Helen M. Langley, 89, a longtime Baker County resident, died Dec. 23, 2002, at Dallas Hospital in Dallas, Ore.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Vault interment will be at the Lime Cemetery at 1 p.m. Saturday. Family and friends are invited to a dinner reception in the church basement after the funeral. The graveside service also is open to family and friends. Visitation will be Friday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Recitation of the rosary will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Helen Merritt Langley was born on Sept. 30, 1913, at Deer Lodge, Mont. Her parents, Hugh and Helen Holbrook Sheehy, moved in 1917 to Durkee, where they managed a ranch on Swayze Creek. Helen attended elementary school at Plano and then graduated from St. Francis Academy at Baker City.
Her grandmother Holbrook offered to pay her tuition to attend Eastern Oregon Normal School in La Grande, where Helen became one of the first graduates in 1933.
Harland Eugene Langley and Helen were married at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral on July 23, 1936. They raised their family of six children on a ranch at the mouth of Dixie Creek near Lime. After the ranch sold in 1995, Helen lived at Huntington and Baker City for a few years. Her last two years were spent at Independence under the care of her granddaughter, Michelle Hedrick, and her family.
Mrs. Langley taught elementary school at Lookout and Huntington for many years, and after retiring enjoyed membership in the Blue Mountain Fiddlers Association. She was a faithful member of the Catholic Church and was a wonderful hostess to all who graced her door.
She entertained the hobo, the traveling stranger, priest, neighbor, or family member with equal love and acceptance. She had a great love for raising flowers and vegetable gardens.
Children were her joy and she entertained them at every opportunity with stories, games, and tea parties. In her later years, she authored a book on the Sheehy family history called “From Erin to Oregon.”
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Hugh Sheehy; a sister, Ruth Becker; a daughter, Ann; her husband, Harland; and a son, Dwight.
Survivors include a daughter-in-law, Tammy Langley of Huntington; a daughter and son-in-law, Virginia and Gordon Bloom of Baker City; a daughter and son-in-law, Joy and John Walker of Kingston, Wash.; a son and daughter-in-law, Fred and Arleta Langley of Union; a daughter and son-in-law, Anita and Kent Nelson of Hereford; and a daughter and son-in-law, Gwen and Robert Steele of Independence.
She also is survived by 23 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren who include Mark and Marie Martin and children, Katy, Grace and Luke of Fairbanks, Alaska, Dusty and Christine Langley and son, Dwight, of Fairbanks, Alaska, Andrew and Jennifer Langley and children, Richard, Justin and Erin of Bridgeport, Matthew and Karen Walters of Gilbert, Ariz., Paul Langley of Bozeman, Mont., and Shane Langley of Portland, Gene and Sue Bloom and children, Beth and Doug of Salem, Joel and Gere Richardson and children, Kial and Trace, of Baker City, Jim and Theresa Goevia and children, Paige, Brian, and Hannah, of Rio Rancho, N.M., Jim and Jill Harding and children, Brandon, Lisa, Emily and Jason Boatman, of Issaquah, Wash., Jay and Shannon Howland and children, James, Joseph and Jessica, of Havre, Mont., Jean Claude and Marcia Berger of Seattle, Wash., Terri Barnes and son, Michael, of Beaverton, Dave and Kaylene Malone and daughters, Rachael and Ashley, of Mountain Home, Idaho, Craig and LaVonne Mills and daughters, Stephanie and Chrystal, of Lake Dalles, Texas, Joe and Michelle Hedrick and daughters, Jenna and Amber Rafferty and Anna Hedrick, of Independence, Shawn and Susan White of Weston, Fred and Sarah Serpico of Virginia, Mark and Billie Jo Nelson of Baker City, Matt and Laura Nelson and children, Emilie and Edouard of London, England; and Cpl. Robert Steele and Julie Steele of Independence.
Other survivors include a brother, Tom Sheehy of Wallowa; a sister, Mary Heriza; brothers and sisters-in-law, Dick and Darlene Sheehy of Baker City and Bob and Dona Sheehy of Union and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Catholic Church Food Bank through Coles Funeral Home,1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, December 30, 2002
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor