Baker City, Oregon
Mary Ellen Sowles, 77, of Baker City, died April 18, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Her funeral will be at 10 a.m., Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. Pastor Susan Barnes will officiate. Visitation will be at 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Her graveside service and vault interment will be at 11 a.m. May 5 at Valley View Cemetery in Silverton.
Mary was born on June 10, 1925, at the family homestead near Malta, Mont., to Eugene and Eveline Sanders. In 1935, the family moved to Emmett, Idaho, where Mary graduated from high school in 1944. She married Robert M. White of Vale in 1947. She and Robert had two children, Terry J. and Linda K. They later divorced and on Dec. 4, 1964, she married William F. Sowles at The Dalles, Oregon.
Mary was a bookkeeper for Co-Op Oil at The Dalles, before moving to Portland. In Portland, she worked for Lennox Inc. and Optical Plastics Inc.
After retiring, she and William moved to Emmett, Idaho, where they lived from 1985 to 1990, and then to Silverton. She was a member of the United Methodist Church at Silverton.
In 1997, Mary moved to Baker City, to live near her daughter. She was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Baker City and enjoyed being a part of the Women’s Support Group.
Mary enjoyed sewing and was an avid reader.
Survivors include her son, Terry J. White and his wife, Lucy, of Eugene; daughter, Linda K. Moxon and husband, Arron, of Baker City; grandsons, Douglas and Stephan White and Arron and Christopher Moxon; a brother, William Sanders of Pilot Rock; a sister, Bessie Bennett of Cadillac, Mich.; eight nieces and nephews; a number of cousins all in Canada; and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William; and brothers, Joe and Maynard Sanders.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church or a charity of one’s choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 28, 2003
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor