Knudsen, Clarice B. Coffman Stiff Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Clarice B. Knudsen, 95, a longtime Baker City resident, died Nov. 12, 2000, at Settler’s Park. At her request, there will be no funeral. A family celebration of her life is planned. Mrs. Knudsen was born Oct. 12, 1905, at Boulder, Colo., to Mitchell and Maude Coffman. She was raised and received her education in Scott City, Kan., and also attended business school at Boise. She married Robert Earl Stiff on June 14, 1925, in Boise, and they came to Baker City in 1944. They divorced in 1947. In May 1953 she married Leonard Knudsen in Baker … Read more

Biography of James H. Bush

James H. Bush, deceased, was one of the prominent and widely known businessmen of Boise, where he spent the greater part of his life. He was born in White Lake, Oakland County, Michigan, July 29, 1842, and was a son of Elias Oliver and Mary Jane (Fife) Bush, both of whom were well-to-do farmers and early settlers of Michigan and members of the Baptist church. James Bush was educated in Flint, Michigan, and in early manhood was a purser on a steamboat. In February, 1865, he sailed from New York for the Pacific coast by way of Panama, reaching Boise … Read more

Zdeb, Victor J. – Obituary

Victor J. Zdeb, 61, died July 22 at Evergreen Healthcare. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements. Victor was born Dec. 30, 1946, in Germany. He immigrated to Chicago with his parents at the age of 5, earned his naturalization papers at 16, and attended four years of college at University of Illinois at Carbondale, where he discovered a passion for computers that would last all his life. He was fascinated by technology even as a child and took great pleasure in fixing things. His mother remembers when, as a young boy of only 7, he … Read more

Taylor, Cleo Irene Bartlett Hall Mrs. – Obituary

Cleo Irene Bartlett Hall-Taylor, 77, of Boise, a former resident of Baker City and North Powder, died on July 24, 2007, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise. There will be a memorial service to celebrate her life at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 2005 Valley Ave. Cleo was born on Jan. 31, 1930, at Baker City to Jack Bartlett and Emma Corn Bartlett. She was the third of four children. She attended Baker schools and married James Hall on Sept. 11, 1948. They had two daughters, Gloria and Deborah. Cleo began working at Pacific Northwest … Read more

Thomas, Frank A. – Obituary

Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Frank W. Thomas, 58, died at the Veterans Hospital in Boise, Id., on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 1980. He had been in poor health for the past 25 years. He listed Wallowa as his home address. Born in Wallowa on July 7, 1921, he was the son of Bill and Laura Thomas. A veteran of World War II, he was a cook by occupation. Services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, 1980, at the Wallowa Christian Church, with Bruce Hill officiating. Soloist and organist, Nyoda Scott sang “In The Garden” and “How Great Thou Art.” … Read more

Schlegel, Willard “Willie” – Obituary

Willard “Willie” Schlegel, 82, a former Elgin resident, died June 26, 2003, at Emmett Rehab & Healthcare in Emmett, Idaho. The family invites all of Willie’s friends to join them in a memorial celebration of his life on Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. at the Stampede hall on the rodeo grounds in Elgin. The oldest son of Velma and William “Bill” Schlegel, Willie was born March 12, 1921, in Whitefish, Mont. He attended school in Whitefish, where he excelled in sports. In high school he was a member of the all-star team in both football and basketball. After graduation, … Read more

Stemen, Alfred Weldon – Obituary

Alfred Weldon Stemen, 54, of Baker City, died Oct. 12, 2005, in Boise. His funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., followed by interment at Mount Hope Cemetery with military honors by the National Guard. Shirley McLin of Baker City will officiate. Visitations will be today from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Alfred was born Nov. 12, 1950, in Boise to Alfred W. Stemen and Billie Katherin Burke Stemen. He joined the United States Army in 1968 and was assigned to H Troop 17th Armored … Read more

Biography of George Pettengill

The subject of this review is one whose history touches the pioneer epoch in the annals of the state of Idaho, and whose days form an integral part of that indissoluble chain which linked the early formative period with that of latter day progress and prosperity. Not alone is there particular interest attaching to his career as one of the pioneers of Idaho, but in reviewing his genealogical record we find his lineage tracing back to the colonial history of the nation and to that period which marked the inception of the grandest republic the world has ever known. Through … 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

