La Grande Oregon

Cunningham, Ruth Marie – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Ruth Marie Cunningham, 86, of La Grande died at a local care center July 16. A celebration of life will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday at the La Grande United Methodist Church. Ruth was born April 18, 1920, to Arthur and Edith Bennett Miller in Belgrade, Neb. She was member of the United Methodist Church,VFW and the Wesleyan Circle. She married Norman Ernst Cunningham July 13, 1942, in Santa Maria, Calif. She enjoyed helping others. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Jan and Jerry Arnoldus of La Grande, sister Pauline Rieken of Emmett, Idaho, brothers … Read more

Marrs, John Whitney – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon John Whitney Marrs, 79, formerly of La Grande, died in Portland April 16. Burial was at the Willamette National Cemetery where he received military honors. Mr. Marrs was born March 20, 1927, in Port Angeles, Wash. He graduated from La Grande High School, and lettered in football, baseball, track and basketball. He told of a summer job driving a produce truck to and from a POW camp in Eastern Washington. He served in the Navy during World War II, and attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. In 1948, he transferred to the University of Oregon and … Read more

Hurly, Leo – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon Leo Hurly, 70, resident of 1306 O. Ave., and a retired merchant, died Tuesday at a local hospital. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of The Valley Catholic church, with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. M. M. Crotty the Mass celebrant. Burial will follow in Summerville cemetery. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Thursday at Daniels Funeral Home. Born at Forman, N. D.., Feb. 13, 1891, Mr. Hurley had resided here for five years. He was a member of the Catholic church. Survivors are the widow Mrs. Mary Hurly, … Read more

Kolasinski, Gary – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Gary Kolasinski, 53, of Baker City and formerly of La Grande and Enterprise, died Aug. 24 at St. Elizabeth Health Services. A funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, 1002 L Ave., in La Grande. Following the service, friends are invited to join the family for a reception at the church. Gary was born Oct. 12, 1953, four minutes before his twin brother to Ardath Snitgen and Donald Kolasinski in Alpena, Mich. He lived in Alpena, St. John’s, Mich., Portland and La Grande where he spent his high … Read more

Wilson, Arthur Edward, III – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Arthur Edward Wilson, III Arthur Edward Wilson III, 74, of La Grande, died Saturday at a local care facility. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at the LDS Church, 1802 Gekeler Lane. Viewing will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Loveland Funeral Chapel. Mr. Wilson was born Feb. 16, 1932, in Klamath Falls to Arthur Edward Wilson Jr. and Margaret Elsie Mulligan. He attended school in Klamath Falls and Roseburg and served in the Air Force and the Oregon National Guard. In 1953 he married Carolyn Mae Walker. They had one son, … Read more

Texieira, Joseph – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Joseph Teixeira, 84, of La Grande, died Oct. 7 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A full obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. La Grande Observer – October 09, 2009 ___________________________________ Joseph. F. Teixeira, 84, of La Grande, died Oct. 7 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A memorial service will be planned for a later date. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. Joe was born Nov. 4, 1924, on the family dairy farm in Bolinas, Calif. He married Elsie Ventura in 1948 and had two children, Rich … Read more

Axness, Vivian Pauline Benedict Mrs. – Obituary

Haines, Baker County, Oregon Vivian Pauline Axness, 81, of Haines, died March 3, 2006, at her home. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Haines Methodist Church. Sally Wiens will officiate. Interment be at the Haines Cemetery. Visitations will be from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Vivian was born to Francis Benedict and Lena Johnson Benedict on May 26, 1924, at Taylor, Wis. She grew up on her parents’ farm in rural Taylor as the fourth of seven children. Her siblings were Levine, Basil, Freeman, Vivian, Marion, Ellsworth, and Vilas. … Read more

Stitt, Alvin Wayne – Obituary

Alvin Wayne Stitt, 90, of Portland and formerly of La Grande died Oct. 1. A funeral service will be held Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 3722 NE Going St. in Portland. Alvin was born July 1, 1917, in La Grande. He moved to Portland in 1937 and served in the US Army during World War II. He was stationed in North Africa, India and Burma. On June 14, 1950, he married Hilda Stitt. Alvin was a baker at Safeway. Alvin’s wife, Hilda Stitt, survives him. Family Memorial in Portland is in charge of arrangements. … Read more

Westenskow, Carol – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Carol Westenskow, 83, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and formerly of La Grande, died Jan. 6. A funeral service is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Island City. Dedication of the grave will follow at the Summerville Cemetery. Mrs. Westenskow was born Dec. 28, 1923, in Provo, Utah, to Newbern Isaac Butt and Ethel Cutler. She graduated from high school in Provo and went on to attend Brigham Young University. On Mar. 10, 1944, she married Ronald Westenskow of Imbler. Following World War II, they returned to Union … Read more

Holloway, Margaret Caldwell – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Margaret Caldwell Holloway, 91, of Amelia, Ohio, and formerly of La Grande, died June 6 in an Amelia care center. Date of services will be announced later. Daniels Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements. Margaret was born on Nov. 9, 1916, in Fort Duchesne, Utah, to Mason and Ida Mae Caldwell. At age 8, she and her family moved to the Lime area. She attended school in Baker and La Grande, graduating from La Grande High School in 1935. She married Jess Holloway on March 31, 1942, in Weiser, Idaho. They were ranchers in … Read more

