Gover, Wilford L. Jr. – Obituary

Wilford Lovell Gover Jr., 66, Halfway, a longtime Pine Valley rancher, died Thursday, July 1, 1982, at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. A private family mass will be at 1 p.m. Monday in the St. Winifred Catholic Church in Halfway. The Rev. Richard Groves of St. Winifred Catholic Church will officiate. A graveside service with friends invited will follow in the Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Mr. Gover was born on Jan. 7, 1916, in Baker to Lovell and Nell Love Gover. He was reared in Pine Valley and in Eagle Valley. He married Helen Densley on Oct. 5, 1936, in … Read more

Smelcer, Dorothy Louise Romine Mrs. – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Dorothy Louise Romine Smelcer, 91, of Halfway, died May 6, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Care Center. Her graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Dorothy was born Dec. 24, 1911, at Alamont, Kan., to Eber and Irene Romine. She was the second of nine children. Her family moved to Pine Valley in 1917. She attended Sunnydell School and graduated from Pine Valley High School in 1931. She married Lawrence J. Smelcer on June 1, 1931, at Vancouver, Wash. They were married for 72 years, and were partners in the cattle operation. … Read more

Smelcer, Le Roy – Obituary

Pine Valley, Oregon “Old Hand” LeRoy Smelcer, 98, of Pine Valley, died April 25, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. At his request, there will be no service. Mr. Smelcer was born on Feb. 6, 1903, to Marvin and Milda Schmidt Smelcer. He was a 1921 graduate of Halfway High School. After graduation, he worked with his parents on their ranch. He married Leslie Inez Denney on June 7, 1926. The newlyweds began their lifelong career in farming and cattle ranching. In the mid-1930s, the couple purchased property adjoining that of his parents. By the mid-1940s, their first Herefords were … Read more

Smelcer, Lawrence J. – Obituary

Lawrence J. Smelcer, 97, a lifelong Pine Valley resident, died Jan. 1, 2005, at his winter home in Yuma, Ariz. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church in Halfway. Interment will be at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception afterward at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church. Lawrence was born on Aug. 4, 1907, in the Panhandle of Baker County to Marion X. and Milda Schmidt Smelcer. He was raised in Pine Valley and attended Pine Town grade school and Halfway High School. He married … Read more

Ashby, George Wilbur – Obituary

Richland, Baker County, Oregon Funeral services will be held for George Wilbur Ashby, 84, of Richland at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Christian Church in Richland. He died Wednesday at Moses Lake, Washington while visiting his son. The Rev. Russell Booher of the Richland Methodist Church will officiate. Ashby was born in Union County the son of William and Charlotte Ashby. He attended schools in Union and moved with his parents to Pine Valley as a youngster. He worked for many years at the Cornucopia Mines until the beginning of World War II. Ashby had been a farmer and miner … Read more

Holman, Lorenzil Claude – Obituary

Richland, Oregon L. C. Holman dies today at Richland Lorenzil Claude Holman, 71, prominent Eagle valley farmer, Richland postmaster and former Baker county commissioner, died this morning at his home at Richland after a short illness. The funeral will be held Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Richland Methodist church with the Rev. Berl Thomas officiating and the Beatty chapel in charge of arrangements. Interment will be in Eagle valley cemetery. Mr. Holman was born August 3, 1880 in Xenia, Illinois. He moved to Pine valley at the age of six and to Cove when he was eight years old. … Read more

Huff, Norman Ernest

Norman Ernest Huff, 74, a longtime Pine Valley resident, died May 19, 2005, at his home. There will be no service. Norman was born in Oct. 1, 1930, at Baker City. He attended school at Port Ludlow, Wash., and in 1945 returned to Pine Valley with his family, where he graduated from high school. He completed his education with two years at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. Norman served in the armed forces from Aug. 15, 1951, through Aug. 15, 1953. He also served at the White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico and played baseball for the … Read more

Sargent, Rosa Marie Del Curto Mrs. – Obituary

Pine Valley, Oregon Rosa Marie Sargent, 85, of La Grande, a former longtime Pine Valley resident, died Dec. 7, 2004, at a La Grande care home. There will be a Celebration of Life service for her at 2 p.m. Saturday at Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Loveland Funeral Chapel. There will be a memorial service at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway on Memorial Day of 2005. Family and friends are invited. The ceremony will be announced again at that time. Rosa was born … Read more

