Wasco-Hood River County OR Archives Obituaries.....Sunday, Harry Ashley "Ash" January 20, 2006
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 17, 2006, 11:00 pm

The Dalles Chronicle, January 24, 2006
     Harry Ashley “Ash” Sunday, 90, a long time resident of The Dalles, died 
at his home on Jan. 20, 2006.
     He was born to William Ashley and Inga Johnson Sunday on July 12, 1915 in 
Woodworth, N.D.
     He spent his younger years in and around North Dakota and Minnesota 
working with his relatives on the various farms. He lived with his mother (his 
father died when Ash was 4 years old) and grandfather, Ed Sunday, the brother 
of the famous evangelist, William Ashley Sunday, better known as “Billy” 
Sunday.
     In the late 1920’s, he and a large gathering of family and friends left 
for the Hood River Valley, where Ed Sunday and Billy’s half brother Roy Hieser 
helped operate the Sunday Ranch out on Sunday Road at Neal Creek. He spent 
many hours working the farm, at the old Dee Mill, logging timber for the mill 
and having fun with friends, a pastime he perfected for the rest of his life.
He lived with Helen “Ma” Sunday (Billy’s widow) for a spell after Billy died 
in 1935.
     He joined the Navy in 1941 and when Pearl Harbor happened, the military 
sent him “greetings” and the shore patrol looking for him, not knowing he was 
already in the Navy. He spent his early Navy time working through the ranks, 
became a chief petty officer and served as flight engineer on a PBY2Y Patrol 
Bomber, in the VMF 13 and VMF 15 squadrons, patrolling the Caribbean, then the 
Pacific Theatre, for enemy ships and subs. It was also during this time in San 
Diego, that he met and fell in love with Ruth Stephen. Theirs was a classic 
World War II love story where they courted, fell in love, married and then he 
shipped-out.
     His Navy career was ended in 1944 when an accident on the island of 
Saipan in the Central Pacific, during the U.S. Navy’s final push to Japan, 
cost him his right arm. After a very long rehabilitation, he moved to Dufur, 
where he and his wife owned and ran the Dufur Café. After he got this out of 
his system, he, his wife, and sons Larry and Darrel moved to Hood River in 
1949, where daughter Dawn was born. He and his wife settled in and never left. 
     He spent all of his time with family, orchards, cars, auto parts, and 
meeting new people. They made friends as rock hounds and participating and 
working at the Hood River County Fair. However, the biggest thing to him, 
other than his family, was all of his years with the Veterans of Foreign Wars 
(VFW), Disabled Veterans Association (DAV).
     He is survived by his wife Ruth, sons Larry and Darrel, daughter Dawn; 
grandchildren. Traci, Tina, Chris, Sean, Aaron, and Marc, six great-
grandchildren and a lifetime of good friends.
     An open house reception will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Anderson’s 
Tribute Center from 2 until 4 p.m.
     Memorial contributions may be made to the Lions Sight and Hearing 
Foundation c/o Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Hood River, OR 97031.


Additional Comments:
Written permission to reprint given by The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, 
Oregon, Dan Spatz, Editor (e-mail dated 3/7/2006).


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