MORROW COUNTY — A pair of processions wound across Morrow County on Sunday, Feb. 14, in honor of former Morrow County Undersheriff Steve Myren, who died on Feb. 1 at the age of 58 after a brief battle with cancer.

“He was a great person and a great undersheriff,” said Morrow County Sheriff Ken Matlack. “He cared about people and about people’s families.”

Shortly after 10 a.m., a procession of nearly 50 vehicles departed the Heppner Fire Hall en route to the Boardman Marina led by Matlack and Myren’s wife, Mim. Roughly 30 minutes later, a second procession left Irrigon, with the two groups converging at Wilson Lane in Boardman.

Matlack said he met Myren in the late 1980s when Myren was working as a deputy sheriff for the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office and Matlack was working for the Oregon State Police.

“Steve was involved and helpful and he was always there,” said Matlack.

Matlack said Myren was pivotal in his decision and campaign to run for sheriff in 2004, and when he won the election the choice to appoint Myren as undersheriff was a given.

“Without any reservation in mind, Steve was the absolute best choice that I had,” he said.

Matlack praised Myren for his career of service to the people of Morrow County as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, medical examiner and a variety of other duties. In addition to his service to the county, Matlack praised Myren’s service through FEMA, and his national emergency management work immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center.

“In addition to being very smart he was a jack of all trades and a master of most of them,” said Matlack.

Morrow County Commissioner Don Russell echoed Matlack’s sentiment and said he knew Myren well and considered him and his family friends. Myren served alongside Russell on the Boardman Rural Fire Protection District board and the two were neighbors.

“Steve was a professional when he came in and he had been around emergency services at all levels and at a very high level,” he said.

Russell described Myren as a great person to debate and converse with, adding that although the pair didn’t always agree, in the end they were easily able to agree to disagree in a true sense of the phrase.

“I would say that Myren and I didn’t agree about everything, but he made me think about my positions and whether I was right or wrong on my position,” he said. “We always left the conversation with a mutual respect for each other.”

Russell shared that Myren would often volunteer his time to help maintain Morrow County parks and help out anywhere he could.

“Steve was one of those guys that helped out in a lot of different areas,” he said.

As the procession wound across the county it was not without its hiccups. As a result of heavy snow, Matlack drove off the road followed by Boardman Police Chief Rick Stokoe, according to Matlack. While Stokoe’s vehicle was quickly recovered with the help of a fire truck, Matlack said he abandoned his vehicle until the procession had concluded.

Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, was among those taking part in the procession and presented Mim Myren with an Oregon flag that had been flown over the state capitol. Smith said he first met Myren several decades ago.

“Steve was a pillar of Morrow County and will go down in history as one of our great leaders in public safety,” he said. “You could tell by the turnout that many others felt the same way.”

In addition to presenting an Oregon flag, Smith reached out to Rep. Cliff Bentz and procured a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of Myren. The flag, and a statement on Bentz’s behalf, were presented by Matlack.

Smith said over the years he had always been impressed with Myren and his commitment and service to the people around him.

“There wasn’t a person in Morrow County or a person he came across that he wasn’t there trying to help,” he said. “It was an honor to be his friend.”