La Grande Oregon

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

Burnett, Preston Frank – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Preston Frank Burnett, 85, of Pendleton and formerly of La Grande died June 7 at St. Anthony Hospital. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 241 S.E. Second St. in Pendleton. Preston was born July 7, 1921, to Lawrence and Mabel Brown Burnett in Island City. He graduated from La Grande High School in 1938 and served in the Navy prior to World War II. Preston married Madaline E. Rhoads in Portland. He worked for the Oregon Highway Division for 42 years and was a resident engineer on many … Read more

Glenn, Guy – Obituary

Summerville, Union County, Oregon Guy J. Glenn, 67, former La Grande resident and member of a well known local family, died Wednesday, Oct. 13, at his home in Knights Landing, Cal., where he has lived for the past five years. Services will be held at Summerville, Ore., his birthplace Monday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m., in the Summerville chapel, and interment will be in Summerville cemetery. Snodgrass funeral home will be in charge of arrangements. Mr. Glenn was born March 20, 1881, on the Glenn homestead at Summerville. He attended grade and high school there and later farmed the home … Read more

Fihn, Lois Janet – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Lois Janet Fihn, 87, of Salem and formerly of La Grande, died of natural causes Nov. 17 at a care facility in Salem. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Loveland Funeral Chapel, with burial to follow at the Island City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. A celebration of life service begins at 2 p.m. Dec. 2 at Tierra Rose Care Center, 4254 Weathers St. NE, in Salem. Mrs. Fihn was born March 28, 1919, in Moro to James and Lotus Kenny, the … Read more

Bunnell, Ruth Marie – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Ruth Marie Bunnell, 91 of La Grande died June 20. A memorial service will begin at 3 p.m. Friday June 23 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. Burial will be in Santa Anna, Texas. Ms. Bunnell was born Nov. 11, 1914, to Frank and Birdie Letha McHorse Bunnell in Eddy, Texas. She married Thomas House, and after his death she married George Ward. After his death she resumed her maiden name. She worked in a shipyard in California during World War II and worked at various jobs before retiring in 1972. She moved to … Read more

Broyles, Virginia D. – Obituary

Formerly of La Grande 1914-2007 Virginia Dorothy Broyles, 92, of Hermiston and formerly of La Grande, died March 9 at her home. A celebration of life is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth St., La Grande. Viewing will be available from 8 to 10 a.m. prior to the service. Mrs. Broyles was born July 23, 1914, to James A. and Dorothy Ellen (Standard) Cunningham in Albion, Wash. She was raised in Albion, Hooper and Spokane, graduating in the first senior class of John Rogers High School in Hillyard in 1933. During her high school years, … Read more

Hixson, William A. – Obituary

William A. Hixson, 86, of La Grande, a former Baker City resident, died May 13, 2008, at a local care center. There will be celebration of his life at 11 a.m. Saturday at Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 1508 Fourth St., in La Grande. Bill was born on June 19, 1921, at Missouri Flat to Elijah William and Frances Edna Schiller. He attended grade school near Pleasant Valley and Baker High School. After high school, he began working in the sawmill and then went to log cutting. In 1941 he tried to enlist in the U.S. Navy after Pearl Harbor. … Read more

Houser, Elizabeth Olsen Mrs. – Obituary

Elizabeth Houser, 74, of Wasilla, Alaska, a former Huntington resident, died March 28, 2002, at Mary Conrad Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. The Rev. Hank Albrecht will officiate. Interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in La Grande. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight at the funeral chapel. Mrs. Houser was born to Elbert Herman and Prudence Conrad Olsen on May 7, 1927, at Caldwell, Idaho. She also had lived at Caldwell and La Grande. She was married to Donald Leon Houser in September … Read more

Smith, Irene W. – Obituary

Irene W. Smith, 85, of La Grande, died Feb. 23 at a local care center. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday, at the Union Cemetery. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements. Irene was born July 2, 1922, to Archie and Eunice (Griffith) Williamson in Brookhaven, Miss. She lived in Seattle for some time before moving to the Los Angeles area of California where she lived for 30 years. In June 1984, she moved to La Grande to be near family. In the early 1990s her daughter, Judith Ann DeLeebeck lost her … Read more

Gibbs, Donald – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Donald W. Gibbs, 77, of Redmond and formerly of La Grande, died March 12 of Parkinson’s disease. A private family memorial service took place March 17. Redmond Memorial Chapel handled the arrangements. Mr. Gibbs was born Sept. 13, 1929, to Hallie and Mary (Kane) Gibbs in Spokane, Wash. He began working as a baker at the age of 15 and continued in that profession most of his life. On April 1, 1950, he married Carolyn Killingbeck in La Grande, where they lived before moving to Redmond. He owned Gibbs Bakery in downtown Redmond for 43 years. He … Read more

Emmons, Elmer G. – Obituary

La Grande, April 30–Elmer G. Emmons, 39 president of La Grande aerie No. 259, Fraternal Order of Eagles, died unexpectedly in a local hospital Wednesday night. Funeral services are announced for Saturday morning, conducted by the lodge, with interment at Baker. Emmons was born at Enterprise and had lived here for 15 years. Survivors include the wife, Esther M. Emmons, and three sons, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Emmons, and a sister, Mrs. Erma Morrison, all of Baker.

