Harney County OR

Stafford, Craig J. – Obituary

Craig J. Stafford, 54, Glendale, a former Baker City resident, died of a heart attack on Oct. 11, 2007, at Glendale. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Burns Cemetery. Craig was born on Feb. 27, 1953, at Baker City to Ralph and Josephine Stafford. The family later moved to Burns. Craig was a graduate of Burns High School. He then attended college and became a teacher. Survivors include his sister, Jannette Manning and her husband, Raymond Manning; his sister, Teresa Whipple, and her husband, Bert Whipple; three nieces, Kristina, Carla and Crystal; two nephews, Michael and Aaron; … Read more

Oard, Albert G. “Al” – Obituary

Albert G. “Al” Oard, 84, a resident of Baker City, died June 17, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. A private family celebration of life services will be held at a later date in the Burns Cemetery in Burns. Coles Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Al was born on Feb. 2, 1921, at Lawen to James and Clara Kesterson Oard. Their home was a ranch near Lawen, and Al attended the Crane and Drewsey grade schools. He was a 1938 graduate of Crane High School. He went on to college, attending Oregon State College at Corvallis from … Read more

I. S. Greer & Company

This establishment is a credit to Burns. Their building, of which we present a cut, was erected in 1892, and is one of the first stone buildings put up in the interior. They carry a large and well assorted stock of shelf and heavy hardware, stoves and tinnier, crockery, glassware, sporting goods, cutlery &c. They are exclusive agents for the Peters Cartridge Co., Queen heating stoves, Born steel ranges, D. M. Osborn & Co.’s farm machinery, Heath & Milligan paints, and other special lines. They have the only tin shop in the interior, doing plumbing, jobbing and repairing. The also … Read more

Shreffler, Clem – Obituary

Clem Shreffler, 96, of Prairie City, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 6, 2006, at Prairie City. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Darrell Johnson of Grace Chapel at Prairie City and Ed Niswender of Calvary Baptist Church at Baker City will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will until 7 o’clock tonight at the funeral home. Clem E. Shreffler was born to Ferd and Mary Shreffler in Culdesac, Idaho, on Feb. 22, 1909. Clem was the fourth of six children in the family. At … Read more

Reed, Irene Adell – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Irene Adell Reed, 93, of La Grande died Aug. 7 at Grande Ronde Hospital. Viewing will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday and the funeral at 11 a.m. Saturday at La Follette’s Chapel in Burns. Burial will follow in the Burns Cemetery. A memorial reception in La Grande will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the First Baptist Church fellowship hall. Mrs. Reed was born Aug. 5, 1913, to Leonard Lincoln and Alda Bertha Elliot Davis in Leland, Idaho. She graduated from Kendrick High School in 1931 and Lewis and Clark Normal School 1933. … Read more

Adams, Charles M. “Chuck” – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Charles M. “Chuck” Adams, 79, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 29, 2005, at his home. His graveside memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jack Bynum of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Chuck was born on June 28, 1926, at Todd, N.C., to Wiley Lee and Hollie Wagner Adams. He graduated from high school and entered the U.S. Army serving in World War II. After he was discharged from the service, he married his wife, Charlene, on Sept. … Read more

Thornton, Pamela Liebig – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Pamela Liebig-Thornton, 56, of La Grande, died at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise after a long and courageous battle with cancer. A recitation of the rosary will begin at 7 tonight at Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory. A Mass of Christian burial will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, 1002 L Ave. Burial will follow at the Grandview Cemetery. Pamela was born May 22, 1951, in Portland to Norman and Dorothy (Drinkwater) Liebig of Hines. As an infant she lost her first mother and was raised by her father’s second … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jackson A. Bartlett

This well known and representative business man of the town of Drewsey has a fine hotel, where he does a thriving business and also a large livery and feed stable, being a man of excellent capabilities and one of the prominent figures in this part of Harney county. He was born in Owen county, Indiana, on August 31, 1847, the son of James and Sarah (Alexander) Bartlett. He was reared on a farm and gained his education from the public schools of the vicinity and when he heard the call for troops in the times of fratricidal strife he enlisted … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George M. Stanclift

Surely the subject of this review has passed the various stages of all kinds of pioneer work, with its hardships, deprivations and dangers, while he has met each point with a calm determination to overcome and make his way through it all, which he has done in a most commendable manner, being now one of the stanch and upright men of Harney and one of its well-to-do citizens, having his home on one of the finest pieces of soil in central Oregon, the same being one hundred and fifty-three acre, one mile north from Burns, which forms the family home … Read more

Miller, Dillie Marie – Obituary

Dillie Marie Miller, 94, of La Grande, died Oct. 7 at her home. A funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. Burial will follow at the Grandview Cemetery. Dillie was born on Nov. 12, 1912, to Bird and Amanda (Rollins) Bennett in La Grande. She was educated in La Grande. On Oct. 16, 1929, she married Elmer T. Miller. They would have celebrated 78 years of marriage this month. During the early years of their marriage they lived in Burns before returning to La Grande in 1947. Those who knew … Read more

