Prairie City Oregon

Biographical Sketch of Dr. V. C. Balkans

A well known and popular physician of Prairie City, and one whose kind, attentive treatment of the sick, and geniality of manner towards the well have made hint deservedly the favorite of all classes, was born near Corvallis, Ore, in 1871. He received his preliminary education in the schools of Prineville, and later in Portland. He graduated from Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1894, and then practiced for a while in the hospital there. In January 1895, he located at Prairie City, where he is still practicing. He is married to Miss Clara McHaley, and his home is the … Read more

Jackson, William David “Bill” – Obituary

William “Bill” David Jackson, 57, of Prairie City, Ore., passed away April 8, 2008, in Richland, Wash. A graveside service was held 1 p.m., Monday, April 14, at the Prairie City Cemetery. Bill was born Sept. 27, 1950, in Baker City, Ore. to David M. and Elaine (Spiropolas) Jackson. He graduated from Baker High School in 1969 and achieved a BS from Eastern Oregon University in 1974. He also received a Masters. On October 24, 1981, Bill married Cynthia Beck in Portland, Ore. The couple had two sons, Kyle and Jason. Bill loved the out of doors and was an … Read more

Eccles, Richard David – Obituary

Richard David Eccles, 78, of Stockton, Calif., died Saturday, May 3, 2003, in a hospital. A memorial service was held in Stockton. Eccles was born Sept. 2, 1924, in Hood River and lived in Whitney and Prairie City where he attended the first grade. He lived in Stockton for 50 years. Eccles was a self-employed helicopter pilot for 40 years, and was a former president of Helicopter Association of American and Helicopter Association International. He served in the Naval Air Corps as a lieutenant and was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He is survived by … Read more

DeRoest, Barbara P. DeRoest – Obituary

Prairie City, Oregon Barbara P. DeRoest, 85, of Prairie City, a former Baker City resident, died March 27, 2004, at her home on Pine Creek Road at Prairie City. Her graveside memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Bishop Tom Brock of the Baker City Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mrs. Kim Eardley will officiate. There will be a reception afterward. Barbara was born on Aug. 6, 1918, to John W. and Magdaline P. Hass Williams at Baker City at the old Baker hospital. She was raised at Sparta where she attended … Read more

Opperman, Paul V. – Obituary

Prairie City, Grant County, Oregon Paul V. Opperman, 37, died June 6, 2006, in Hillsboro in an auto accident. A memorial service is planned at noon on Friday at Fir Lawn Mortuary, 1070 West Main St. in Hillsboro. Graveside services will be on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Prairie City Cemetery. Paul was born in Ontario on Jan. 2, 1969, and grew up in Prairie City, where he graduated in 1987. Known for his strong will, sense of humor and sometimes larger than life antics, a favorite saying of his family and close friends was, “you can take the … Read more

Sullens, Wilbert L. “Will” – Obituary

Wilbert “Will” L. Sullens, 79, of Medical Springs, died April 4, 2005, at his home. His memorial service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Dale Bingham will conduct the services. Everyone is invited to a finger-food potluck reception at the VFW Hall, 2005 Valley Ave., immediately following the service. Will was born Nov. 3, 1925, in Prairie City to Russell and Madeleine (Barlow) Sullens. He was raised and received his education in Prairie City. In 1943, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps, attending flight school in Santa Ana, Calif. He was honorably … Read more

Davis, Claire Guttridge Mrs. – Obituary

Claire Guttridge Davis, 98, a native of Prairie City and a a longtime Baker City resident, died Feb. 12, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Chapel, 3325 Pocahontas Road. The Rev. Rob Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Interment will be at the Prairie City Cemetery. Mrs. Davis was born May 26, 1902, at Prairie City to John Sherman and Anna Brodie Guttridge. She was raised on the Guttridge Ranch south of Prairie City and was a graduate of Prairie City High School. She married Herbert … Read more

Uptegrove, Steven Andrew – Obituary

Steven Andrew Uptegrove, 52, of Prairie City, died Aug. 20, 2009. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Seventh Street Complex in John Day. There will be a private graveside service for family and friends at the Prairie City Cemetery at 11 a.m. Thursday. Visitations will be from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Driskill Memorial Chapel in John Day. Steve was born on May 12, 1957, at Bend to Melvin and Ruby (Anderson) Uptegrove. He was a 1975 Bend High School graduate. He attended Central Oregon Community College at Bend for four winter terms, studying … Read more

White, Ruby Jewel Sanders Mrs. – Obituary

Ruby J. White, 75, a resident of Baker Valley, died April 2, 2005, at her home. Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Private interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Ruby Jewel White was born March 3, 1930, at Shoshoni, Wyo., to Raymond and Kristen Sanders. She attended school at Canyon City, Prairie City, Belshaw District 20 and was a graduate of Grant Union High School. She worked for Smith Brothers Moving and Storage and then for Ellingson Timber and Ellingson Lumber, retiring in 1994 after 35 years. Ruby lived for … Read more

Pierson, Delbert, Jr. – Obituary

Prairie City, Oregon Delbert Francis Pierson Jr., 89, of Baker City, a former longtime resident of Prairie City and Burns, died Oct. 4, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Prairie City Cemetery. Jack Retherford of Bible Way Community Church will officiate. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck reception at the Strawberry Mountain Grange Hall after the service. There will be a memorial service later at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. He was born on Feb. 7, 1915, at Berry Creek, Alberta, Canada. He married Ruth … Read more

