Robbins, Darlene Emma Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Darlene Emma Robbins, 71 died Monday, January 26, 2004 in Baker City, Oregon after a lengthy illness. Memorial services will be held Monday, February 2, 2004 at 11 a.m. in the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street with Rev. Ron Kratzer officiating. Inurnment will follow at Baker Cemetery at a later date. Mrs. Robbins was born September 13, 1932, in Bentonville Arkansas to Austin and Grace Robbins. In 1936, she moved from Nebraska to Ontario, Oregon at the age of four. She graduated from Ontario High School in 1950. She met her future husband while attending the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George W. Clinton

A veritable pioneer of the pioneers, and a man of sterling qualities of worth and substantiality, while his excellent achievements mark him one possessed of more than ordinary ability for business enterprises, the subject of this article is to be mentioned with the prominent men of Malheur County and is well worthy of the prestige and esteem that he enjoys. Mr. Clinton was born in New York, in 1837, being the son of Alexander and Margaret (Balfour) Clinton, natives respectively of Maryland and Pennsylvania. In 1844 the family removed to Wisconsin, and in 1859 they took up the arduous journey … 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

Jacobson, Ruth – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon Mrs. Oscar Jacobson Jr. died at the hospital in Ontario, Saturday, Dec. 24 following a very short illness. She took sick suddenly and was taken to the Ontario hospital where she was operated on three times but they were not successful. Ruth Watkins was born in La Grande in 1902 and has lived in this community practically her entire life where she was well known and highly respected by all. She was married to Oscar Jacobson Jr. in 1920. She is survived by her husband, also her father, two sisters and five brothers, her mother, … Read more

Smith, Dorothy Mrs. – Obituary

Dorothy Smith, 85, of Unity, died July 30, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Helix Cemetery. Jack Pittman of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. Dorothy was born on Aug. 23, 1919, at Burns. She was the valedictorian of her high school class at Entiat, Wash. She attended Washington State College and later earned a degree in education from Western Oregon University at Monmouth. She taught elementary school for many years at Nyssa, The Dalles and the Reynolds School District in Portland. She married Arthur W. Smith … Read more

Rock, Mabel E. Glascock Mrs. – Obituary

Mabel E. Rock, 92, of Hermiston, and former Baker County resident, died July 15, 2003, at her home. Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Burns Mortuary Chapel in Hermiston. Mabel was born on June 26, 1911, on the family ranch at Brogan to Henry and Ida Olk Glascock. She married Gordon Joseph Rock in July of 1929 at Payette, Idaho. They lived at Huntington and Halfway before settling at Bates, which she really enjoyed. Joe died in 1984 and she moved to Hermiston. She was a member of the New Beginnings Church at … Read more

York, Flora Etta Killian Mrs. – Obituary

Flora Etta York, 65, 2584 Cedar Street, died Friday afternoon in St. Elizabeth hospital. Mrs. York, the daughter of Daniel O. and Genora Killian was born in Scopes, Missouri, September 21, 1898. She was married to Herbert A. York at Clarkston, Missouri, April 17, 1915. The family lived in Missouri until 1946 when they moved to Vale. They then moved to Unity where she lived for three years and to Bates where Mr. York was employed by the government. They moved to Baker in the fall of 1962. Mrs. York was a member of the Baptist church. She is survived … Read more

Ormsby, George William – Obituary

Services for George W. Ormsby, 85, formerly of Nampa, who died Tuesday, June 10 [1986], in Olympia, Wash., will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at the Fissel Chapel of the Brown Mortuary Service, Chehalis, Wash. Burial will follow at the Claquato Cemetery, Chehalis. Mr. Ormsby was born Sept. 30, 1900, at Sams Springs, Iowa. He married Edith Roberts Oct. 8, 1924, in Mountain Home. They moved to Nampa, where he worked for the Pacific Fruit Express, retiring after 20 years service in 1945. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Engineers in Idaho. He then operated a … Read more

