Baker County OR

DelCurto, Lawrence – Obituary

Pine Valley, Oregon Lawrence DelCurto, 80, a longtime Pine Valley resident, died Jan. 19, 2002, at Wildflower Lodge in La Grande after an extended illness. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Halfway. Leonard Hill of Halfway will officiate. All relatives and friends are invited to a dinner and reception at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall after the service. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Lawrence was born on Sept. 13, 1921, at North Pine. He was … Read more

Taylor, Lyle – Obituary

Lyle L. Taylor, 75, of Vernonia, and former Baker City resident, died April 8, 1999, at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. Memorial services will be at 2 pm Sunday, May 2 at the Vernonia Evangelical Bible Church 967 State Street in Vernonia with Pastor Grant Williams will officiating. Interment will be private. Mr. Taylor was born July 14, 1923, in Haines, to Marion Henry and Arila Viola Shadley Taylor. He was raised and received his education in the communities of Haines and Klamath Falls. Mr. Taylor was a member of the Madesi Indian Tribe, a splinter tribe for … Read more

Stanley, Lee C. – Obituary

Former Co. Assessor Passes Monday Eve. Death Monday evening at Cedar Manor nursing home claimed Lee C. Stanley, 79, a resident of this valley more than 60 years and a Baker county assessor at one time. Coming to Haines from Kansas at the age of 16 he worked for Ed Coles, later was employed at the Highland mine on Rock Creek, the Western Union mine, Maxwell and Chloride Mines, and the Stanley place in Rock Creek town was the way station for the Highland Mine haul, both for supplies up and ore down. He ranched in the Rock Creek community … Read more

Foust, Roenna Bee McBride Walton Mrs. – Obituary

Roenna Bee Foust, 75, of Eugene, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 18, 2006. Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Fairfield Church of the Nazarene. Inurnment will be in Baker City. She was born on Oct. 15, 1931, at Pocatello, Idaho, to Loren and Hazel Stiff McBride. She worked as a church secretary at the Myrtle Creek Church of the Nazarene and owned Vic-Tone Cleaners at Myrtle Creek. She also worked in home care as a nurses aid in Baker City. She married John Walton at Baker City in 1950. They were divorced in … Read more

Randall, Marjorie Baird Mrs. – Obituary

Marjorie Baird Randall, 90, of Ontario, a former Baker City resident, died March 2, 2002, at the Presbyterian Community Care Center in Ontario where she had been a resident for the past five years. Private cremation was under the direction of the Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel in Ontario. Her memorial service will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the chapel of the Presbyterian Community Care Center in Ontario. Interment for her and her husband, Jim, will be in Mount Hope Cemetery. Marjorie and her twin sister, Margaret, were born to Frank D. Baird and Mary Lee Huyette Baird on Oct. 30, … Read more

Holcomb, Richard – Obituary

Funeral services for Richard Holcomb, 57, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, July 26th at The Langrell Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. Robert McNeil of the First Methodist Church will officiate. Pastor Ronald Kratzer of the Church of the Nazarene assisting. Interment will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Mr. Holcomb was born September 27, 1910 at Middleton, Idaho, the son of Charles and Alice Holcomb. He attended schools in Idaho and came to Baker in 1930 and has worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for the past 38 years. Baker Democrat Herald – – July 24, 1968.

Ley, Wynette Lillie – Obituary

Wynette Lillie Ley, 82, Baker City, Ore., died May 19, 2007, at her residence. Arrangements are under the direction of Coles Funeral Home, Baker City, Ore. Used with permission from: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, May, 2007 Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor

Zachary, Betty Hewitt Mrs. – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Betty Zachary, 73, a Pine Valley resident, died March 7, 2002, at her daughter’s home in Halfway. Her graveside service will begin at 1 p.m. at the Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. The Rev. Bill Shields of the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church will officiate. Betty was born in Halfway on March 31, 1928. Her parents were Cecil and Thelma Hubler Hewitt. She was the second of four children. She was raised and educated in Halfway. Shortly after World War II she married Harry Lawton Zachary. In 1947 she gave birth to her son, Gene Raymond Zachary. In 1949, … Read more

Ingle, Curtis R. – Obituary

Curtis R. Ingle, 47, of Baker City, a former Ontario resident, died Aug. 29, 2007, at a Portland hospital. His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. MDT Saturday at Ontario’s Lienkaemper Chapel. The Rev. Wayne McKay and Rod McGehee will officiate. Curtis was born on Aug. 18, 1960, at Ontario to Bernard and Joyce Ingle. He was raised at Ontario and was a 1978 Ontario High School graduate. Curtis married Shirley Erlebach in 1981. They raised two boys while attending Oregon State University at Corvallis where he earned a bachelor’s degree in ag business management. After graduating, the family … Read more

Shirley, Orville Dee – Obituary

Orville Dee Shirley, 79, of La Grande, died June 2, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Cremation will take place at Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory in Baker City. Burial of the cremated remains will be later at the Enterprise Cemetery. Orville as born on Oct. 21, 1926, at Wallowa to Chet and Lady Clair Mabor Shirley. He lived at Enterprise until age 15 when the family moved to the Willamette Valley. He worked in the Oregon shipyards during the war. He later made his career in the timber industry as a log truck driver and millwright. He took a position … Read more

