La Grande, Oregon Robert Withycombe, 91, of La Grande, died May 19 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A complete obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. La Grande Observer – Obituaries for the day of May 20, 2008
La Grande, Oregon Carl Richard McMillen, 71, of Spirit Lake, Idaho, and formerly of La Grande, died April 7 in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Celebration of life services begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Clark Fork Senior Center in Idaho. A private family interment will follow at the Clark Fork Cemetery. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Carl was born June 26, 1936, to Maxine Petrina Skillingstad and William Hyrum McMillen in Salt Lake City. During WWII the family moved to San Francisco to work in the war effort. Carl attended grade school in San Francisco at … Read more
Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon Mrs. W. R. Duncan Dies Suddenly Mrs. W.R. Duncan, who with her husband lived north of Enterprise, passed away suddenly in La Grande Friday, December 5, 1958. Mrs. Duncan was the former Myrtle Cummins and was born May 19, 1895 in Elgin, daughter of John and Amelia Cummins. She had lived in Wallowa county for the past 26 years. Her survivors include her husband, Welford R. Duncan; a son, Welford R. (Bob) Duncan Jr., who also lives north of Enterprise; four grandchildren; and two brothers: Dee Cummins, Roseburg; and Orvan Cummins, Pendleton and five sisters: Mrs. … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Roy Pennington, 71, of La Grande, died June 26 at his home. A graveside service will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the Island City Cemetery. Roy was born April 21, 1936, the son of Wesley Lawrence and Katie Pennington in La Grande. He graduated from La Grande High School in 1954. On April 27, 1956, he married Jane Duncan in Elgin. He worked for Boise Cascade until 1959. He was a union carpenter, working for Bechtel Brothers, Gilco and later for Gus Tsiatsos until retiring in 2000. Roy had a great love of the outdoors, including … Read more
Lauretta Cross, of Milton-Freewater and a former resident of Wallowa County, died July 9, 2007, at Walla Walla General Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 85. Mrs. Cross was born June 19,1922, in La Grande to James Everett and Etta Rebecca Berg Rachau. The family resided on Pumpkin Ridge, outside of Elgin. They later moved to Minam, where Mrs. Cross attended school through the second grade. In 1930, the family moved to Onalaska, Wash., where she finished her schooling, graduating from the eighth grade twice. Her father didn’t believe in higher education for women. She married young and had … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Timothy Wood, 57, of La Grande, died Oct. 10 at a local care center. A full obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. La Grande Observer – October 12, 2009 ________________________________ Timothy J. Wood La Grande 1951-2009 Timothy Joel Wood, 57, of La Grande, died Oct. 10 at Evergreen Health and Rehab Center of a fast-growing brain tumor. Services will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Christ with Minister Doug Edmonds officiating. Viewing will be one hour before the service. Burial will be later in Phoenix … Read more
La Grande, Union County, Oregon A Very Sudden Death The death of Hiram McLaughlin, a jewler, occurred very suddenly at his place of business in Hays Variety store, Saturday evening says the La Grande Gazette. He had started to walk to the rear of the building and advancing a few steps, sank witha groan into a chair. Parties who were present ran to his assistance, but he failed to rally, and in a few minutes life, was extinct. The cause of death is supposed to have been the rupture of a blood vessel, or some similiar difficulty. Eastern Oregon Republican, … Read more
Mrs. C.J. Osborne. who had spent the past winter with her son, Lawrence and family in San Francisco, died there early Saturday morning. The body was shipped to Portland and funeral services were held the first of the week at the Portland crematorium. Frances Evelyn Osborne was born in England in 1859 and came to Baker county in 1899 with her husband, the late C.J. Osborne, who died in December, 1913, and three sons. They moved to a farm on Rock Creek in 1900, living there until after Mr. Osborne’s death, later selling the farm and moving to La Grande … Read more
Lucy A. Dimmick, of La Grande, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 16, 2002, at Evergreen Health and Rehab Center in La Grande. Her graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Art Evans of La Grande’s New Life Center-Assembly of God Church in La Grande will officiate. Mrs. Dimmick was born Oct. 16, 1906, at Linsley, Okla. She was a daughter of Albert J. and Jennie E. Coates Warner. She married Willard R. Reeves in September 1935 at Fay, Okla. They had a son, which died as an infant. The couple later separated. … Read more
