La Grande, Union County, Oregon LA GRANDE, Or., April 1 – Mrs. J. J. Carr, wife of a prominent La Grande business man, died here last night. Death was said to have resulted from a cerebral hemorrhage. Baker Democrat Herald – – April 1, 1929
Dr. Florian Michael “Jeff” Kovach, 87, of La Grande, died Oct. 12 at a local care center. A celebration of life will be planned for sometime in the spring. The announcement will be published later. He was born on July 3, 1920, to Michael and Elizabeth (Farkas) Kovach in Tacoma, Wash. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in veterinary medicine and served with the Air Force in Korea. In 1946 he moved to the Grande Ronde Valley as the county’s first professional veterinarian and opened the Animal Health Center on Island City strip. On Aug. 30, 1948, … Read more
Union, Oregon Deborah Lee (Brooks) Fifer, 57, of Fairbanks, Alaska, and formerly of Union and La Grande, died June 3. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. June 21 at the Eagle Valley Cemetery. A full obituary will be available later. Friends are invited to join the family following the service at the Eagle Valley Grange. Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home in Halfway is in charge of arrangements. La Grande Observer – June 6, 2008 ________________________________________ Deborah Lee (Brooks) Fifer, 57, of Fairbanks, Alaska, and formerly of Union and La Grande, died June 3 at her home with her … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Pauline Isabelle Howard, 97, of La Grande, a former Sumpter resident, died April 20, 2002, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. Her funeral will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Summerville Cemetery Chapel. Viewing will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., in La Grande. Mrs. Howard was born May 27, 1904, to James and Ione Jaycox Woodell in Wallowa County. She graduated from La Grande High School and in 1923 she married Glynn Howard in La Grande. The couple lived on the Oregon Coast … Read more
Formerly of La Grande Allan J. Sigler, 89, of Baker City and formerly of La Grande, died Sept. 17 at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City with Pastor David Eddy of Faith Center, La Grande, officiating. Viewing runs from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight at Gray’s West and Company. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery and there will be a reception at the family’s home. Allan lived in La Grande from 1977 through 1980. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Elizabeth Care Center … Read more
Jane Cronin died May 13, 2007. She was 88. Mrs. Cronin was born in Melrose, Idaho, to Gertrude and Samuel Sardam, on a farm a few miles north of Lewiston. She graduated from Lewiston Normal School and then attended Eastern Oregon Normal School. Mrs. Cronin began her teaching career in Lewis, a town in Wallowa County just outside of Enterprise. In true pioneer fashion, she taught in a one-room schoolhouse and rode to school each day on horseback. She used to tell how one day the county superintendent visited the school and was surprised to see her dressed in such … Read more
Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon Services for Mable Forthman, of Ontario, who died Tuesday, May 10, 1983 at an Ontario, Oregon hospital, were conducted at 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 13, 1983 at the Ontario ………. Chapel. (article smeared and unable to read minister’s name and name of church) Interment followed at the Evergreen Cemetery in Ontario. She was born on January 3, 1902 in La Grande, Oregon, the daughter of James and Nancy ??(last name smeared). She was raised and educated in Day Ridge and La Grande. She married William T. Forthman on December 24, 1920 in Flora. They lived in … Read more
Dies In Portland M.S. Bloch pioneer of La Grande Passes Away. In the passing of Max S. Bloch on Sunday night Oregon lost one of its well-known pioneer business men, one who had engaged in the mercantile business in La Grande for more than 50 years. Mr. Block was esteemed by his many friends in La Grande, where he settled when about 18 years of age and where he became a factor in the business world in the half century he was in Oregon. Mr. Bloch was born in Germany, but came to America when a lad and chose Oregon … Read more
Baker City, Oregon Barney E. Kilborn, 85, of Baker City died Feb. 7, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. At his request, there will be no service. Barney was born to Lloyd and Ethel Knowles Kilborn at Weiser, Idaho, on June 10, 1918. He was raised in the Weiser area. Growing up in the Snake River Basin, he developed a long-term love of hunting and outdoor activities. During World War II, Barney worked on the railroad, which eventually brought him to Eastern Oregon where he lived in the La Grande area. In 1946, Barney married and moved to Redmond where … Read more
Arleta Lucille Hiatt, 86, of Kennewick died Monday, April 17, 1995, at Life Care Center of Kennewick. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Summerville Cemetery. Viewing will precede the service at 2 p.m. in the chapel at the cemetery. Services are under the direction of Mueller’s Chapel of the Falls of Kennewick. Mrs. Hiatt was born Nov. 12, 1910, at Summerville and spent most of her life in La Grande. She attended Island City School and La Grande Catholic Academy and graduated from La Grande High School. She married Merlin D. Hiatt on March … Read more