Morin, Claude Orin – Obituary

Claude Orin Morin, 97, of Brookings, a former Baker County resident, died Feb. 13, 2008, at a Brookings hospital of age-related causes. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. He was born on March 30, 1910, at the mouth of Pine Creek in Baker County. He was the sixth of nine children born to Lewis Calvin and Laura Ellen Phillips Morin. As a young child, he moved to Hereford, where the family homesteaded a cattle ranch. He attended school in Haines. He was a 1933 graduate of Oregon State University … Read more

Coombes, Maude Pearl Johnson Mrs. – Obituary

Haines, Oregon Maude Pearl Coombes, 97, of Haines, died Dec. 8, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Disposition was by cremation at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Crematory. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Baker City Christian Church, 2998 Eighth St. Pastor Roger Scovil of the church will officiate. Mrs. Coombes was born on April 1, 1904, at Pine Hill, Ky., to John Clark and Liza Edwards Johnson. She was the last of 12 children. She moved from Kentucky to St. Maries, Idaho, and then to the Republic, Wash., area where she met Oscar Cullen … Read more

Foster, Helen E. Mrs. – Obituary

Helen E. Foster, 92, a longtime Baker resident, died June 25, 2004, at her home. At her request cremation was held and there will be no services. Helen Elizabeth Foster was born Oct. 22, 1911, in Poland, one of seven children. She attended Catholic schools in the Chicago area. Upon graduation from high school, she packed her bags, got on a train and ventured out West to Sun Valley, Idaho, where she was employed as a personal maid to the movie stars who vacationed there. She proudly told stories of meeting many of the big screen actors and actresses and … Read more

Pifher, Ava A. Baldock Mrs. – Obituary

Ava A. Pifher, 95, of Baker City, died Feb. 18, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. She was the last of the Baldock family, namesakes of the Baldock Slough near Baker City. Her funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Visitations will be from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, at Gray’s West & Co. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception at the St. Francis Parish Hall, First and Church streets, after the service. Ava was born on Aug. 5, 1912, at Baker City to Earl and … Read more

Mining in Baker County

Along in the 60’s there was some placer mining within the Baker gold district. In the year 1897 the yield of gold from 313 gold mines and claims, in all stages of development, was $3,000,000. It is estimated that not one-tenth of the mineral bearing districts has been even fairly prospected. Yet since the mining industry began in Baker County, the total yield of gold has been close to thirty million dollars. Quartz mining worthy the dignity of the name, has not been pursued in this county to any great extent, but for the past three of four years, find … Read more

White, Bertha May Weeks Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Bertha May Weeks White, 99, a former Baker City resident, died March 4, 2006. Her funeral, with full military honors, is scheduled at Riverside National Cemetery at Riverside County, Calif., in April. Mrs. White was born on Sept. 27, 1906, at Baker City. She and her daughter, Marjorie, moved to Los Angeles in 1930. In 1943, her patriotism and strong sense of duty and determination led her to join the Women’s Army Corps. As she rose through the military ranks, she received numerous medals and commendations. Her tours of duty included occupied German and Japan … Read more

Hoffman, George William – Obituary

Richland, Oregon G. Hoffman, Richland, Dies at 64 George William Hoffman, 64, Richland, died yesterday afternoon in St. Elizabeth hospital after a long illness. He was born August 29, 1890, in Elgin, Oregon. He had lived in Pine and Eagle Valleys since 1908. He was a member of the Christian church. He was a sawmill worker. Surviving are the widow, Jasmine, Richland; two daughters, Ketura Haynes, Walla Walla, Washington, Eula Beymer, Portland; two sons, William, Newburg and John, Yamhill; three sisters, Amy Rysdon and Lucy Hoffman both of Elgin, and Martha Hunter, Lostine; three brothers, Frank, Kelso, Washington, Edward, Sweet … Read more

William, Glenna Bell Maley Mrs. – Obituary

Glenna Bell William Was Pine Resident Glenna Bell William, 75, of Halfway, passed away Friday, Oct. 4, 1985 at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. Services for Glenna Bell were held Monday, Oct. 7, 1985 at 2:00 p.m. at the halfway Presbyterian Church. Rev. Judy Marshall of the Halfway Presbyterian Church officiated. Interment followed in the Pine Haven Cemetery, Halfway. Glenna Bell was born on December 27, 1909 in Halfway, to Chester Martin and Genevieve Stalker-Maley. She came from pioneer stock; grandparents settled in the Pine Valley; her father was a rancher in the Pine Valley; she grew up in Halfway; her … Read more

Hudson, Wreatha Nell Cole Mrs. – Obituary

Wreatha Nell Hudson, 92, a former longtime Baker City resident, died Sept. 6, 2006, at her daughter’s home in Wilder, Idaho. There will be a celebration of life service at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 42171 Chico Road. Pastor Tony Brandon of the church will officiate. The oldest of three children born to Charles Fred and Ethel Cole, Wreatha was born on Nov. 14, 1913, at Camp Crook, S.D. Being the daughter of an evangelist meant Wreatha called many places home during her childhood, a fact she did not look back on with fondness. Many … Read more

Ingram, Thomas Fredrick “Tom” – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Thomas Fredrick “Tom” Ingram, 78, of Halfway, died Oct. 28, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His funeral was Friday at Halfway. Mr. Ingram was born on Feb. 13, 1923, to Earl and Pearl Gerberding Ingram in Eugene. He began his schooling at Burns, but finished his education in Baker County, graduating from Baker High School in 1941. In his youth, he lived in Eastern Oregon and Western Idaho. After high school, Mr. Ingram worked at Yuma Army Air Base at Yuma, Ariz., during the war years. On June 25, 1945, Tom and Ann met. They didn’t see … Read more