Cleo M. Vickers

Cleo M. Vickers

Cleo M. Vickers, 78, of Newport, Ore., died July 17, 2012.

She was born Dec. 15, 1933, the youngest of seven children of Adelia and Archie Gustafson. In 1943, their family moved to Vancouver, Wash. She liked to tap dance and was a member of a can-can tap dancers group. She worked as an usher at the Mission Theatre in Vancouver throughout high school. She attended Vancouver High School and graduated in 1952. She married the love of her life, Jim Vickers, on June 11, 1952, and they had four children, Stephen, Teresa, Linda and Diane.

She was a devoted mother and wife. In August 1971, Cleo and Jim bought JC Market in Newport and started the family business. In 1975, they purchased JC Market of Toledo. Cleo loved to bag groceries and visit with the customers. She was proud to be the “C” in JC Market. She worked until 2005.

Cleo liked to shop, sew, golf with Coquille and Agate Beach Ladies Golf Association, shoe shop, go to the casino, watch Wheel of Fortune, and play dominoes, which she usually won. She traveled with Jim to many different places with other grocers and family over the years. They loved to ballroom dance at the Elks for many years. She enjoyed watching the grandkids in sports and went to all of the Linfield home football games from 2001 to 2005. Some of the favorite places traveled were Hawaii, Napa Valley California, and Arizona. She loved being with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, either in Sun River, Newport or Arizona. She enjoyed entertaining family and friends. Last October, she took 20 family members to Maui for a trip that Jim had planned before his death last June. It was a highlight for all of the family.

Cleo enjoyed this past winter in Sun Lakes, Ariz. at her home and had many family members and friends visit her. After she came home from Arizona, she started to have health issues. Melanoma had spread through her body, and she died at home on what would have been Jim’s 79th birthday.

Cleo is preceded in death by her parents, Adelia and Archie Gustafson; husband, Jim; three sisters and one brother.

She is survived by her children, Stephen (Gabriela) Vickers, Teresa (Doug) Eriksen, Linda Owen and Diane (Lyle) Mattson; sisters, Deloris Tokstad and Margaret Siebel; grandchildren, April Winchell (fiancé Arnie), Jimmy Vickers, Jason (Jessica), Cory (Jen) and Casey Allen; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at First Presbyterian Church, 227 NE 12th St. in Newport. Memorial donations may be made to Pacific Communities Health District Foundation - Outpatient Treatment Center, 930 SW Abbey St., Newport, OR 97365.

Bateman Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

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