Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Martha Burnett

MRS. MARTHA BURNETT.- The subject of this biography was born September 28, 1838, in Franklin county, Missouri, and is the fourth child and oldest daughter of Roland and Elizabeth Hinton. Her parents emigrated to Oregon in 1846, and located their Donation claim in the southern part of Benton county, near Monroe. In her twenty-first year, 1859, she was married, on June 12th, to Honorable John Burnett. They took up their residence in Corvallis, where Judge Burnett entered into the practice of law, and prospered in the practice of his profession. There is a vast difference in the Oregon of 1846 … Read more

Biography of Hon. Andrew Jackson Thayer

HON. A.J. THAYER. – Few of the pioneers of Oregon are more worthy of having their memories perpetuated for their worth and services to the state than the late Judge Thayer. Andrew Jackson Thayer, the second child of Gideon Anne (Dodge) Thayer, was born in Lima, Livingston county, State of New York, on the 27th of November, 1818. He received an academic education at what was known as the Wesleyan Seminary, afterwards the Wesleyan University, studied law in the office of Doolittle & Thayer, the latter being his cousin. He was married to Melissa D. Chandler on the 9th of … Read more

Abrams, Larry Lee – Obituary

Larry Lee Abrams, 52, of Spokane and a former Baker City and Huntington resident died Oct. 12, 2005, at his home. A rosary and memorial service was held Saturday, Oct. 15, at 10 am at Heritage Funeral Home. Private internment was at Mount Saint Michaels. Larry was born in Weiser, Idaho, on Jan. 27, 1953. During grade school he moved with his family to Phoenix, Ariz., where they resided for six years. They then returned to Huntington where Larry attended high school, was a big part of the winning football team, and graduated with honors in 1971. He attended Treasure … Read more

Biography of Hon. John Burnett

HON. JOHN BURNETT. – Among the prominent self-made men of Oregon is the subject of this sketch. He was born in Pike county, Missouri, on the 4th of July, 1831. He lost his father at the age of fifteen, and was turned out in the world to fight his way as best he might. He first engaged as an errand boy in a store, but, becoming tired of the confinement, at the end of a year hired out to work on a flat-boat on the Mississippi, boating wood to St. Louis. His early education was obtained in the common schools … Read more

Biography of Major James Bruce

MAJOR JAMES BRUCE. – Major Bruce is one of our citizens who needs no introduction to the people of the Northwest; since he is known personally, not only to all the old pioneers, but to most of the second generation of the toilers of Oregon. He was born November 3, 1827, in Harrison county, Indiana, and at the age of ten moved with his parents to Quincy, Illinois. At twenty he began a border career, going to Texas, making many excursions in that then unsettled region, and at Cross Timbers joined Major Johnson’s rangers. He accompanied these troopers upon their … Read more

Makinson, Ruth C. Parrish Mrs. – Obituary

Ruth C Makinson, 88, of Corvallis, a former Baker City resident, died March 3, 2003, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis. Her memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at McHenry Funeral Home, 206 N.W. Fifth St., in downtown Corvallis. Pastor Ralph Holcomb will officiate. Private interment will be at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Ruth Makinson was born April 26, 1914, at Dallas, Ore., the daughter of Mabel Guy Parrish and Elbert L. Parrish. She received her education at Dallas, graduating from Dallas High School. She married Joe Martin in 1931 while still in high … Read more

Biography of Hon. James Abner Bennett

HON. JAMES ABNER BENNETT. – Our subject was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, on March 17,1808. His birthplace was a farm; and here he remained with his parents until 1830, when he moved to Boone county. He resided here for three years, and then removed to Jackson county, Missouri, near the town of Independence, and in 1839 again removed to Platt county. The following year, 1840, he was married to Miss Louisa E.R. Bane, of Weston, Missouri. Here Mr. Bennett remained, following blacksmithing and conducting a livery stable. He also acted as justice of the peace until the year 1842. … Read more

Biography of Col. John Colgate Bell

COL. JOHN COLGATE BELL. – Colonel Bell, enjoying a wide reputation from Southern Oregon to Idaho, and back again to the Pacific seashore throughout the state in which he has successively lived and made a multitude of personal acquaintances, merits a special recognition on account of his public services in official relations and in the early Indian wars of Southern Oregon. He was born at Sterling, Kentucky, February 24, 1814. His parents were from Virginia; and among his ancestors were those distinguished in the early history of the nation, his father having served with General Harrison in the war of … Read more

Ball, Margaret Ann Carroll – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Margaret Ann Carroll Ball, 80, of La Grande, died July 2 at her home. The funeral will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday July 6 at the First Baptist Church, at Sixth Street and Spring Avenue, with Pastor Kent Hug officiating. Graveside services will follow at Grandview Cemetery. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday July 5 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. Mrs. Ball was born April 27, 1926. to Mr. and Mrs. J.P. McCann of Hattiesburg, Miss. She married Herb Carroll in March, 1946. They lived in Corvallis and Valley Falls, … Read more

Battrick, Robin Louise – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Robin Louise Battrick, 56, formerly of La Grande, died July 31 at her home in Coffey, Mo., following a 10-month battle with cancer. A funeral service and burial will be in Coffey, with memorial services to follow in Corvallis and La Grande. Robin was born July 17, 1951, in Bloomington, Ind. After a transient childhood with stops from Florida to Alaska, her family settled in La Grande in September 1965. She graduated from La Grande High School in 1969 as co-valedictorian. She attended Reed College in Portland and Oregon State University. Robin served a mission for the … Read more

Hale, Gladys Sarah – Obituary

Lostine, Union County, Oregon In Memory of Gladys Sarah Hale Born May 28, 1900 Lostine, Oregon Died November 1, 1993 Corvallis, Oregon Funeral Service Friday, November 5, 1993 at 1:00 pm Burns Mortuary Chapel Hermiston, Oregon Officiating, Fr. Alfred Miller Music, Taped selections Private Internment Echo Cemetery Echo, Oregon Contributed by: Gary Jaensch

Biography of Milton Canterbury, M. D.

