Wrestling News - August 2016

Even during the dog days of summer wrestling makes its way into the news, one way or the other. Here are a few tidbits:

Jerry Winterbotham

 First, some sad news - the loss of another great Beaver Wrestling fan, Jerry Winterbotham. Although Jerry and his wife Alma were long-time Beaver fans, health concerns had kept them from attending meets for the last several years. Jerry always wanted to stay up to speed with what the Beavers were doing out on the mat. He made sure he was still receiving the wrestling updates via email after he and Alma moved. If the emails were not coming through, Jerry would let me know!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jerry's family. May he rest in Peace. Thanks to Jerry & Alma's daughter, Lori Pedersen, for sending a photo of Jerry and his obituary. His memorial service will be Sept 18, at Elkton High School. The obituary is printed at the end of this post for your convenience.

Another item in the news pertains to Gill Coliseum, home of Beaver Wrestling. The interior of Gill is slated for some improvements that should be finished in time for the upcoming wrestling season! To read more about it, check the article at the OSU Beavers site.

Closing ceremonies for the 2016 Olympic Games take place Sunday evening, August 21. Wrestling was placed near the end of the schedule, so some of the wrestling is still to come as I write. For all the results from the Olympics check here. Use the tabs and drop down menus at the top to find results for the different divisions: Women, Greco-Roman and Freestyle. So far Team USA has at least one gold medal, I believe. Congratulations to Helen Maroulis for bringing home the first Gold Medal for the USA Women's team! Head Coach of the Women's team is Terry Steiner, who was an Assistant coach at OSU under Joe Wells. J'den Cox won Bronze for freestyle. Congratulations, J'den!

Go Beavs! Go USA!
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George E. “Jerry” Winterbotham

January 7, 1927 – August 1, 2016

Jerry Winterbotham passed away at the age of 89 in Keizer, Oregon. On January 7, 1927 Jerry was born in Portland, OR to George Errol and Caryl (McFeeters) Winterbotham. He had one sister, Donna Lee Johnson who preceded him in death in 2007. After the passing of his father in 1936, his mother Caryl married Jack Gorman and the family moved to Elkton where his new father had a ranch along the Umpqua River. It was there that he developed his love of sports, Oregon history and fishing.

After serving in the army at the end of WWII, Jerry attended Oregon State University and upon graduation in 1950 moved back to Elkton where he purchased a small ranch near his parents. He married Alma Dunlap and had three daughters. He spent 27 years teaching and coaching in the Elkton School District. After retiring from teaching in 1979, Jerry and Alma sold their ranch and moved to Roseburg where Jerry became very active in the Umpqua Fishermen’s Association and the Salmon Trout Enhancement Program (STEP). It was there that he began researching and writing about the area in which he grew up. He authored several books, one of which was Umpqua: The Lost County of Oregon in which he recounted the history of the only Oregon county not in existence today. In 1994, they moved to Brownsville where they could be closer to their beloved OSU Beavers and attend many of the college games. In 2000 Jerry wrote and published Footsteps on the Umpqua, an early history of the Umpqua River basin. Jerry and Alma moved to Keizer to be closer to family in 2010.

Jerry is survived by his wife of 62 years, Alma; daughters Lori (Greg) Pedersen of Keizer, Sally (Spike) Bruggeman of Umpqua, OR and Cathy (Joe) Piccolella of Converse, TX; granddaughter Kate Pedersen and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. A private family interment was held at Willamette National Cemetery on August 10^th. There will be a Memorial Service on September 18^th at 2:00 pm at Elkton High School. Contributions may be made in memory of Jerry to the Elkton Charter School Auxiliary Building Fund, PO Box 390, Elkton, OR 97436.