Kirk V. McShane – Obituary

Kirk V. McShane, 52, formerly of LaGrande, died June 29 in Portland. A memorial service was conducted July 5. Mr. McShane was born Jan. 30, 1954, to Francis and Margaret McShane in Ontario, and graduated from La Grande High School in 1974. He moved to Portland, where he worked for several music warehouses and stores. He graduated from Portland State University and became a distribution manager for Graybar Electric. He married Denise P. Belanger in 1984. Survivors include his wife; his mother of La Grande; brothers, Brian, Michael, Jeffrey and Gregory; sisters, Rebecca and Maureen; and other relatives. His father … Read more

Biography of Robert Van Gilse

The capable and educated gentleman, of whom we now have the privilege of writing, is one of the leading fruit men of the entire northwest, being better fitted, doubtless, than most in this industry in the entire country, for in addition to the practical experience in handling nurseries and fruit farms themselves, he has received from some of the leading horticultural schools of Europe the best theoretical and practical training that is now the privilege of a man to secure. It is with great pleasure, therefore, that we grant space here for an epitome of his interesting career. And it … Read more

Davis, Jim Boyd – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Jim Boyd Davis, 75, of Prairie City, a former longtime Ironside resident, died May 15, 2005, at his home. A memorial service will be planned later. Jim was born on May 21, 1929, at Forestville, Calif., to Sid and Louise Proshold Davis. He had one older sister, Helen. He grew up working in the orchards of Napa Valley in California. In 1946, the family bought a ranch and moved to Sisters. Jim joined the army in 1951 and completed boot camp at Fort Lewis, Wash. He served as a corporal in Hamburg, Germany. He met … Read more

Wright, Roderick – Obituary

Roderick Wright, 58, of Tucson, Ariz., and a former Baker City resident, died July 22, 2003. His funeral was July 26 at Desert Sunset Funeral Home at Tucson. Roderick was born Aug. 31, 1945, at Ontario to James and Opal McClellan Wright. Growing up he worked in the family bee business, producing and distributing honey. He was a 1964 graduate of Baker High School. He joined the U.S. Army and later served in the National Guard. He was a graduate of Eastern Oregon State College (now Eastern Oregon University) at La Grande. He taught and coached in the Wallowa School … Read more

Biography of Cassius H. Brown

It is very acceptable to have the privilege of giving in epitome the salient points of the career of the esteemed gentleman whose name is at the head of this article. Mr. Brown, familiarly known as Judge Brown is one of the pioneers of this County and has always been much interested in its welfare, prominent in politics, a leader in the advancement of the cause of education, a prominent citizen and property owner and a large hearted, genial, upright, capable, and talented American citizen. The birth of Cassius H. was on December 27, 1852, in a log cabin in … Read more

Biography of Thomas J. Huff

One of the pioneers of the northwest and one of the old residents of Caldwell is Thomas Jefferson Huff, the present assessor of Canyon County. He is a man of the highest integrity and ability, and stands well in the estimation of all who know him. A lifelong Democrat, and devoted to his party, he has never occupied a public office before, and has not been an aspirant for political honors and emoluments. In his business career he has met with success, and by well directed energy and good judgment he has amassed a comfortable fortune. Philip Huff, the paternal … Read more

Burgess, Eliza Ann Horn – Obituary

Services for Mrs. Eliza A. Burgess, 66, Vale resident for the past 35 years who died in her home Sunday [January 7, 1968], was at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Chapel of the Roses at Payette, with Elder Harry Sunday Fry of Payette Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints officiating. Mrs. Burgess was born in Ellensburg, Wash., Oct. 16, 1901. In 1915 she moved with her family to Oregon, settling in Curry County. She was married to Fred Burgess, December 19, 1922 in Coquille, Ore. They lived in Curry County 11 years and came to Vale in 1933. They … Read more

Smith, Thomas – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Aug. 9 — Thomas Smith, memorial service, 1 p.m., United Methodist Church, Elgin The Observer – August 4, 2008 ___________________________________ Thomas Ira Smith, 93, of McMinnville and formerly of Elgin, died July 10 in McMinnville. Memorial services will begin at 1 p.m. Aug. 9 at the United Methodist Church at Fifth and Birch Street in Elgin. Autumn Crematorium in Tigard was in charge of arrangements. Tom was born Sept. 22, 1914, to Ira Arthur and Henrietta Esther (Cruikshank) Smith in Gridley, Calif. The family soon moved to Elgin where Tom graduated from Elgin High School in 1932. Joining … Read more