Obituary of Eugene WOOTEN

Eugene Gilbert Wooten, 78, passed away March 11, 2004 in Lake Havasu City, AZ. He was born on May 20, 1925 at Forrest Grove, OR to parents Lawrence and Myrtle Wooton.On August 27, 1946 he married Ruth Ida Jones who went to meet her Lord December 4, 1988. After high school, at age 18, he went to live with Joe McBurney in Gaston, OR to help work the farm. He operated a caterpillar to plow the fields. Gene supervised a crew of Latinos for growing and harvesting onions during World War II. He found his skills in operating heavy equipment a plus when he went to work for the Oregon Forest Service. He worked in the Tillamook burn for the forest service then went into logging which led him to move to Alsea, OR in 1953. He bought a 29 acre farm with property on both sides of the Alsea River and there he raised his three boys Kenneth, Larry and Randall. He kept about a dozen cows, a horse and often had chickens, ducks, pigs, goats or sheep. The boys had dogs, cats and pigeons. They raised hay for the cattle, commercial lingon berries and had large gardens and about twenty fruit trees of all varieties. He served on the school board in Alsea for many years. He helped pioneer an Assembly of God Church just across the highway from his farm with Helen & Bill Phillips. He pastored the Alsea Assembly of God from 1966 to 1969. He continued logging, farming and pastoring until 1969, owning his own logging company the last few years of that time. He was known as an excellent road builder and caterpillar operator.Eugene moved to Ester, AK in 1969 and began to build a small church building. To provide income while pastoring the church he got a job with Wein Airline where he worked until 1978 and when Wein Airline sold he went to work putting a house on a foundation and then remodeling that house for one of the former Wein executives. He pastored the church in Ester, AK until moving to Anchorage in 1981 and taking the pastorate of Sunset Hills Assembly of God. Under his leadership the name was changed to South Anchorage Assembly of God and he pastored there until July 1991 when he retired and married N.Jeanne Gaynor who has been his faithful companion and closest friend from that day until now. They have resided in Anchorage, AK and Lake Havasu City, AZ since their marriage and have traveled to many places around the world. Their extended families have blended together in exemplary fashion and have also become good friends.Eugene is survived by his wife, N. Jeanne(Gaynor) Wooten; her children, Janice Coulter of Anchorage, AK and her husband Robert, Kay Fonte of Canton, OH and her husband Ray and Rand Gaynor of Wasilla, AK and his wife Gayle; her grandchildren, Jeffery Coulter and Starlee Coulter both of Anchorage, AK, Matthew Fonte of Canton, OH and A.J. Fonte of Lake Havasu City, AZ; his sons, Kenneth E. Wooten of Fairbanks, AK and his wife Donna, Larry E. Wooten of Wenatchee, WA and his wife Dawn and Randall L. Wooten of Anchorage, AK and his wife Barbara; his grandchildren, Tamra Smith of Spanaway, WA and her husband Justin, Teri Patterson of Wenatchee, WA and her husband Shawn, Aaron Wooten of Pasco, WA and his wife Kimberly, David Wooten of Puyallup, WA, Jonathan Wooten of Las Vegas, NV and his wife Desiree, Isaac Wooten of Bellevue, WA, Ruth Wooten of Anchorage, AK and Shawn Wooten also of Anchorage, AK; his great grandchildren, Tyler Smith and Madison Smith both of Spanaway, WA, Denali Patterson, Daejah Patterson and Drew Patterson all of Wenatchee, WA, Reiley Wooten and Aaron Wooten both of Pasco, WA, Jonathan Wooten and Juliana Wooten both of Las Vegas, NV; brothers Alvin Wooton of Silver City, NM and Leonard Wooten of Kingsgate, B.C.A memorial services will be held Monday, March 15, 6:00 PM at Stonebridge Christian Fellowship with Pastor Richard Tatham officiatingIn lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made in his name to Stonebridge Christian Fellowship, 2700 Jamaica Blvd.,LHC; Az. 86406 or Hospice of Havasu, P.O. Box 597, LHC; Az. 86405Arrangements were entrusted to Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home & Crematory