The prosperity of any community, town or city depends upon its commercial activity its industrial interests and its trade relations, and therefore the real upbuilders of a town are those who stand at the head of the leading enterprises. Among the prominent representatives of commercial life in Silver City is S. D. McLain, who as a partner in the firm of Shea, McLain & Crete is at the head of the most extensive mercantile establishment of the town. This well appointed store, with its large and carefully selected stock, is a credit to the proprietors as well as to the … Read more
Charles Robert Shuey, 63, died suddenly at 6:15 p.m. yesterday [May 5, 1950] at his farm home four miles west of Ellensburg, apparently the victim of a heart attack. Born in Missouri, Shuey came to the Kittitas Valley as a small boy. He lived here until 1920 when he went to LaGrande, Ore., where he was engaged in the contract log-hauling business. He returned here in 1942. Shuey is survived by his wife, Lorraine; two daughters, Mrs. Elsie Sloan of Bremerton and Mrs. Busick of Port Orchard; six sons, Tracy, Robert, Jackie, Gary and Bobby Shuey, all of Ellensburg, and … Read more
Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon The death of Mrs. Emma Rundall Fisher occurred at a LaGrande hospital to which she was rushed from her home in Enterprise, after a severe illness of long duration which required an operation from which she did not recover. Mrs. Fisher was an early pioneer coming to this valley and locating with her family near Union and with her husband, Hiram Fisher, moved to Cove where they resided until going to Enterprise some 35 years ago. She was born on a trek of wagon-train movers, coming west between Iowa and Kansas before making the remainder of … Read more
Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Mrs. Katherin Marshall died Sunday, Jan. 24th, 1937 at Wallowa. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church in Wallowa Tuesday afternoon, conducted by the pastor, Rev. E.A. Pollock. Burial was in Wallowa cemetery. Katherin Jones was born in Kansas City, Mo., in 1873 and died at the age 64 years, six months and 20 days. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Marion Jones. Her parents came to Oregon when she was a small girl and settled in the Grande Ronde valley where she was married to William Marshall in 1886. She and … Read more
Cove, Oregon Tina Petersen, 48, of Cove died Sept. 22 at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland of complications of autoimmune inner ear disease and diabetes. The family is holding a gathering of her friends and their companion animals at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Birnie Park in La Grande. Tina was born March 7, 1959, in Park Rapids, Minn., to Jim and Carol Groth. Despite contracting Type 1 diabetes at age 2, she had a happy childhood in Walker, Minn., “up north” in lake country, and graduated from Walker High School in 1977. She attended Iowa State University and … Read more
Evelyn Hagey, 96, died Sept. 22 at her home in La Grande. A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth St. Evelyn was born Sept. 17, 1911, to Royal David and Bernice Comstock Jones in Cove. In 1933, she married James Howard. He died in 1936. She married Floyd Hagey in March 1941. He preceded her in death in 2002. Evelyn was an active member in Eastern Star, Royal Neighbors and Daughters of the Nile. With her husband, she was also involved in the Shriners Food Caravan and the Shrine Football Game. … Read more
R. L. Harris of this city received a message last night giving the brief announcement of the death of his sister, Mrs. Lula Shuey, in an auto accident at La Grande, Ore. Mrs. Shuey, who is survived by her husband and two children, is well known in Ellensburg, having lived her practically all of her life with the exception of a few years spent in California. She moved with her family to Oregon three years ago. The Evening Record, April 23, 1922 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman
La Grande, Oregon Dana L. Gunter, 69, died April 5 at her son’s home in LaPine. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Grandview Cemetery, La Grande. Mrs. Gunter was born April 5, 1938, in Spokane, Wash., and was raised in Oregon. She was married to Chester Gunter and lived in La Grande for about 10 years. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and had a special relationship with great-granddaughters Mya and Brittany. Survivors include her children, Ernie of San Jose, Calif., Tom of LaPine, Chester, Dana of La Grande, Eva of Salem and … Read more
Union, Oregon Reba L. Briggs Hamon Reba L. Briggs Hamon, 78, of Prineville and formerly of Union and La Grande, died Oct. 16 at her home. A celebration of life took place Oct. 19 at the Prineville Funeral Home with Pastor Dusty Flegel officiating. Mrs. Hamon was born in Shidler, Okla., April 22, 1928, to William Ernest and Bernie Hohstadt Briggs. The family moved to Oregon in 1937, settling in Union in 1938 when she was in the third grade. She lived and worked in Union and La Grande until moving to Prineville in 1948. In 1953 she married Noah … Read more
Elgin, Union County, Oregon Services Held Tuesday for Matt E. McCall, 88 Matt Eugene McCall, 88, of Elgin, died Saturday, Aug. 13 in the Valley View Manor in La Grande after an extended illness. Funeral services were held at the Elgin Nazarene Church on Tuesday, Aug. 16. Rev. Marvin Miller officiated, with burial at the Elgin cemetery. The retired carpenter (correction: mill and timber worker) was born in Kansas on Jan. 21, 1878 and had lived in Elgin most of his lifetime. He was a member of the Nazarene Church. Survivors include a grandson, Jessie E. McCall of Boise, Idaho; … Read more