Pendleton Oregon

Biography of Z. C. Mills

Z.C. MILLS. – Z.C. Mills of Seattle, Washington is a native of the Empire state, and was born in 1834. While yet in his boyhood, his parents moved to Illinois, where he grew to manhood and received his education. After he had reached his majority, he engaged in business with his father. He was successful; but, when an American has once felt the excitement of moving, it is almost impossible for him to be contented, so long as there are new countries to be found beyond the Western horizon. Accordingly, in 1859, when the Pike’s Peak gold excitement reached his … Read more

Biography of Hon. John C. Leasure

HON. JOHN C. LEASURE. – Mr. Leasure needs little introduction to the people of Oregon, having become universally known as an elector on the ticket for Blaine in 1884, and more recently as vice-president and attorney for the Oregon & Washington Railway. This road, which has commanded much popular interest, particularly in Eastern Oregon and Washington Territory, skirts the whole Umatilla and Blue Mountain foothills country, traverses the great Inland Empire wheat belt, and having a western terminus at tide water is able to complete actively with the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company, thus reducing transportation tariffs to the minimum. … Read more

Dunlavy, Phyllis Lillian Crabill Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Phyllis Lillian Dunlavy, 90, of Corvallis, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 25, 2004, at her home. Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. The Rev. William McCarthy will officiate. Phyllis was born on June 22, 1913, at Baker City to Roy and Blanche Phillips Crabill. She was the granddaughter of Philander Crabill, an early settler in Baker City. She attended Baker schools and was a Baker High School graduate. She attended Eastern Oregon College of Education (now Eastern Oregon University) at La Grande, which was a two-year … Read more

Biography of John R. Ladd

JOHN R. LADD. – The stories told to the children of the generation hence of the abundance of gold and the immense profits of the early pioneers will fire their imaginations and set them on wild, and perhaps profitable, trips to the Andes or to Alaska. Mr. Ladd’s career will be thus exciting to his descendants, and to all who see this sketch. He was born in the Empire state in 1838. He came to California with his father in 1852, but returning East married Miss Rachel Knapp in Illinois. Here might be mentioned as a remarkable coincidence, that Mrs. … Read more

Biography of Lee Moorhouse

LEE MOORHOUSE. – It was some years before the Inland Empire realized its own wealth. The hills were formerly accounted worthless. Mr. Moorhouse was among the first to dissipate that notion. The Prospect Hill farm, of four thousand acres, eighteen miles west of Pendleton, of which he was superintendent, during his incumbency of four years, produced two hundred and fifty thousand bushels of wheat. The Moorhouses were from Iowa, Lee having been born there in 1850. They came to Oregon in 1861, locating in Umatilla county, near the present site of Pendleton, and when the country was so sparsely settled … Read more

Negus, Flora L. – Obituary

Wallowa, Oregon Flora L. Negus, 90, of Pendleton died Monday, June 11, 2007, at St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton. A Mass of Christian burial is tentatively set for Saturday, June 16, at 1 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in John Day, Interment will follow at St. Andrew’s Cemetery in Canyon City. Her survivors include Kathleen Negus of Wallowa. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Mt. Vernon High School Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Darlene Muzzy, 308 E. Main, John Day OR 97845. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of arrangements. Wallowa County … Read more

Lee, John Henry – Obituary

John Henry Lee of 828 SE 8th, died Saturday morning [May 5] at a Pendleton hospital. He was 70. He worked for John Deere and Caterpillar companies for 35 years. He lived in this area 25 years. Survivors are the widow, Mamie; daughters, Mrs. Richard Michael and Jeanne Kelley, both of Portland, and Mrs. John C. Smith, Walla Walla; sons, Bill Whitman of Pendleton and Leo Whitman of Reno, Nev.; sisters Mrs. Carl Penner and Mrs. Guy Kent, both of Walla Walla; brother Ted, Walla Walla and seven grandchildren. The funeral will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday at Groseclose Garden … Read more

Tonack, Ron – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Ron Tonack, 66, of Baker City, died July 6, 2002, as a result of the progression of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). His graveside funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Allan Franks of the Church of the Nazarene and Lynn Shumway will officiate. Ron always enjoyed casual dress, his family members said. They encourage those attending the funeral to dress comfortably in the warm weather. Ron was born Sept. 24, 1935, at Pendleton to Robert and Becky Tonack. He grew up in the Pendleton area. He received his bachelor’s degree from Eastern … Read more

McCubbin, W. L. – Obituary

The funeral service of W.L. McCubbin of near Joseph, formerly of Lostine, was held at the Lostine cemetery last Friday at noon, in charge of the I.O.O.F. of which he was a member. Mr. McCubbin had a severe attack of the Spanish influenza, which affected his mind, and he was taken to Pendleton for treatment, but he only lived four days. He died Wednesday morning, Nov. 13th. He leaves a wife, daughter and two sons beside a host of friends, who mourn the loss of a good, kind husband, father and neighbor. Wallowa County Reporter, Wallowa County, Oregon, Thursday November … Read more

