Milton Freewater Oregon

Sutton, Harold L. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Harold L. Sutton, 91, a La Grande resident and a former longtime Elgin resident, died March 22, 2004, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. His funeral will be Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the Elgin United Methodist Church. Vault interment and concluding services will follow in Summerville. Pastor Kay Garver will officiate. Visitations will be Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Loveland Funeral Chapel 1508 Fourth St. in La Grande. Mr. Sutton was born March 10, 1913, at Bethlehem, Iowa, to Robert and Viola (Hancock) Sutton. His father died when he was 9-years-old, … Read more

Hearing, Clara – Obituary

Wallowa County, Oregon Wallowa County rancher, Clara Hearing, died Jan.4, 1990, at Elzora Manor in Milton-Freewater where she had resided since Oct. 9, 1987. She was born Jan. 31, 1909, at Spokane, Wash., the daughter of John and Dorothy (Briscoe) White. The family moved to Wallowa County when she was five years old. On July 11, 1933, she married Fred Hearing in Pasco, Wash. He preceded her in death in 1962. They operated a ranch on Powwatka for 25 years. Later they bought the Butte Creek holdings (the old Bill Zurcher Place) from Mark Sevier. After her husband’s death, Mrs. … Read more

Sutton, Kathleen Elizabeth Ann “Kate” Winn Mrs. – Obituary

Kathleen “Kate” Elizabeth Ann Winn Sutton, 90, of La Grande passed away at a local care facility on June 22, 2005. Loveland Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements. Celebration of Life Services were held on Monday, June 27, 10 a.m. at The Elgin United Methodist Church. Viewing was held on Sunday, June 26 from 1-4 p.m. at Loveland Funeral Chapel 1508 4th Street, La Grande. She was born on Nov. 6, 1914, in Milton-Freewater, Ore., to Henry and Ethel Dougherty Winn. She graduated from Maclaughlin High School in Milton-Freewater. She married Harold L Sutton on Dec. 2, 1932, in College … Read more

Hook, Vivian Lee Lovell – Obituary

Vivian Lee Lovell Hook of Baker City died Sept. 12 at her brother’s home in Milton-Freewater. A Rosary will be conducted at 7 p.m. tonight at Bollman Funeral Home, with a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Katherine Catholic Church in Enterprise. Burial will follow at the Enterprse Cemetery. Mrs. Hook was born Feb. 27, 1929 to Garrett Samuel and Evelyn Billerbeck Lovell. She attended Hurricane Creek School on Alder Slope, as well as schools in Enterprise and Joseph. She marred the late Carl Eugene Hook Aug. 3, 1946 in Baker. She was a homemaker and ranch wife … Read more

Cross, Lauretta – Obituary

Lauretta Cross, of Milton-Freewater and a former resident of Wallowa County, died July 9, 2007, at Walla Walla General Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 85. Mrs. Cross was born June 19,1922, in La Grande to James Everett and Etta Rebecca Berg Rachau. The family resided on Pumpkin Ridge, outside of Elgin. They later moved to Minam, where Mrs. Cross attended school through the second grade. In 1930, the family moved to Onalaska, Wash., where she finished her schooling, graduating from the eighth grade twice. Her father didn’t believe in higher education for women. She married young and had … Read more

Van Ocker, Virginia Mary Wilson Mrs. – Obituary

Virginia Mary Wilson Van Ocker, 90, of Baker City, died Jan. 29, 2005, at Boise after a long illness. Her memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Ralph Holcomb will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the funeral home. Virginia was born at Seattle, Wash., on June 3, 1914, to Otis and Hulda Wilson. She was the second of five children. At the age of 2, she moved with her family to Milton-Freewater. She attended all 12 years of school at Milton-Freewater, graduating from Mac-Hi in 1932. She married … Read more

