Courtney, Doris Letha – Obituary

Doris Letha Courtney, 78, of Burns and formerly of Union and Wallowa counties died March 28. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday April 1 at LaFollette Chapel, 332 W. Monroe St., Burns. Burial in the Burns Cemetery will be private. Mrs. Courtney was born Sept. 5, 1927, to John and Marjorie Miller in La Grande. She grew up in Cove on a dairy farm, and was a princess at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show and the Elgin Stampede. She graduated from Cove High School in 1944, and attended Eastern Oregon College of Education before moving to Portland to … Read more

Adams, Frances Elizabeth Gilkison Mrs. – Obituary

Elgin, Oregon Frances Elizabeth Adams, 90, a former Baker County resident, died Dec. 11, 2004, at Elgin. There will be a celebration of her life Saturday at 11 a.m. at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande. Sally Wiens will officiate. Interment will be at the Elgin Cemetery. Visitations will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Frances Elizabeth Adams was born on Feb. 4, 1914, at Keating to Frank and Elizabeth Beber Gilkson. She attended school at North Powder until her senior year when she moved to Elgin. She … Read more

Bowlby, Enoch R. – Obituary

Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon E.R. Bowelby Passes after Long Illness Enoch R. Bowlby died at the Enterprise hospital Saturday evening, Sept. 24, 1938. He had not been well for several years and for some 12 months past had been failing steadily. Funeral services were held Monday at the Booth chapel, conducted by Rev. Paul C. Cramblit. Burial was in Enterprise cemetery and services at the grave were in charge of the Masonic lodge. Mr. Bowlby was born in Green County, Pennsylvania, June 9, 1861, and when a young man went to Colorado where he handled stock. He went later to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John T. Jewell

JOHN T. JEWELL. – Mr. Jewell is a member of the Cove Dairy Company. He is a native of Indiana, having been born in that state in 1836. After receiving his education there and in Illinois, he was drawn west in 1859 by the Pike’s Peak gold excitement. From that point he quite naturally came on to Oregon. His first employment was at West Portland, supplying steamboats with wood. As early as 1863 he moved to the Grande Ronde, entering into business as a freighter. Two years later he located a beautiful claim at The Cove, Oregon, and has devoted … Read more

Schell, John, Mrs. – Obituary

Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon The community was shocked to hear of the death of Mrs. John Schell Monday morning at her home in the Burnaugh apartments. She had been a sufferer from ill health for over two years and during the past year had been in Portland at a sanitarium in hopes of receiving benefit. She returned home a week ago. The funeral services were held at the residence of her only daughter, Mrs. W.F. Craig, Wednesday at 2 p.m., Rev. Cullison officiating. Interment was at the Enterprise cemetery. Mrs. Schell was born in Missouri and was aged 59 years, … Read more

Portlands Commercial Growth and Development During Recent Years

The purely domestic commerce in the Willamette Valley was conducted with the old-time energy, employing forty steamers, with an aggregate tonnage of thirteen thousand, seven hundred and ninety-one, and twenty-one sailing vessels of various descriptions aggregating two thousand and thirteen tons. The Oregon and California Railway was now in active operation and the Oregon Central had tapped the agricultural portion of Washington county. In 1873 there appears a great rise in exports. For the fiscal year ending in September the following showing is made: To foreign ports there were employed three steamers, the California, George S. Wright and Gussie Telfair, … Read more

Biography of John Brandt

John Brandt was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1828, and is of German descent, his great-grand parents having emigrated from Germany, and settled in Pennsylvania, in the early history of that State. His father, John Brandt, for several years was engaged in the manufacture of rifles for the United States Government at Lancaster, and was a man of great natural mechanical ability. When the first railroad in Pennsylvania, known as the Old State road, running from Philadelphia to Columbia, and now a part of the Pennsylvania railroad system, was completed, the managers secured a locomotive of English manufacture. This … Read more

Biography of John Henry Woodward

John Henry Woodward was born at Peach Orchard in the. town of Tompkins (now Hector), Schuyler County, New York, February 9, 1836, and is the eldest son of John Woodward, who, with his father’s family came to America from London, England, in 1824, settling on a large farm in what was then comparatively a wilderness on the banks of Seneca Lake, New York, where members of the family still reside. Mr. Woodward received his primary education at the county district school. Later on he attended an academy at Peach Orchard under the management of John A. Gillette and was finally … Read more

Brown, Frances Lucille – Obituary

Frances Lucille Brown, 87, died on June 18, surrounded by family at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Portland. She was born on July 14, 1917, in Lewellen, Nebraska. She was part of a large family and had nine brothers and sisters. After meeting and marrying Gerald Brown, she moved to Enterprise in 1947 where her husband founded Wallowa Valley Dairy. She attended The First Baptist Church of Enterprise and devoted most of her time to raising her three children: Gerald Jr., Susan and Joyce. In 1960, the family moved to La Grande, where she attended the First Baptist Church of La … Read more

Hammack,Ross Robert

Ross Robert Hammack, 85, died on Nov. 27, 2004 He was born on Aug. 22, 1919 in Lostine to Floyd and Zelma Hammack, the youngest of six children. Ross graduated from Enterprise High School as president of his class and went to college at Oregon State University where he studied engineering. He married his wife of 63 years, Donna Mae Brown, on Aug. 2, 1941. He is survived by four children, Jonathan Ross Hammack (Linda) of Portland; Jeffrey Charles Hammack (Sandra) of Buhl, Idaho; Linda Hammack Giles (Don) of Portland; and Matthew Lyle Hammack of Danville, Calif.; nine grandchildren; nine … Read more