Bennehoff, Christia Miller Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Christia Bennehoff, 96, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 30, 2002, at Meadowbrook Place in Baker City. Upon her request, there will be no services. Christia was born Feb. 24, 1906, to Walter and Ida Miller. She was raised in Pine and Eagle valleys. She later married Eagle Bennehoff. Christia is survived by her son, Duane; two daughters, Phyllis Jones and Natalie Tawney; nine grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pathway Hospice or the charity of one’s choice in care of … Read more

Cloud, Carl Wesley – Obituary

Carl Wesley Cloud, a longtime resident and businessman of Baker City, passed away Feb. 12, 1992 at St. Elizabeth health Care Center. He was born February 22, 1900 in Carterville, Missouri. As a teenager, he moved with his parents William Lee and Myrtle E. Cloud to Pine Valley and Baker City where he received his schooling. He learned the barbering trade at Portland Barber College, in Portland, Oregon. Upon his return to Eastern Oregon, he worked at his trade in Sumpter, Haines, and Baker. He owned and operated the first barber shop in the Baker Hotel when it was completed … Read more

Tarter, Ella Bell Huff Mrs. – Obituary

Pine Valley, Oregon Ella Bell Huff Tarter, 95, a lifetime Pine Valley resident, died Sept. 11, 2006. Her funeral was Friday at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church in Halfway. Leonard Hill officiated. Ella was buried beside her husband, Walt, at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Friends joined the family after the service for a reception and luncheon at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Fellowship Hall. Ella was born to Bert and Gladys Oliver Huff on Nov. 6, 1910, in Pine Valley. Like her mother before her, she rode horseback or walked to all of her years of school. Ella’s grandparents were … Read more

Proffitt, Thos. N. – Obituary

Thos. N. Proffitt Died Last Thursday The funeral of the late Tom Proffitt, who died at his home in Portland, Thursday of last week, was held from the Baptist church in Baker, Monday afternoon. Until about four years ago, when he took up his residence in Portland, Mr. Proffitt was one of the most prominent cattle men and ranchers in this section, where he resided for many years. He was a farmer in Pine Valley for several years. He owned the improved Proffitt farm in Baker Valley and until a short time since, owned the 1800 acre ranch near North … Read more

Shock, Henry Jasper – Obituary

H. J. Shock, 67 Dies In Halfway Pine Valley Rancher was Stockman Since 1910 Henry Jasper Shock, 67, Pine Valley stockman died Monday evening at his home at Halfway after a long illness. Born October 1, 1888 in Missouri, he moved to Haines at the age of three with his parents George T. and Mary A. Shock. He spent several years in the Haines area and moved to Pine Valley in 1910. On June 4, 1925, he was married to Bessie McMullen in Baker. He was engaged in ranching and farming. His is survived by his widow Bessie of halfway, … Read more

Hartless, Evelynne Lee Sharp Mrs. – Obituary

Richland, Oregon Evelynne Lee Hartless, 66, of Richland, died May 18, 2002, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise. There will be a celebration of Evelynne’s life at 2 p.m. Saturday at the New Bridge Grange in New Bridge. There will be a reception afterward. The family has asked that this be a happy occasion and in honor of Evelynne’s request that those attending wear red, her favorite color. Evelynne was born on Oct. 21, 1935, to Randolph and Leora Martin Sharp in Baker City. She was raised in Eagle Valley and graduated from high school at Nampa, Idaho. She then … Read more

Hansen, George Alften – Obituary

George Aften Hansen, 90, a long-time resident of Pine Valley passed away quietly Nov. 1, 2007 at St. Elizabeth Nursing Home in Baker City, Oregon. A Traditional Funeral Service will be on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007, 2:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Halfway Branch followed by a Vault Interment at Pine Haven Cemetery. There will be a reception for friends and family at the L.D.S. Church following the services. George was born Dec. 21, 1916 to John Peter and Dora A. Hansen, in Lawrence, Utah. He lost his mother when he was two years old. … Read more