shares marker with Janet Diane Ostrom]
SOURCES: 
1940 WA CENSUS (Whatcom Co, Nooksack, ED 37-62, sheet 3B) Oregon Marriage Index Itemizer Observer, 30 June 2010, 6A
CONTACTS: 
ROW: