California

Biography of Thomas L. McFarlane

Thomas L. McFarlane, one of the oldest and most expert miners on the Pacific coast, was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, in January 1840. Meeting with financial reverses by which he lost his property, Mr. McFarlane’s father moved with his family to Iowa when Thomas was four years of age. He died in that State some twelve years ago. In 1859 Mr. McFarlane drove six yoke of oxen across the plains for a company who were freighting for the United States Government from Fort Leavenworth to Salt Lake. The train was composed of thirty wagons and thirty-six men, and the … Read more

Jury, Allen W. “Al” – Obituary

Keating, Oregon Allen W. Jury, known to all as “Al,” 82, a lifelong rancher, died Feb. 1, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center of heart disease. There will be a memorial service in honor of his life in the spring. Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Al was born and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area town of Hayward, Calif. He married his high school sweetheart, Lila Estell, at Reno, Nev., in 1941. They moved to the San Joaquin Valley town of Oakdale, Calif., raising hogs and dairy cows. Their son, Walter, … Read more

Merritt, Clarence D. “Don” – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Clarence “Don” D. Merritt, 81, a longtime Baker City resident, died Feb. 4, 2004 at St. Elizabeth Health Services. A memorial service will be held in his honor at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel with Pastor John Goodyear of the Baker Valley Church of Christ officiating. A celebration of life at Settler’s Park Assisted Living Center will follow the memorial service at 2 p.m., with a snack tray potluck reception. Clarence was born June 25, 1922, in Baker City to David and Grace (Srack) Merritt. He attended school in Baker … Read more

Hindman, Anna Serene – Obituary

Durkee, Oregon Anna Serene Hindman, 90, a former longtime resident of Durkee died Nov. 30, 2003 at Los Gatos, California. Rosary for Ms. Hindman will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004 at 11 a.m. at Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel with Deacon Jim Watt of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church officiating. Inurnment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. A reception will be held at the Mac Hindman home in Durkee. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice in care of: Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814. Used with permission … Read more

Sterling, Robert H. “Bob” – Obituary

Robert H. “Bob” Sterling, 91, passed away on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo, CA. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, 2004 at the First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo. Bob and his twin sister; Ruth Sterling Wirshup, were born March 10, 1913 in Gresham, Oregon where they were raised and graduated from high school. Their parents were James H. and Gertrude (Conkle) Sterling. After graduating from Oregon State University in 1935, Bob was employed by the Forest Service in Baker County, where he met and … Read more

Cummings, Ustious G., Sr. – Obituary

Baker County, Oregon Ustious G. Cummings Sr., 84, of Baker City, died Feb. 23, 2003. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Nathaniel Neff of the Lighthouse Church in Baker City will officiate. Inurnment will be in the veteran’s section of Mount Hope Cemetery after the chapel service. A reception will be held at the Calvary Baptist Church in Baker City. Ustious was born Feb. 13, 1919, at Potter, Ark., to Richard and Mary Cummings. He moved to California in the 1930s. In 1942 he entered the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dolphin Stephenson

(II) Dolphin, son of Harvey Stephenson, was born in the town of Galen, New York, in 1812, died in 1883. He came to Phelps with his father, where he was engaged in legal practice for many years, being at the time of his death the oldest attorney in the county. He served as postmaster of Phelps for many years, and was elected as a member of the assembly. He was also appointed by the government to represent it at Panama, and remained there for some time. A portion of his life was also spent in California. He was married in … Read more

Biography of John B. Andrews

John B. Andrews. Cowley County knew John B. Andrews during the later period of a very active and strenuous time. Mr. Andrews was one of Arkansas City’s substantial business men and highly esteemed citizens, and died there August 7, 1913. His was a long life, and it was lived in a number of different places, practically all over the West. He was born at Massena, New York, June 9, 1837, and he was seventy-six years of age when he died. His father, John B. Andrews, Sr., owned a large part of the townsite of Massena, New York, built the first … Read more

Merritt, Matilda “Tillie” Barry Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Matilda “Tillie” Merritt, 79, a longtime Baker City resident, died March 20, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Dennis Marttala of the First Lutheran Church will officiate. Matilda was born Nov. 25, 1924, to Thomas and Amy Barry of Venice, Calif. On Oct. 27, 1951, she married Clarence “Don” Merritt of Baker City, whom she met while they were both employed at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft. She later spent several years working for Ralph’s Supermarket in Southern California until … Read more

Palmer, Dorothy Hayhurst Mrs. – Obituary

Baker County, Oregon Dorothy Hayhurst Palmer, 92, a former longtime Baker County resident, died Jan. 11, 2003, of complications from double pneumonia. Her memorial service was Saturday at Mill Valley, Calif. Dorothy was born July 23, 1910, at Rose Park and lived for many years in Baker County. She married Harold Palmer, a Baker City fireman, in 1935. They lived on Third Street until moving to Gresham in 1969. In the mid 1980s she moved to Greenbrae, Calif., to be closer to her two daughters. Her granddaughter, Monica, read a poem honoring her at her memorial service. Survivors include her … Read more

