La Grande, Oregon
Zella Virginia Long, 70, of Baker City and formerly of La Grande died Aug. 11 at her home. The funeral will begin t 11 a.m. Friday Aug. 18 at the LDS Church, 2625 Hughes Lane, Baker City. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mrs. Long was born April 15, 1936, to Percy Lavon and Zella Hemmert Wood in Baker City. She graduated from Baker City High School, Brigham Young University and Eastern Oregon State College.
On June 8, 1968, she married Keith Randall Long, of the Oregon Highway Patrol. She taught at South Baker Elementary School for the last 24 years of her career. Many of her students remember reading in her old-fashion bathtub filled with pillows. She remembered each of her first-grade students at the time of their high school graduation by sending them their first-grade class picture, a writing assignment she had saved and a $5 bill. She was named Oregon Teacher of the Year and received many other honors.
She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as Relief Society president and primary teacher. She was devoted to her family.
Survivors include her husband of Baker City; children and their spouses, Mark and Karen Long of Salt Lake City, and Malinda and Kendale Gates; six grandchildren; siblings and their spouses, Paul and Cheren Wood of Salt Lake City, Ruth Boyd of Baker city and Helen and Larry Berg of La Grande; and other relatives. Two brothers, Loren and Wayne Wood, and a sister, MaryLu Wood, all died earlier.
Memorials may be made to any charity in care of Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City 94814.
The Observer Online, Obituaries for the week ending Aug. 19, 2006, Published: August 17, 2006