Efforts to Build a Road to the Atlantic States

It was a memorable conflict, that conducted by the first rival railroad companies of Oregon; with matter in it for a novelist. It would be rash to intimate that Elliott with all his mythical capitalists was an agent of Holladay all the time, the general opinion being that he was at first acting only for himself, or that the East Side Company knew the extent of his romances, which they used so well to their advantage. It would on the other hand be difficult to believe that Holladay, or the original East Side Company, were actually imposed upon by representations … Read more

Herold, Reao Richard – Obituary

Summerville, Oregon Reao Richard Herold, 91, of Summerville, died Nov. 10 at a local care center. At his request there will be no public services. Those who wish may sign the guest book at www.danielsknopp.com. Reao was born on July 11, 1916, to Thomas and Elsie (Grabley) Herold in Montrose, Colo. During World War II he served with the U.S. Navy. After his honorable discharge he worked in the home construction business in Longview, Wash., and Portland. He loved his work and enjoyed gambling. He moved to Summerville from Lake Oswego four years ago to be near family. Survivors include … Read more

Bean, Ina Elizabeth Condon – Obituary

Mrs. Ina Condon Bean, pioneer daughter of Oregon, widow of Federal Judge Robert S. Bean and mother of City Commissioner O. R. Bean, died Sunday night [April 11, 1937] at her home, 7326 Southwest Brier Place, where she had lived since 1921. Mrs. Bean was born in Linn County, November 13, 1857, the daughter of Dr. Thomas and Cornelia Holt Condon. Dr. Condon came to Oregon as a missionary and later became a famous geologist of the Oregon country, serving as professor of geology at the University of Oregon and writing authoritative works on the subject. Mrs. Bean was a … Read more

Colt, Phebe Brook Mrs. – Obituary

Summerville, Union County, Oregon Eastern Oregon Pioneer Passes; Burial Tuesday Another Eastern Oregon pioneer passed on during the weekend, when Mrs. Phebe Brook Colt, a resident of Summerville for some 45 years, died in Portland Saturday. Funeral services will be held at the Summerville chapel at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug 7 with Snodgrass and Zimmerman in charge of arrangements. The services will be conducted by Rev. Paul DeF. Mortimore, of the Christian church, of which Mrs. Colt was a member. The body will arrive in La Grande tomorrow morning. Mrs. Colt was born Dec. 7 1838 at Rhysussex, England and … Read more

Schuff, Lillian E. Boyens Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Lillian E. Schuff, 78, of Baker City died Dec. 23, 2000, on Highway 245 near Baker City as the result of a motor vehicle accident. Her funeral was at 2 p.m. today at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. Chaplain Gary Way of St. Elizabeth Health Services officiated. Mrs. Schuff was born Oct. 26, 1922, at Dennison, Iowa, to Albert and Irene Boyens. After graduating from high school at Stewart, Neb., she began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse there. She moved to Portland to work as a shipyard welder and met Elmer Schuff. They were married in … Read more

Odell, Albert Lee – Obituary

December 18, Albert Lee; husband of Mabel E., 5008 NE and Charles W. Odell; 3 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren. Service Tuesday, December 19, 11 a.m., Ross Hollywood Chapel, NE 48th and Sandy. Friends invited. Private commitment. A member of Neighbors of Woodcraft Circle 843. Oregonian, December 18, 1967 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biography of Hon. L. F. Grover

HON. L.F. GROVER. – Governor La Fayette Grover was born in Bethel, Maine, November 29, 1823, of ancestry on both sides distinguished in the early and late history of Massachusetts. He is a brother of Major Abernethy Grover, a man of distinction in the politics of Maine and in the war of the Rebellion; of Professor Talleyrand Grover, an eminent classist; and of General Cuvier Grover, a skillful commander in the war of the Rebellion. He was educated at the Classical Academy of Bethel, and at Bowdoin College, Maine. He studied law in Philadelphia under the instruction of the late … Read more

Thornton, Pamela Liebig – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Pamela Liebig-Thornton, 56, of La Grande, died at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise after a long and courageous battle with cancer. A recitation of the rosary will begin at 7 tonight at Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory. A Mass of Christian burial will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, 1002 L Ave. Burial will follow at the Grandview Cemetery. Pamela was born May 22, 1951, in Portland to Norman and Dorothy (Drinkwater) Liebig of Hines. As an infant she lost her first mother and was raised by her father’s second … Read more

History of Portland Oregon Boys and Girls Aid Society

This society, while it does not directly dispense alms in any form, aims to be a center of inter-communication between the various churches and charitable agencies in the city; to foster harmonious co-operation between them; to furnish them with trustworthy information, and to prevent the waste and misuse of charitable funds. It investigates cases of all applicants for relief which are referred to the society for inquiry; obtains from proper charities and charitable individuals suitable and adequate relief for deserving cases; procures work for poor persons in need who are capable of being wholly or partially self-supporting, and represses mendicancy … Read more

Cornwell, Elizabeth Ann – Obituary

Joseph, Oregon Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Cornwell, a longtime resident of Wallowa County, died at the age of 89 on Oct. 24, 2005, at the Life Care Center in McMinnville. Cornwell was a poet with four books to her credit and also wrote a bi-weekly column for the Chieftain for over a decade. She was born on March 24, 1916, in Portland, the daughter of Ned and Irene Butler Hynson. She grew up in the Parkrose area of Portland and graduated from Grant High School. After high school she went on to attend the University of Oregon. While working on the … Read more