John Day Oregon

Simonsen, Glenda Beth Healey Mrs. – Obituary

Glenda Beth Simonsen, 69, of John Day, a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 23, 2007, at Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day. There was a private family service. Glenda was born April 22, 1938, at Baker City to Glen and Anna Jacobson Healey. She was a 1956 graduate of Powder Valley High at North Powder. Glenda married Roger Simonsen in Baker City on July 31, 1959. Glenda was a business owner with her husband, Roger. Their work included highway construction, wholesale grocery, service station and auto repair. She also filled customer service positions at several John Day businesses. She … Read more

Proffitt, Pat Mrs. – Obituary

John Day, Baker County, Oregon Pat Proffitt, 48, of John Day, died Dec. 20, 2005, after a long illness. At her request, her body was cremated and a private memorial service will be scheduled later. Pat was born on April 15, 1957, at Oka Tamuning, Guam. She graduated from high school at Guam and moved to Baker City in 1975. While living in Baker City, she became a part of the community helping others. Pat moved to Grant County in 1992, and married Norman Proffitt Jr. on April 10, 1997. Pat enjoyed ceramics, crocheting and working in her flower beds. … Read more

McCray, Mary Coleta Huys Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Mary Coleta McCray, 82, a Baker City native, died Oct. 28, 2001, at her son’s home in Baker City. A vigil service is scheduled at 8:30 tonight at Grays West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. The Rev. Rob Irwin will officiate. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception at the church after the service. Visitations will be until 8 o’clock tonight at Grays West & Co. Mrs. McCray was born … Read more

Mrs. Vera Louise Storie Powell – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Vera Louise Storie Powell, 104, a longtime Baker County resident, died Aug. 15, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Care Center. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Her great-grandson, Pastor Wayne Hart of Calvary Baptist Church at Xenia, Ohio, will officiate. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception before the service at noon at Janis Hart’s home, 3320 Birch St. Mrs. Powell was born on March 28, 1897, at Durkee on the Horseshoe Ranch to Sidney and Iva Storie. She was the … Read more

Humble, Mabel M. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Mabel M. Humble, 100, of Prairie City, died Dec. 5, 2005, at Blue Mountain Nursing Home. Her memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the John Day United Methodist Church, 126 N.W. Canton St. Private vault interment was Friday, Dec. 9, at Mount Hope Cemetery. She was born in Baker City on Feb. 9, 1905. She was the youngest of five children born to Martin and Nettie Humble. After graduating from Baker High School in 1923, Mabel began a career as an elementary school teacher. She taught at several one- and two-room schools … Read more

Cochran, Margaret L. “Mary” Born Mrs. – Obituary

Margaret L. ‘Mary’ Cochran, 78, of Baker City, died Feb. 14, 2005, at St. Lukes Regional Medical Center in Boise. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin will celebrate the Mass. There will be a graveside service at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Prairie City Cemetery. Pastor Darrell Johnson of Grace Chapel of Prairie City will officiate. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Mrs. Cochran was born on Feb. 18, 1926, at John Day … Read more

Steinbeck, J. D. – Obituary

Formerly of La Grande 1915-2009 J.D. Steinbeck, 93, of Seneca and formerly of La Grande, died Jan. 31 at Country Spice Assisted Living Center in John Day. Graveside services will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the Hermiston Cemetery. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. J.D. was born May 19, 1915, to Frank and Clara (Hadley) Steinbeck in La Grande. He graduated from La Grande High School and later from Boeing Aircraft School in California. He served in the U.S. Army as a diesel mechanic instructor based in Seattle. He then returned to La Grande to work … Read more

Backlund, Donna Ratliff Kowing Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Donna Kowing Backlund, 61, of Baker City, died Sept. 27, 2002, at John Day. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Shiela Kowing, who live up Laycock Creek in the John Day area. Mrs. Backlund was born May 4, 1941, at Tillamook to Lawrence and Frieda Ammeter Ratliff. She grew up on a homestead near Washougal, Wash., where she was schooled. She later attended Blue Mountain Community College and was a certified dental assistant employed at Baker City for several years. On Dec. … Read more

Glascock, Peter – Obituary

Peter Glascock meets death from a shot fired by Relative in a hunting mishap. Victim of the usual mistake, during deer hunting season. Peter Glascock of Kingman Kolony was instantly killed Wednesday at 11 a.. but a bullet fired from the gun of James Hite, his son-in-law. The accident occured near John Day, where Mr. Glascock and his party had camped. A Coroner’s verdict absolved James Hite of any responsibility by rendering a verdict of death by accidental shooting. The shooting was one of those freak accidents that happens. Mr. Glascock and Dwight Burke were seated on a log resting … Read more

Biography of D. B. Rinehart

The subject of this article relates to D. B. Rinehart and his large orchard in the John Day Valley, Grant County, Oregon. He came to the John Day Valley in 1804, about the time that Grant County was cut off from Wasco. Hon. W. Lair Hill, was appointed County Judge by the governor of the State, while William Luce and E. S. Pernfield were appointed County Commissioners. The above board constituted the first County Court of Grant County. At the first sitting of the court, D. B. Rinehart was appointed county superintendent of public schools until the next general election. … Read more

