Halley, Leston Earl “Les – Obituary

Leston Earl “Les” Halley, 71, of Pendleton died Jan. 23, 2003, of natural causes. There will be a military graveside service for him at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception afterward at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall. Les was born on March 17, 1931, at Carson to Earl and Mildred Irwin Halley. After graduating from Pine Valley Union High School at Halfway in 1949, he attended Vanport College at Portland. While there he excelled in athletics, playing football and baseball. Proudly, Les served his country … Read more

Crooke, Bill Jack – Obituary

Bill Jack Crooke, 81, of Pendleton, died Feb. 27, 2007, at his home after a long illness. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Berean Baptist Church (the former Calvary Baptist Church) at 8 N.W. Ninth St., in Pendleton. Pastor Carl LeTourka will officiate. He was born on April 4, 1925, at Meridian, Idaho, to Ruth Ester and Jack Crooke. He was raised by his grandmother, Mrs. White, in the Meridian, Idaho, area. He attended school there until he went to live with his father and stepmother at Union at the age of 15. When he … Read more

Derksen, Helen Mae Martin Mrs. – Obituary

Helen Mae Derksen, 93, a resident of the Baker City area for the past six years, died Jan. 13, 2006, at Pendleton, where she was living temporarily. Her memorial service was today at the New Bridge Church of the Nazarene near Richland, where she had attended regularly for the past three years. Her cremains will be buried later with her husband at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Mrs. Derksen was born on Nov. 17, 1912, in Dayton, Ohio, to George and Louise McClelland Martin. She was educated in Ohio and graduated from Davis Business College there. She also graduated … Read more

Svetich, Corinne Josephine – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Corinne Josephine Svetich, 78, of Walla Walla, died June 29 at her home. A graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Skyview Memorial Park in Pendleton. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Svetich was born Jan. 4, 1928, to Charles and Francis Butler in Sacramento, Calif. She grew up in North Port, Wash., and graduated from La Grande High School in 1946. She took business courses at Eastern Oregon Normal School for two years. On March 10, 1950, she married Matthew Svetich in Pendleton. She worked as a teller at U.S. … Read more

Snowberger, Kenneth Merritt – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Kenneth Merritt Snowberger, 80, of La Grande, died April 20 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Pendleton. A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Private burial will be at the Grandview Cemetery in La Grande. Mr. Snowberger was born April 6, 1927, to Merritt Kenneth and Vivian (Jameson) Snowberger in Payette, Idaho. On May 30, 1948, he married Nettie Marie Ring in McPherson, Kan., and they moved to La Grande in 1973. He loved teaching children and served as a Vacation Bible School teacher and Sunday school teacher. He also … Read more

Graven, Geraldine “Gerry” Betsinger Mrs. – Obituary

Richland, Baker County, Oregon Geraldine “Gerry” Graven, 85, a longtime Richland resident, died April 26, 2005, at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Father Rob Irwin of St. Francis Catholic Church will officiate. Vault interment will be at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. There will be a reception afterward at the Eagle Valley Grange in Richland. Gerry was born on May 30, 1919, at Pendleton. She married Herbert Betsinger in 1938. She married Walter Graven on Jan. 22, 1944. … Read more

Bowman, Grace Ethel Hubbard – Obituary

Funeral for Grace Ethel Bowman will be 2 p.m. Friday at Folsom-Bishop Funeral Chapel in Pendleton. Vault Interment will be Olney Cemetery. Mrs. Bowman, a life-long resident of Umatilla County, died Tuesday [October 9, 1979] at Hiersche’s Nursing Home. She was 84. She was born Oct. 22, 1894, at Pearson Creek, to Joseph A. and Anna Simpson Hubbard. Her parents ran the post office, store, and hotel on McKay Creek in 1908. Mrs. Bowman and her husband, Oscar, farmed on Tutuilla Creek. Her husband died in 1973. She was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Pioneer Ladies … Read more

