Fossil Oregon

Williamson, John Harold – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon John Harold Williamson John Harold “Jack” Williamson, 70, of La Grande died Feb. 15 at his home. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church in La Grande. Jack was born May 26, 1936, to Harold and Shirley (Thomas) Williamson in Albany. He graduated from Jewel High School and later from Western Oregon University with a degree in teaching. He married Sandra Allen from Portland Nov. 29, 1958, and they lived in Fossil. In 1960 he enlisted for one term in the Army. He went on to work for NASA … Read more

Delaney, Vennie Florence – Obituary

Union, Oregon Vennie Florence Delaney, 98, of Lewiston and formerly of Union, died Oct. 23 in Lewiston. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Union Cemetery. A luncheon and sharing time will follow at the VFW Hall in Union. Daniels Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements. Vennie was born Sept. 7, 1909, to Ray Jordan and Mamie (Riggins) Oliver in Fossil. The family moved to Union where she met Roy Delaney. They married on March 27, 1930. They lived in Union and raised their children there. She cooked at three restaurants during the … Read more

Givens, M. LaVelle – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon M. LaVelle Givens, 80, of La Grande and formerly of Baker City, died Oct. 25 in La Grande. At her request there will be no public services. Those who wish may sign the on-line guest book at www.danielsknopp.com. LaVelle was born on May 19, 1927, to Elmer and Ethel (Boyer) Graven in Baker. Her great-grandparents, Thomas and Marietta (Dunn) Boyer, homesteaded in the Grande Ronde Valley in 1864. Her grandfather, Richard Boyer, was born near La Grande in 1873. LaVelle was raised and educated in Hereford where she graduated from high school. She married Jimmie Warren on … Read more

Cooke, Lester Vaner

Lester V. Cooke, 96, of Ellensburg died Thursday in Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. He was born January 27, 1890, in a house on the banks of Coleman Creek north of Ellensburg. He parents were early Kittitas Valley pioneers Mode and Isabella (Fulton) Cooke. After graduating from Ellensburg High School in 1910, Mr. Cooke entered Washington State College, where he received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture in 1914. While attending school he was well known as a sprinter and competed in track events, attaining undefeated status. He married Mary B. Edwards in Drain, Oregon, in 1917, and they farmed … Read more

Myers, John E. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon John E. Myers, 67, died April 13 at his home in La Grande. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at Loveland Funeral Chapel, followed by burial at Grandview Cemetery. Mr. Myers was born Aug. 30, 1939, to Edgar and Helen (Crawford) Myers in Klamath Falls. They moved shortly thereafter to Kinzua and then to a small ranch east of Fossil, where John grew up. He attended grade school in Fossil and graduated from Wheeler County High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball, in 1957. After high school John attended Willamette University in Salem … Read more

Noble, Loretta Susan – Obituary

Cove, Oregon Loretta Susan Noble, 85, of Beaverton and formerly of Cove, died Aug. 2 in Hillsboro. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 7, at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. Burial will follow at the Cove Cemetery. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6. Mrs. Noble was born April 11, 1921, near Cassville, Mo. to George and Lula Stansberry Craft. She attended one year of high school before she began working. During World War II she worked for Boeing in Wichita, Kan. On Sept. 25, 1943, she married Harold Clifton … Read more

Daly, Rachel Hanby Hudspeth Mrs. – Obituary

Rachel Hanby Hudspeth Daly, 89, of Fossil, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 30, 2000, at her home at Fossil where she had lived with her husband, Richard, for 25 years. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Fossil Bible Fellowship. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Daly was born on Dec. 13, 1911, at Hereford to Alice and Walter Hanby. She was raised in Sumpter Valley. In the 1930s she was partners with her first husband, Greene Hudspeth, and his brothers, Ernest and Wallace, in ownership of the Minam … Read more

Donnelly, Roderick – Obituary

Formerly of La Grande 1921-2009 Roderick W. ‘Doc’ Donnelly, 88, formerly of La Grande, died Oct. 12 at his home in Richmond. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Sweeney Mortuary of Condon is in charge of arrangements. Roderick was born May 23, 1921, the first son of Virginia Odessa Wechter and Hamilton Keyes Donnelly at his grandmother’s house at the top of the Donnelly Grade in Wheeler County. He was the grandson of a founding father of Wheeler County. He attended grade school in a one-room school at Service Creek. He attended high school in … Read more

Myers, Helen Aletha – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Helen Aletha Myers, 90, of La Grande died Friday Aug. 4 at a local care center. The funeral will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday Aug. 12 at the Fossil Baptist Church. A graveside service and interment will follow at the Fossil Masonic Cemetery. Sweeney Mortuary of Condon is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Myers was born Jan. 8, 1916, to William and Belle Younce Crawford in Franklin, N.C. The family moved to Service Creek, and she graduated from high school in Wheeler County 1934. On June 28, 1938, she married Edgar Mason Myers in Yakima, Wash. They … Read more

Brainard, Bertha Alice “Babs” Crawford Mrs. – Obituary

Bertha Alice “Babs” Brainard, 91, a longtime resident of Prairie City, passed away at John Day, on Sunday, November 16, 2003. Babs was born May 29, 1912 in Canby, Oregon to Noah Mac and Suzanna Crawford, and was raised in the Madras area. She married Ben Brainard in Fossil, Oregon on July 18, 1929, and with her husband lived most of the time in Grant County. She was quite active in the outdoors with her husband, and in about 1970 became the Justice of the Peace at Prairie City. She is mostly remembered here as the spark behind the improvements … Read more