Boers, Louis Paul – Obituary

Funeral services for Louis P. “Slim” Boers, Sturgis, were Friday at Carlsen-Jolley Funeral Home, Sturgis, with the Rev. Randy Hogarth officiating. Burial was at Black Hills National Cemetery will full military honors provided by the Sturgis Veterans Honor Guard. Boers, 78, died April 21, 1993, at his home. He was born Nov. 29, 1914, at Lacon, Ill. to Ole Jacob & Daisy Ellen (Hewitt) Boers. In 1917 he and his family moved to the Faith area where they lived for several years. They moved to Seattle, Wash., for a short time before returning to South Dakota. He served in the … Read more

Storey, Edna L. – Obituary

Nov. 11, 1900 – Nov. 27, 1989. Beloved mother of Marian Reeves, Seattle; Elaine Carleton, Vashon Island; six grandchildren, seven great grandchildren. Memorial service Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1989, 2 p.m. Bethany Lutheran Church (Green Lake), 7400 Woodlawn Ave. N. E. Seattle Times, December 3, 1989 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Van Ocker, Virginia Mary Wilson Mrs. – Obituary

Virginia Mary Wilson Van Ocker, 90, of Baker City, died Jan. 29, 2005, at Boise after a long illness. Her memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Ralph Holcomb will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the funeral home. Virginia was born at Seattle, Wash., on June 3, 1914, to Otis and Hulda Wilson. She was the second of five children. At the age of 2, she moved with her family to Milton-Freewater. She attended all 12 years of school at Milton-Freewater, graduating from Mac-Hi in 1932. She married … Read more

Biography of Hon. Elisha P. Ferry

HON. ELISHA P. FERRY. – Mr. Ferry was born at Monroe, Michigan, August 9, 1825. He studied law there and at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was admitted to the bar in 1845 at the age of twenty years. In 1846 he removed to Waukegan, Illinois, where he engaged in the practice of his profession. He resided at Waukegan until July, 1869, when he removed to the territory of Washington. He was the first mayor of the city of Waukegan. In 1852 and in 1856 he was presidential elector for the district in which he resided. He was a member of … Read more

Laursen, Maybelle Sheret Mrs. – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Maybelle Laursen, 78, a resident of Deer Creek Road near Sumpter, died Oct. 18, 2002, at her home. At her request there will be no service. Disposition was by cremation. Mrs. Laursen was born at Seattle, Wash., on Aug. 8, 1924, a daughter of Albert Alexander and Sarah Durie Sheret. She was raised and educated at Milwaukie. She started her career as a telephone operator in British Columbia and returned to the United States working for Pacific Northwest Bell as a long-distance operator. She met and married Otto Laursen in 1953 at Portland. They were married 46 years … Read more

Nealis, Martha Shelton – Obituary

B. M. Shelton of Ellensburg has received word of the death of his sister, Mrs. Martha Nealis, 92, Saturday morning in Seattle [October 25, 1941], at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. T. Gott. Mrs. Nealis and Mr. and Mrs. Gott will be remembered by may friends in Ellensburg, where they lived for 17 years before moving to Seattle in 1923. Funeral services will be held Tuesday in Seattle. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Heath, Eve Maree Watkins Mrs. – Obituary

North Powder, Oregon Eve Maree Heath, 71, of North Powder, died Aug. 17, 2002, at her home. There will be a celebration of her life at 2 p.m. Saturday at her home at 820 Second St. in North Powder. Mrs. Heath was born on Sept. 23, 1930, at Walla Walla, Wash., to Lefty and Dorothy Jones Watkins. She was raised and educated in Washington. She married Chester P. Heath on March 9, 1978, at Seattle, Wash. She bowled at the Baker Bowl for many years. She devoted her life to her uncle, Bud Jones; her mother, Dorothy Pearson; her daughter, … Read more

Stewart, Thomas G. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Thomas G. Stewart, 82, of La Grande died April 3 at the home of his friends, Kay and Vernon Slippy. A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Daniels-Knopp with Rev. Vernon Slippy officiating. Thomas was born Sept. 18, 1925, to Thomas A. and Mary Jane (Gale) Stewart in Ponoka, Alberta, Canada. He served in WWII in the Canadian Navy as a Telegraphist Trained Operator serving in the Atlantic, in the D-day invasion, and in the Pacific on board Corvettes and Mine-sweepers. He moved, with his parents, to New Westminister, B.C., during the war. After … Read more

Biography of Hon. Cornelius H. Hanford

HON. CORNELIUS H. HANFORD. – The subject of this sketch, although a young man, is one of the pioneers of Washington. He was born in the town of Winchester, Van Buren county, Iowa, on the 21st of April 1849. His father was a well-to-do farmer at that place. The gold discoveries in California soon attracted attention to the Pacific coast; and in 1853 he resolved to dispose of his Iowa property and seek a new home on Puget Sound, where his two brothers Seymour and George then were. Accordingly in the spring of that year he started with his entire … Read more

Cooke, Lela F. Wilson – Obituary

Cooke, Lela F. of 2012 E. Lynn St. Beloved mother of Mrs. Millard W. Crawford, Freeman Cooke, both of Seattle; Truman L. Cooke, California; Eugene C. Cooke, George, Wash. Eight grandchildren, Sister of Mrs. Goldie Olufson, Tacoma; Freeman Fetters, Kent; and Joe Fetters, Williams Lake, B. C. Services Thursday, 1 p.m. Bleitz Funeral Home. Entombment, Evergreen Garden Mausoleum [Evergreen-Washelli]. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances to the American Cancer Society. [Died June 23, 1969] Seattle Daily Times, June 24, 1969 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Messer, David L. – Obituary