Wheeler, Lydia – Obituary

Wallowa, Oregon Lydia I. Wheeler, 77, formerly of Wallowa, died Sunday, Sept. 13, 1987 at her home in Milton-Freewater. She was born June 26, 1910 at Kirwin, Kan., daughter of Daniel and Alpha Vest Lare. The family lived in Kirwin, where she attended school until October, 1916, when the family moved to Oregon. They settled at Wallowa, where she graduated from high school. On Sept. 8, 1930, she married Joseph R. Wheeler at Enterprise. They moved to Freewater in the spring of 1931 and moved to a home on the South Fork of the Walla Walla River in the spring … Read more

Wright, Gladys – Obituary

Joseph, Oregon Gladys Wright, a former teacher who taught at a country school on the Sheep Creek Divide, died Sept. 11, 1987 at the Odd Fellows Home in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 81. Funeral services were held Sept. 14th at Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home Chapel in Milton-Freewater with Rev. Edward Morrison officiating. Ritualistic services were conducted by Integrity Rebekah Lodge. Graveside services and burial followed later the same day in the Prairie Creek Cemetery near Joseph. Wright was born April 22,1906 in Evelyn, Wash., the daughter of Douglas and Edith Eaton Towers. She was the eldest of nine children. Following … Read more

Obituary of Jack O. Thompson

Jack O. Thompson, 81, of Baker City died Aug. 10, 2008, at home with his faithful dog Dutch at his feet. At his request, there will be no funeral service. Interment will take place at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery in Milton-Freewater. Mr. Thompson, the youngest son of Bress Thompson and Annie Bowyer Thompson, was born Sept. 12, 1926, in Wallowa. He graduated from McLoughlin Union High School in Milton-Freewater in 1944. He served proudly in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps during the late 1940s and 1950s. He was stationed in California and in Asia. He also served in … Read more

Ransom, Paul E. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Paul E. Ransom, 83, of La Grande and formerly of Milton-Freewater, died Aug. 8 at Rose Cottage, an adult care center, in Kennewick. A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Mountain View-Colonial DeWitt, 1551 Dalles Military Road, Walla Walla. Pastor Roger Holden will officiate. A reception will follow at the funeral home. Paul was born Sept. 30, 1924, to Ernest and Lou Hahn Ransom in Walla Walla. He attended elementary school on Government Mountain then the Forks School on the Walla Walla River. He started high school in Prescott, Wash. His family then moved … Read more

Hunot, Lulu E. Campbell – Obituary

Graveside service for Lulu E. Hunot, 89, of Pendleton, will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at Olney Cemetery. Mrs. Hunot was bon Dec. 26, 1905, in Athena, the daughter of William A. and Susan Ogle Campbell. She died Thursday, Dec. 29, 1994, at Elzora Manor in Milton-Freewater. She grew up and spent most of her life in or near Pendleton. She attended St. Joseph’s Academy in Pendleton and married Fred P. Hunot in Pendleton on July 3, 1921. He died in 1943. Mrs. Hunot was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Eagles, 28 Ladies Auxiliary, Pauline, Rebekah Lodge, 13 Order … Read more

Slack, Lyle B. – Obituary

Lyle B. Slack, 1915 Davis St., died at his home Wednesday. He was 64. He was born Oct. 14, 1914, at Summerville, Ore. He attended elementary schools at Summerville and Imbler, and graduated from La Grande High School. Later, he lived in Wallowa County for five years. He was in the Army during World War II. Mr. Slack married Ruth Hopkins at Cheyenne, Wyo., June 4, 1943. They farmed in the Summerville area several years before moving to Milton-Freewater in 1962, where he owned and operated Slack Upholstery Shop. Survivors are his wife; son, Donald, Hermiston; daughter, Mrs. Don (Kathy) … Read more

Graham, Harry Russell – Obituary

Milton-Freewater, Oregon Obituary Harry Russell Graham, 80 a retired fruit farmer of Milton-Freewater died at a local rest home, Tuesday, Sept. 12 following an extended illness. Services will be held at the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home in Milton-Freewater, Friday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. Interment will also be at Milton-Freewater. The La Grande Observer, La Grande, Oregon – Wednesday, September 13, 1967 Transcribed by Dixie Ricker

