Linn County OR

Biography of W. T. Cook

W.T. COOK. – There may not be a million dollars at the end of the pathway of every industrious young man; but in this country there is a competency, and, what is more, an honorable business and a happy home. Mr. Cook’s career proves this. He was born in Polk county, Missouri, in1848. Being thirteen years of age at the outbreak of the Civil war, his education was neglected for the next five years; but, repairing this loss by his own exertions, he fitted himself as school teacher, and thus supported himself for three years. Coming to Oregon in 1874, … Read more

Fleshman, Mintie Courtwright Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. Mintie E. Fleshman, of Albany, a former resident of Wallowa County and well known here, passed away Sunday morning, February 19, 1973 in the Albany nursing home following a lengthy illness. Mrs. Fleshman was born at Logan, Iowa, on October 2, 1891, daughter of Peter Courtwright and Amanda Henderson. On December 10, 1910 she was married at Milton to Robert Lee Fleshman. For many years the couple farmed on Alder Slope. In 1947 they moved to Walla Walla where he passed away in 1949. She had lived in Albany since 1966. She was a member of Albany First Methodist … Read more

Bilyeu, Vera Coon – Obituary

Vera L. Bilyeu, 66, of Lebanon, died Saturday [May 20, 1989] at Lebanon Community Hospital. She was born Vera Coon on Sept. 18, 1922 in Pleasant Green, Utah. She married Raymond M. Bilyeu in 1944 in San Diego, Calif., and they moved to Lebanon in 1960. He died Aug. 17, 1979. Mrs. Bilyeu was a member of the Lebanon Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She also belonged to the Sweet Adelines of Lebanon, and enjoyed oil painting and sewing. Surviving are sons Kelly of Lebanon and Mike of Spokane, Wash. and daughter Connie Bracy of … Read more

Bilyeu, William M. – Obituary

William Bilyeu, one of the oldest citizens of Linn County, died at his residence near Scio last Wednesday, aged 80 years [June 25, 1879]. He was perhaps the ancestor of the most numerous family in Oregon-the Bilyeu’s reaching over a hundred in number, nearly all of whom reside on the Forks of Santiam. We deeply sympathize with his large circle of relatives and friends, and shall attempt to secure a more succinct obituary of the good old man at an early day. Peace to his ashes. [William married Dianna Coker in 1816 TN. He fathered 12 children. William is buried … Read more

Biography of J. H. Settlemier

J.H. SETTLEMIER. – Mr. Settlemier was born on the 5th of February, 1840, in Jersey county, Illinois. In 1849 his parents, George and Elizabeth Settlemier, becoming imbued with the restless spirit that possessed all the pioneers of the Pacific coast, and, selling their home, turned their faces towards the setting sun. The family at that time consisted of eleven persons, father, mother, eight boys and one girl. They crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph, and bade long farewell to civilization; for at that time there was not a settler’s house from the Missouri to the Sacramento, which was reached … Read more

Weber, James S. “Jim” – Obituary

Richland, Oregon James S. “Jim” Weber, 85, died Jan. 1, 2002, at his home in Richland with his family by his side. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Richland Methodist Church. The Rev. Bill Shields will officiate. Interment will be in the Eagle Valley Cemetery at Richland. Jim was born on March 19, 1916, at Brownsville. He was a 1938 graduate of the University of Oregon at Eugene and shortly afterward married Florence Staggs. They moved to Baker County in 1940 and became partners in Staggs and Weber, a prominent cattle and sheep ranch in the … Read more

Biography of Lewis Fleischner

Fleischner, Lewis, one of the leading merchants of Portland was born in the village of Vogelgesang, Bohemia, in 1829. He was educated in his native village and at Tissan a small town near his home. At the age of fifteen years he came to America, and for a short time remained in New York City. He then went to Philadelphia, where he was employed for five years by a dealer in horses and cattle. At the end of this period, in 1849, he came to Drakeville, Davis County, Iowa, and for three years was engaged in merchandising. In 1852 he … Read more

Bean, Ina Elizabeth Condon – Obituary

Mrs. Ina Condon Bean, pioneer daughter of Oregon, widow of Federal Judge Robert S. Bean and mother of City Commissioner O. R. Bean, died Sunday night [April 11, 1937] at her home, 7326 Southwest Brier Place, where she had lived since 1921. Mrs. Bean was born in Linn County, November 13, 1857, the daughter of Dr. Thomas and Cornelia Holt Condon. Dr. Condon came to Oregon as a missionary and later became a famous geologist of the Oregon country, serving as professor of geology at the University of Oregon and writing authoritative works on the subject. Mrs. Bean was a … Read more

McCully, Fred F. – Obituary

Fred Fletcher McCully, father of Kermit McCully, of La Grande, died in a La Grande hospital Friday. Funeral services were held Monday in the Wallowa Methodist church with interment in the Prairie Creek cemetery at Joseph. He was born at Lebanon, October 8, 1870, and when about ten years of age, his parents came to Wallowa county where he grew to manhood. Joseph was the home of the deceased for a long time and he was cashier of the bank there; later he moved to Wallowa where he was active in community affairs and where he was city recorder at … Read more

Biography of Hon. James B. Sperry

HON. JAMES B. SPERRY. – The striking difference between a savage and a civilized community is the multiplication of different industries in the latter. The most of our interest in life arises from the interdependence of many persons, each supplying some single necessity of all the rest. The man who makes flour for the people of Heppner, Oregon, is Mr. Sperry. He built his mill with a capacity of seventy-five barrels in 1885, from means realized by the sale of his band of fourteen thousand sheep, which he drove to Montana to market. He is one of the substantial men … Read more

