Ontario Oregon

Reimers, Ethel Mae Ross Mrs. – Obituary

Ethel Mae Reimers, 90, of Ontario, died March 14, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Riverside Cemetery in Payette, Idaho. Pastor Martin Frusti of Pilgrim Lutheran Church at Ontario will officiate. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel in Payette. Ethel was born at Nyssa and raised in the Ontario area. She was the daughter of Seymour and Minnie McGregor Ross. She married Leland G. Reimers on Nov. 11, 1934. He died on Nov. 6, 1991. They were married for almost 57 years. … Read more

Bailey, Debra Audean (Early) – Obituary

Debra Audean Bailey, 54, of Ontario, died May 16, 2007, at her home. Her funeral was May 22 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Father Robert C. Irwin officiated. Burial was May 22 at Hillcrest East Cemetery in La Grande. Lienkaemper Funeral Chapel, Ontario, was in charge of arrangements. Debra was born on Dec. 6, 1952, to William Grant and Josephine E. Bailey in La Grande. She was raised in Baker City where she attended St. Francis Academy and Baker High School, until she moved to Ontario in 1995. She worked for nine years for the Baker County drug and alcohol … Read more

Beatty, Brenda L. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Brenda L. Beatty, 63, a longtime Baker City resident, died June 8, 2004, at her home. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 2177 First St. The Rev. Richard Thew will officiate. Deacon Connie Boone will assist. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Brenda was born on March 3, 1941, at Ontario to Thad P. and Genevieve Clinkingbeard Beatty. She attended school in Baker City and was a Baker High School graduate. She went on to college, getting her degree in nursing. She was a registered nurse and worked in … Read more

Biography of Alva P. Mack

This enterprising and intelligent gentleman is one of Malheur County’s leading agriculturists, being a man of good ability and possessed of thrift and those talents which make the successful man, which in its full degree he has demonstrated himself to be, for he came to Ontario in 1890 with less than twenty dollars in finances, and by his own endeavors he has amassed a goodly holding of valuable property; his estate of one hundred and twenty acres, which is highly improved and excellently tilled, lies four and one-half miles southwest from Ontario. It is a model rural home, and shows … Read more

Manners, Rachel C. Buchanan Crimin Mrs. – Obituary

Rachel C. Buchanan Manners, 85, of Ontario, a former Baker City resident, died Nov. 9, 2000, at Ontario. Her graveside funeral was Tuesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church officiated. Mrs. Manners was born and raised in the Wingville and Pocahontas areas where she met and married James Crimin. She later married Howard Manners and lived at North Powder where he taught school for many years. Survivors include her son, Robert Crimin of Aztec, N.M.; three grandchildren, Randy Crimin of Utah, Shelly Daws of Fruitland, Idaho, and Scott Crimin of Weiser, Idaho; and … Read more

Burbank, Maxine Rynearson Mrs. – Obituary

Hereford, Oregon Maxine Burbank, 84, of Ontario, a former Baker County resident, died of complications of diabetes and the results of four strokes on April 22, 2004, at Life Care Center in Boise. Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Riverside Cemetery in Payette, Idaho. She was born on June 13, 1919, at Emmett, Idaho, to Emory John and Etta Mae Rynearson. She lived for many years at Hereford where she and her husband owned the Hereford Store. They moved to Ontario in 1957. Although retired for many years, she spent more than 20 years as a … Read more

Johnson, Zeb Dee – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Zeb Dee Johnson, 29, formerly of Elgin, died Aug. 23 in Tillamook County. A celebration of life runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Community Center in Elgin. A second service begins at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Tillamook Cheese Visitor Center. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Oregon. Cash donations can also be made to Community Bank in Northeast Oregon, to help offset funeral costs. The Observer – Obituaries for the day of August 30, 2008 ______________________________ Zeb Dee Johnson, 29, formerly of Elgin, … Read more

Biography of Thomas C. Fletcher

One of the earliest pioneers of this region of the country, a man whose life has always been dominated by wisdom prudence and upright principles,. having ever manifested also stanch virtues and a reliability that are becoming a good citizen and faithful man, the subject of this article is vie of the leading men of Malheur County, and a prominent resident of Ontario. Thomas C. was born in Mercer County, Kentucky, on October 11, 1841, being the son of Jewett and Elizabeth Fletcher. When our subject was six years of age he had the misfortune to lose his father and … Read more

Burnett, Preston Frank – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Preston Frank Burnett, 85, of Pendleton and formerly of La Grande died June 7 at St. Anthony Hospital. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 241 S.E. Second St. in Pendleton. Preston was born July 7, 1921, to Lawrence and Mabel Brown Burnett in Island City. He graduated from La Grande High School in 1938 and served in the Navy prior to World War II. Preston married Madaline E. Rhoads in Portland. He worked for the Oregon Highway Division for 42 years and was a resident engineer on many … Read more

Holland, Edward A. – Obituary

Edward A. Holland, 71, of New Bridge, died on March 25, 2005, at the emergency room of St. Elizabeth Health Services en route home from St Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute at Fruitland. At his request, there will be no funeral. Edward Arlen was born on Feb. 18, 1934, at Ontario to May and William W. Holland of Harper. He attended Harper Grade School, and then in 1947 went to the New Bridge Grade School when his father transferred with the state Highway Division from Harper to Richland. Ed attended Eagle Valley High School at Richland for four years, graduating … Read more

