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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Sign of frustration The curtain drops on Southwest Oregon fire season 10 things to know for Wednesday Wehby goes after Merkley in Medford debate Since You Asked: Water, retardant comprise one-two punch Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Sign of frustration The curtain drops on Southwest Oregon fire season Emergency services Pacific Power impostors at it again in Southern Oregon Fire contained to garage Politics and Elections Ward 3 Q&A: Don Libby Ward 3 Q&A: Kevin Stine Two newcomers vie for Richardson's seat Ward 2 Q&A: Clay Bearnson Ward 2 Q&A: Marlene Nuckols Education Phoenix High School restores homecoming parade EP school district launches new app Striving to make the grade Fresh produce goes home with Jackson Elementary families State mandates eye exams for kids 7 and younger Environment Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Josephine County ballot measure would ban commercial and government pesticide use Low water exposes Emigrant Lake's past Wagner Creek work would restore streambank Deer-killing disease won't taint meat for hunters State news Nation - World Obituaries Lawrence Dale Edwards Lorraine A. 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Mt. Ashland is responding to community concerns Siskiyou Plus Spring Bear Hunt: What lies beneath? Guest Opinion: Who's to blame for 2014 wildfires? Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Eggs make for economical, unconventional curry Lost in Suburbia: The guaranteed, surefire Halloween candy plan 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Oct. 17-19) Dear Monty: Is your real estate agent a secret agent? The best way to store your books Food Community blog: Eggs make for economical, unconventional curry Mobile meals perfect for autumn forays Community blog: Green beans go global from gleaning garden Kitchen Call: Pumpkin is nothing without the spice Community blog: Battered, fried bhaji bring street food to the table Home and Garden Dear Monty: Is your real estate agent a secret agent? 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Wehby goes after Merkley in Medford debate ... Boles fire arson suspect pleads not guilty ... Sign of frustration ... Wehby goes after Merkley in Medford debate ... Boles fire arson suspect pleads not guilty ... Average life span for people here is near the U.S. average Having been born and raised in Southern Oregon and fast approaching 70 years of age, I've been reading the obituaries every single day, looking for the names of friends from high school and other folks I may have known in the past. I've been shocked by the number of "young" people passing away, so I decided to add up the numb... MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 2, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 2, 2014 at 2:20 AM Posted Jul. 2, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 2, 2014 at 2:20 AM » Social News Having been born and raised in Southern Oregon and fast approaching 70 years of age, I've been reading the obituaries every single day, looking for the names of friends from high school and other folks I may have known in the past. I've been shocked by the number of "young" people passing away, so I decided to add up the numbers and see what the life expectancy is for Southern Oregon. My average for the past few weeks was right at 70, plus or minus a few years. I checked the Web and discovered the average for the United States is 79.8, for Oregon, 79.5. So my question is: Is it the water? Or have really old folks outlived their relatives and aren't able to put their own names in the obituary? — C. Michael K., via email It's not the water. It's cancer, dementia, heart disease, strokes, lower respiratory diseases and unintentional injuries. Or at least those were the primary causes of death in Jackson County in 2012, according to a report released by the Oregon Public Health Division. (The agency is still compiling data from 2013 and 2014.) State public health spokesman Jonathan Modie said that life expectancy, "a statistical measurement of life left to live depending on your age," is very different from the median age of death, which is what you are considering as you peruse our obituary section. "It should be noted that not every family in a community chooses to post an obituary for their loved ones, and if they do, it may only be because the person who died had, at one point, a connection to the community but may not have died or lived there," Modie said in an email. A two- or three-week calculation of the average life span of the people whose obituaries are listed in the Mail Tribune also doesn't take into account seasons. Older Oregonians will be more susceptible to viruses associated with cold weather, such as influenza and pneumonia, while younger Oregonians may be more likely to die of a summertime-related injury, such as drowning, bicycle crashes or a boating accident, Modie explained. "This means that, to capture the true median age of death for a community, one would have to examine ages of death for that community for a full year over several years," he said. For 2008 through 2012, life expectancy at birth in Jackson County was 79.2 years. But, according to the Vital Statistics Unit of the Oregon Health Authority, the median age of death in Jackson County in 2012 was 81, two years above the state average. Michael, we appreciate your readership, but hope you'll take time out of your death calculations to pursue a more, shall we say, "lively" section of the Mail Tribune. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We're sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 2, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 2, 2014 at 2:20 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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