Wiechert, Leonard A. – Obituary

Leonard A. Wiechert, 81, a former Baker City resident, died on Friday, Feb. 28, 2003, at Pioneer Memorial Hospital at Prineville. His memorial service was Wednesday, March 5, at the Prineville Funeral Home. Curt Viles officiated. There was a fellowship gathering after the service. Cremation was by the Prineville Heritage Crematory under the direction of the Prineville Funeral Home. Mr. Wiechert was born on Sept. 11, 1921, at Appleton City, Mo., to Gus and L.V. Short Wiechert. He grew up in the country in Missouri where he worked on the farm with his father. He served in the U.S. Army … Read more

Burke, Sandra “Cass” Mrs. – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Sandra “Cass” Burke, 62, of Sumpter, died Sept. 1, 2003, at her home. At the family’s request, disposition was by cremation at Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. A private memorial service will be scheduled later. Cass was born March 31, 1941. She was a wonderful mom, “the best on the block,” always taking time to color or play with her children. Cass spent the last years of her life with her husband, Bo, and friends near Whitney. She enjoyed entertaining her loved ones and will be greatly missed for her sense of humor, her amazing zest for life, and … Read more

Simonis, Valeria Denise Macy Mrs. – Obituary

Valeria Denise Simonis, 70, of Baker City, died Jan. 31, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. A memorial service will be scheduled this summer. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Valeria was born on March 9, 1934, at Baker City to John and Irma Williams Macy. Her family lived at Jacksonville until she was in the fourth grade, when they returned to Baker City. She married Keith Simonis at Elko, Nev., in 1950. They made their home at North Powder until their divorce. At that time, she and her children moved to Hermiston, where she went to work … Read more

Hays, Clarence Edward – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Clarence Edward Hays, 84, of Elgin died Sept. 22 at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Elgin Cemetery. A dinner will follow at the Elgin Community Center. Mr. Hays was born Oct. 7, 1921, to Luther and Ellen Bennett Hays in Baker City. The family lived in Missouri, Washington, Idaho and Oregon. He served in the Navy during World War II, and on Sept. 2, 1951, he married Beverly Case … Read more

Arteburn, Royce L. “Tex” – Obituary

Royce L. “Tex” Arteburn, 93, a longtime Baker City resident, died Dec. 31, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Care Center. His memorial service will be scheduled later. Royce was born on May 16, 1910, at Quanah, Texas, to Lavella C. and Permicie J. Hawkins Arteburn. He came to Oregon with his family as a young boy. Tex grew up and graduated from high school at Pendleton. In 1932, he moved to Baker City. He married his wife, Amy Heater, on Oct. 6, 1934. Royce worked in the insurance business serving Baker City and the surrounding area for years. He enjoyed fishing, … Read more

Meador, Mary Howell Mrs.

Mary Meador, 93, of East Wenatchee, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died March 14, 2005, at her home. There will be a family memorial service at East Wenatchee. Burial will be at the Prairie City Cemetery. Mrs. Meador was born on June 21, 1911, at Prairie City to George Custer and Edna Pearl Howell. She shared ranching with her husband, Garland T. Meador, on their Prairie City cattle ranch for 50 years until retirement when they moved to Baker City and Palm Springs, Calif. For the past 11 years she had lived at East Wenatchee to be near her … Read more

Clark, Doris A. Miller Mrs. – Obituary

Doris A. Clark, 46, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 13, 2007, at a Portland hospital. Her memorial service is pending. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Doris was born on May 20, 1960, at Baker City to Ray and Joan Standefer Miller. She was raised and educated at Baker City. She moved to the Portland area in the early 1980s where she worked as an aide at a care home. Survivors include her daughters, Joyce Perez and Doris Martinez, both of Boise; sisters, Joanna Dixon of Baker City, Judy Kahler and Ida Saito, both of Grants Pass; … Read more

Free, Joshua Lee Phillips – Obituary

Joshua Lee Phillips Free, 19, died Dec. 21, 2006, at his home in Eugene. There will be a memorial in Springfield. Josh was an avid skateboarder and songwriter. You may have seen him jumping the curbs and flipping his board in the air whenever he was visiting his family in Baker. Josh always had a smile and a friendly hello for all he met. He will be greatly missed by all. The family said, “In your words, Josh — ‘Live Free.’” Josh is survived by his parents, Jim and Aimie Free of Springfield and Karen Phillips of Eugene; brothers and … Read more

Ritch, Gladsy V. Olson Mrs.- Obituary

Gladys V. Ritch, 91, a longtime Baker City resident died July 5, 2009, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. At her request, her body was cremated and there will be no service. Inurnment was at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Ritch was born on Sept. 1, 1917, at Baker City. She was one of six children of Edd and Christina Olson Colson. She was educated in Baker schools and was a Baker High School graduate. She married Allen Ritch. The couple were were married 53 years. They moved to Seattle, Wash., where Mr. Ritch attended barber college and they remained in … Read more

Foster, M. A. Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Mrs. Foster, wife of C.M. Foster of this city, is still very low, her recovery is despaired of by all. Mountain Sentinel, Saturday March 23, 1878 In this city, March 29th, 1878, Mrs. M.A. Foster, wife of C.M. Foster, aged 29 years. The deceased leaves a husband and two small boys, besides a mother and several other relatives and a large number of warm friends to mourn her death. Mrs. Foster was one of the pioneers of Baker county, and her death is an irreparable loss to our community, who sympathize with the relatives in … Read more