Carter, Willis D. – Obituary

Funeral services for Willis D. Carter, 67, 159 E. Idaho, Ontario, a former longtime Baker resident, was conducted Friday, June, 22, at West & Co. Memorial Chapel. The Rev. James Berentson of the Fist Lutheran Church officiated. Interment followed at Mt. Hope Cemetery with the Baker Veterans Organizations conducting graveside honors. Mr. Carter was born April 27, 1900 in Missouri. He had his early schooling in Missouri and was a veteran of WWI where he served in the United States Navy. He spent most of his life in Baker, Salem and Ontario and was well known in Baker as having … Read more

Scrivner, Virgel Ray – Obituary

Virgel Ray Scrivner, 78, of Ontario, a former longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 10, 2008, at his home after a long illness. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Visitations will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Gray’s West & Co. Virgel was born on Dec. 30, 1929, at Austin to Vollie and Maude Scrivner. He was the youngest of four children. Virgel attended Baker schools and was a 1948 Baker High School graduate. He married Betty Wolfe in 1949 and together they had three … Read more

Farson, Eileen Withrow Mrs. – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Eileen Farson, 75, died Jan. 25, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services from complications of diabetes. Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. MST Tuesday at the Haren-Wood Payette Chapel, 840 6th Ave. S. at Payette, Idaho. Vault interment will be at the Riverside Cemetery in Payette. Eileen Muriel Withrow Farson was born to Wallace and Viola May Hofeldt Withrow on March 7, 1926, at Cleveland, Mont. She spent her youth traveling with her family while her father worked construction. Eileen was a 1944 Baker High School graduate. On July 3, 1947, she married W.H. “Bill” Farson at … Read more

Biography of Hon. J.R. Blakaby

Malheur County can boast of many distinguished pioneers who have made brilliant success in both the financial world and in the political realm, and one of the prominent men of this influential number is the gentleman whose name is at the head of this article, and who stands as one of the real builders of the County and is also one of the largest general merchandise operators within her borders at the present time, his store being located in Jordan Valley. Mr. Blackaby was born in Iowa, on April 12, 1861, being the son of Bernard and Emeline Blackaby. There … Read more

Grove, Laura Willene Caver Mrs. – Obituary

Laura Willene Grove, 70, of Ontario, died Feb. 16, 2007, at Baker City. Visitations will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Lienkaemper Chapel, 78 N.W. First Ave., in Ontario. There will be a luncheon for friends and family afterward at the home of Kerri and Doug Deardorff, 310 N. Utah St., at Fruitland, Idaho. A private family memorial has been scheduled at Powers on Aug. 19. Laura Willene Caver was born on April 18, 1936, at Greenville, Miss., to Willie and Bessie Caver. She was raised at Greenville until her family moved to Powers. She married Thomas … Read more

Mehlhorn, Jean Smith Mrs. – Obituary

Jean Mehlhorn, 72, of Hood River, died July 20, 2003, after a short illness. A memorial service for her and her husband, Dale, will be scheduled later. Jean was born on Feb. 3, 1931, to Dorothy and Ray Smith at Mill City, Kan. She was a few minutes older than her identical twin sister, Joan. The Smith family moved to California where Jean spent her childhood and early school days. They settled in Halfway where she attended high school and met Dale Mehlhorn. Jean and Dale married in 1948 and moved to Corvallis, where Dale attended Oregon State University. Jean … Read more

Phelps, James LeRoy Jr. – Obituary

Dad went to visit his Father in Heaven on October 8, 2007 after a brief illness. James was born in Weldona, Colorado on March 26, 1928 to James “Lee” and Gladys “Bernice” Phelps. The family arrived in Idaho in the late 1930’s, and he was raised on a farm on the hill outside of Roswell, Idaho. He graduated from Wilder High School spring of 1946 and entered the Navy that fall. He served his country in the Mediterranean on the U.S.S Midway. During those years he corresponded with Dorothy Burt and upon returning from the Navy he married Dorothy on … 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

Cathey, Laura Louise Ray Mrs. – Obituary

Laura Louise Cathey, 101, of Ontario, a former Baker City resident, died April 28, 2008, at Ontario with family at her side. Her graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jon Privett will officiate. There will be a reception for family and friends after the service at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Laura was born on Nov. 1, 1906, at Rushville, Neb., to James and Hulda Ray. She was the second child in a family of 12 children. Laura’s family moved to Montana when she was a teenager. She … Read more

Morehead, Alice F. MacDonald Mrs. – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Alice F. MacDonald Morehead, 97, of La Grande died June 26, 2003, at her home. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley in La Grande. The Rev. Norman Shrumm of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate. Committal and interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in La Grande. Visitations will be until 6 o’clock tonight at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Mrs. Morehead was born on June 15, 1906, at Knappa to Angus and Lenore MacDonald. She moved with her parents to a homestead near Ontario. She attended Pioneer schools, Payette, … Read more