N. Brown & Sons

This pioneer establishment, the largest general merchandise store in the state off the railroad, had its beginning in a small way. It was started in 1854 by Nathan Brown who had associated with himself his sons Leon M. and Ben. From that time their business has gradually grown until 18l6, they were compelled to erect their present quarters, which is built of stone, and is 59×119, two stories high. In this they carry the most complete line of general merchandise in the interior, catering largely to the sheep and cattlemen, and aim to sell goods at railroad prices, freight added. … Read more

A Brief History of Harney County Oregon

Harney Valley, Harvey Lake, Harvey City successor to Harney Camp, Harney County, and lastly Harney land district were named in honor of General Harney, who, so traditions of the Harney country tell us, “had a brush with the Indians while guiding emigrants through the valley.” The general in 1890 acknowledged this comment to his early army days, in an autograph letter to the to “council of Harney City. In area the county which was organized in 1889, is larger than any one of the six New England states, with the single exception of Maine; the valuation of its taxable property … Read more

Smith, Dorothy Mrs. – Obituary

Dorothy Smith, 85, of Unity, died July 30, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Helix Cemetery. Jack Pittman of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. Dorothy was born on Aug. 23, 1919, at Burns. She was the valedictorian of her high school class at Entiat, Wash. She attended Washington State College and later earned a degree in education from Western Oregon University at Monmouth. She taught elementary school for many years at Nyssa, The Dalles and the Reynolds School District in Portland. She married Arthur W. Smith … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. D. Martin

One half mile southeast from Harney is one of the finest small grain farms in the county. It consists of eighty acres of choice land and is well under cultivation. The improvements are of a quality and kind quite fitting such an estate and its owner is the subject of this article. Mr. Martin was about the first man to try raising grain in this locality and he has made a marked success in this direction. He raised in 1901 the largest crop of any one man in Harney county and he is classed as one of the leading agriculturists … Read more

Davies, Thomas Carol “Tommy” – Obituary

Thomas Carol “Tommy” Davies of Princeton died on his 84th birthday, Jan. 3, 2006, at the home he was born in on the family ranch. Burial was Saturday at the Burns Cemetery. Tom was born on Jan. 3, 1922, at Princeton to J.W. “Bill” and Catherine “Mae” Barnhart Davies. He was the youngest of four sons. The boys attended grade school one mile from the ranch along with the neighbors’ children, some of whom became lifelong friends. Tommy had many happy memories of helping herd the family sheep on Steens Mountain, of running wild horses and of helping family and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Martin V. Smith

A veritable pioneer of the pioneers is Mr. Smith, having come to the Pacific coast in the early fifties and continued here in worthy labors in various lines since that time, ever displaying the same courage, capabilities, tenacity of purpose, and integrity, that have made the pioneers such a noble class of people. Mr. Smith was born in Kennebec county, Maine, on January 10, 1833, being the son of James and Hannah Smith, natives also of Maine, the father being born near Portland. His death also occurred in that state. Martin V. received a good schooling and remained with his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of N. E. Duncan

It is with pleasure that we are enabled to write concerning the estimable gentleman whose name is at the head of this article, since he has been one of the potent factors in the development of Harney county, has manifested wisdom and enterprise in all his ways here, has labored as a true pioneer in many other sections of the country and has always manifested the same unswerving integrity, moral uprightness and sound principles, having sustained a reputation as an exceptionally reliable man, and ever arraigned on the side of right. Mr. Duncan was born in Williamson county, Illinois, on March … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph P. Rector

Among those who have gained a remarkable success in Harney county we are constrained to mention the gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph, and who has wrought such wisdom, energy and assiduity that he has gained one of the finest holdings of the county and is numbered among leading stockmen of this section. This is more to his credit when it is mentioned that he came to the county with no means and has gained his entire property by his thrift and wise management since his advent. Joseph P. was born in Schenectady county, New York, on August 28, 1844, … Read more

Pollentier, David Allen

David Allen Pollentier, 59, died on March 5, 2005, at his home. There will be a celebration of his life at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Pastor Jon Privett of the Nazarene Churchwill officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Dave was born on Jan. 15, 1946, at Ontario to Alfons and Doris Giesler Pollentier. He was raised at Jordan Valley and Burns, where his father was station commander for … Read more

Biography of Melvin Fenwick

A true pioneer, a man of exemplary standing and life, possessed of capabilities and qualities of worth, the estimable gentleman of whom we now speak, is entitled to representation in the volume of Harney county’s history. His parents, Alexander and Nancy (Long) Fenwick, were natives to Kentucky, and his father crossed the plains to California in 1849. He was a blacksmith and carried his tools on a pack horse and wrought at his trade, shoeing horses, and so forth, all the way. In 1851 he returned via Panama, and with his wife and seven children he came in 1852 to … Read more