Baker City, Baker County, Oregon
El Nora M. Kandle, 73, a resident of Baker City, died January 16, 2003, at her home.
Memorial services for Mrs. Kandle will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Mrs. Kandle was born July 11, 1929, to James Robert and Freda Augusta (Dietz) Graham at Klamath Falls. She attended school in Klamath Falls and went to work for the railroad soup house at the age of 14. She worked there for a couple of years and then moved to Silverton where she continued to work as a baby sitter, a cook in the Sprouse Ritz Dinner and the cannery.
At the age of 18, she moved to California to attend Pilgrim Evangelistic Institute, a bible college in El Monte, Calif. She attended for two years and finished high school and college at the same time. In 1948, she moved back to Silverton and worked at the canneries and fields until she went out on her own following the fruit crop.
In January 1949, she went to work caring for a woman and her child. A couple in Unity— Fred and Clettith De Meyer — who owned the Burnt River Mercantile, asked her to care for their baby.
Mrs. Kandle had never heard western music and went to a dance at The Elbow Room. This is where she met Lynn R. Kandle, and they were married on May 20, 1950, in Unity. It was the first wedding held in the Unity Community Hall.
The couple also helped rebuild The Waterhole Saloon, in this same time frame and in payment received one-third ownership for a time.
Mrs. Kandle continued to work as a cook in The Waterhole, The Elbow Room and on the ranch. She also helped cook for ranch crews throughout the area. They lived in Unity until 1974, when they moved to Baker City where Lynn continued to work for Ellingson’s. She went to work cooking at various restaurants such as the Oregon Trail, Haines Steakhouse, The Blue and White and McDonalds. She retired from work in 2000.
She enjoyed 4-H and taught art projects, crocheting, knitting and ceramics to many. She was president of the 4-H Leaders Association and felt that being part of the 4-H was her greatest achievement. She became a 4-H Leader in the early 1970s.
She is survived by her children, Katherine and Carl Knack of Walla Walla, Wash., Donald and Tina Kandle of Unity, and Hugh and Gloria Kandle of Reedpoint, Mont.; sister and brother-in-law, Hazel and Jim Hird, of Salem; brothers, Robert James Graham of Salem and William Royal Graham of Virginia; grandchildren, Amber Havers of Wisconsin, Beverly Havers, Walla Walla, Wash., Wyatt Kandle, Gavin Kandle and Bryson Kandle, all of Unity, Dalton Kandle of Reedpoint, Mont.; stepgrandchildren, Danny Earls of Portland, Stacy Goodrich of Reedpoint, Mont., and Sarah Goodrich of Boise; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Lynn, her brother, Roy Graham and two sisters-in-law.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the 4-H Leaders Association or to the American Cancer Fund in care of Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, January, 24, 2003
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor