Benge, Mary – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Mary Benge, 92, died June 21 in La Grande. A memorial service will be held at the Heppner Masonic Cemetery at 11 a.m. Saturday. A potluck will follow at the Heppner Elks Club. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Mary was born April 9, 1915, in Coffey, Mo., to Claude and Ethel Brumfield Cartwright. She had four siblings. Raised by her grandparents, she grew up in Coffey and graduated from Coffey High School at age 16. After graduating, she met and married Dem Reninger and they had three children. They lived in Denver, where they … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nelson Jones

NELSON JONES. – Mr. Jones, one of the largest stock-raisers of Eastern Oregon, having besides his interest at Heppner, Oregon, large holdings on the main Malheur, was born in 1840 in Fleming county, Kentucky. Remaining there until 1849, he moved with his parents to Iowa, where he lived until 1858. In that year he left the paternal roof, and made the journey to Pike’s Peak, but continued on to Shasta county, California. In that county he engaged in mining, but in 1860 sought a more tranquil life, coming to Polk county, Oregon, and engaging in farming until 1866. In the … Read more

Sturgill, Barbara Ann – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Barbara Ann Sturgill, 82, of Baker City, died June 20, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 2130 Second St. The Rev. Dick Toll of Milwaukie will officiate. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at the church. Visitations will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Barbara was born to L.D. and Neva Chidsey Clabough on Aug. 12, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George W. Swagart

GEORGE W. SWAGART. – Mr. Swagart, identified since 1853 with the interests of our coast, and now one of the “cattle kings” of Eastern Oregon, was born May 1, 1848, near Galena, in Joe Davis county, Illinois. In 1853 he came with his parents to Oregon, locating in Lane county, where he received a common-school education, and became inured to the hardships of an early pioneer life, in the saddle, and to the arduous labors of farming, until, in 1865, he branched out for himself in the stock business, driving a band of sheep across the Cascade Mountains to the … Read more

Perdue, Delcie Elma Hogeland Mrs. – Obituary

Unity, Baker County, Oregon Delcie Elma Hogeland Perdue, 86, of Unity, died Dec. 27, 2005, at Phoenix, Ariz. There will be no service at this time. A Celebration of Life service will be announced later. Delcie was born on May 26, 1919, at Heppner to Russell and Ida Crewdson Hogeland, and grew up at Mount Vernon. She spent almost all of her life in Oregon and held a variety of jobs through the years. In 1961, she and her her husband, Darrel Perdue, purchased the Waterhole in Unity. It was not uncommon for people to drive from as far away … Read more

Armato, Michael James – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Michael James Armato, 51, of Heppner, died Feb. 19 of natural causes in La Grande. Burial will be at 3:30 p.m. March 3 at the Pioneer Masonic Cemetery, Heppner. A Rosary will be read at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church during the regular 5 p.m. mass. A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. March 4 at the Heppner Elks Club. Arrangements are under the direction of Sweeney Mortuary of Heppner. Mr. Armato, known as Mike, was born June 27, 1955, to Frank and Catherine Armato in San Francisco. He grew up in San Rafael, Calif. He graduated … Read more

Hallock, Ahlma Rose MacDonald – Obituary

Ahlma R. MacDonald, 99, a resident of Tacoma the past 64 years, died Monday [January 7, 1985]. Mrs. MacDonald was born in Heppner, Ore. She was a retired librarian who had worked in Portland and New York City. She was a former member of the Ladies Musical Club, pro America, Tacoma County & Golf Club and Tacoma Lawn Tennis Club. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Herrick (Beatrice) Allen of Tacoma, and two grandchildren. Buckley-King Downtown is in charge. Tacoma News Tribune, January 9, 1985 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biography of Hon. Theron E. Fell

HON. THERON E. FELL. – Mr. Fell has become especially known in Oregon as a representative to the state legislature from Morrow county. The manner of his election shows his popularity among his neighbors and the people of his own region. He was the grandson of an abolishionist Quaker, and the son of an original Republican, and himself has been true to the family record. Having received the regular nomination by the Republican party, his rival “bolted” and accepted an independent nomination. The Democrats seeing this rupture did not fail to improve the opportunity, and presented an excellent ticket. The … Read more

Hill, Laura Belle

Elgin, Union County, Oregon Sisters-in-Law Die In Elgin Sisters-in-law, Laura Bell Hill and Dora Florence Hill, both resident of Elgin, died within three days of each other in local hospitals this week. Laura Belle Hill of Elgin, for 55 years a resident of Union county, died at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, of a stroke at the age of 68. Surviving are five children, Mrs. Louie Hale of Elgin, Mrs. Luther Cummins of Portland, and Mrs. Warren Metcalf of Chester, California, 11 grandchildren, two sisters, Miss Grace Crawford of Pendleton, and Mrs. Chester Kuykendoll of Pomeroy, Washington, and other relatives. Funeral services … Read more

Biography of E. L. Matlock

E.L. MATLOCK. – This successful merchant and respected citizen of Heppner, Oregon, was born August 25, 1844. He came to Oregon in 1853, and located in Lane county, near Eugene. There he engaged in farming, stock-raising and mining. He was with his father when he died at Bannack City in 1863, and laid to rest all that was mortal of that good man and beloved parent. Returning to the home near Eugene, he conducted his father’s affairs there until 1866. In January of that year he was married to Miss E.J. Bennet of Lane county. After that event he engaged … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wilhelm Otto Roesch

WILHELM OTTO ROESCH. – The brewery of Pendleton, Oregon, is operated by Mr. Roesch, a man who has had long experience in all the processes of manufacturing the beverage. Born in Germany in 1855, he came to America in1870, working in a brewery. He followed the same business in San Francisco in 1874; at Steilacoom in 1886; at Portland until 1888. At Port Townsend he built a brewery for himself, running it two years. At Heppner, in 1880, he operated his own brewery one year. In 1882 he returned to Germany, marrying Miss Anna Rapps. Returning to Oregon, he is … Read more

Prindle, Joan Oribel Eddy Mrs. – Obituary

Joan Oribel Prindle, 70, of Umatilla, died March 6, 2002, at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston. Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Hermiston Assembly of God Church. Disposition was by cremation. Joan was born on March 13, 1931, at Malheur City to George and Lucy Woodcock Eddy. She had been a Umatilla resident since 1961. She married Harold Prindle on Aug. 27, 1949, at Heppner. She owned and operated Joan’s Beauty Salon in Umatilla from 1970 until she retired in 2000. She was baptized at the First Christian Church in Vale. She loved gardening … Read more

Sutherland, William Morrow – Obituary

Private family services for William Morrow Sutherland, 76, of Charleston, will be held in Heppner where he will be laid to rest in the Morrow family plot beside his father and mother. Mr. Sutherland died in Roseburg of complications of age on Jan. 19, 1995. He was born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin VanBuren Sutherland on Oct. 11, 1918. He attended Lincoln High School in Portland, then attended Reed College and majored in economics, graduated in 1941. Immediately following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, becoming a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. After separation … Read more

Russell, David Alan – Obituary

David Alan Russell, 61, a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 26, 2005, at his mother’s home in Vale after a sudden illness. There will be no funeral. Disposition was by cremation. His cremains will be scattered at the same site as those of his brother, Fuller. Dave was born on Jan. 13, 1944, at Randleman, N.C., to Paul T. and Verneta Mae Russell. He grew up in North Carolina, Idaho and Oregon. After graduating from high school at Portland, he joined the U.S. Navy Seabees, serving on Guam and Okinawa. After his discharge from the Navy, he worked for … Read more

Robbins, Darlene Emma Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Darlene Emma Robbins, 71 died Monday, January 26, 2004 in Baker City, Oregon after a lengthy illness. Memorial services will be held Monday, February 2, 2004 at 11 a.m. in the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street with Rev. Ron Kratzer officiating. Inurnment will follow at Baker Cemetery at a later date. Mrs. Robbins was born September 13, 1932, in Bentonville Arkansas to Austin and Grace Robbins. In 1936, she moved from Nebraska to Ontario, Oregon at the age of four. She graduated from Ontario High School in 1950. She met her future husband while attending the … Read more

Biography of Hon. Jackson L. Morrow

HON. JACKSON L. MORROW.- It is not so uncommon a thing in this land of a great future for a man to lay out a town or build a city; but there is, we believe, but one man in the state who may be called the maker of a county, and whose name is perpetuated in its designation: that man is Jackson L. Morrow, of Heppner, Oregon, whose sketch is here presented. This honor was worthily bestowed upon him at the instance and almost insistence of his neighbors, in recognition of his privations and labors in settling up the region, … Read more

Biography of Frank McFarland

FRANK McFARLAND. – This representative merchant of Eastern Oregon, one of our best and most enterprising men, was born at The Dalles December 17, 1858, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James C. McFarland, who crossed the plains in the year 1852 from Ohio with four-horse teams, and in Oregon have reared a family of four daughters and two sons, all of whom occupy honorable positions in the Northwest. He made his native city his home until 1882, and spent his boyhood days in assiduous attendance upon the public school, obtaining thereby a thorough, practical education. He secured … Read more

Morrow, Jackson L. – Obituary

Jackson L. Morrow passed away at Salem on April 29,1984. He was born February 11, 1896 at Heppner son of James William and Katie Rea Morrow. On July 23, 1917 he was married to Irene Johnson at Portland. He was a WWI veteran, a life member of Harmony Lodge No. 12 AM & AM, a 50 year member of the American Legion. He moved from Joseph to Salem in 1977. Survivors include two sons, S.W. Morrow of Portland, and S.L. Morrow of Longview, Washington; a sister, Mrs. M.V. Sutherland of Salem. Funeral services and interment of remains will be held … Read more

Biographical Sketch of C. M. Mallory

C.M. MALLORY. – Mr. Mallory, a leading merchant of Heppner, Oregon, is recognized as also a representative man of his section. He was born October 18, 1851, in Steuben county, New York, receiving in his native district a substantial, practical education. In 1868 he acted upon an enterprising impulse, and sought the newest side of the new world, coming via the Isthmus to Oregon, and selecting first a location near Salem. In 1870 he sought a still newer and fresher field in the Inland Empire, laying a claim near the present site of Heppner. While waiting for a city to … Read more

Groshens, Gregory Allan – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Gregory Allan Groshens, 42, of La Grande, and a former Heppner resident, died recently of natural causes at his home in La Grande. A memorial service will be scheduled later at Heppner. Disposition was by cremation. Mr. Groshens was born on Dec. 23, 1961, at Heppner to Victor L. and Judy Darnielle Groshens. He was a 1981 Heppner High School graduate. After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy to begin a 17-year career as a Seabee. He was proud to serve his country and received several meritorious commendations while he was stationed at Adak, Alaska; MuMurdo, Antarctica; … Read more