Low, Archie E. – Obituary

Archie E. Low, well-known young man of Union, who served some time with the A. E. F. in France, died at his home in Union Saturday night, after a long illness. Mr. Low was gassed while overseas, and never regained his health. He came home to Union last summer, but upon the advice of physicians went to Seattle and entered the government hospital there. His condition did not improve however, and he was brought home by his father last week. Deceased was a member of Union Post No. 50, American Legion, and the funeral took place in Union, with interment … Read more

Nelson, Maria Hilda Molstrom – Obituary

Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Pendleton, for Maria Hilda Nelson, Pendleton. Mrs. Nelson, 96, died Monday [December 9, 1974] at St. Anthony Hospital. She had lived in Umatilla County for 84 years. She was born at Centerville, Wash., Feb. 9, 1878. She was married Sept. 5, 1897, to David H. Nelson. He died in May 1939 and a son, Harry in 1960. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson farmed on the Umatilla Indian Reservation for a short time after their marriage, then in 1900 started farming on Cold Springs. Mrs. Nelson was a … Read more

Bowman, Martha Elizabeth Carroll – Obituary

Mrs. Martha Elizabeth Carroll Bowman, wife of Walter S. Bowman died at her home, 918 Main Street last night [March 13, 1931] at 7:30 her death being caused by an illness resulting from a paralytic stroke which occurred a little over five years ago. She was born December 5, 1866 in Yamhill, Oregon, and came in the early part of her life to Dayton, Washington with her family, coming to Pendleton in the early nineties. On November 24, 1896, she was married to W. S. Bowman, they being the parents of one child, no longer living [Juanita Bowman]. Mrs. Bowman … Read more

Clark, Rena – Obituary

Paradise, Oregon Rena E. Clark, a former resident of Athena, died Sept. 23, 2007, at the St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton. She was 90. Mrs. Clark was born April 27, 1917, in Paradise to James and Anne Beeman Winters. She was one of 15 children. She attended schools in Paradise and later graduated from White Salmon High School in White Salmon, Wash. She married Charlie R. Tinsley on Feb. 22, 1934, in Enterprise, where he farmed and worked in the sawmills. The couple later moved to Adams in 1957. He died in 1962. Mrs. Clark moved to Athena and later … Read more

Osterman, Dorothy L. Inskeep Mrs. – Obituary

Dorothy L. Osterman, 91, a resident of Sunridge Retirement Community in Pendleton died Monday, Sept. 30, 2002 in Pendleton. Her graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Evergreen Memorial Park in McMinnville. Vault interment will be afterward. Mrs. Osterman was born Sept. 12, 1911, at McMinnville. She was a daughter of Oliver Warren and Dora Ellen Leach Inskeep. Her great-grandfather owned the stage stop at Jordan Valley. She was raised and educated at McMinnville. She started working for Macy & Son Funeral Home part time during high school. Upon graduation, she went to work full time at Macy’s. … Read more

McLaughlin, Eunice Ellen – Obituary

Umatilla Co., OR An article in the East Oregonian on August 17, 1891 states “The little child of Mr. and Mrs. E. D. McLaughlin is very low from cholera infantum.” Eunice died two days later. McLaughlin–In Pendleton, at 2:30 p.m. today, Eunice Ellen, daughter of E. D. and Josephine A. McLaughlin, aged 8 months and 14 days. Funeral from residence tomorrow at 2 o’clock p.m. ************* Eunice is buried in an unmarked grave in the Olney Cemetery, Pendleton, OR behind her grandparents, William and Amy Lee. I assume the parents were going to wait and add her name to their … Read more

Considine, Dorothy H. Daggett Mrs. – Obituary

Joseph, Wallowa County, Oregon Dorothy H. Considine, 71, died Saturday, May 19, 1984 at her home in Pendleton. Recitation of the rosary was held in the Burns Mortuary chapel in Pendleton on Tuesday evening, May 22 and funeral Mass was held at St. Marys Catholic Church on May 23 with graveside services at the Enterprise cemetery on the same afternoon. Mrs. Considine moved to Pendleton in 1951 from Joseph. She was born in Joseph on October 20, 1912 to Mr. and Mrs. Scott Daggett. In 1933 she married John Groupe in Joseph. John passed away in 1949. In 1954 she … Read more

