Jackson County OR

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

Brooks, Betty Bond Mrs. – Obituary

Betty Brooks, 75, a former Baker City resident, died at her home in Victorville, Calif., on April 16, 2002. Betty was born to Mildred and Allen Bond in Baker City in 1927. She finished school at Baker City and attended Eastern Oregon College (now Eastern Oregon University) at La Grande. Betty married Lloyd “Bud” Brooks in Baker City. They would have celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary this August. Bud was employed by Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co. for many years and they lived at Medford until he retired and then moved to Victorville. She was preceded in death by her parents and … Read more

Lay, Myrtle Yvonna Inman Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Myrtle Yvonna Lay, 91, died Aug. 22, 2005, at Medford Rehabilitation and Health Center in Medford. A graveside service will be held for Mrs. Lay at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Mountain View Cemetery in Ashland. The Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home in Ashland will handle the arrangements. Chaplain Paul Hagedorn of the Providence Hospital Hospice Care Unit will officiate. Myrtle was born April 19, 1914, to Guy and Jane Inman, whose parents were early immigrants to Eastern Oregon from the Midwest. She spent most of her childhood in or near Baker City and … Read more

Henry, Jim – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Jim Henry, 81, died at home on July 22, 2005, after a long battle with lung cancer. His graveside inurnment service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in the military section of Mount Hope Cemetery. Father Camillus Fernando of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Military rites will be under the auspices of the National Guard and Doug Riggs will speak on behalf of the Baker Elks Lodge. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception after the services at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St. Jim was born on Aug. 17, … Read more

Van Hoomissen, Condon J. “Jerry” – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Condon J. “Jerry” Van Hoomissen, 76, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 4, 2003, at his home. His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will conduct the service. After the committal, family and friends are invited to the Van Hoomissen home at 320 Foothill Drive to swap stories and visit. Food and drink will be provided, but if you wish to bring a dish to share, please do so, it will be appreciated. Jerry was born on Jan. 24, … Read more

Cleveland, Michael Gene – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Michael Gene Cleveland, 34, of La Grande died Aug. 1 at Grande Ronde Hospital of natural causes. A memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday Aug. 5 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. Mr. Cleveland was born July 25, 1972, to Robert and Deborah Beickel Cleveland in Medford. The family moved to Pendleton and then settled in La Grande in 1973. He graduated from La Grande High School in 1990 and from Eastern Oregon State College in 1995. On Aug., 30, 2003, he married Elizabeth Canfield in La Grande. He worked for Boise … Read more

Biography of Henry Klippel

HENRY KLIPPEL. – Mr. Klippel has been intimately connected with the public business and measures of our state, particularly in Southern Oregon. Like the most of our successful men, his progress has been by hard labor, and even by hard knocks; that is, he has, out of the capital of his own hands and brain, gained point after point, and succeeded in stamping his mind and character upon public affairs. He was born in Hesse Darmstadt in 1833, and came to American five years later. After an industrious and active life in the old West, – losing his father by … Read more

Pitts, Eleanor Marie Franklin Mrs. – Obituary

Eleanor Marie Franklin Pitts, 81, a former Baker City resident, died April 14, 2006, in Upland, Calif. Her funeral was held April 21 at Eagle Point. Pastor Lee Gregory of the Medford Neighborhood Church officiated. Internment was in the National Cemetery in Eagle Point beside her husband, a veteran of World War II. Arrangements were by Memory Gardens Mortuary, Medford. Mrs. Pitts was born in Pendleton on Sept. 7, 1924. She spent her early years in Baker City, attending Baker schools. She married Elton Best in 1942 and that union produced three children. They were later divorced, at which time … Read more

Biography of Joseph Gaston

JOSEPH GASTON. – Joseph Gaston, the pioneer railroad man of Oregon, was born in Lloydsville, Belmont county, Ohio, in 1833. His ancestors on is father’s side were Huguenots, who were expelled from France by the Roman Catholic King in the sixteenth century, on account of their adhesion to the protestant reformation. They settled first in Ireland, and from thence in 1562 removed to North Carolina, from whence numerous branches of the family scattered out over the United States. William Gaston, the granduncle of Joseph, was chief justice of North Carolina, and for many years member of Congress from that state, … Read more

Bloom, Louis R. – Obituary

Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon Louis R. Bloom Dies On His Way To South Louis R. Bloom, a native son of Wallowa valley, died at Goldendale, Washington, Wednesday, December 22, 1937. He was on his way from Yakima, where he had lived for three years, to souhtern California where Mrs. Bloom had gone a few weeks before. He was stricken with a heart attack and went to a hotel where he passed away. The body was brought to Enterprise by C.L. Booth and funeral services were held at the Booth Chapel Monday morning and burial was in Enterprise cemetery. Rev. Lloyd … Read more

Gibson, Jackson Wesley – Obituary

Cove, Union County, Oregon Mrs. Daisy Rundall received word recently of the death of her brother, Jack Gibson of Medord, Ore. Mr. Gibson was born in Cove in 1890 and received his education in the Cove school. He was married Aug. 5, 1912 to Nellie Glassen of Elgin. The couple moved to Elgin for a while, then Mr. Gibson moved to Seaside, Ore., where he lived for a period of time before moving to Medford. He was a carpenter and contractor, and built houses in Elgin, Seaside and Medford. He is survived by his wife La Veta, one daughter, Shirley … Read more