Clark, Raymond – Obituary

Raymond Clark, 70, of John Day, died April 20, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. At his request, there will be no memorial service. Raymond Harlo Clark was born on Aug. 6, 1934, at La Grande. He lived in the Harrisburg area on the Oregon Coast until his family moved to Austin. He attended grade school at Austin, and then continued his education at Prairie City, where he graduated from high school in 1952. After graduation, Ray went to work for a short time with the U.S. Forest Service. He then worked for six months at the Kinzua mill. In … Read more

Landweer, Vada Adelle Graves Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Vada Adelle Landweer, 57, died Sept. 25, 2004, at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. There will be a celebration of her life at 3 p.m. (MDT) Friday at Bucky’s Cafe in Cambridge, Idaho. Vada was born on Oct. 13, 1946, at Baker City. She was raised at Sparta and attended the Sawmill Gulch school and Eagle Valley High School at Richland. She attended her last year of high school at Vale, where she graduated. During her life, she lived in Prairie City, and then moved to Richland. Her last years were near the Cambridge, Idaho, … Read more

Hesseltine, Patricia Ellen Bunch Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Patricia Ellen Hesseltine, 48, a former Baker City resident, died March 14, 2004, at her home in Albany. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Fisher Funeral Home, Third and Washington streets in Albany. Patricia was born Feb. 2, 1956, at Prairie City to Samuel and Juanita A. (Crane) Bunch. She moved to Baker City as a child where she grew up and met her one and only love, Larry Hesseltine Sr. They married July 1, 1972 at Caldwell, Idaho, and moved to Albany in 1983. She was a caregiver and homemaker for … Read more

Pratt, Edythe Augusta Boyce Mrs. – Obituary

Edythe Augusta Pratt, 91, of Prairie City, died Aug. 23, 2006, at Blue Mountain Nursing Home in Prairie City. Her graveside service will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the Haines Cemetery, with Pastor Frank Humber officiating. There will be a reception afterward at the Haines Baptist Church. Visitations will be Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Edythe was born on Aug. 8, 1915, at Baker City to Robert and Leilath Boyce. She had three brothers and five sisters. She married Louis Franklyn Pratt in 1933 and was married … Read more

Wright, Guy Lloyd – Obituary

Guy Lloyd Wright, 81, of Prairie City, Ore., died Thursday, July 20, 2006, at his residence. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, July 29, 2006, at Prairie City Cemetery with Pastor Darrell Johnson officiating. A reception will follow at the Strawberry Mountain Grange. Guy was born May 30, 1925, in Baker City, Ore., to Earl and Ann (Grabill) Wright. He attended school in Baker City through the 11th grade. He married Emiline Zemmer on June 10, 1946. He was a security guard at a mill for many years and retired as one. Guy loved gardening roses, and … Read more

Vandetta, Ray – Obituary

Ray Vandetta, 55, of Baker City died Jan. 4, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Moose Lodge, 61341 Highway 97, in Bend. Ray was born on Sept. 20, 1949, at Prairie City to Choicey Aldura Jones and Charles Freeman Vandetta. He grew up at Monument. At the age of 12, the family moved to Bend. Ray lived most of his life in John Day, until moving to Baker City in 2002. Ray was an avid hunter and fisherman; he enjoyed anything that included being in the great outdoors. He … Read more

Jacoby, Nellie Althea – Obituary

Nellie Aletha Jacoby, 84, of Union, died Oct. 13 after an extended illness. A graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Prairie City Cemetery in Prairie City. Nellie was born Nov. 14, 1922, to William and Beatrice King. Those who knew her say family was what Nellie was all about. She loved writing poetry and spending time with family and friends. Survivors include her six children, Georgia Shank of Union, Ed Jacoby Jr. of Imbler, Corkey Jacoby of Salem, Terry Everidge of La Grande and Susie Young of Union; two brothers, Wilbur King and Dave King, both … Read more

Taylor Brothers

John and Solomon Taylor, composing the term of Taylor Bros., who operate the Prairie City Roller Mills, are natives of that grand old commonwealth Ohio. The older brother, John, became a resident of the county in 1862, and for a number of years was engaged in mining on Canyon creek. In 1881, on the arrival of his brother they became engaged in farming three miles from Prairie City, and today have 640 acres under cultivation, all of it being highly improved. Their home being one of the nicest in the county. In 1891 they bought the mill property which is … Read more

Rush, Beth Marie Davis Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Beth Marie Rush, 45, of Baker City, died Jan. 21, 2002, at her home with her loved ones at her side. At Beth’s request, the family will schedule private interment later. Beth was born on Aug. 2, 1956, at Prairie City to Leslie Davis and Georgia Livermore Davis. She grew up and attended all of her school years in Baker City. Beth loved animals of all kinds. She had a way with any animal she came across, but dogs were her favorite. Many dogs found their way to her home no matter where she lived. One dog … Read more

Meador, Mary Howell Mrs.

Mary Meador, 93, of East Wenatchee, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died March 14, 2005, at her home. There will be a family memorial service at East Wenatchee. Burial will be at the Prairie City Cemetery. Mrs. Meador was born on June 21, 1911, at Prairie City to George Custer and Edna Pearl Howell. She shared ranching with her husband, Garland T. Meador, on their Prairie City cattle ranch for 50 years until retirement when they moved to Baker City and Palm Springs, Calif. For the past 11 years she had lived at East Wenatchee to be near her … Read more