Fisher, Shirley “Rusty” Barleen Mrs. – Obituary

North Powder, Oregon Shirley “Rusty” Fisher, 63, of Pendleton and a former North Powder resident, died Wednesday, March 12, 2003, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Walla Walla of cancer. A memorial service was held for Rusty at the Vert on Monday, March 17, at 3 p.m. with concluding services and internment at the Olney cemetery. A “celebration of life” will be held at the Let’er Buck room beginning at 5:30 p.m. Rusty was born May 28, 1939, at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence “Newt” W. Barleen. She grew up in Klamath Falls and graduated from Klamath … 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

Cox, Doris Elva – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Doris Elva Cox, 71, of La Grande, died May 27 at a local care center. A memorial service for Doris and her daughter, Earlene Nelson, who died on March 19, 2007, will begin at 3 p.m. Friday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande. Doris was born Sept. 18, 1937, to Elmer George and Edith Marie (Johnson) Cox in Falfa, Colo. During her lifetime she was active with the Salvation Army and their kettle work, especially in Pendleton. From 1952 to 1954 she was a plane spotter for the government … Read more

Harris, Lavelle – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Lavelle Harris, 93, of La Grande, died March 9 at her home. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande. A complete obituary will be published at a later date. The Observer – Obituaries for the week ending March 17, 2007 1913-2007 LaVelle Harris, 93, of La Grande, died March 9. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, with burial to follow at the Union Cemetery. Mrs. Harris was born April 6, … 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

Molstrom, Frank Leslie – Obituary

The funeral for Frank L. Molstrom will be 2 p.m. Friday at Bishop Funeral Chapel in Pendleton. Vault interment will be at Olney Cemetery. Mr. Molstrom, 83, of Pendleton, died Monday, Feb. 26, 1990, at St. Anthony Hospital. He was born March 12, 1906, to Abe and Elsie Lee Bowman Molstrom on the family farm near Pendleton at Little Greasewood. The first school he attended was near Myrick Station, then his parents moved into town so he could attend Pendleton schools. He played football at Pendleton High and graduated in 1923. He attended Willamette University for three years and then … Read more

Rhodes, William R. – Obituary

William R. Rhodes, a farmer in this area the last 50 years, died at Good Shepherd Hospital here Thursday [December 28, 1961] at the age of 90. Mr. Rhodes was born April 17, 1891, in Kansas. He was a member of the Assembly of God Church. Survivors include a nephew, Ralph Moody of Pendleton; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Al Moody of Pendleton; and two nieces, Bulah Harover and Margaret Melton. Funeral notice is in today’s paper. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biographical Sketch of John H. Boyce

JOHN H. BOYCE, – The vicissitudes and characteristic frontier life of this redoubtable miner and freighter are not easily expressed in a few sentences. He was born in Vermont in 1832, and in 1850 came around Cape Horn to California. The succession of his labors thereafter is thus stated; In 1851, he mined on the Stanislaus; in 1852 was freighting with a sixteen-mule team from Stockton to various points; in 1860 was hauling quartz in Nevada; in 1862 came to Elk Creek mines, Eastern Oregon; in 1863 was at Bannack, mining and packing; from 1864 to 1869 was engaged as … Read more

Biography of Capt. William Martin

CAPT. WILLIAM MARTIN. – Captain Martin, of the first real immigration, that of 1843, is still living in a hale age at Pendleton, Oregon. He was born in West Virginia in 1822, and came west to Missouri in 1841. In 1843 he joined a company coming to Oregon, being intimately associated with Daniel Waldo. Reaching Oregon after the vicissitudes of that eventful march, he took up a claim at Howell’s Prairie, working for Waldo at ten dollars per month, although wages were sixty dollars. But the former figure was his pre-agreement with Waldo; and he would not dishonor it. In … Read more

Eva Adeline Todd Burgess of Pendleton OR

BURGESS, Eva Adeline Todd9, (Erastus W.8, Erastus7, Aden6, Edmund5, Christopher4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Oct. 3, 1862, in Meriden, Conn., married Aug. 30, 1884, William Curtiss, son of Daniel and Ann (London) Dickens, of Ariel, Wayne County, Penn., an adopted son of Luther and Jennie (Ford) Burgess, of Scranton, Penn., and grandson of a nephew of Charles Dickens. He removed from Scranton, Penn., to Meriden, Conn., in 1888, and to Pendleton, Ore., in 1890; he was born Jan. 19, 1862. Children: I. William Erastus, b. June 3, 1885, d. June 23, 1885. II. Ethel Lillian, b. July 14, 1886, d. … Read more

Lambert, Arthur E. – Obituary

A. E. Lambert Passes Life Arthur E. Lambert, 52, cost accountant for the Portland bureau of water works, died Sunday at the United States veterans hospital in Portland. His parents were pioneers of Yamhill county, his mother having crossed the plains in 1852. Mr. Lambert was born near Dayton, February 13, 1876. He was educated at Corvallis and at the University of Oregon. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he enlisted in the Second Oregon regiment and was in numerous engagements in the Philippine islands, serving throughout the war as corporal of company A. For a number of years … Read more