Colpitts, Georgie – Obituary

There will be a graveside celebration of her life at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. A potluck reception is scheduled afterward at the Pine Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Halfway. Visitations will be Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home in Halfway. Georgettae Pearl was born on May 26, 1938, in Enterprise to Richard and Dellourias Whitmore Brock. She was raised and educated at Enterprise, graduating from high school in 1956. That very year, in December, she married Harvey Colpitts. They had four children, Audrey, Alice, Arlene and … Read more

Shirley, Michael L. – Obituary

Union, Oregon Michel L. Shirley, 60, of Milton-Freewater and formerly of Union died Aug. 13 at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Mr. Shirley was born Nov. 5, 1945, to Ancle L. and Eva M. Fulp Shirley in Tranquillity, Calif. He graduated from Union High School in 1963, and served in the Air Force specializing in computer systems. In 1966 he was assigned to NORAD Headquarters in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, Colo., where he received the Armed Forces Commendation Medal. He graduated from the USAAFSS NCO Academy, and finished … Read more

Frison, Donald L. – Obituary

Island City, Oregon Donald L. “Don” Frison, 62, of Island City, died March 30 at his home. Private services will be held at a later date. Don was born Dec. 10, 1945, to Joseph and Alma I. Kluth Frison in Mobridge, S.D. He grew up and attended school in Weston. After his schooling he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1962 to 1966. After his discharge from the service he worked in Portland for the Teamsters Union for 10 years and later for the Operating Engineers Union for 22 years, doing various jobs. He retired from the unions and … Read more

Molstrom, Grace Herr – Obituary

Grace E. Molstrom, 88, of Milton-Freewater, died Friday, October 15, 1999, at her home. The funeral will be held at the First Christian Church in Milton-Freewater, on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Private vault interment will be at Olney Cemetery in Pendleton on Friday morning. Mrs. Molstrom was born July 13, 1911, at Milton-Freewater to Herbert and Nellie Herr. She and her two sisters Ruby and Stella, grew up on the family farm along the old Walla Walla Highway. She was a graduate of Ferndale School, McLoughlin High School and Eastern Oregon College. In 1936 she married Eldon Molstrom at Walla … Read more

Estes, Sonja Larson Mrs. – Obituary

Sonja Estes, 64, of Richland, died Feb. 21, 2005, at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise. A memorial service celebrating her life will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Richland Methodist Church. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck afterward at the Richland Grange. Sonja Lou was born in Bend on Sept. 6, 1940, to Leonard and Lucille Larson. She lived in Central Oregon most of her childhood. She moved to Milton-Freewater with her family where she graduated from high school in 1958. She married James Franklin Estes on June 13, 1968, at Lewiston, Idaho. … Read more

Childers, Dale – Obituary

Milton-Freewater – Dale Childers, 57, of Milton-Freewater, died Sunday, Nov. 13, 1988, at his home. At Childers’ request there will be no funeral service. He was born Aug. 7, 1931, in Wallowa, to Cecil and Thelma Crow Childers. He grew up in the Wallowa Valley and graduated from Joseph High School in 1949. He attended Moler Barber College at Portland, graduating in 1950. Childers owned and operated barbershops at Klamath Falls and Arlington before moving to the Milton-Freewater area in the late 1960s. He operated Dale’s Barber Shop in Milton-Freewater for 20 years. On Nov. 5, 1973, he married Jan … Read more

Jewett, Joe – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Joe Jewett, 93, of La Grande, died Feb. 19, 2005. He was born May 13, 1911 in Helena, Montana to George and Alice Geary Jewett. His memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the First Christian Church in La Grande. Visitations will be until 4 p.m. today at Loveland Funeral Chapel. Joe was raised at Winston, Mont. He went to electrical school in Chicago, and graduated after one year. He returned to Aberdeen, Wash., to finish his high school education as an adult. He worked about 1 year before deciding to go to … Read more