Carney, Robert – Obituary

Haines, Baker County, Oregon Robert Carney, 64, of Haines, died Jan. 21, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Community of Christ Church, 2525 College St. His graveside service will be at 2:45 p.m. at the Haines Cemetery. Robert Wetzel Carney was born Dec. 17, 1938, at Port Angeles, Wash. He was the son of George D. and Mary Idalia Cramer Carney. He served four years as a private in the U.S. Marine Corps at 29 Palms, Calif. He also served overseas at Okinawa, Japan. He was a dedicated volunteer … Read more

Cash, Neva Eliza Simms Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Neva Eliza Cash, 87, a former longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 9, 2003, at the Keiser Permanente Hospital at Santa Clara, Calif. Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Lenny Spooner of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Neva was born on June 22, 1915, in Arkansas to Thomas H. and Maud Mills Simms. She attended school at Little Rock, Ark., and graduated in 1933. She married Alvin M. Cash on Sept. … Read more

Dryden, Thomas W. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Thomas W. Dryden, 95, of Baker City, died Jan. 2, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. At his request, there will be no funeral services. Disposition was by cremation at Gray’s West Pioneer Crematory. Mr. Dryden was born Feb. 16, 1907, in Dodge City, Kan., to Charles W. Dryden and Rose Bell (Arbuckle) Dryden. He was the youngest of three children. When he was quite young, the family moved to Indiana, several years later to Arizona, and on to southern California. He married Doris E. Smith on Sept. 12, 1931, in Yuma, Ariz., and … Read more

Thomas, Ronald “Ron” – Obituary

Medical Springs, Oregon Ronald “Ron” Thomas, 70, passed away Monday, Feb. 24, 2003, at his home in Medical Springs. At Ron’s request, disposition will take place at Gray’s West Pioneer Crematory. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Ron was born on May 17, 1932, to Clinton M. and Lillie Houseman Thomas at Hebron, Neb. He grew up and graduated from high school at Watsonville, Calif. On May 17, 1953, Ron married Norma Kaufman. The couple had three children, Pamela, Linda and Jim. Ronald lived an adventurous life. … Read more

Wiester, Emily Irene Street Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Emily Irene Wiester, 88, of Issaquah, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 24, 2003, at her home. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Madeleine Sophie Roman Catholic Church in Bellevue, Wash. Irene was born on Jan. 26, 1915, in Prineville to Mary and Edward Street. Her parents moved to California shortly after she was born. Irene attended the University of Washington at Seattle as a freshman. There she met Harold Wiester. After graduation from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, she returned … Read more

Earley, Elizabeth “Betty” Vaughn Mrs. – Obituary

Elizabeth “Betty” Earley, 77, of Prineville died Feb. 9, 2003. Visitations are today at the Whispering Pines Funeral Home at Prineville. There will be no service. Elizabeth was born on June 21, 1925, at Moorehead, Ky., to Van and Flora Holbrook Vaughn. She married Crawford Earley in 1956 at Baker City. She attended school in Virginia. Upon completing school, she married her first husband and moved to Ohio where she lived until 1956. She moved to Oregon until the early 1970s when she moved to Othello, Wash., and then to Southern California. In 1985, she moved in with her daughter, … Read more

Dwyer, Edward D. – Obituary

Halfway, Baker County, Oregon Edward D. Dwyer, 75, of Halfway, died Dec. 30, 2002, at his home. Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, Jan. 6, at 11 a.m. at St. Therese Catholic Church in Halfway. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Interment will follow at Pine Haven Cemetery. Military rites will be accorded by Halfway V.F.W. Post No. 7847. Mr. Dwyer was born April 8, 1927, in Kansas City, Mo, to Bert M. and Frances (Northington) Dwyer. He was raised in Kansas City and worked at various jobs until he entered the … Read more

Harrison, Darwin L. “Harry” – Obituary

North Powder, Oregon Darwin L. “Harry” Harrison, 67, of Springfield died Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003, of esophageal cancer. Recitation of the rosary was at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Eugene. England’s Eugene Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements. Harrison was born May 11, 1935, in Hot Lake,Ore., to Albert and Alta Lund Harrison. He graduated from North Powder High School in 1953. From 1955 to 1958, he served in the Seabees. He was a member of the naval Reserve from 1958 to 1963. He married Barbara Brown in Victorville, Calif. on Aug. 23, … Read more

White, George Martin – Obituary

George Martin White, 77, died on Jan. 30, 2003, while visiting his daughter in Oasis, Nev. He was born in Salt Creek, Wyo., to John and Irene (Ritchie) White, May 30, 1925. A World War II veteran, Mr. White enlisted in the navy in early 1943 and served until the War’s end. Assignments included the USS Shannon and the USS Chester. After his discharge he became a private pilot and enjoyed flying his Aeronca in Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon where he met Helen Watkins of Hereford. They were married Aug. 11, 1951. He lived an adventurous and varied life, … Read more