Prairie City Oregon

Biography of Cornelius G. Morehead

A native of the Web foot State, the son of about the earliest pioneers of this state, raised amid its environments, both eastern and western Oregon, the subject of this article is thoroughly an Oregonian and a typical representative of its energetic and progressive citizens. Cornelius G. was born in Linn County, Oregon, on June 26, 1865, being the son of Robert M. and Martha (Curl) Morehead. The parents came with ox teams to Oregon in 1848 and settled in the Willamette valley and the father being a millwright, built the first mill of the state. It was located at … 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

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

Davis, Wilma D. – Obituary

Wilma D. Davis, 86, of Hood River, a former Northeastern Oregon resident, died Jan. 4, 2005. The family will gather later for burial of her ashes. Wilma was born on April 20, 1918, at Prairie City to Alma Davis and Annie Merle Dalton Davis. She grew up and attended school at Prairie City. She later lived in the Hood River area. Wilma’s dad and his family came from Kansas across the Oregon Trail when he was 5 years old. She is remembered by her family as a very compassionate person who always had a ready smile. Survivors include her brothers, … Read more

Watkins, Patricia Joe Frey Mrs. – Obituary

Patricia Joe Watkins, 76, of St. Helens, a former Baker City resident, died March 18, 2003, at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland. At her request, there will be no funeral. Patricia was born on April 3, 1926, at Baker City to Frank and Neni Eddy Frey. She attended schools at Austin, Baker City and Prairie City and was a 1943 graduate of Prairie City High School. She married Donald Leslie Watkins in 1946. She had been a resident of St. Helens since 1960. She worked for many years at the Bank of St. Helens and Western Bank at St. Helens … Read more

Leishman, Carl – Obituary

Carl Leishman, 83, of Prairie City, a former Baker City resident, died April 18, 2003, at his daughter’s home in Prairie City. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Prairie City Cemetery. Mr. Leishman was born on Jan. 30, 1910, at Baker City to John and Martine Leishman. He attended Baker schools and was a 1928 Baker High School graduate. After high school he moved to Bates where he worked at various jobs including firing a wood-burning locomotive and serving as purchasing agent and office manager for Oregon Lumber Co. In 1946, he purchased the Bates … 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

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

Biographical Sketch of Charles M. Jones

It is gratifying to be privileged to put in print an epitome of one of the brave men who fought, as did the subject of this sketch for the honor of the stars and stripes and the safety of our free institutions when the foul hand of treason sought to deface all and destroy the homes of freedom. In addition Mr. Jones has always shown himself in the walks of life to be upright and capable and has done a noble part in the advancement and development of the resources of the country. Speaking more particularly of his personal history, … 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

Shreffler, Clem – Obituary

Clem Shreffler, 96, of Prairie City, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 6, 2006, at Prairie City. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Darrell Johnson of Grace Chapel at Prairie City and Ed Niswender of Calvary Baptist Church at Baker City will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will until 7 o’clock tonight at the funeral home. Clem E. Shreffler was born to Ferd and Mary Shreffler in Culdesac, Idaho, on Feb. 22, 1909. Clem was the fourth of six children in the family. At … 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

Brainard, Bertha Alice “Babs” Crawford Mrs. – Obituary

Bertha Alice “Babs” Brainard, 91, a longtime resident of Prairie City, passed away at John Day, on Sunday, November 16, 2003. Babs was born May 29, 1912 in Canby, Oregon to Noah Mac and Suzanna Crawford, and was raised in the Madras area. She married Ben Brainard in Fossil, Oregon on July 18, 1929, and with her husband lived most of the time in Grant County. She was quite active in the outdoors with her husband, and in about 1970 became the Justice of the Peace at Prairie City. She is mostly remembered here as the spark behind the improvements … Read more

Gowey, O. J. – Obituary

The sad news came over the wire Monday morning that O. J. Gowey, of Prairie City, had departed this life. Mr. Gowey was formerly of this place and was well respected and loved – being “grandpa” to our whole community. Wallowa County Reporter, Wallowa County, Oregon, Thursday August 16, 1917

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

Lippert, Elmer Eugene – Obituary

Elmer Eugene Lippert, 83, of Prairie City, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 28, 2005, at his home. His funeral was Dec. 31 at Driskill Memorial Chapel. Pastor Denny Diezel of the John Day United Methodist Church officiated. Elmer was born on July 8, 1922, at Baker City to Eugene H. and Mandy Richardson Lippert. He attended school at Granite, Ukiah, and at Ritter, where he spent most of his childhood. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1944 during World War II. He was in Berlin during the fall of Germany and also spent time in … Read more

Burril, Verna Lee Kirkwood Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Verna Lee Burril, 65, died March 29, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. A celebration of life will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the McEwen Bible Fellowship, which is located 23 miles south of Baker City on Highway 7. Verna was born June 6, 1938 to Vernon and Ernestine Kirkwood at Prairie City. In the early 1950s she married Harry “Ted” Barnhart and had three children, Terry, Ted and Mitch. They were divorced in the early 1970s. She later remarried. Her son Ted now resides in Lolo, Mont., and Terry and Mitch live in Baker … Read more

Bruce, Braddie May – Obituary

Braddie May Bruce, 79, of Island City, died Jan. 11 at a local care center. A service will be held later in Canyon City. Braddie was born Jan. 26, 1928, to Clyde Willis and Grace Irene (Herburger) Laughlin in Prairie City. She was raised in Dayville and graduated from high school there. On Jan. 12, 1947, she married Ralph Bruce in Canyon City. She worked as a school secretary in Canyon City, Ukiah and John Day. For several years they lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she worked for the Episcopal bishop and for a co-op drug company. In her younger … Read more

Owens, Viola J. “Mike” Mrs. – Obituary

Prairie City, Grant County, Oregon Viola J. “Mike” Owens,73, of Prairie City, Ore., died Monday, March 13, 2006, at Blue Mountain Nursing Home in John Day, Ore. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, March 17, 2006, at Driskill Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Canyon City Cemetery. Survivors include three daughters, Kathy Moothart of Mt. Vernon, Connie Lee Carstens of Baker City, and Linda Phelps of Prineville; nine grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the Viola Owens Memorial Fund through Driskill Memorial Chapel 241 S Canyon Blvd John Day, OR 97845. Used with … 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