Biography of Eli K. Anderson

ELI K. ANDERSON. – There is no pioneer of whom volumes might be written with more propriety than he whose name appears above. Miner, Indian fighter, relentless pursuer of horse thieves, pioneer of the great fruit industry of Southern Oregon, and sterling temperance man, and singular, almost passing belief, in this age of defilers of themselves of tobacco, a total abstainer his whole life long from the use of the weed, – such is our subject. He was born in Indiana in 1826; and, after various transferences of residence in that state, during which he learned the carpenter’s trade, he … Read more

Cole, Robert Lindford – Obituary

Robert Lindford Cole 1867 – 1950 Robert Lindford Cole was the son of Rev. William Person Cole Sr. AKA Wiley P. Cole and Catherine Lindord Misner Cole. In the early 1940’s the Enterprise Chieftain published articles concerning Wallowa County Pioneers still living in the area. At this time they interviewed Robert Cole and the following article was published as a result. It gives his complete history. Another Wallowa County resident who belongs in the ranks of the pioneers is Robert Lindord Cole of Enterprise who has resided in the county since 1880. Mr. Cole was born on May 5, 1867 … Read more

Tarter, Alvin Hansford – Obituary

Pine Valley, Oregon Alvin Hansford Tarter, 96, a former Pine Valley resident, died at his home in Medford on Nov. 17, 2004. His graveside service was today at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Alvin Hansford Tarter was born on Oct. 26, 1908, at Baker City to Frank and Laura Daley. Alvin was raised by Hansford and Myrtle Tarter. He spent his first few years at Copperfield, then later moved to Carson where he was raised and went to school. Alvin married Edith Robertson in June of 1926 at Baker City. They lived at Carson and had two children, Alvin Dale … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William H. Pullen

William H. Pullen is one of the prominent men of Malheur County, being both a successful business man and property owner and popular County official. He was born in Illinois, on March 1, 1845, being the son of William and Mary (Weils) Pullen, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Liverpool. When thirteen, he went with his parents to Texas, remaining there until 1867, and then returned to Illinois, where he engaged in farming until 1872. At that date a move was made to Pawnee County, Nebraska, and that was his home until 1880. He next located in Coos County, Oregon, where … Read more

Biography of Isham E. Saling

ISHAM E. SALING. – The gentleman whose name appears above is the leading merchant in the thriving city of Weston, Oregon. He came to his position by that firm and steady application to business which is everywhere the guaranty of success. Mr. Saling is a native of Monroe county, Missouri, and was born in 1830. In 1852 he came to Oregon across the plains. At Salmon Falls on the Snake he exchanged his oxen for horses, packing in from that point to the Jacksonville mines, and remaining in that section until 1855. Coming to Yamhill county he engaged in farming … Read more

Garrett, Raymond W. – Obituary

Raymond (Rod) Garrett passed away Sunday, May 17, 1942 at the home of his brother, Richard Garrett at Jacksonville near Medford. For a year Rod had lived with his brother and recently had been working on the construction of a new army contonment.He had been in poor health and was oppressed by personal worries and death came from a bullet fired from a high power rifle in his own hands. The body was brought to Enterprise by Richard Garrett and Cecil Osborne and funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at the Flora Methodist church and burial was in Flora Cemetery. … Read more

Rykken, Clarence Norman – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Clarence Norman Rykken, 67, of Baker City died March 10, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. There will be a celebration of his life at 11 a.m. Friday at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. The Rev. Susan Barnes will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the church. Norman, as he preferred to be called, was born at Ashland to Clarence T. and Beryl Rykken on Nov. 23, 1938. He lived in Ashland until he graduated from high school in 1956 and joined the Forest Service. He worked for the Forest Service … Read more

Childers, Maude B. (Heskett) – Obituary

Graveside services for Maude B. Childers, 84, of Route 2, Box 488A, Gold Hill, who died Friday, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Siskiyou Memorial Park. The rev. Gordon Peterson, pastor of the Assembly of God Church, Shady Cove, will officiate. Perl Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Mrs. Childers was born on Oct. 26, 1883, in La Grande, Ore. She was married to Albert L. Childers, who died on April 1, 1966. Survivors include a daughter, Blanche M. Graves, Gold Hill, and one grandson. Mail Tribune Medford, Oregon Sunday, April 14, 1968 Page A9

McClain, John – Obituary

Joseph, Wallowa County, Oregon John J. McClain died at the Wallowa Memorial Hospital June 26, 1978 where he had been a patient for 5 days. He was a resident of the Pioneer Guest Home, and a former resident of Medford and Salem. He was born September 30, 1886 on Upper Prairie Creek to James R. and Alice McClain. He married Ida Mae Hursch at Medical Springs, Oregon. She preceded him in death in 1939. In August of 1977 he married Lurena B. in Salem, Oregon. Mr. McClain was a meat cutter, retired. Services were held Saturday, July 1 at Bollman … Read more