Jamieson 1949-2009 David Leo Messer, 60, of Jamieson, died as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident Sept. 29, one mile west of Jamieson. Graveside services will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lostine Cemetery. A memorial service will follow on Monday at the Pendleton Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1401 SW Goodwin Place. A memorial service was held Oct. 5 in Vale. Lienkaemper Chapel of Ontario was in charge of arrangements. David was born Aug. 11, 1949, to Leo Eugene Messer and Elizabeth Lucille Jenson in Great Falls, Mont. He attended Great Falls schools and graduated from … Read more

Olmstead, Sarah Yale – Obituary

Mrs. Sarah Yale Olmstead of 801 East Summer Street died at her home about noon yesterday [September 16, 1918]. Mrs. Olmstead was born at Saratoga Springs, New York, December 25, 1841. She moved with her family to Oregon in 1870, where she lived for four years, when she went to Seattle and later came to Kittitas Valley and settled on a farm about five miles southeast of Ellensburg. She is survived by Phil Olmstead of Ellensburg and two granddaughters, the Misses Berdie and Leta Smith. The funeral services will take place at the residence Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock, Dr. … Read more

Blaylock, Thomas Reed “Tom” – Obituary

Thomas Reed “Tom” Blaylock, 79, died Sept. 8, 2005, at St. Charles Hospital in Bend. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the McEwen Bible Fellowship. Pastor Bill Cox will officiate. Interment will be at the Sumpter Cemetery. Military rites will be accorded by Baker City AMVETS, Post No. 1874. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Tom was born on Aug. 8, 1926, at Seattle, Wash. He came to Oregon in 1945. He rode a horse to Arlington to work on a ranch. He graduated from school at Arlington. He … Read more

Smathers, Willie Smith – Obituary

Mrs. Willie F. [Smith] Collins Smathers, 31, died Thursday [January 3, 1952] in Seattle at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Charles L. Miles. She had been ill a short while and went to Seattle three weeks ago. She came to the state of Washington from West Virginia in 1902 with a previous husband and two children. They settled in the Kittitas valley, and she had since made her home here. She became the wife of John E. Smathers of Ellensburg who survives her. Mrs. Smathers is also survived by a son, Frank Collins of Seattle, and five daughters, Mrs. … Read more

Barrett, Allen LeRoy – Obituary

Halfway, Baker County, Oregon Allen LeRoy Barrett, 70, died March 24, 2006, at his home in Halfway. A celebration of his life has been tentatively set for June 17. The time and place will be announced. Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. He was born on Feb. 13, l936, at Sheridan, Wyo., to Edorothy “Edie” and Allan Barrett. He grew up at Kellogg and Smelterville, Idaho. Allen attended school to the 11th grade and then went to work at the Kellogg mine. In 1954, Allen joined the U.S. Navy. He met Shirley Schultz in Seattle, Wash., … Read more

McLaughlin, Mary Alice Josephine Lee Findley – Obituary

Funeral services for Mrs. Josephine McLaughlin, Seattle resident 51 years, who died Tuesday [March 14, 1944] in a hospital, will be held at 3 o’clock tomorrow in the White Funeral Home. The Rev. Charles Williams will officiate. Mrs. McLaughlin, 84 years old, was born in Iowa. She was the widow of Edward D. McLaughlin. She lived with her daughter, Mrs. Leslie Keller, 2121 – 41st Ave. SW. [First husband was Robert Findley who died 1885] Surviving also are a grandson, Sergeant. Robert G. Keller, United States Army; a granddaughter, Mrs. Frances Steedman, and a great grandson, Gary Steedman, all of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. W. George

J.W. GEORGE. – This gentleman is the second son of Presley and Mahala George, and was born in Ohio November 11, 1835, but removed to our state at so early an age as to receive his education at the Santiam Academy in Linn county. He became well known as one of the most promising young men of our state, and early developed unusual business capacity. In 1873 he made a permanent home at Seattle, Washington Territory, and entered actively into the business and social development of this metropolis of the Sound, acquiring also extensive real estate and property interests. July … Read more

Hewitt, John – Obituary

At Argo Station, August 26, 1905, John Hewitt, aged 70 years. Funeral from the Renton Episcopal church, Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Friends invited to attend. Interment at the Renton Cemetery under direction of the Bonney-Watson Co. Seattle Daily Times, August 27, 1905 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah W. Borst

JEREMIAH W. BORST. – The subject of this sketch was born in Tyoga county, New York, in 1829. At the age of four years, he removed with his father’s family to Indiana, and was reared on a farm. The days of his youth were spent in Missouri, with a return to the Hoosier State. In 1850, he crossed the plains with ox-teams for the gold fields of California, and dug for the precious metal five years. In 1858, he came north to Washington Territory, finding a home on Snoqualmie Prairie, since famous as the location of the great ranch of … Read more

Shook, Mary Annette Leback Mrs. – Obituary

Mary Annette Shook, 79, a former Halfway resident, died Dec. 28, 2004, at Pomeroy, Wash., after a year of declining health. Her memorial service will be scheduled this spring to allow distant relatives to attend. Mary was born May 28, 1925, at Chinook, Wash. She grew up in Astoria, graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis, and then taught home economics at Halfway High School. She married Robert Shook of Halfway on March 6, 1949, in Astoria. In 1951 they moved to Seattle and there raised three sons. Robert and Mary retired to Halfway in the summer of 1980 to … Read more