Willits, Alvin Ray – Obituary

North Powder Alvin Ray Willits, 65, of North Powder, died June 15, 2004, at his home. His graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Lane Memorial Gardens, 5300 West 11th Ave., Eugene. Visitations will be from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the Lane Memorial Gardens Chapel. Mr. Willits was born on Feb. 4, 1939, at Des Moines, Iowa, to Raymond Dewey and Stella Marie Monroe Willits. As a small child, he moved with his family to Eugene, where he attended school. In August 1968, he married Kara-Jo Dean-Mather. He worked as a driver and a mechanic for … Read more

Stone, Karl R. – Obituary

Karl Roy Stone, a well-known La Grande businessman and longtime head of the Union County Planning Commission, died Saturday at Grande Ronde Hospital. He was 89. Mr. Stone, of 1703 Cedar St., was born on Sept. 15, 1895, in Sterling, Kan., to Robert and Amalia “Mollie” Birk. He served with the U.S. Army during World War I, and was corporal of the honor guards at the funeral of Buffalo Bill Cody at Pike’s Peak, Colo. He married Genevieve Rogers at Watertown, N.Y., on Aug. 27, 1919. The couple homesteaded near Reedsport in 1920, and Mr. Stone owned and operated the … Read more

Throop, Harold Pat Lawrence – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon Harold Pat Lawrence Throop died May 6, 2007, at the Wallowa Valley Care Center. He was 89. Mr. Throop was born March 17, 1918, in Portland to Herrel R. Throop and Anna Throop Lynch. He grew up on the ranch of his parents, Anna and Charles Lynch. He graduated from high school there in 1936. In 1938 he moved to Cloverdale with his mother and stepfather. Prior to the start of World War II, Mr. Throop studied law at Willamette University. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the war, he returned to Cloverdale, bought his parents’ ranch … Read more

Rizor, Elvie – Obituary

1908-2003 Elvie I. Parks Rizor, 94, a longtime Union resident, died March 28, in Eugene, Oregon. A service will start a 1 p. m. Wednesday in Union at the United Methodist Church. The Rev. Jerry Peters will officiate. Burial will follow in the Union Cemetery. Friends may call for viewing between 3 and 7 p. m. today at Loveland Funeral Chapel. Mrs. Rizor was born June 22, 1908, in Elgin, the daughter of Nathan R. and Ida E. Cummings Parks. She was raised and educated in Elgin. As a young girl she worked as a telephone operator in Elgin. She … Read more

Marr, Richard W. ‘Dick’ – Obituary

Richard (Dick) W. Marr, 79, of Baker City, passed away peacefully Jan. 10, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Heath Services. Dick was born in Wendling, Ore., on Jan. 23, 1925. He grew up in the Willamette Valley, graduating from Falls City High School. The Marr family will host a memorial celebration of life in June; all friends and family are welcome. An announcement will follow in The Record-Courier. Dick is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Judy Young-Marr of Baker City; son and wife, Richard and Karen Marr of Port Orford; twin daughter, Candis Marr-Wade of Coquille; grandson and family, … Read more

Harding, Vernon Andrew – Obituary

Vernon Andrew Harding, 87, died in the morning hours of Feb. 2, 2007. His funeral will be held on Saturday at the Springfield Faith Center, 600 Hayden Bridge Way in Springfield. Interment will follow at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. Vernon was born April 6, 1919 in McHenry, N.D. to Thomas Lee Harding and Regina Ehlers. He grew up on a farm near McHenry, and at times, was asked to babysit his younger sisters. One time he fixed rice for lunch and served it before it was fully cooked. His sister, Eunice, commented, “It played Jingle Bells all the way … Read more

O’Neil, Annie Beddes – Obituary

Annie Beddes O’Neil, 91, of Junction City and formerly of La Grande, died March 13 of age-related causes. A graveside service will begin at 1 p.m. Monday at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. Burial will follow. A visitation will precede from 10 a.m. to noon at Lane Memorial Funeral Home. She was born in Elgin on July 25, 1916, to Joseph and Eliza Eleanor (Ricks) Beddes and raised in the area before moving away in the early 1950s. Annie was married to Glade Hards O’Neil on June 2, 1934, in La Grande and in a temple marriage in Salt Lake … Read more

LaBaun, George Bradford – Obituary

George Bradford LaBaun, 82, a Baker City resident from 1996 until moving recently with his wife to Roseburg, died Dec. 29, 2004, with his family at his bedside after several years of battling with a rare lung disease. His memorial service was Jan. 3 at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit. A celebration of his life will be scheduled later at Corvallis. He was born on Feb. 13, 1922, at Sheridan, Wyo., to George and Cora Burdick LaBaun. When he was 2 years old he moved with his parents to Eugene. He was a 1939 graduate of Eugene High … Read more

Phillips, Lavern A. Hindman Mrs. – Obituary

Lavern A. Phillips, 83, of Baker City died Feb. 24, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Memorial service was held Tuesday, March 1, 2 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. There was no viewing. Cremation was at Gray’s West & Co. Lavern was born July 2, 1921, in Baker City to Edgar (Sam) Hindman, and Camilla Williams Hindman. She graduated from Baker High School in June 1939. She was the New Account’s Manager for First National Bank of Oregon (now Wells Fargo Bank), and was with the bank for more than 25 years in Eugene, Ore. She … Read more

Foust, Roenna Bee McBride Walton Mrs. – Obituary

Roenna Bee Foust, 75, of Eugene, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 18, 2006. Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Fairfield Church of the Nazarene. Inurnment will be in Baker City. She was born on Oct. 15, 1931, at Pocatello, Idaho, to Loren and Hazel Stiff McBride. She worked as a church secretary at the Myrtle Creek Church of the Nazarene and owned Vic-Tone Cleaners at Myrtle Creek. She also worked in home care as a nurses aid in Baker City. She married John Walton at Baker City in 1950. They were divorced in … Read more

