Ronald Lee Long, 67, formerly of Union County, passed away on August 2 in Louisville, Kentucky. Born on July 8, 1940, in Imbler, he grew up in the Grande Ronde Valley and graduated from La Grande High School. A veteran of the Air Force, he married Fay Quebbeman in 1964 and retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He enjoyed fishing and hunting. He is survived by his two sons and four grandchildren, and was preceded in death by his wife and two brothers.
J. S. Garner, M. D. was born on October 14, 1831, in Russell County, Kentucky. At 18, he apprenticed with Dr. J. S. Pierce and later attended medical lectures in Louisville. He practiced in Wayne County until 1863 when he enlisted as First Lieutenant in the 48th Regiment, Kentucky Volunteers, serving eighteen months in the Civil War. After the war, he settled in Salisbury, Coles County, where he still practices medicine and serves as Postmaster. He married Minnie E. Roberts in 1854 and they have seven children.
George Bidle, born September 25, 1833, in Wurtemberg, Germany, immigrated to the United States in 1852 after losing his parents. He initially settled in New Jersey and later worked in Kentucky before arriving in Westfield, Illinois. In 1865, he moved to Coles County, where he currently farms 250 acres. A community leader, he has served as Justice of the Peace and School Director. Bidle married Christiana Airey in 1856 and they have three children: Henry, Richard, and Charles.
J. L. Scott, born in Henry County, Kentucky, in 1836, spent his early years on a farm before moving to Franklin, Indiana, in 1856 to enter mercantile work. After serving in the U.S. Government Pay Department in Louisville, he settled in Coles County, Illinois, in 1865, acquiring a 160-acre farm. By 1871, he shifted to Mattoon, where he established a grocery business. Married to Catharine J. Runyon, he has four children and has served as Supervisor of Humboldt Township and Worshipful Master of Mattoon Lodge, No. 260, A.F.A.M.
John Woodfall was born in England around 1807 and emigrated to the United States, settling in Louisville, Kentucky, where he worked in a foundry for fifteen years. In January 1857, he moved to Morgan Township, Coles County, Illinois, purchasing 200 acres of land. Tragically, he died on June 14, 1857, struck by lightning while planting corn, leaving behind a widow, Jane Stinson, and seven children. The couple had a total of eight children, fulfilling a legacy that would continue through their offspring.
Alexander Hitch, born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1827, moved to Ohio as an infant before settling in Coles County, Illinois, in 1850. He married Permelia Ellis in 1855 and they had four children, with three surviving. Hitch cultivated a 200-acre farm, acquired largely through his efforts, and served as School Director for three years. A devoted member of the Missionary Baptist Association since 1860, he was ordained as a Deacon in 1863, showcasing his commitment to both community and faith.
James M. Drake, born April 12, 1837, in Louisville, Kentucky, is a distinguished businessman and treasurer of Riverside, California. After serving commendably as a lieutenant in the Confederate army during the Civil War, he rebuilt his life by becoming a bookseller and stationer in Riverside, establishing the city’s first bookstore. A proactive community member, Drake also engaged in agriculture. Elected city treasurer in 1886, his honest administration earned him reelection. He married Maria A. Jones and had one surviving child, John R. Drake, who continues the family legacy in ranching.
Dr. William H. Ball, born in 1828 in Kentucky, is a prominent figure in Riverside, where he developed a 20-acre orange grove after purchasing the land in 1875. Initially planting a mix of orange and deciduous trees, he now cultivates 1,150 seedlings and 800 budded trees, yielding a notable $300 per acre. His medical career began in 1856 and spanned several states before settling in Riverside in 1880. A respected member of the local community, he has two marriages and four children from his first union.
George Lord, born on June 27, 1800, in New York City, became a prominent California Pioneer and served as president of the Society of California Pioneers of San Bernardino County. After enduring a challenging early life, he joined the gold rush in 1849, eventually striking it rich in California’s mines. He settled in San Bernardino in 1852, cultivating the Muscat grape and becoming active in local politics and fraternal organizations. A dedicated family man and a steadfast Republican, Lord remained physically and mentally vigorous into his nineties.
George Wood Ebbert, born in 1810 in Kentucky, spent most of his life in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. A pioneer and blacksmith, he engaged in adventures such as trapping in the Rocky Mountains and participating in a fierce battle against Blackfeet Indians. He settled in Oregon in 1839, raising livestock and wheat. In 1848, during the Cayuse War, he helped convey news to Washington, D.C. Now in his eighties, he remains active in his community, with his children managing his land.
James D. Halsey, born in 1839 in New York, exemplifies the pioneering spirit of Wallowa County. After his family’s relocation to Iowa and Missouri, he enlisted in the Sixteenth Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War, serving under Sherman. Post-war, he migrated west, arriving in Oregon in 1877, where he established a successful farm in Wallowa County. A devoted family man, Halsey married Candis Nelson, fathering six children. He is respected in the community for his agricultural achievements and civic engagement, particularly in education.
J. W. Robb, a physician and surgeon, relocated to Russell, Kansas, in September 1879 after practicing medicine since 1862. Born in Shelby County, Kentucky, in 1839, he graduated from Shelbyville Academy in 1858 and later attended the University of Louisville. Prior to his move, he worked in Shelbyville and managed the Masonic Widows and Orphans Home in Louisville for three years. Married in 1864 to Sallie E. Robinson, he is also a Master of Russell Lodge No. 177, A.F. A.M.
Dr. J. C. Hawthorne, born on March 12, 1819, in Pennsylvania, became a prominent medical figure on the Pacific Coast. After studying medicine in Louisville, he moved to California in 1850, where he gained a notable reputation as a physician and served as a State Senator. In 1857, he relocated to Portland, managing the Oregon State Insane Asylum, which became a leading institution under his care. A man of integrity, he was active in public affairs and respected across political lines. Dr. Hawthorne passed away on February 15, 1881, leaving a lasting legacy in mental health care.