La Grande resident, Lawrence E. (Larry) Ables, father of Bill Ables of Enterprise, died May 24, 1991, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. He was 64. A graveside funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Grandview Cemetery in La Grande. Mr. Ables was born April 22, 1927, in Ruth, Nev., the son of Lawrence and Anna (Jensen) Ables. On Aug. 12, 1948, he married Wanda Buzzetti in Ely, Nev. He worked as an aircraft fabricator in California and later as a truck driver for Boise Cascade in Union County from 1971 until he retired in 1983. … Read more
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
Union, Oregon David Duane Straight, 63, of Jacksonville, Fla., and formerly of Union and La Grande, died Nov. 3 in Jacksonville. Following cremation, his ashes will be returned to Alaska in the spring. Mr. Straight was born April 21, 1943, to H. David and Dorothy Anne Straight. He was raised in Union and lived in La Grande while attending college. He graduated from Southwestern Oregon Community College with two degrees in 1969 and married Joyce Marie Emmons in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 8, 1972. He lived and worked in Alaska for 35 years before retiring to Portland. He later moved … Read more
Mildred Lucille Smart, 92, formerly of La Grande, died Oct. 1 at a care center in Salem. A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. Friday at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in La Grande. Private burial was held at the Grandview Cemetery in La Grande. Mildred was born on June 11, 1915, to Ferris and Grace (Wakeland) Miller in Evansville, Ind. On Feb. 26, 1935, she married Alva Asa Smart in Evansville. The couple moved to Missouri, Arizona and Southern and Northern California before finally settling in La Grande in 1997. Alva preceded her in death on Dec. 11, 2004. … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Kathryn Fae Davis of La Grande and formerly of St. Paul, died April 2 at a local care home. Kathryn was born in St. Helens to Fae and Lillie Irene (Rich) Harford. Her father died when she was a young girl, and her mother later remarried Tom Blum, who became a big part of her life. She and her husband, Lester “Sledge” Ernst, owned and operated Ernst Hardware Store in St. Paul until 1964. They had a son, Lester Fae Ernst, who died when he was a young child. Lester preceded her in death in 1969. On … Read more
Joseph, Wallowa County, Oregon Mrs. Vic Crow Fatally Injured in Auto Crash Mrs. Victor M. Crow was instantly killed Saturday evening when the Crow car met with a violent accident as they were on their way to the basketball tournament in Wallowa. The accident occurred about three-quarters of a mile west of Lostine. Mrs. Crow apparently died from severe head injuries. The automobile was completely demolished. A pickup, owned by Darrell Rysdam had stopped on the edge of the highway to retrieve one of the sideboards that had blown off. The Crow’s automobile crashed into the left rear of the … Read more
Albert R. Spencer, 82, of 901 4th St., La Grande, died Saturday at a local hospital. Spencer was born on April 14, 1889 at La Grande, the son of Josephine and Joseph Spencer. He was a member of the First Christian Church of La Grande, and the Elks Lodge No. 433. He loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman. Survivors include his wife Abbie of La Grande; daughters, Margery M. Reynolds, La Grande and Thelma Eden, Pendleton; four grandchildren, Mrs. Lee Wick of Aloha, Ore., Mrs. Robert Strans of Beaverton, Mrs. Marva Wiggins of Portland, and Mrs. … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Rita Gibbs, 65, formerly of La Grande, died March 2 in Mesa, Ariz. A memorial service will begin at 1 p.m. June 16 at Grandview Cemetery. La Grande Observer – Obituaries for the day of May 17, 2008
La Grande, Union County, Oregon Longtime Resident Succumbs at 80 Mary E. Spaeth of 1860 2nd St., passed away Sunday, Aug. 27 at her home at the age of 80. Mrs. Spaeth was born on May 24, 1892 at Chicago, Ill., the daughter of Thomas and Teresa Sweeney. On April 30, 1913 she was married to Fred Spaeth at Portland, Ore. They moved to La Grande later that year where Mr. Spaeth started the Spaeth Plumbing and Heating Company. Mr. Spaeth preceded his wife in death on July 12, 1970. Mrs. Spaeth was a member of Our Lady of the … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Lorene Ruth Miller, 91, of La Grande, died Aug. 3. A celebration of life will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at Calvary Chapel in La Grande, 1433 Jefferson Ave. A graveside service will follow at 2 p.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City. Lorene was born Jan. 27, 1917, to John and Frances Gregory Burnett in La Grande. She was raised and educated in La Grande and Baker City and graduated from Baker High School in 1935. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, keeping a clean house and cooking for her husband, Alfred. She also enjoyed Bible studies … Read more
Services at Baker For George (Madison) Emmons (No Name on Paper) George Madison Emmons, aged 80, 1908 Cherry Street, Baker, Oregon, died Saturday afternoon at his home. Services for Mr. Emmons were conducted at 11:00 am Tuesday morning at West and Company Chapel. Joe Jewett officiated. Interment was in Mount Hope. Mr. Emmons, son of John and Martha Emmons, was born in Carthage, Illinois on October 5, 1880. He moved with his parents to Oregon at the age of 5 and had lived in this state since then. He was a farmer in Wallowa, Union and Baker counties. he was … Read more