Benson, John J., III – Obituary

John J. Benson III, 60, of Muncie, Ind., died Oct. 13, 2002, at Williamsburg Village. A private memorial service will be scheduled later. Mr. Benson was born at Camden, N.J., the son of Virginia Campbell Benson and John J. Benson II. He taught at Royerton Elementary School and was a U.S. Air Force veteran. His memberships included St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and the Isanogel Center, where he had been on the board of directors. Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Marianne Hardtke Benson; two sons, Dr. Sean Benson, who has a dental office in Baker City, and … Read more

Benson, Daniel – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Daniel Benson, 42, a Baker City resident, died Nov. 4, 2001, at Salt Lake City. There will be a celebration of his life Nov. 24 at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St. Dinner will be served at 2 p.m. Main dishes will be provided. Those attending are asked to bring a side dish. Mr. Benson was born at Provo, Utah, on May 3, 1959. He lived most of his life in Southern California and spent the last two years at Salt Lake City where he was waiting for a new heart. He loved to go camping, fishing … Read more

Bennett, Paul Vincent – Obituary

Paul Vincent Bennett, 89, died March 29, 2007, at Salt Lake City. There will be a service to celebrate his life at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 27, at the Burnt River Community Church at Unity. A native of Butler, N.J., he was a graduate of St. Anthony’s Catholic School. He was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps and later served in the Merchant Marines, sailing on liberty ships during World War II hauling ammunition, fuel and troops. Later in life he loved to tell stories of his adventures around the world. Pursuing his passion to own a ranch in … Read more

Bennett, Odie Lovell – Obituary

Richland, Oregon Odie Lovell Bennett, 85, a lifetime Richland resident, died July 25, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. There will be a celebration of his life at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Richland Community Park. Gordon Bond will officiate. Lovell was born on May 4, 1919, to Odic “Odie” Lewis and Anna Adaline Chandler Bennett at the family’s old home place at Richland near Eagle Creek. He was raised at Richland where he attended school. He was a 1938 graduate of Eagle Valley High School at Richland. After graduation, Lovell went to work at the Army Depot. He married … Read more

Bennett, Lois E. M. Shorts Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Lois E. M. Shorts Bennett, 78, of Baker City, died Aug. 2, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services on Aug. 2, 2005. Her graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Loyd Phillips will officiate. Visitations will until 7 o’clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Lois was born on June 28, 1927, at Gillette, Wyo., to Sylvan and Mary Hain Potts. The family moved to Oregon and made their home at Cascade Locks. She graduated from high school there and married Ed Shorts in 1944. They eventually … Read more

Bennett, Laurajo Roberts Mrs. – Obituary

Laurajo Bennett, 74, of El Monte, Calif., died Aug. 28, 2002 at her home. Her funeral service was held in Halfway on Saturday, Aug. 31. Interment was at Pine Haven Cemetery. Laurajo was born in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 23, 1927, to Kenneth and Edith Roberts. She was raised and educated in Los Angeles. In 1947 she married William Bennett, and on Aug. 10 of this year they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. Bill and Laurajo made their first home in Texas. It was there in Texas where their daughter Karen was born. Not long after, they left Texas for … Read more

Bennett, June Borcher Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon June Bennett, 79, of Baker City, died Dec. 15, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Center. The date of her memorial service will be announced later. June was born in the Fort Francis territories along the Canadian and American borders on June 1, 1926, to John Julies and Nellie Borcher. She was the youngest of three children. Her family moved to Evanston, Wash., in the 1930s were her father, “J.J.”, found employment in the lumber industry and in private enterprise up and down the Oregon and Washington coast. June was a 1944 graduate of North Bend High School. … Read more

Bennett, Dale – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Dale Bennett, 89, of Baker City died July 2, 2005 at St. Elizabeth Care Center. A memorial service for Dale and his wife, June, will be scheduled later. Cremation was by Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. Dale was born on Oct. 8, 1915, in Eagle Valley to Myrton and Opal Bennett. After graduating from Eagle Valley High School at Richland, he joined the U.S. Army and served in North Africa during World War II. Returning to Eagle Valley, he met and married June Borcher in 1949. The couple moved to the family ranch at Keating where … Read more

Bennehoff, Wilma Alberta Gard Mrs. – Obituary

Willma Alberta Gard Bennehoff, 89, a lifetime Baker City resident, died Dec. 22, 2007. She was born in 1918 to Harriet Creathbaum Gard and Bert Gard and spent her childhood years on the Auburn Beaver Creek Ranch. Willma was a 1936 Baker High School graduate. After high school, she attended business school in Portland for two years only to return to Baker County and continue the ranching life she so loved. She married Duane E. Bennehoff in 1956. They lived and worked on the Auburn Beaver Creek ranch before moving to town in 1967. Willma was a home-care provider and … Read more

Bennehoff, Duane Elbert – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Duane Elbert Bennehoff, 81, a long-time Baker City resident, died April 11, 2005, at the Boise Veterans Hospital. At his request, he was cremated. A private service will be scheduled later. Duane was born on Sept. 26, 1923, at Richland. He was the first child of Eagle and Christia Bennehoff. He attended school at Richland and went on to graduate from Multnomah Junior College at Portland. After college, Duane went into the U.S. Navy, where he served in the South Pacific during World War II. After his time in the service, Duane returned to Portland … Read more