Childers, LeRoy – Obituary

1924-1998 LeRoy Gray Childers, 73, of La Grande, died Tuesday, Jan. 13 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise. A service will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley with the Rev. David Paulson of Zion Lutheran Church officiating. Mr. Childers was born March 22, 1924, to Lee and Bessie (Gray) Childers, at the family home on Lower Cove Road. He graduated from Cove High School and later from Eastern Oregon University. He later earned a master’s degree in education and continued working toward his Ph.D. In 1950 he married Clarice Gayle “Gay” Conklin in Cove. … Read more

Lewis, Merle M. – Obituary

Merle M. Lewis, 85, a former Baker City resident, died July 4, 2001, at a Boise care facility. Her funeral was today at 1 p.m. at the Relyea Funeral Chapel in Boise. Burial was at Dry Creek Cemetery in Boise. Arrangements were under the direction of the Relyea Funeral Chapel. Used with permission from: The Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, July 13, 2001 Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor

Biographical Sketch of James T. Davis

One of the worthy pioneers of this County, a man of ability and executive force and unswerving integrity, the subject of this sketch is now one of the leading citizens of Nyssa, and a prominent man in Malheur County. He lives one mile northwest from the town of Nyssa, having a ‘farm of one hundred and twenty acres, well improved and handled in a skillful manner, which is a good dividend producer. James T. was born in Unionville, Putnam County, Missouri, on October 25, 185o, being the son of Hamilton and Saline Davis. In 1862, the father and the oldest … Read more

Harkey, Helen – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Local Funerals and Visitations Oct. 16 – Helen Harkey, celebration of life, 2 p.m., Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center La Grande Observer – October 14, 2009 Helen E. Harkey La Grande 1940-2009 Helen Elaine Harkey, 69, of La Grande, died Oct. 10 in Boise. A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande. Helen was born April 22, 1940, to Henry B. and Donna (Paulfurman) Mortensen in Salt Lake City. She was the youngest of 14 children. The family later … Read more

Biography of John Strode

With two of the most important industries that have contributed to the development and prosperity of the northwest, mining and stock rasing, John Strode has long been identified. He became a resident of California in 1852, ten years later went to Oregon, and since 1863 has made his home in Idaho. His birth occurred in Tennessee, on the 6th of February 1833, and he is of English, German and Welsh descent but the original ancestors, who came from England Wales and Germany, found homes in America at an early period in her history and were pioneer settlers of Kentucky. John … Read more

Shively, Mary A. O’Donnell Mrs. – Obituary

Mary A. O’Donnell Shively, 87, of Boise, a former Baker City resident, died May 16, 2006, at a Boise care center. Visitations will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. A vigil service and recitation of the rosary will begin at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Deacon James R. Watt will lead the rosary. Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday. The Rev. Camillus Fernando of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mary was born on April 24, 1919, at New … Read more

Biography of George Gumbert

The proprietor of the city meat market and the pioneer butcher of Boise, where he has been in business since 1864, is George Gumbert, who is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having taken place in Pittsburg on June 11, 1835. Of German extraction, his ancestors were early settlers of Pennsylvania and his great grandfather, Gumbert, fought in the colonial army during the Revolutionary war. His paternal grandfather was a farmer in Westmoreland County. His father, George Gumbert, was born in Pittsburg, where he followed the meat business nearly all his life, having attained the advanced age of ninety years. … Read more

Biography of W. H. Puckett

The junior member of the well known law firm of Hawley & Puckett is the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this sketch. He is still a young man, but has attained a position of distinction at the bar that many an older practitioner might well envy. He was born at Herndon Place, Ballard County, Kentucky, on the 8th of August 1869. His father, W. J. Puckett, was a native of Jackson, Mississippi, and became one of the prominent lawyers of Kentucky, where he practiced successfully for a number of years. He is now living retired in Denver, Colorado. … Read more

Biography of Barrett Williams

This venerable citizen of Boise City is believed to be the oldest man in the state of Idaho, as on the 7th of March 1899, he celebrated the ninety-sixth anniversary of his birth. He was sixty years of age when he came to this place for the first time, in 1862, and during the years which have intervened he has maintained his earnest interest in the development of the town and the resources of the surrounding country. He has always been strictly temperate in his habits, has led an active, industrious life, and is reaping his reward in the evening … Read more

Biography of Milton G. Cage

Among the practitioners at the Boise bar holding marked prestige among the members of the legal fraternity is Milton G. Cage. A native of Tennessee, he was born in Tipton County, near Covington, that state, January 26, 1862, and is descended on both sides from prominent old families of the south. His paternal ancestors came originally from Wales and established a home in America at an early period in our country’s history. His father, Gustavus Adolphus Cage, was born in Middleton, Tennessee, and married Miss Charlotte A. Green, a native of North Carolina. His father was formerly a planter and … Read more