Flippence, Ginger Kay Saul Mrs. – Obituary

Ginger Kay Flippence, 56, of John Day, died May 7, 2008, at her residence. A funeral service was held Monday at Driskill Memorial Chapel. Pastor Daniel Wiese of the John Day Church of the Nazarene officiated. Vault interment took place at the Prairie City Cemetery. Ginger was born Jan. 25, 1952, in Baker City to Gene L. and Betty J. (Zemmer) Saul. She graduated from Prairie City High School in 1970. Ginger married Dennis J. Flippence Aug. 9, 1969, in Bates. She worked in back office operations at the Old West Federal Credit Union, retiring in June of 2007. She … Read more

Waldo, Joel F. – Obituary

Joel F. Waldo, 45, of Baker City, died Oct. 22, 2004, at his home with his devoted wife, Cindy, his mother-in-law, Phyllis, and his minister by his side. He was diagnosed with lung cancer on Oct. 16, 2003, even though he had never smoked a day in his life. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. Pastor Susan Barnes will officiate. Joel was born on Aug. 19, 1959, at Sioux City, Iowa. He worked very hard all his life and was constantly learning new things so he could do it himself. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hon. George Hazeltine

Among the many pioneers of this county none stand higher in the estimation of their fellow citizens than the subject of our sketch. Born in New York in 1838, he came to California at the age of 17 with his oldest brother and resided there for a period of nine years. On the 4th day of July 1862, he arrived in Grant County, and became engaged in mining. In 1804, in connection with A. R. Callum, he built the John Day flouring mills, being the first one built east of the Cascades in the State. He operated it until 1874, … Read more

Droschkey, William Russell – Obituary

Cove, Oregon William Russell Droschkey, 82, of Cove died Friday at a local care center. A graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Cove Cemetery. Mr. Droschkey was born Oct. 3, 1923, to William and Mary Alice Bill Droschkey in Spokane. He was raised in Idaho and graduated from high school in Orofino, Idaho. At the age of 14 went to work in the woods. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and on Sept. 18, 1948, he married Shirley Brazil in Cove. In 1951 he graduated from the University of Utah as … Read more

Shaw, Ella Green – Obituary

Ella Green Shaw, 88, was born Feb. 23, 1877 at Molalla, and died at the Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day on October 12. She moved to Long Creek with her family when a young girl, and spent the remainder of her life there. On Jan. 1, 1895 she married Roscoe Shaw. The had one daughter and three sons. A daughter, Secil, a son, Sydney, and her husband preceeded her in death. She was a lone survivor of a large family-seven brothers and four sisters, also a number of half brothers and sisters. She was the last remaining charter member … Read more

Sawyer, Roy L. – Obituary

Roy L. Sawyer, 88, of John Day, and a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 9, 2002, at Valley View Assisted Living Center. His funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the John Day Seventh-Day Adventist Church, with Pastor Rod Bieber of the church officiating. Interment will be at Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens in Boise. Roy was born Dec. 27, 1913, at Hailey, Idaho, to Alma C. and Rose V. Sawyer. Roy spent his youth in the small town of Cascade, Idaho. He and his brother, Floyd, worked on the Cascade Dam. Roy served in the Second World War … Read more

Anderson, Charles – Obituary

Anderson, Charles Joseph, Oregon Charles Anderson, a former resident of Joseph and Baker City, died April 30, 2006, in Baker, Mont. He was 57. Funeral services will be held May 8 at 2 p.m. at Baker United Methodist Church in Baker City. A full obituary will run in next week’s paper. Wallowa County Chieftain, May 4, 2006 Charles Anderson, a former resident of Joseph and Baker City, died April 30, 2006, in Baker, Mont. He was 57. Mr. Anderson was born Aug. 6, 1948, to Eldon James and Roberta May Griffin Anderson in The Dalles. He grew up and attended … Read more

Livingston, Ardith Maxine – Obituary

Union, Oregon Ardith Maxene Livingston, 100, of Union, died at her residence May 31. A memorial service will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Union. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. Maxene Livingston was born Aug. 29, 1907, the oldest of 13 children, in Santaquin, Utah. She grew up on the family farm owned by her parents, Albert and Chloe Tietjen Greenbalgh. As the oldest child, she was very involved in rearing her brothers and sisters. She also learned to operate all of the farm equipment except … Read more

Rutter, Charlyne E. McKern Yokom (Whitesitt) Mrs. – Obituary

Charlyne E. Rutter, 89, of Baker City, died Oct. 19, 2007, at Ashley Manor, in Baker City. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the First Christian Church in John Day. Pastor Duane Cheadle will officiate. She was born on Oct. 20, 1917, at Mount Vernon to J.E and Jessie “Stormer” McKern. She attended school at Mount Vernon, graduating from high school on May 1, 1935. Charlyne married Dale Yokom in 1935. The couple had one daughter, Marilyn Colleen. Dale died in 1938 in a tragic accident. On April 4, 1941, Charlyne married Percy James … 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