Elgin, Oregon Benny “Ben” Luse, 60, formerly of Elgin, died May 12 in Everett, Wash. A funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. June 7 at the Christian Life Center in Elgin. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be sent to the Elgin Fire Department to help with the new building. La Grande Observer – June 6, 2008
Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon Word was received that former Wallowa County resident Mary Jo (Reece) Cantrell passed away Dec. 2, 1998, in Puyallup, Wash. She was born in Enterprise on Sept. 20, 1930, to Lacy and Ruth Reece. Mary Jo was a member of the local VFW Auburn Auxiliary #2298 and the Eagles. She retired from Boeing in Everett, Wash., in 1995. She loved her family and friends in a big way. She is survived by her four children; son, Rudy Kruse of Clatskanie; daughters, Cindy Kruse of Sumner, Wash., Gloria Kruse of San Diego, Calif., and Dawn Holland of … Read more
Baker City, Oregon Richard A. “Dick” Backlund, 71, of Baker City, died June 1, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. There will be a celebration of his life from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 7, at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St. Richard, or “Poppy,” as his grandchildren called him, was born on Feb. 26, 1931, at Everett, Wash., to Leonard and Berniece Backlund. He attended schools at Everett, Wash. He served in the U.S. Army in 1949, and was in the Korean War. He then was stationed at Fort Belvore, Va. He worked as a mechanic at … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Carl Richard McMillen, 71, of Spirit Lake, Idaho, and formerly of La Grande, died April 7 in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Celebration of life services begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Clark Fork Senior Center in Idaho. A private family interment will follow at the Clark Fork Cemetery. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Carl was born June 26, 1936, to Maxine Petrina Skillingstad and William Hyrum McMillen in Salt Lake City. During WWII the family moved to San Francisco to work in the war effort. Carl attended grade school in San Francisco at … Read more
Halfway, Oregon Lois “Larrie” Bowerman, 82, a longtime Halfway resident, died March 11, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her memorial service will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church in Halfway. Lois was born Sept. 30, 1921, in the high altitude of Victor, Colo., to Washington Denver and Gwendolyn Honeycutt. She was the second-eldest of four girls. Lois received good grades in school and received her eighth-grade diploma in Spokane in 1935. However, the Great Depression had set in and she opted not to continue her education because she could not afford new clothes. Her … Read more
Lauretta Cross, of Milton-Freewater and a former resident of Wallowa County, died July 9, 2007, at Walla Walla General Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 85. Mrs. Cross was born June 19,1922, in La Grande to James Everett and Etta Rebecca Berg Rachau. The family resided on Pumpkin Ridge, outside of Elgin. They later moved to Minam, where Mrs. Cross attended school through the second grade. In 1930, the family moved to Onalaska, Wash., where she finished her schooling, graduating from the eighth grade twice. Her father didn’t believe in higher education for women. She married young and had … Read more
Martha Ann Zimmerman Teacher for 35 years Funeral services for Martha Ann Zimmerman 61, Haines, were conducted at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8 at the First Lutheran Church, Baker, with the reverend James Berentson officiating. Interment followed at the Haines Cemetery. Mrs. Zimmerman passed away in Union Wednesday, January 5. She was born December 31, 1904 at Merrill, Wisconsin. She came to Oregon from Everett, Washington some 57 years ago and has been in the Baker area for 38 years. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in education from Eastern Oregon College in La Grande. On December 21, 1930 she was … Read more
Elgin, Oregon Benny Luse, 60, of Everett, Wash., and formerly of Elgin, died May 12. A full obituary will be available later. La Grande Observer – Obituaries for the day of May 16, 2008
Mrs. Mary Phelps, a resident of Ellensburg from 1884 to 1945, died recently [January 16, 1951] in Everett, where she has lived for the past five years. She was born in Pike County, Missouri, in 1867. Surviving are three sons, Gilbert of Everett, Tracy of Chelan, and Odie Phelps of Seattle; a sister, Mrs. Ella Wilson of Everett, and a brother, Sherman Smith, of Ellensburg. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Honeycutt-Evenson Chapel, with Rev. Dan Rueb officiating. Interment will follow at the IOOF cemetery here. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman