Hermiston Oregon

Day, Chad Eric – Obituary

Chad Eric Day, 30, of Redmond, died August 15, 2003. A visitation for family and friends will be held Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, 685 W. Hermiston Ave. A gathering will be held on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the home of Vicki and Mike Koontz, 924 W. Alder St. in Hermiston. Private inurnment will be held at the Hermiston Cemetery. Chad was born Oct. 17, 1972, at Hermiston to Bob and Vicki Clark Day. He was raised and grew up in Hermiston, where he enjoyed playing baseball and soccer and attended Hermiston … Read more

See, Benjamin – Obituary

Pioneer of 1865 Dies Friday At Hermiston, Ore Benjamin See, about 88 years of age and a pioneer of the Grande Rhonde valley of 1865, died Friday at Hermiston, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Anna Arthur. He moved to Hermiston from La Grande about two years ago. Funeral services will be held at the Summerville Chapel Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock with burial in the family plot. Snodgrass & Zimmerman have charge of arrangements. Other children who survive Mr. See are Jeff See, of Hermiston; Frances and George See, of Tacoma, and Albert See, of la Grande. La … 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

McQuain, Elvera I. Sawyer Mrs. – Obituary

Elvera I. McQuain, 73, of Hermiston, a former Baker City resident, died Oct. 7, 2002, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the chapel at Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. She was born on Dec. 18, 1928, at Cody, Wyo., to Archie and Myrtle Achenbach Sawyer. She attended grade school at Laramie, Wyo., then moved with her family to Baker City, where she graduated from high school. She attended the University of Wyoming at Laramie. On Jan. 8, 1956, she married Martie McQuain II at Laramie, Wyo. The couple lived in Wyoming … Read more

Pifher, Madeline Josephine Luster Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Madeline Josephine Pifher, 79, of Baker City, died June 21, 2004, at Avondale, Ariz. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception at the American Legion, 2129 Second St., after the services. Visitations will be Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Madeline was born on Feb. 10, 1925, at Baker City to … Read more

Evans, John William “Jack” – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon John William “Jack” Evans, 78, of La Grande died Aug. 24 at his home. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. A celebration of life will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Daniels Chapel. Burial will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Wallowa Cemetery. Mr. Evans was born Oct. 29, 1927, to James Ward and Myrtle Maude West Evans in Wallowa. He graduated from Wallowa High School, and served in the Army Air Forces in 1946 and 1947. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English … Read more

Wellington, Vernon Lovell “Vern” – Obituary

Vernon Lovell “Vern” Wellington, 76, of Hermiston, a former Baker City resident, died Oct. 30, 2001, at the Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston with his wife, Norma, by his side. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Grays West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. There will be a graveside service with veterans participating at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral chapel. Mr. Wellington was born on March 7, 1926, at Baker City to John … Read more

De Long, Lois Jean – Obituary

Lois Jean De Long, 94, of La Grande, died Sept. 13 in a care center in Hermiston. A funeral service will be held at the First Christian Church, 903 Penn Ave. in La Grande at 11 a.m. Monday. Burial will follow at the Hillcrest Cemetery. Viewing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande. Lois was born on May 3, 1913, near Cove to Nettie (Golden) and Arch Conley. She was a descendant of early pioneers, her great grandfather being Ben Brown, the first man to build … Read more

Speelman, Claude L. – Obituary

Claude L. Speelman, 90, of Hermiston, a former Haines resident, died Jan. 30, 2003, at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the chapel of the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home at Milton-Freewater. Pastor Richard Wright will officiate. Private interment will be Wednesday in Mount Hope Cemetery. Claude was born Oct. 27, 1912, at Haines. He was the son of LeRoy and Lela Cross Speelman. He married Janet Pettie at Weiser, Idaho, in 1939. He worked construction and the couple moved a lot when their children were young. He later worked ranches … Read more

Simonis, Valeria Denise Macy Mrs. – Obituary

Valeria Denise Simonis, 70, of Baker City, died Jan. 31, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. A memorial service will be scheduled this summer. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Valeria was born on March 9, 1934, at Baker City to John and Irma Williams Macy. Her family lived at Jacksonville until she was in the fourth grade, when they returned to Baker City. She married Keith Simonis at Elko, Nev., in 1950. They made their home at North Powder until their divorce. At that time, she and her children moved to Hermiston, where she went to work … Read more

Hobbs, Floyd J. – Obituary

April 11, 1914-Aug. 18, 2004 Hermiston Floyd J. Hobbs, a resident of Hermiston died on Sunday August 18 at the age of 90. He was born on April 11, 1914 in North Powder, Ore., to parents Frank and Georgia Knowlton Hobbs. Floyd was one of six children, three brothers, Raymond, Kenneth and Eldon, and two sisters, Alene and Leora. He lived most of his younger years in the North Powder area, working for the farmers on the local ranches. He moved to the Hermiston area to help build the Umatilla Army Depot. On August 11, 1941, he married Bessie Dexter … Read more

Lyons, Edward Charles – Obituary

Edmund “Boomer” Charles Lyons, 38, died at his home in Enumclaw, Wash., June 8. A memorial service will begin at 3 p.m. June 30 at the Hermiston Eagles Lodge, 160 N.W. Second St., Hermiston. Boomer was born in Othello, Wash., on Sept. 4, 1968, to Evelyn Lyons and Ed C. Lyons I. In 1993, Boomer met his future wife, Chrissy, at Crabby’s bar and it was love at first sight. They were married Oct. 15, 1993, and made their home in Enumclaw. Boomer worked at FedEx National LTL. He enjoyed coaching his daughter’s fast pitch softball team and was his … Read more

Price, Joanne Kaye – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Joanne Kaye Price, 73, died July 13 in her home in Hermiston. A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hermiston Church of the Nazarene. Burial will be at noon Monday at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Mrs. Price was born Jan. 16, 1933 in Fresno, Calif. to Samuel and Virginia Tarleton Timbrell. She graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1950, and on Sept. 9, 1950, she married John Robert Price in Hood River. The couple lived in Vancouver, Kennewick and Tacoma, Wash., and St. Helens, Astoria and Aloha. She graduated from … Read more

See, Benjamin Franklin – Obituary

Hermiston, Oregon Pioneer of Union County called to final Rest. Another pioneer of the plains was called to his final rest last week when Benjamin Franklin See passed away after 89 years of sojourn here on this earth. As a youth he braved the long journey to the west coast and Oregon, with his parents to help build civilization in the Grande Ronde valley in Union County. In later years, about 1865, Mr. See freighted between Umatilla and La Grande enduring the hardships of the trail. He was a true pioneer of this vast western empire. Benjamin Franklin See was … Read more

Schock, Berniece Parker Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Berniece Schock, 71, of Hermiston, died Nov. 10, 2004, at the Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston. Her graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Eternal Hills Cemetery in Klamath Falls. She was born on Oct. 11, 1933, at Baker City to Clifford and Cecelia Bowman Parker. She married Harold H. Schock on May 23, 1952, at Payette, Idaho. The couple lived at Pondosa and later in the Baker City area for more than 30 years. They moved to Ashland in 1990. Harold died in 1992. Berniece returned to Baker City in 1994 and lived … Read more

Shoemaker, Mark D. “Monk” – Obituary

Haines, Oregon Mark D. “Monk” Shoemaker, 65, a longtime St. Helens resident, died Dec. 21, 2003, of natural causes. At the family’s request, disposition was by cremation. No service is planned. Mark was born on March 27, 1938, at Toppenish, Wash., to Marcus T. and Lorraine V. Embrey Shoemaker. He attended grade schools at Hermiston, where he lived a large part of his life. He was a 1957 Hermiston High School graduate and later moved to Coquille and then to the Myrtle Point area where he went to work for Roseburg Lumber Co. for several years. In the mid-1960s, Mark … Read more

Reece, Lacy D. – Obituary

Lacy D. Reece of Milton Freewater and a former resident of Enterprise passed away Wednesday, January 22, at the Veterans Administration Hospital at the age of 80. Reece lived at Rt. 3, Milton Freewater. Mr. Reece moved from Clearwater, Kansas, where he was born Sept. 5, 1894, to Oklahoma, and in 1913 he moved to Falls City, Ore. He married Ruth Eaton in Enid, Okla., and the couple then moved to Enterprise. Reece served with the U.S. Army during World War I. He returned to Enterprise after the war and worked as a meat cutter. His wife passed away in … Read more

Irwin, Samuel H. – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon Samuel Hugh Irwin, 80, a retired farmer formerly of La Grande, died following an extended illness, Friday, in a Portland hospital. Funeral services will be held in the Daniels Funeral Home, Monday at 2 p.m. Bishops Vernon Bennion, Hermiston, and Henry Stoddard, Pendleton, of the LDS Church, will officiate. Burial will be in the Island City Cemetery. Mr. Irwin was born in Illinois, Oct. 22, 1879 and had been a resident of the La Grande and valley area most of his lifetime. In August of this year he went to live with his daughter in … Read more

Monaghan, Barbara Jean Bowman Mrs. – Obituary

North Powder, Oregon Barbara Jean Bowman Monaghan, 77, of Aurora, Ill., a former North Powder resident, died April 9, 2004, at her home surrounded by her devoted children and grandchildren. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. June 26, 2004, at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Hermiston. Committal will be at the Hermiston Cemetery. There will be a celebration of Barbara’s life immediately after the services. Her family and friends are invited to come and share in the commemoration of her life. Barbara was born to Roland “Bill” and Vera Clarke Bowman on June 28, 1926, … Read more

Carper, Garry James – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon Enterprise native, Garry James Carper, died of cancer at home in Enterprise, Aug. 11, 1988. He was 31. He was born June 25, 1957 in Enterprise, the son of Alfred E. and Esther D. Carper. On Sept. 22, 1984 he married Christina M. Holt in Hermiston. He was a respiratory therapist by profession. Carper graduated from Enterprise High School in 1975 where he was active in sports. He worked at Wallowa Memorial Hospital as an EMT. In 1977 he moved to Hermiston to work at Good Shepherd Hospital as a respiratory therapist where he later became head of … Read more