Bennehoff, Christia Miller Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Christia Bennehoff, 96, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 30, 2002, at Meadowbrook Place in Baker City. Upon her request, there will be no services. Christia was born Feb. 24, 1906, to Walter and Ida Miller. She was raised in Pine and Eagle valleys. She later married Eagle Bennehoff. Christia is survived by her son, Duane; two daughters, Phyllis Jones and Natalie Tawney; nine grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pathway Hospice or the charity of one’s choice in care of … Read more

Benintendi, Kathryn “Katie” Paulson Mrs. – Obituary

Kathryn “Katie” Benintendi, 84, died Aug. 10, 2008, at her home in Baker City surrounded by her family. Her memorial graveside service will be held today, Thursday, Aug. 14, at Mount Hope Cemetery. Sister Kay Marie Duncan of Pathway Hospice will officiate. Kathryn was born to Rebecca and John Paulson in Ontario, Ore., on April 14, 1924. She was one of nine children and attended schools in Ontario. She met Cecil Benintendi at church and married him on June 28, 1941, at the age of 17. They moved to Baker City in 1952. She held a variety of jobs throughout … Read more

Benintendi, Cecil L. – Obituary

Cecil L. Benintendi passed away on July 15, 2007, at his home in Baker City, Ore., in the presence of his family. He will be remembered as a loving husband, devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A graveside Service was held Wednesday, July 18, 2007, 10 a.m. at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Pastor John Goodyear of the Baker Valley Church of Christ officiated. A reception was held following the service in Baker City. Cecil was born June 16, 1919, in Joplin, Mo., the son of Frank and Rosa Benintendi. He was the middle child in a family of nine children. He attended … Read more

Bendixen, Leon E. – Obituary

Leon E. Bendixen, 90, a former Halfway resident, died Jan. 2, 2001, at Heritage Bennion Care Center at Salt Lake City. His graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. First Counselor Pete Bigelow will preside. Visitations will be from 11 a.m. to noon at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Halfway. Mr. Bendixen was born Sept. 8, 1910, at West Jordan, Utah, to Ephriam Vigo and Caroline Delila Webster Bendixen. He married Ruby Olea Fowles on April 1, 1936, at Payette, Idaho. Mr. Bendixen was a farmer most of … Read more

Bell, Sumiko Mrs. – Obituary

Sumiko Bell, 74, died April 25, 2006, at SunBridge of Nampa, Idaho, with family by her side. Sumiko was born on March 18, 1932, at Nagoya, Japan. She grew up in Japan and in 1954 met Lewis Edwin Bell while he was stationed in Japan. They fell in love and later married in 1958 in Japan. Lewis and Sumiko moved back to Mountain Home, Idaho, Air Force base. They had two daughters and one son. After retiring from the service in 1974, the family moved to Baker City, where Sumiko lived until 2002 when she moved to Nampa to be … Read more

Bell, Reid Warner “Mike” – Obituary

Reid Warner “Mike” Bell, 76, of Baker City, died March 9, 2007, at St. Elizabeth Care Center. There will be no service. Mike was born on Oct. 27, 1930, at San Diego to G.A. and Lou Bell. He lived most of his life in San Diego until moving to Baker City to reside with his brother and sister-in-law, Skip and Mickie Bell. He loved his cat, Ellie. He also loved to go to the train tracks to watch the trains travel through Baker City. Mike loved trucks and all types of equipment. He had many good friends who always appreciated … Read more

Bell, Ralph Edward – Obituary

Ralph Edward Bell, 81, of Boise, a former longtime Baker City resident, died March 13, 2003, at Valley View Retirement Center in Boise. His graveside funeral was at 2 p.m. today at Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens in Boise. Visitations were Monday at Summer Funeral Homes, Boise Chapel in Boise. Ralph was born April 15, 1921, at Marsing, Idaho, to Clifford and Flo Benson Bell. He was a Baker High School graduate. He married Blanche Hickerson on Oct. 14, 1939. She died on April 15, 1996. During his life, Ralph was employed as a truckdriver and dock foreman for Meadow Gold … Read more

Bell, Letha Alma McCullough Mrs. – Obituary

March 4, 1917 – Dec. 19, 2006 Letha Alma (McCullough) Bell died Tuesday at Corvallis Manor. She was born in Haines. She attended school nearby at Rock Creek Elementary and graduated from high school in Haines. She married Howard Bell in Baker City on December 24, 1936. They lived and worked in the local mining and timber industry until moving to Hoskins in 1949. Letha was involved in local women’s clubs and some church-related groups until moving to Corvallis in 1995. Letha was a mother of three children, Ivan, Carol and Ronald, and grandmother to seven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. … Read more

Bell, Erman – Obituary

Erman Bell, 89, of La Grande, and a former Baker County resident, died Aug. 25, 2001, at his home. At his request there will be no public service. A private burial will be at the Haines Cemetery. Mr. Bell was born May 30, 1912, at Rock Creek to Alfred and Ethel Gray Bell. He attended school in Haines and married Leona Hearing. He worked as a mechanic for the state of Oregon shops in La Grande. He lived in Union for many years before moving to La Grande two years ago. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. Survivors include a daughter, … Read more