Eugene Oregon

Biography of James N. McClure

JAMES N. McCLURE. – In the person of the gentleman of whom who now write, we have one of those men, who have passed almost their entire life in this county, and hence are familiar with its resources and advantages in every department. James N. McClure was born on January 2, 1858, in Eugene, Marion county, Oregon, whence six years later he came with his parents, Charles M. and Laura V. (Pierce) McClure, to this county and here he has received his education and grown to his present prominent position in the county, having manifested, in the long years in … Read more

Biography of Hon. Stukely Ellsworth

HON. STUKELY ELLSWORTH. – This eminent lawyer of our state was born at Stockton, Chautauqua county, New York, December 18, 1826. Among his distinguished ancestors were Oliver Ellsworth, the third chief justice of the supreme court of the United States; Mary Lyon, founder of Mount Holyoke Seminary, and Mary Franklin, a sister of Benjamin Franklin. Colonel E.E. Ellsworth is also supposed to have belonged to the same family. Mr. Ellsworth received his academical education in Chautauqua county, and graduated at Yale College in 1847. He studied law at Buffalo, New York, nearly three years, and was admitted to practice before … Read more

Hanson, Sue Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Sue Hanson, 66, of Baker City died June 14, 2005, at Ashley Manor after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She joins her husband, Dick, who died six weeks earlier. Today would have been their 46th wedding anniversary. Disposition was by cremation. There will be no funeral. A celebration and remembrance for Sue and Dick will be scheduled this summer to allow distant friends and relatives to attend. Sue was born on April 6, 1939, at Des Moines, Iowa. She graduated from high school at Des Moines and married Richard Lee “Dick” Hanson on June … Read more

Biography of Edward W. Imbler

Among the earliest pioneers of this state the subject of this sketch, together with his father, has been identified with the opening for settlement of various fertile portions of the state, and in these places he has labored, with his father, in the pioneer undertakings that occupy the frontiersman and those who would make from the wilds of nature the opulent farms and comfortable residences of civilization. Edward W. was born in Muhlenburgh County, Kentucky, in 1843, being the son of David and Hester (Jackson) Imbler, natives respectively of North Carolina and Kentucky. In 1844 they migrated from their home … Read more

Hunt, Richard Eric – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Richard Eric Hunt, 37, of Lovelock, Nev., and formerly of La Grande died Sept. 4. A memorial Mass will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday Sept. 9 at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church with Father Hank Albrecht and the Rev. Irwin Smutz officiating. Mr. Hunt was born Nov. 18, 1968, to Richard and Iris Hunt in Spokane, Wash. He graduated from Yamhill-Carlton Union High School where he was class valedictorian and state representative to the Oregon School Board. He was a member of the National Honor Society and given early admission to the University of Notre … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William E. Rinehart

WM. E. RINEHART. – Mr. Rinehart was born in Iowa in 1846 on his father’s farm. In 1854 the parents crossed the plains to Oregon, and made a home in Lane county, suffering only the usual hardships incident to such a journey, and the deprivations of a new country. The old Donation claim lies ten miles south of Eugene City. There William remained with his parents until 1864, in that year joining his brother James H. as drover of a band of cattle, coming as far as his present abode in the Grande Ronde valley. There he invested in company … Read more

Luster, Deborah Kay – Obituary

Deborah Kay Luster, 44, of Pinedale, Wyo., a former Baker City resident, died June 13, 2005, in a car accident near Evanston, Wyo. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Lennie Spooner of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the home of Carolyn and Melvin Luster. Debbie was born on Jan. 13, 1961, at Twin Falls, Idaho. She was the sixth of nine children born to her mother, Mary Helen Sartain Sharp of The Dalles. She also had … Read more

Vollmer, Thomas Wesley – Obituary

Thomas Wesley Vollmer, 25, of Portland, died May 19, 2002. His memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Central Lutheran Church in Eugene. Mr. Vollmer was born on June 1, 1976, at Baker City to Andrea Nicholson Wiggins and Wesley Vollmer. He moved with his family to McMinnville in 1980 where he lived until 1985 when they moved to Corvallis. He lived there until 1989 and then moved to Eugene where he lived before moving to Portland in 2001. He worked at Starbucks and Renner’s Grill in the Multnomah Village of Portland. He also worked at the … Read more

Bean, Julia Anne Sharp – Obituary

Mrs. Julia A. Bean, an early Oregon pioneer, died at her home in Eugene this afternoon [February 19, 1908] at 1:00 after a long illness. She would have been 70 years old age on the 25th of this month had she lived until then. Mrs. Bean, whose maiden name was Sharp, was born near Newmarket, Harrison County, Ohio, February 25, 1838. In company with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Sharp, she started across the plains for Oregon in 1849, but on reaching Missouri they purchased a farm and resided there three years. In May 1852, they started for Oregon … Read more

LaBaun, George Bradford – Obituary

George Bradford LaBaun, 82, a Baker City resident from 1996 until moving recently with his wife to Roseburg, died Dec. 29, 2004, with his family at his bedside after several years of battling with a rare lung disease. His memorial service was Jan. 3 at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit. A celebration of his life will be scheduled later at Corvallis. He was born on Feb. 13, 1922, at Sheridan, Wyo., to George and Cora Burdick LaBaun. When he was 2 years old he moved with his parents to Eugene. He was a 1939 graduate of Eugene High … Read more