Bork, Leola Elizabeth – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon Leola Elizabeth Bork, 84, a resident of The Dalles since 1966, died at an Albany care facility on May 12, 2004. Her graveside service was Saturday at The Dalles Odd Fellows Cemetery on Cherry Heights Road. Pastor Ken Post officiated. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home was in care of arrangements. She was born on Aug. 4, 1919, at Enterprise, to Richard and Edith “Wilson” Surber, the fourth of 12 children. She was raised at Enterprise and graduated from high school there. Leola married Ivan Richard Bork on June 23, 1940, at Enterprise, by A.B. Conway, the same … Read more

Courtney, Alva

Alva Courtney, 90, of Sweet Home, died Feb. 14, 2005. A graveside service was held today at the North Powder Cemetery. Workman & Steckley Funeral Chapel of Sweet Home handled the arrangements. Alva was born Dec. 10, 1914, in Anadarko, Okla., to Joseph and Myrtle English Courtney. He married Pauline Coates on Aug. 7, 1937, in Haines. She preceded him in death in 1972. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II. Alva is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Juanita and Nick Hutchins of Sweet Home; two grandsons, Jeff Hutchins and his wife, Sally, of Lebanon and … Read more

Bilyeu, Edward Lee – Obituary

Funeral for Eddie Lee Bilyeu, 78, will be Saturday at 2 p.m. PST in the Scio Baptist Church. The Rev. Gerald Manley and the Rev. Victor Loucks will officiate. Interment will be at Franklin Butte Cemetery. Mr. Bilyeu, who was born April 8, 1884, spent his entire life in Scio. A farmer, he was a member of the Scio Baptist Church. He died Tuesday at Lebanon Hospital. Survivors are his widow, Laura; his son Ray, Lebanon; his brothers, George Dane Bilyeu, Lebanon; and Byron, Chemault; and his sisters, Mrs. Effie Small, Portland; and Mrs. Jessie Klinge, Salem. Lebanon Express, June … Read more

Bryant, Richard M. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Richard M. Bryant, 76, of Baker City died May 31, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Center. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Lennie Spooner of the Baker City Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight at the funeral home. Mr. Bryant was born April 14, 1926, at Lebanon, Oregon. He was a son of Cassius and Ella Pittman Bryant. He lived and received his schooling in Lebanon. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps … Read more

Bilyeu, Edith L. Luckenbach – Obituary

A message from Scio yesterday told the death there of Mrs. Bert Bilyeu [February 17, 1908], niece of Mr. Mart Bilyeu of this city. Young woman 26 years of age. She leaves a husband and two children. [Daughter of Eli Luckenbach and Sarah Hopkins. Interment Franklin Butte Cemetery] Albany Democrat Herald, February 21, 1908 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biography of Rev. Gustavus Hines

REV. GUSTAVUS HINES. – Gustavus Hines was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1809. On his mother’s side he was descended from the Carvets and Wilkensons of the old Massachusetts colony, and on his father’s from the Hopkinns of Rhode Island, all names of the highest respectability and even celebrity in the early history of New England. Governor Carvet of Massachusetts colony, and Stephen Hopkinns, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, were of the same families. he grew to his majority in the county of his birth, and in 1832 removed to Cattaraugus county, in the … Read more

Biography of Winslow P. Powers

Deceased. – While it is the province of our volume to give mention of the leading citizens of Wallowa county, it also comes within the purview of the work to grant to such as the noble and esteemed citizen, whose name appears above, a memoir, and it is with especial delight that we are privileged to do so at this time, since he was one of the builders of the county, and one who held in becoming manner the position of leader for many years, being eminently fitted for that capacity, both by marked capabilities, great energy and force of … Read more

Jackson, Amanda Matilda Bilyeu – Obituary

Halsey–Mrs. Amanda Bilyeu Jackson, 76, native of Linn County and daughter of early Oregon pioneers, died at her home here Thursday [September 22, 1932] and will be buried Sunday afternoon following funeral services at the Habey Methodist Church at 2 o’clock, Rev. Idso will conduct the services. Burial will be in the Pine Grove Cemetery. Mrs. Jackson was born nine miles east of Scio, June 29, 1856, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Bilyeu. On October 5, 1878, she was married to C. C. Jackson, former Linn County sheriff. Four children survive. They are Mrs. Martha Hockensmith, Halsey; Fred … Read more

Patterson, Ethel Hazel Reed Mrs. – Obituary

Ethel Hazel Patterson, 97, of John Day, died Oct. 9, 2005, at Blue Mountain Nursing Home in Prairie City. Her graveside memorial service will be Saturday at the Fox Cemetery in Fox. Ethel was born on Aug. 11, 1908, at Fox to George and Amanda Medlin Reed. She grew up in the Fox Valley and attended school at Cottonwood, John Day and Hood River. In 1924, Ethel married John Smith at Hood River. She and John remained married for about 25 years before they divorced. She operated a dress shop and restaurant at Condon for a while. A few years … Read more

Cook, Newton Jasper – Obituary

Lostine, Wallowa County, Oregon Service Held for Pioneer The community was greatly saddened Monday evening when it learned that an esteemed citizen, N.J. Cook passed away. Few pioneers in Wallowa County had a wider circle of friends than did the Cook brothers who came to Wallowa County in the ’70s. Eight of these brothers and one sister living many years near Lostine. They were: William, Jariel, Milton, John, T.R.., Mack, N.J., Frank, one half-brother, Walter and Mary Hammack. Another sister, Jane died at Dallas, Ore. The Cook brothers all lived on the Lostine River and engaged in farming until they … Read more