Biography of Eugene F. Skinner

EUGENE F. SKINNER. – Eugene F. Skinner, whose name is a household word throughout the length and breadth of Lane county, located in June, 1846, the Donation claim on which Eugene City, named for him, now stands. He was born at Essex, Essex county, New York, September 13, 1809, and is the youngest son of Major John Joseph Skinner of East Windsor, Connecticut, and a brother of St. John B.L. Skinner of New York, who was an influential officer in the Postoffice Department at Washington City, District of Columbia, under President Lincoln, and first assistant postmaster-general under President Johnson. Having … Read more

Huffman, C. D. – Obituary

C. D. Huffman Passes Away Death Comes at Termination of Short Illness; Community Mourns His Demise Charles D. Huffman aged approximately 72 years, passed on this morning at 2:30 o’clock at the termination of a short illness. Residents of this city and Mr. Huffman’s many friends throughout Eastern Oregon are sincerely mourning his demise, for with his passing on goes a man who played an important role in the building of Eastern Oregon. The remains are at the Snodgrass and Zimmerman funeral service parlors. Charles D. Huffman was born in Portland, on December 24, 1852, and then the parents soon … Read more

Harding, Clara Golson Mrs. – Obituary

Clara Harding, 91, of Halfway died March 9, 2006. Her funeral took place Sunday at the Pine Valley Christian Center in Halfway. On Saturday at noon a service will be held at the Springfield Faith Center in Springfield. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception to follow. Interment will be at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. Clara Irene Harding was born Aug. 12, 1914, on the family homestead in Big Stone Township, three miles from Corinth, N.D., to Sever Ellefson and Inga Jeanette Golson. Clara was educated at the country school in Big Stone Township at Corinth, … Read more

Masterson, Eliza Mrs. – Obituary

Death of Mrs. Eliza Masterson The death of Mrs. Eliza Jane Masterson occurred at her home in this city Wednesday, November 23, 1905. Deceased had been ill for over a year and during that time had withstood untold suffering, but always with great fortitude and patience. Eliza Jane Violet was born in Logan county, Kentucky, December 27, 1820 and was therefore 84 years, 10 months and 25 days old at the time of her death. During her girlhood days she moved to Missouri, in which state she was united in marriage in 1840 to William Masterson. She crossed the plains … Read more

Scott, Donald Duane – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Donald Duane Scott, 76, a longtime Halfway resident, died Dec. 20, 2003, at his home. There will be a graveside celebration of his life at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 7847, will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the VFW Hall. In case of bad weather, the service will be at the VFW hall. Don was born at Medford on Aug. 4, 1927, to Leo and Mary Key Scott. He attended school at Walterville and Springfield before joining the U.S. Navy in 1944. He served in the … Read more

Molitor, Lawrence Henry, Jr. – Obituary

Lawrence Henry Molitor Jr., 72, of Dallas and formerly of La Grande, died Dec. 5. A memorial service begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center. Mr. Molitor, known as Hank, was born Jan. 5, 1934, in Chetopa, Kan., to Lawrence Henry Sr. and Nellie Juanita Caldwell Molitor. He was raised in Kansas and moved to Idaho during his teenage years. On Oct. 13, 1951, he married Irene Humphreys in Idaho. The couple and their children lived in Oakridge, where he worked in the plywood mill, and later moved to La Grande, where Mr. Molitor worked for … Read more

Keith, Lyall – Obituary

Lyall Keith of Box 300, Walton, passed away February 9, 1970 at the age of 66. He was born November 13, 1903 in Portland, Oregon and had resided in Lane County for the past 31 years. He was united in marriage to Edith Bilyeu, December 24, 1930 in Albany, Oregon. Besides his wife, he is survived by a half brother, Gordon Keith of Eureka, California; several aunts and uncles. He was a member of the Eugene Moose Lodge. Funeral services will be held in the Poole-Larsen Chapel Thursday, February 12th at 3 p.m. with private cremation to follow. [Interment Pine … Read more

Bean, Ormond Robert – Obituary

Retired Portland City Commissioner Ormond R. Bean, 89, a 31-year servant in city, state and federal governments, died early Friday morning [February 14, 1975] in the Parkview Nursing Home. Death was due to natural causes, said his son, Ormond Bean, Jr. First elected to the Portland City Council in 1932, the elder Bean served from 1933 until 1939 when he was appointed Oregon Public Utility Commissioner. From 1943 until 1946, Mr. Bean was a transportation director in America’s World War II effort, serving in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Middle East. Returning to Portland, he was elected once more to … Read more

Carter, Ralph V. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Ralph V. Carter, 88, of Florence and formerly of La Grande, died Sept. 26. The family will have a private memorial service at a later date. Mr. Carter was born Sept. 5, 1918, in Henning, Minn., to Clarence and Lillian Carter, the fourth of eight children. He worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps and spent four years in the Army with the Coastal Defense Battalion. In 1959, after a particularly hard Minnesota winter, he and his wife, Florence Mabel Stewart, moved with their four children to Oregon. He worked as a Crook County assessor in Prineville and … Read more

Biography of William L. Clark

Among the successful business men of Harney county is to be mentioned the gentleman named above, whose well known establishment of general merchandise at Lawen, where he has done business for some time, is one of the prosperous business houses of the county; and in addition to handling this, Mr. Clark has a hay farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he attends to and also raises cattle, and also he has been a mail contractor of the interior of Oregon. William L. was born in Carroll county, Indiana, on April 3, 1845, being the son of Thomas and … Read more