Thomas, Ronald “Ron” – Obituary

Medical Springs, Oregon Ronald “Ron” Thomas, 70, passed away Monday, Feb. 24, 2003, at his home in Medical Springs. At Ron’s request, disposition will take place at Gray’s West Pioneer Crematory. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Ron was born on May 17, 1932, to Clinton M. and Lillie Houseman Thomas at Hebron, Neb. He grew up and graduated from high school at Watsonville, Calif. On May 17, 1953, Ron married Norma Kaufman. The couple had three children, Pamela, Linda and Jim. Ronald lived an adventurous life. … Read more

Duncan, Roscoe E. ‘Roc’ – Obituary

Roscoe E. “Roc” Duncan, 72, 2039 Cherry St., a longtime Keating area rancher, died Saturday, Jan. 25, 1986, at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. His Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Grays’ West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Monsignor Charles t. Grant of St. Francis Cathedral will officiate. Private interment will follow at Big Creek Cemetery near Medical Springs. Mr. Duncan was born on Sept. 9, 1913, at lower Powder Valley to W. H. “Win” and Emma Holt Duncan. He attended Medical Springs and Baker schools. He married Ruth H. Hermsen in Baker on Sept, 23, 1937. … Read more

Jeremiah John Miller – Obituary

Medical Springs, Oregon Jeremiah John Miller, 81, a longtime Medical Springs resident, died Dec. 5, 2001, at his home. There will be a memorial service later. Jeremiah was born at Baxter Springs, Kan., where he grew up on his grandmother’s farm. He graduated from Joplin High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which took him to Randolph Field at San Antonio, Texas. There he met and fell in love with Adeline Kosharek. They were married on July 1, 1940, and spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force where his career was in aircraft maintenance and engineering. … Read more

Duncan, Leslie – Obituary

Leslie Vern Duncan, 90, 1350 10th St. who ranched and farmed in the Medical Springs and Ebell Creek areas, died Friday, May 8, 1987, at St. Elizabeth Hospital. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. The Rev. Greg Eicher of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mr. Duncan was born March 12, 1897 at Medical Springs to Richard and Julia Ann Gobel Duncan. He married Blanche Ramsey in Weiser, Idaho, on March 11, 1941. He attended school in Medical Springs and was … Read more

Emele, B. D. – Obituary

Muddy Creek, Baker County, Oregon B. D. Emele Dies at Farm Home Position in Haines Commercial Company Filled for 29 Years Benjamin David Emele died Sunday night at his farm home in Muddy Creek after a long illness. Born February 25, 1881 at Medical Springs, Mr. Emele accepted employment with the Basche- Sage Hardware Company as a traveling salesman after finishing school and business college here. He resigned five years later to become connected with the Haines Commercial Company, where hw worked for 29 years. He resigned a year and a half ago because of ill health. He was a … Read more

Rutledge, Carrie Miss – Obituary

Rutledge.-At the Park, Saturday, September 6, Miss Carrie Rutledge, aged 14 years. Eastern Oregon Republican, Thursday September 11, 1890

Pope, Evaline Emele – Obituary

Funeral services for Evaline Emele Pope, 86, 2619 Auburn St., who died at St Elizabeth Hospital Tuesday morning following a short illness, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. at the Beatty Chapel. The Rev. Kenneth Grafham will officiate with interment in following at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Pope, daughter of Baker County Pioneers David and Betty Emele, was born at Medical Springs on Aug. 31, 1877. Mrs. Pope, a county resident all her life, was preceded in death by her husband, William A. Pope, in 1940 and by her three sisters and two brothers. She was a member of the … Read more

Denton, Barbara Wright Mrs. – Obituary

Barbara Denton, 89, of Pendleton and formerly of the Marble Creek area near Baker City, died May 15, 2003. Graveside funeral services were held Tuesday at Skyview Memorial Park. Alice was born to Stanley Carter and Onlie Foster Wright on Feb. 5, 1914, at Clovis, N.M. She was the oldest of four children. She grew up in various locations in Iowa and Missouri. She graduated from high school in Lamoni, Iowa and also briefly attended Graceland College in Lamoni. In 1932, the family moved to Oregon and settled in Medical Springs, later moving to the Marble Creek area. She married … Read more

Sullens, Wilbert L. “Will” – Obituary

Wilbert “Will” L. Sullens, 79, of Medical Springs, died April 4, 2005, at his home. His memorial service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Dale Bingham will conduct the services. Everyone is invited to a finger-food potluck reception at the VFW Hall, 2005 Valley Ave., immediately following the service. Will was born Nov. 3, 1925, in Prairie City to Russell and Madeleine (Barlow) Sullens. He was raised and received his education in Prairie City. In 1943, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps, attending flight school in Santa Ana, Calif. He was honorably … Read more

Lay, Louise Irene – Obituary

Union, Oregon Lois Irene Lay, 92, of Boise and formerly of Union, died Sunday in Boise. The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Ginger Creek LDS ward 11918 W. Ustick Road in Boise. Viewing will be from 9 to 9:45 a.m. before the service. A graveside service will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Union Cemetery. Mrs. Lay was born June 14, 1914, to Charlie Lewis Deardorff and Minnie Meyer in Baker City. She graduated from Baker High School, and married Guild Duel Lay April 1, 1938. They lived on a ranch near Medical Springs until … Read more