Milton Canterbury, M. D., of Redlands, was born in Greenup County, Kentucky. His father, Reuben Canterbury, a farmer, was born in North Carolina. The name originated in Kent County, England, from the estate of a man by that name, and for whom the city of Canterbury was named. Reuben Canterbury married Miss Elizabeth Lycaas, a native of Kentucky. The union was blessed with thirteen children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eighth. He first attended the common schools of his native county and afterward attended a short time the college at Marietta, Ohio. From there he went … Read more

Biography of Hon. R. S. Strahan

HON. R.S. STRAHAN. – Judge Strahan, as a member of the Oregon supreme court, is widely known as being able and upright, and is universally recognized as one of our most popular representatives of the state judiciary. He was born in Kentucky in 1835. During his childhood he removed with his father to the Platte reserve, as the section was then known, in Missouri, and several years later to Mexico in the same state, living on a farm until he reached manhood, and cultivating the use of brain, brawn and nerve, and cherishing a country-boy’s ambition. The strength and hope … Read more

Vernholm, Willard Dale – Obituary

Willard Dale Vernholm, 73, of Baker City, died Sept. 25, 2005, at Idlewood Manor. At his request there will be no services. Cremation by Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. Dale was born on Feb. 11, 1932, in York, Neb., to Carl Willard and Lois Louetta Middleton Vernholm. When Dale was about 4 years old the family moved to Corvallis. He attended school at Lewisburg and Corvallis High School. In 1947, at 15, Dale’s family moved to New Plymouth, Idaho. When Dale was only 16, but needing to be 18, he lied about his age and went to work for the Payette … Read more

Jasper, George M. – Obituary

George M. Jasper Dies In Idaho Funeral services for George M. Jasper, who died Wednesday at his home in Meridian, Ida., will be held at 2:30 Sunday afternoon at the Snodgrass chapel. Mr. Jasper was 75 years old and a native of Corvallis, but he spent most of his early life in Cove. He was an uncle of Mrs. Frank Conley, Cove. Other survivors include his widow, Ella Boswell Jasper; three daughters and one son: Ora and Gladys, San Jose, Cal.; and Vina and Terrell, Meridian. La Grande Evening Observer Friday, April 5, 1940 Front Page

Aldrich, Lewis Eugene “Bud”, Jr. – Obituary

Haines, Oregon Lewis Eugene “Bud” Aldrich Jr., 82, of Haines, died Sept. 19, 2004, at his home. Memorial Mass will be celebrated Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets in Baker City. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the St. Francis Parish Hall. Disposition was by cremation at Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. Inurnment will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the Haines Cemetery. Bud was born May 22, 1922, at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital in Baker City, to Lewis and Edna Burnside Aldrich. In … Read more

Biography of Henry Heppner

HENRY HEPPNER. – This s the gentleman after whom the city, in which he resides, and of which he was one of the first proprietors, and the builder of the first brick building, has been worthily named. He was born in Germany in 1843. He came to New York in 1858 and in 1863 via Cape Horn to San Francisco. His first venture was in Shasta, California, in the mercantile business; but after two years he transferred his business to Corvallis, Oregon. Meeting with little encouragement there he opened a stock at The Dalles, doing well for six years. As … Read more

Biography of Hon. John Stewart

HON. JOHN STEWART. – This gentleman was born February 12, 1800, in Virginia, that grand old state which has given birth to heroes and cradled the world’s best since the white man first took possession of this fair land of ours. There our subject was nurtured through all his infancy and until his fifteenth year, when his parents moved to Terre Haute, Indiana. He resided in that state until 1837, learning the blacksmith trade, which calling so nearly broke down his health that he abandoned it and engaged in trading cattle. He first earned his title of captain in the … Read more

Biography of Johnson Mulkey

JOHNSON MULKEY. – This prominent pioneer of Oregon was born in Knox County, Kentucky, in January, 1808. His father, Philip Mulkey, and mother (whose maiden name was Margaret Miller), were natives of Germany. In the year 1818 they moved with their young family to Missouri, settling in Lafayette County, where the father soon after died, leaving his widow with nine children. Johnson was married in 1835 to Mrs. Susan Roberts, née Brown. In the summer of 1845 he crossed the plains to Oregon, and on arriving took up a land claim in Benton county three miles west of what is … Read more

Huffman, Estella C. – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Estella C. Huffman, a resident of Corvallis, died at the Corvallis Care Center Thursday, September 10, 1981. She was 84. The daughter of Julius and Mary Breshears Bendshadler, she was born January 31, 1897, at Elgin, where she received her early schooling. She graduated from Northwest Christian College in Eugene in 1922. She was married to Fred M. Huffman in 1927 at Elgin. Afterward the couple lived in La Grande for many years prior to moving to Corvallis. He preceded her in death in 1966. She is survived by her son, Wallace of Portland; brothers Ben Bendshadler of … Read more