Planting, Allen Arnold – Obituary

Memorial service will be 2 p.m. June 17, 1994, in Trinity Lutheran Church in Vancouver, Wash. Disposition will be by cremation. Interment will be in Park Hill Cemetery in Vancouver. Mr. Planting died of a stroke June 13 in Portland hospital. He was 80. He was born Dec. 31, 1913 in Pendleton. Before his retirement he was a shipping clerk for Crane Plumbing Co. in Portland. He had lived in Vancouver since 1929. Survivors include his wife, Leone; daughters, Ann Bates, Ruth Sundheim and Kay Planting, all of Seattle; sister, Goldie Vice of Vancouver; and one granddaughter. Remembrances: Trinity Lutheran … Read more

Molstrom, William – Obituary

William Molstrom, aged 50 died yesterday [February 14, 1935] after a heart attack. He is survived by his brothers, Abe Molstrom, John Molstrom, Henry Molstrom, and sisters, Marie H. Nelson, Mamie Somppi, Anna M. Littlejohn. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday from the Bomboy Funeral Home, with Rev. A. F. Van Slyke pastor of the Christian Church officiating. Pall bearers will be Olney Simpson, James Haring, William Embusk, James Harvey, Ed Davis, and Elmer Hendrickson. Burial will be at Olney. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Miller, Inez E. Wellman Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Inez E. Miller, 81, of Heppner, a Baker City native, died Dec. 7, 2004, at Hermiston Terrace Assisted Living Facility. Her funeral was Monday at the United Methodist Church in Heppner. A concluding service and interment was at the Heppner Masonic Cemetery. Mrs. Miller was born on Sept. 4, 1923, at Baker City to Homer and Lucy Hunt Wellman. She grew up and attended school at Baker City where she graduated from high school. She attended and graduated from Eastern Oregon College (Eastern Oregon University) at La Grande. She began teaching at Riverside School in Pendleton. She … Read more

Biography of Joseph B. Keeney

JOSEPH B. KEENEY. – The railroads have largely spoiled the big, old stage-line routes; but still a few of them remain. One of these is that between Pendleton and Heppner, Arlington, Fossil, and from The Dalles to Prineville. This route is conducted on the old style, and by a man fully up to the old-time requirements. This is Mr. Kenney. He was born in 1841, in Indiana, and came to California in 1852, and on a steamer which required sixty-six days from the Isthumus to San Francisco. In the spring of 1860 he went to Arizona and, with others, built … Read more

Bowman, Josephine Rothlin – Obituary

Josephine “Josie” Bowman, 92, of Pendleton, died Saturday, April 24, 1993, at Delamarter Care Center in Pendleton. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Bishop Funeral Chapel with interment at Olney Cemetery. Mrs. Bowman was born May 24, 1900, at Pendleton to Joseph and Minnie Gottfredsen Rothlin. She was raised on Upper McKay Creek and attended both McKay and Shaw schools. On Sept. 15, 1924, she married Kenneth E. Bowman at Pendleton. After their marriage, they lived at South Cold Spring before moving to the Enterprise-Lostine area for a short time. They returned to Pendleton where they lived for … Read more

Hamon, Reba L. Briggs – Obituary

Union, Oregon Reba L. Briggs Hamon Reba L. Briggs Hamon, 78, of Prineville and formerly of Union and La Grande, died Oct. 16 at her home. A celebration of life took place Oct. 19 at the Prineville Funeral Home with Pastor Dusty Flegel officiating. Mrs. Hamon was born in Shidler, Okla., April 22, 1928, to William Ernest and Bernie Hohstadt Briggs. The family moved to Oregon in 1937, settling in Union in 1938 when she was in the third grade. She lived and worked in Union and La Grande until moving to Prineville in 1948. In 1953 she married Noah … Read more