Spencer, Jesse W. – Obituary

Veteran La Grande Trainman Dies Jesse W(ells) Spencer, 53, for the past 32 years a conductor and brakeman for the Union Pacific railroad in the Grande Ronde valley, died at a local hospital yesterday. Coroner L.L. Snodgrass believed from a heart attack. He had undergone an operation for appendicitis. Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon at the Snodgrass Funeral home with Rev F.L. Shoemaker officiating and burial in the Masonic cemetery. Mr. Spencer was born July 5, 1887 in Lucas, IA. He had been a resident of the valley for the past 34 years. He lived … Read more

Niederer, Minnie See – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Minnie See Niederer, 85, formerly of La Grande, died Oct. 21. Minnie was born and raised in La Grande where she met Harley Levon Niederer. They were married in Weiser, Idaho, in 1941. They moved to Eugene and spent 55 years together until Levon died in 1996. She is survived by son, John Niederer of Vancouver, Wash.; daughter, Nikki Pettet of Olympia, Wash.; two grandsons; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by four siblings, Bill Hart, Grover See, Lottie Noyes and Ester Crader. The Observer – Obituaries for the week ending November 10, … Read more

Golden, Mattie Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. Golden, Pioneer Of 1864, Dies Secretary of Pioneer Association Passes One Day After Annual Event  Was Very Prominent in Grange, Rebekah, W. R. C., Church and Pioneer Circles in the Valley. Mrs. Mattie Golden, one of the early pioneers of Union county, passed away yesterday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Archie Conley, at the age of 69 years, six months. Mrs. Golden had been ill for some weeks. Her death removes another of the real pioneers of the valley. She crossed the plains to Oregon by wagon train in the year, 1864, a full score years … Read more

Lyon, Mary Hazela – Obituary

Word has been received of the death of Mary Hazel Smith Lyon. She was born in Linwood, Nebraska, March 23, 1889, the daughter of George and Kathryn Smith. The family moved to eastern Oregon in the early 1890’s, settling in La Grande. They later moved to Elgin in 1898. Her father was bookkeeper for the Goodnough Mercantile Store in Elgin until his retirement. Hazel was in the first graduating class from Elgin High School in 1910. After a short business course she worked for the telephone company in Elgin until her marriage to Jack Lyon December 25, 1919. Shortly after … Read more

Scott, Elaine Laurose – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Elaine Laurose Scott Elaine Laurose Scott, 70, of Elgin, died Oct. 16 at the Grande Ronde Hospital. A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Elgin Cemetery, with a potluck to follow at the Elgin Stampede Hall. Mrs. Scott was born July 24, 1936, in Imbler to Ivan and Elsie Obert Churchill. She attended school in Elgin and graduated with the Class of 1954. On Oct. 9, 1955, she married Wesley S. Scott in Elgin. The couple traveled numerous times over the years as Wesley served in the Navy, eventually settling in Elgin in … Read more

Mulhall, Robert – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Robert Mulhall, 86, of La Grande and formerly of Seattle, died March 5. At his request there will be no public services. Arrangements are under the direction of Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Mr. Mulhall was born June 3, 1920, to Leo and Jenny (Price) Smith in Yakima, Wash. He lived in Yakima, Portland and Seattle and served in the Army during World War II. After an honorable discharge, he worked as a manufacturing engineer for Boeing for 25 years. In the 1970s he moved to La Grande, where he was employed as a consultant for the … Read more

Satterwhite, Norma Jean – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Norma Jean Satterwhite, 62, died Aug. 6 at her home in La Grande. A celebration of life will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth Street, La Grande. The Observer – August 8, 2008 ______________________________ Norma Jean Satterwhite, 62, of La Grande, died comfortably at her family’s home Aug. 6 in La Grande. A gathering of friends and family will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Loveland Funeral Chapel. Norma was born in Los Angeles in 1964. She lived and attended school in Lancaster, Calif., graduating from high school in 1964. Norma lived … Read more

Steffensen, JoAnn Daniels – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon JoAnn “Jody” Daniels Steffensen, 70, formerly of La Grande, died Dec. 18 at Regency Gresham in Gresham after a two-year fight with brain tumors and C.O.P.D. A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. JoAnn, or Jody as most people knew her, was born April 8, 1937, to Charles and Elfie Daniels in Driggs, Idaho. She was the youngest of 20 children. While still a young girl, her family moved to Baker City. At about 13, she moved to Spalding, Neb., where she went to high school and participated … Read more

Ball, Margaret Ann Carroll – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Margaret Ann Carroll Ball, 80, of La Grande, died July 2 at her home. The funeral will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday July 6 at the First Baptist Church, at Sixth Street and Spring Avenue, with Pastor Kent Hug officiating. Graveside services will follow at Grandview Cemetery. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday July 5 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. Mrs. Ball was born April 27, 1926. to Mr. and Mrs. J.P. McCann of Hattiesburg, Miss. She married Herb Carroll in March, 1946. They lived in Corvallis and Valley Falls, … Read more

Baker, John Mrs. – Obituary

Pioneer Woman Who Walked Across Plains La Grande Star: Mrs. John Baker, wife of John Baker, of this city, an old and highly respected pioneer of Oregon and Union county passed away at an early hour yesterday morning at the home of her son-in-law, Frank P. Childers, after a lingering illness of many weeks duration. Apoplexy and old age were responsible. Mrs. Baker commenced to sink rapidly about midnight and passed away at an early hour in the morning. Mrs. Baker leaves behind to mourn her departure, her husband, John Baker, the grand jury bailiff, a son Charles Baker , … Read more