Heffelfinger, Carol S. – Obituary

Carol S. Heffelfinger, 61, Medical Springs, Ore., died March 3, 2007, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center in Baker City, Ore. Arrangements are under the direction of Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, Baker City, OR 97814. Used with permission from: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, March, 2007 Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor

Burford, Paula Errolo – Obituary

Union, Oregon Paula Errolo Burford, 80, of College Place, Wash., and formerly of Union died Sept. 17 at her daughter’s home. The funeral was held today at Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home in Milton-Freewater. Burial was at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery. Mrs. Burford was born March 25, 1926, to Joseph Coleman and Katie Rosilla Deuel Lay in Medical Springs. She graduated from Union High School, and attended Brigham Young University. She moved to Los Angeles, Calif., where she worked for Western Union. On Sept. 16, 1949, she married Clifford Edwin Burford in Los Angeles. They returned to Oregon and lived in Milton-Freewater for … Read more

Whitley, Brett Allen – Obituary

Medical Springs, Oregon Brett Allen Whitley, 24, of Medical Springs, died Sept. 2, 2001, at his home. His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Vault interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery. Mr. Whitley was born in January of 1977 at Merced, Calif. He was a 1995 Baker High School graduate. He enjoyed the outdoors and graduated from Treasure Valley Community College at Ontario with a degree in forestry. He enjoyed hunting, camping, snowboarding and four-wheeling. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Chuck Drummond and … Read more

Fleetwood, Johannah Morrissey Mrs. – Obituary

Johannah Morrissey Fleetwood went to her eternal rest on May 10, 2008 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. She was born on June 26, 1916, at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Baker City. She was the daughter of James and Kate Morrissey originally from County Wexford Ireland. In 1940, she married C.A. “Rastus” Fleetwood. Upon his enlistment in the Navy Seabees in 1942, she became a war bride until the conclusion of World War II in 1945. She was raised on the family ranch in the Medical Springs/ Keating area. After the completion of the 8th grade at Medical … Read more

Colton, John J., Jr. – Obituary

Keating, Baker County, Oregon John J. Colton Jr., 90, a longtime Baker County resident, died July 31, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Monday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Cathedral. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a luncheon afterward at the parish hall. Visitations will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. John was born the third of 15 children … Read more

Olson, Christian – Obituary

Medical Springs Pioneer Passes Christian Olson, 77, for 40 years a resident of the Medical Springs district, died at his home six miles north of that town Monday afternoon, the body was brought here. Funeral services were held at the West chapel at 2 p.m. Wednesday, interment was in the Mount Hope cemetery. Mr. Olson was born in Norway, March 2, 1850. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Engeburg Olson, three daughters, Mrs. Solphia Phillips, Medical Springs; Elma Hickerson, Baker; Mrs. Christine Olson, Baker; Mrs. Emma Miles, Portland; two sons, Alfred and Chas. Olson of Baker. – Baker Herald. … Read more

Conklin, Eugene – Obituary

UNION (Special) – Eugene B. Conklin died in a Portland hospital Tuesday evening following a heart attack. He had taken the exhibits, from Malheur county to the Pacific International and became ill about a week before his passing away. He was a prominent man in Eastern Oregon where he always was very active in public affairs. He was born in Ohio in 1865 and came to Oregon in 1888. He taught school at Medical Springs and Cove and in 1894 came to Union where he taught for five years. From here he went to Pendleton for seven years of teaching … Read more

Hoskinson, Ed – Obituary

Ed Hoskinson Leaves Note Indicating Suicide The mystery surrounding the death of Ed Hoskinson, middle-aged trapper and dam keeper, was cleared up when a group of men from Medical Springs visited the lonely cabin, eight miles from Medical springs, on Catherine Creek, where they found the body and a note, giving the date of the suicide and saying “good-bye to all.” The note explained that he had been ill since January 18 and was dated February 20. At the end of the short note he asked that his body be taken to Baker for burial. Coroner F.L. Ralston decided that … Read more

Lewis Howard Wirth – Obituary

Lewis Howard Wirth, 81, a former Baker City resident, died July 29, 2009, at Orem, Utah. His funeral was Monday at the Walker Sanderson Funeral Home in North Orem, Utah. Interment was at the Orem City Cemetery. Lewis was born on July 10, 1928, to Joseph and Inez Wirth at Burns Lake, British Columbia, where he lived until the age of 8. His family then moved to Medical Springs where they farmed and ranched. He graduated from Baker High School, where he met and married Arlene Johnson. They were married on April 9, 1950, at Baker City. Together they raised … Read more

Lay, Myrtle Yvonna Inman Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Myrtle Yvonna Lay, 91, died Aug. 22, 2005, at Medford Rehabilitation and Health Center in Medford. A graveside service will be held for Mrs. Lay at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Mountain View Cemetery in Ashland. The Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home in Ashland will handle the arrangements. Chaplain Paul Hagedorn of the Providence Hospital Hospice Care Unit will officiate. Myrtle was born April 19, 1914, to Guy and Jane Inman, whose parents were early immigrants to Eastern Oregon from the Midwest. She spent most of her childhood in or near Baker City and … Read more