James Dennis JD Majors, 56, died March 6 in Canyon City. A celebration of life will be held this summer.

Mr. Majors was born June 7, 1957, in John Day, to Herb and Yvonne (Pereira) Majors. He graduated from Grant Union High School in 1976, and married Vallie Furgerson on April 16, 1976.

With all their belongings in his Chevy pickup, the couple left on their honeymoon and in search of a job. He had been a meat cutter at Gails Market, but on his return to Burns, found work at the Hines Mill. After five years there, he began his long career as a logger.

The couple had two children, Leah and Shawn. They later divorced. He became a firefighter and ended up with two contract trucks with Thunder Bolt. Around 2002, he bought an excavator and started a contracting business. In a failing economy, he found employment with Iron Triangle, where he worked until his death.

In 1986, he married Esther Smith, with whom he had two children, Levi and Warren, in addition to Esthers daughter, Amy, from a previous marriage.

His favorite hobbies were spending time in the woods and the desert. He enjoyed hunting for arrowheads and spending time with family.

Survivors include his wife, Esther Majors of Hines; children, Leah Cannon of Springfield, Shawn (Maggie) Majors of Concord, Calif., Levi (Leslie) Majors of Burns, Warren (Kassy) Majors of Burns and Amy (Han) Tenty of Bend; brother, Pete (Joanna) Majors of Mt. Vernon; sister, Machelle Lederman of Bend; his mother, Yvonne Majors of Canyon City; and 11 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his father, Herb, and sister, Mary.

Memorial contributions may be made to Wild Land Fire Fighters or Doernbechers Childrens Hospital through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.