Rogers, Ardis Rea Mrs. – Obituary

Ardis Rea Rogers, 90, of Baker City, died July 19, 2005, at Settlers Park. Her memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Coles Funeral Home. Pastor Robin Harris of Cornerstone Baptist Church at North Powder will officiate. Ardis was born on Jan. 12, 1915, at Alpena Pass, Ark., to Minnie Walker and James Howard Rea. The family moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1915 where they farmed. Ardis, her sister, Theta, and her brother, Paul, went to grade school at Sandpoint. Her parents moved to Meridian, Idaho, where she finished grade school. Her parents moved to Barber, Idaho, a … Read more

White, Marcie N. Corr Mrs. – Obituary

Marcie N. White, 36, of Baker City, died April 15, 2007, at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise. Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Bishop David Richards of the Second Ward will officiate. Friends are invited to join the family after the service for a reception in the fellowship hall. Visitations will be until 5 p.m. today at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Marcie was born Nov. 2, 1970, at Laramie, Wyo. She came to live … Read more

Wilson, Donna Rae Fine Mrs. – Obituary

Donna Rae Wilson, 59, of Joseph, a former Baker County resident, died Aug. 12, 2005. Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First Baptist Church, 1420 W. North St., in Enterprise. Burial will be at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the Grangeville, Idaho, Cemetery. Donna was born on Feb. 23, 1946. She attended schools in Idaho at Clearwater Valley and Grangeville. She married Ray Wilson in 1961 and began her adventurous life on a sheep ranch in Hells Canyon. The couple had two sons and a daughter. After the Forest Service forced them off of their land … Read more

Lucero, Doreen Gail Hubble Mrs. – Obituary

Doreen Gail Lucero, 49, of Salem, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 10, 2005, at Salem. Her funeral was Tuesday at the Bethel Baptist Church in Salem. Doreen was born on Aug. 18, 1956, at Stuttgart, Germany. She was the daughter of Merlene West and stepfather, Otis West, and father, Gary Hubble. She lived at Baker City and attended school here until she was 18 and then lived at Salem and Indiana and Arizona. Doreen’s interests were painting, music and caring for her children and grandchildren. She recently returned to college to study women’s advocacy. She attended a Salem … Read more

Swilling, Debra Ann – Obituary

Debra Ann Swilling, 49, of Baker City, died of complications from bacterial pneumonia on April 20, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. There will be a reception afterward at the St. Francis Parish Hall. Debra was born on April 24, 1958, at Arlington, Wash., to Glen and Helen C. Brown Swilling. She was educated at Baker City, attended both public school and St. Francis Academy. She was a 1974 Baker High School graduate. Shortly after graduation, she moved to Great Falls, … Read more

Bork, Leola Elizabeth Surber Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Leola Elizabeth Bork, 84, a resident of The Dalles since 1966, died at an Albany care facility on May 12, 2004. Her graveside service was Saturday at The Dalles Odd Fellows Cemetery on Cherry Heights Road. Pastor Ken Post officiated. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home was in care of arrangements. She was born on Aug. 4, 1919, at Enterprise, to Richard and Edith “Wilson” Surber, the fourth of 12 children. She was raised at Enterprise and graduated from high school there. Leola married Ivan Richard Bork on June 23, 1940, at Enterprise, by A.B. Conway, the … Read more

Young, J.D. – Obituary

J.D. Young, 26, of Apache Flats, Mo., a former Baker County resident, died May 30, 2001, in Callaway County, Mo., as a result of a motor vehicle accident. His funeral was Sunday at the Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home at Jefferson City, Mo. Burial was in Hawthorn Memorial Gardens. Mr. Young was born on Sept. 8, 1974, at Las Vegas, Nev., to Jack Doil Young and Waynese Marie Moore Weston of Fulton. He attended elementary school at Halfway and at Brooklyn and South Baker schools in Baker City. He was a 1993 graduate of South Callaway High School in Missouri and worked … Read more

Bradford, Lewis Everett “Lew” – Obituary

Baker City Lewis Everett “Lew” Bradford, 77, of Baker City, died Feb. 17, 2005, at his home from a massive heart attack. His funeral was at 1 o’clock today at the Baker Elks Lodge, 1896 Second St. Members of the Elks Lodge and Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church officiated. There was a reception afterward at the Elks Lodge. Lew was born on Nov. 28, 1928, at Salem to Elbert and Velma Bradford. He attended grade school at Salem and was a 1946 Eugene High School graduate. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1947, serving his country … Read more

Cathey, Laura Louise – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Laura Louise Cathey, 101, of Ontario and formerly of Baker City and La Grande, died April 28 in Ontario with family at her side. Graveside services will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City. Pastor Jon Privett will officiate. Following the services there will be a reception at the Church of the Nazarene in Baker City for family and friends. Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel in Payette, Idaho, is in charge ofarrangements. Laura was born Nov. 1, 1906, to James and Hulda Ray in Rushville, Neb. She was the second of 12 children. Laura’s … Read more

Pridgen, Edith Patricia – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Edith Patricia Pridgen, 82, of La Grande, died Aug. 17 at her home. A full obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. The Observer – August 20, 2008 ________________________________ Edith Patricia “Pat” Pridgen, 82, of La Grande, died Aug. 17 at her home. A graveside service begins at 10 a.m. Monday at the Island City Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Island City City Hall. Pat was born Jan. 12, 1926, to William Albert and Jesse Farrell Smith in Baker City. She was educated in Baker City and … Read more