Lingafelter, Betty C. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Betty C. Lingafelter, 76, of La Grande, died April 22 at a local care center. No public services are planned at this time. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements. Betty was born June 11, 1931, in Topeka, Kan., to Hulda and John I. Gustafson of McPherson, Kan. She married Dean Lingafelter of Galva, Kan., on March 12, 1948. Betty was active in McPherson High School and in church activities growing up. She loved to do anything with group and social activities. Betty had a variety of jobs and she enjoyed them … Read more

Hesus, Carol Andrea McKim Mrs. – Obituary

After an aggressive four-month battle with throat cancer, Carol Andrea Hesus, supportive wife and fun-loving mother, joined her grandmother in heaven on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, at 3:30 a.m. Andrea was 50 years old. Carol Andrea McKim was born in Baker, Ore., in 1957. Andrea attended schools in Baker and graduated from Pine Eagle High School in Halfway, Ore. She met Frederick Hesus while attending Eastern Oregon State College. They married in 1978 and moved to Halfway, Ore., to be close to Andrea’s family. In 1985, Andrea and Fred moved their family to Ponapei, and then to Guam where Andrea … Read more

Berg, Jane Wisdom Mrs. – Obituary

Jane Wisdom Berg, 85, of Eugene, died March 24, 2003. A celebration of life private memorial will be held March 30 at the Eugene Hotel, 222 E. Broadway. The Rest Haven Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Berg was born May 9, 1917, in Baker to Lenore and John W. Wisdom Jr. She lived in Baker until 1923, when she moved to Portland. She also lived in Eugene, Pleasant Hill, Sunriver and Cottage Grove. In 1950, she married William “Bill” Berg. They were married 45 years. Mrs. Berg trained horses at Pendleton and Baker in the 1940s, and … Read more

Spears, Claude Allen – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Claude Allen Spears, 75, of Boise and formerly of La Grande, died Feb. 22 at a Boise hospital after a short illness. A memorial service took place Feb. 26 at Redeemer Lutheran in Boise. Burial will be at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel of Boise. Mr. Spears was born Jan. 18, 1932, to Leonard and Frances Katherine (Berry) Spears in Eugene. He grew up and attended school in La Grande and later worked for Boise Cascade Corp. Drafted in 1952, he served two years … Read more

Brinton, Timmy Frank M.D. – Obituary

Timmy Frank Brinton, M.D., 88, of Eugene, Ore., died Oct. 3, 2007, from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. He was born Jan. 17, 1919 in Fessenden, N.D. to Charles M. and Elizabeth R. (Mueller) Brinton. Tim was a resident of Lane County for 56 years. He married Evelyn I. Nelson in 1945 in Seattle and they had two children, Barbara and Scott. In 1974 he married Marion G. Higgenbottom in Eugene. They both preceded him in death. Tim served in the U.S. Army. He attended Eastern Oregon College of Education from 1937-1940, the University of Oregon from 1941-1943, and the … Read more

Biography of Hon. J. H. Rinehart

HON.J.H. RINEHART. – Mr. Rinehart, whose portrait appears in this volume, is one of the pioneers of Eastern Oregon, and the proprietor of the Mammoth Anna-Lulu Flouring mills. He was born October 1, 1836, in Adams county, Illinois, and moved to Mahaska county, Iowa, in 1845. In 1854 he crossed the plains with his parents to Oregon and located with them at Eugene. In 1855 he left the parental roof and, although but a boy of eighteen, sought the gold fields of Northern California, where he remained a year and a half, and returned to Oregon soon after the close … Read more

Eakin, Robert Judge – Obituary

Union, Union County, Oregon Judge Robert Eakin Dies at Salem Judge Robert Eakin, a former resident of Union and Union county, died at Salem Monday morning of this week, after an illness covering several years. The funeral took place at Union Wednesday of this week, and was attended by a large concourse of people from Union county and outside points. The services were held in the Presbyterian church, the sermon was delivered by Rev. Blair, of Salem (who was located at Union about twenty years ago) following a splendid tribute to the memory of Justice Eakin by Justice SF. A. … Read more

Mrs. Jacqueline Leilani Prescott Pignone – Obituary

Jacqueline Leilani Prescott Pignone, 54, of Baker City, died at May 7, 2008, at her home surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with cancer. A potluck party to celebrate Jackie’s life will begin at noon June 28 at the Pignone residence, 14780 Mill Creek Lane. All friends and family are welcome to attend and share memories and laughs. The family would like to encourage people to bring photographs of Jackie to the celebration to add to a memorial collage. Jackie was born on Sept. 27, 1953, at Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii. She was the “baby” … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Humphrey

GEORGE HUMPHREY. – Mr. Humphrey was esteemed by everyone as an honorable gentleman, a man of large brain, and of an excellent capacity and understanding. Although in his youth he suffered from poverty and the lack of educational facilities, he nevertheless succeeded in obtaining a large property and an honored and enduring name. His estimable wife, Cynthia A. Humphrey, was “one of the best of women,” so described by all who knew her and were allowed to make the acquaintance of her great mental intelligence and vigor, and to know of her benevolence and christian character. Mr. Humphrey was born … Read more