Wiidanen, Charles – Obituary

Funeral services were conducted at the Phillips Funeral Home Monday afternoon for Charles Wiidanen, pioneer Centerville resident. Interment was made in the Centerville Grange Cemetery with committal services by the Centerville Grange. Rev. J. A. Dunn was officiating minister at the rites. Wiidanen was born April 21, 1877 in Calumet, Michigan and died at the Klickitat Valley Hospital, November 28 at the age of 75. He was the oldest son of Andrew and Amanda Holm Wiidanen and was six months old when he and his parents arrived in the Klickitat Valley. They came by train to California and by boat … Read more

Molstrom, John Adolph – Obituary

John A. Molstrom, 93, Adams pioneer rancher, died Monday [August 7, 1967] at Pendleton Community Hospital. Mr. Molstrom was born June 6, 1873 in Calumet, Mich. He was son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Molstrom, among the earliest of Umatilla County pioneers. He came west at the age of three. The family first came to San Francisco, then moved to Centerville, Wash., and then to Athena. He was married to Hilda Planting in 1905, and they farmed in the Adams area for almost 60 years. They retired in 1955 and moved to Pendleton. Mrs. Molstrom died Aug. 2, … Read more

Christopher, Anna Josephine Basse [Basi] – Obituary

Mrs. Anna Josephine Christopher of Adams, died this morning at St. Anthony’s Hospital. Born in Centerville, Wash. in 1903, she had lived in Oregon 25 years. She leaves her husband Walney Christopher, a son, Donald L. Christopher, a daughter, Elizabeth E. Christopher; a father, Wilhelm Basi; three brothers, Elmer, Arthur, and Ernest Basi. Funeral services will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Folsom’s with the Rev. E. M. Butenshon officiating. [Interment Olney Cemetery] East Oregonian, July 2, 1947 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Nelson, Maria Hilda Molstrom – Obituary

Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Pendleton, for Maria Hilda Nelson, Pendleton. Mrs. Nelson, 96, died Monday [December 9, 1974] at St. Anthony Hospital. She had lived in Umatilla County for 84 years. She was born at Centerville, Wash., Feb. 9, 1878. She was married Sept. 5, 1897, to David H. Nelson. He died in May 1939 and a son, Harry in 1960. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson farmed on the Umatilla Indian Reservation for a short time after their marriage, then in 1900 started farming on Cold Springs. Mrs. Nelson was a … Read more

Basse, Wilhelmina Isaacson Jacobson – Obituary

Funeral rites for Mrs. Wilhelmina Basi [Basse] were held last Saturday, November 30, in the Finnish Lutheran Church at Centerville, conducted by Rev. C. J. Sacarisen, of Portland. The organist was Charles Isakson, and singers were Mrs. Kenneth Nelson and Miss Louise Hoikka. Pall bearers were Frank Sarsfield, Jack Mulligan, Ernest Mattson, Hilmer Erickson, Otis Anderson, and Walter Lande. Interment was in the Centerville Grange Cemetery. Mrs. Basi, wife of Wilhelm Basi, passed away Thanksgiving morning in the Goldendale General Hospital, at the age of 74 years and ten months. She was born in Kuttanen, Sweden and came to America … Read more

Purkes, Lena Floy Tozer Bowman – Obituary

Mrs. Lena F. Purkes, 92, of 800 Mechanic St., died at 5:35 P.M. Thursday in Fairview Medical Facility in Centerville where she had been a patient since January, 1972. She was born in LeRoy, Mich., July 26, 1880, to Mailand and Olive (Simonton) Tozer. She was married to Edson R. Bowman on April 18, 1902 in LeRoy. He died Aug. 7, 1944. On Oct. 12, 1951, she was married to Thomas Purkes in Angola, Ind. He died July 29, 1960. Mrs. Purkes was a member of the First Baptist Church. Surviving are a son, Virgil Bowman, of Sturgis; three daughters, … Read more

Cowles, Maudetta – Obituary

At Centerville, Washington, June 7, 1899, at the residence of her aunt, Mrs. Smith, Miss Maudetta Cowles of this place. Miss Cowles was born in Auxvasse, Callaway Co. Missouri, on March 21, 1877, and was twenty-two years, two months and nineteen days of age at the time of her death. She was the daughter of N.P. and Sarah Cowles. Her mother died when Maudetta was at the tender age of ten years and shortly afterwards she came to Oregon and made her home with her uncles and aunts Mr. and Mrs. E.P. McDaniel and Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. For … Read more