Baker, Leola Mary – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Leola Mary Baker, 83, of Central Point and formerly of Elgin, died March 27. A graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Elgin Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Memory Gardens Mortuary of Medford. Mrs. Baker was born June 15, 1923, in Elgin, where she was raised. She married Delmar Baker, and they owned and operated a real estate business in La Grande. She was a member of Eastern Star and the Fraternal Order of Eagles #259 in La Grande. She also was a Grey Lady volunteer at Grande Ronde Hospital many years ago. … Read more

Hascall, Frances Luvena Hale – Obituary

Services for Frances Luvena Hascall, 81, housewife of 1710 4th St., who died at her home Wednesday [November 9, 1966], will be at the Crippin and Daniels Chapel, Tuesday at 2 p.m. Rev. Gordon Milldrum will officiate, and burial will be in the Hillcrest Cemetery. Born in Decatur, Texas, Mrs. Hascall had resided in LaGrande for 33 years. Survivors include her husband, Maurice Eugene Hascall; one sister, Mrs. Clint T. Gould of Albuquerque, N.M., and several nieces and nephews. The LaGrande Observer, November 12, 1966 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Wilson, Jim – Obituary

Island City, Oregon James “Jim” William Wilson, 72, died Aug. 5 at his home in La Grande. A celebration of life potluck begins at 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Island City City Hall. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. The Observer – August 7, 2008 ______________________________ James “Jim” William Wilson, 72, of La Grande, died Aug. 5 at his home. A complete obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. The Observer – August 7, 2008 James “Jim” William Wilson, 72, of La Grande, died Aug. 5 at … Read more

Pierce, Robert Lee – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Robert Lee Pierce, 58, of La Grande, died March 12 at his home after a long battle with multiple myeloma. Arrangements are under the direction of Loveland Funeral Chapel. Known as Bob, he was born Oct. 16, 1948, to Robert and Phyllis (Eckelman) Pierce in Portland. He graduated from Beaverton High School. Bob served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1971. While stationed in Georgia, he met and married Julia LaFavor. They had a son, Scott, in 1972. The couple later divorced. After moving back to Oregon, Bob met Helen “Ann” Wilson, whom he married in … Read more

Dotson, G. B. – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon LaGrande–G. B. Dotson, who crossed the plains to Oregon in an ox-team party in 1875 from Arkansas, died here February 10, 1931. He was 82 years old. Funeral services will be held at Union tomorrow. North Powder News – Oregon Trail Weekly Feb. 20, 1931 Transcribed by: Charlotte Carper

Stone, Wilson Jack – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Wilson Jack Stone, 93, of La Grande, died Feb. 1. A service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church. Wilson was born Nov. 24, 1913, to Benjamin and Byrdie Stone in Paris, Texas. He was one of 10 children and had a twin brother, Nolan, who preceded him in death. He spent his childhood traveling with his family picking crops throughout the states. Wilson married Esther Collie, and they had three sons before divorcing. In the early 1940s, he moved to La Grande where he worked at the Mount Emily Lumber Co., now Boise … Read more

Swauger, Seymur – Obituary

Frightful Death Seymur Swauger, a resident of North Fork, a station in the Blue Mountains between La Grande and Pendleton, was killed by an O.R. & N. train last Saturday morning. Mr. Swauger was somewhat intoxicated and it is supposed that he attempted to alight from a moving train near that station and fell under the car wheels. He was hrribly mangled, the head being entirely severed from the body, and pieces of his anatomy were scattered along the tract for a distance of several hundred feet. He had been a resident of this county for several years, having been … Read more

Phillips, Dorothy Mae Bone Freney Mrs. – Obituary

Dorothy Mae Bone Freney Phillips, 87, of La Grande, Ore., died March 19, 2006, in La Grande. A Memorial service will be held Friday, July 28, 2006, 2 p.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery. Father Julian Casacee of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will Officiate. There will be a reception at the Geiser Pollman Park. Dorothy was born on May 26, 1919 in Toppenish, Wash., to William and Edith Fordyce Bone. She is survived by daughters, Laura Van New Kirk, Sally Anders; son, Robert Freney. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Oliver Wendell Phillips. Arrangements are by Gray’s West … Read more

Headrick, Nichola Lynn – Obituary

Nichola Lynn Headrick, 60, of La Grande, died Feb. 25 at her home. She will be buried next to her mother, Dorothy Helm, in Hillcrest Cemetery, and there will be no public services. Arrangements are under the direction of Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Ms. Headrick was born Jan. 20, 1947, to Jim Graham and Dorothy Wall in La Grande. She was raised in La Grande and graduated from La Grande High School. For more than 10 years she worked for Wal-Mart, in the warehouse and later on the floor stocking shelves. In her younger years she enjoyed drawing and … Read more