Waldo, Joel F. – Obituary

Joel F. Waldo, 45, of Baker City, died Oct. 22, 2004, at his home with his devoted wife, Cindy, his mother-in-law, Phyllis, and his minister by his side. He was diagnosed with lung cancer on Oct. 16, 2003, even though he had never smoked a day in his life. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. Pastor Susan Barnes will officiate. Joel was born on Aug. 19, 1959, at Sioux City, Iowa. He worked very hard all his life and was constantly learning new things so he could do it himself. … Read more

Goodman, Ralph – Obituary

Wallowa County, Oregon Ralph Goodman Dies In California Ralph Goodman, a former resident of Wallowa County, but who had lived in Yreka, Calif. For the past 25 years or more, passed away at Yreka Saturday, March 2, 1957, following a long illness. He was born in Libertyville, Iowa, November 29, 1884, coming to Wallowa County with his parents, Milas and Mary Goodman, and other members of his family while a child. He was married at Lostine on June 26, 1907 to Miss Fannie van Pelt who survives him. Besides his wife, he leaves four children: Van, Kathleen, Carolyn, and Billie, … Read more

Konomihu Tribe

Konomihu Indians. A subsidiary tribe of the Shasta, living at the forks of Salmon River, Siskiyou County, California, extending 7 miles up the south fork and 5 miles up the north fork.  Their language is very divergent from that of the main body of Shasta.

Biography of Samuel Coulter

Samuel Coulter was born in Tyler county, Virginia, August 20, 1832, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah (Rodes) Coulter. His father’s parents were natives of Wales and at an early day settled in Virginia, while his maternal ancestors came from England. At the age of four years he lost his father and soon thereafter the family moved to Van Buren county, Iowa. When be reached the age of twelve his mother died, after which he went to live with his half brother, Capt. B. L. Henness, who now resides near Mt. Tabor, Oregon, who kindly offered him a … Read more

Biography of John Strode

With two of the most important industries that have contributed to the development and prosperity of the northwest, mining and stock rasing, John Strode has long been identified. He became a resident of California in 1852, ten years later went to Oregon, and since 1863 has made his home in Idaho. His birth occurred in Tennessee, on the 6th of February 1833, and he is of English, German and Welsh descent but the original ancestors, who came from England Wales and Germany, found homes in America at an early period in her history and were pioneer settlers of Kentucky. John … Read more

Biography of Benjamin W. Grandy

BENJAMIN W. GRANDY. – Mr. Grandy has had the satisfaction of seeing the place which he homesteaded twenty years ago become a part of the city of La Grande, Oregon. This illustrates the rapid growth of the country. He has great faith in the future of this town, basing it upon the marvelously productive valley eighteen by thirty miles, surrounding and upon the milling and mining interests and the large water-power. He is a native of New York, was born in 1837, but as a child removed with his parents to Ohio, and before he was twenty had penetrated as … Read more

Biography of James Colson

One of the respected pioneer farmers of Salubria is James Colson, who came to Idaho in 1864, and has since been engaged in stock raising. He was born in Ripley county, Indiana, October 23, 1834, a son of John and Polly (Allen) Colson, the former of whom was a farmer in Kentucky, moving to Iowa in 1850, where he was successful as a business man and landowner. He died at the advanced age of seventy years. To him and his wife were born eight children, three of whom survive. James Colson was reared on his father’s farm and received his … Read more

Childers, Wallace – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon Wallace Childers, Son of Pioneer Family, Dies Relatives here yesterday received word of the death of Wallace Childers, 61, yard master for Southern Pacific, at Dunsmuir, yesterday in a San Francisco hospital. He is a former La Grande resident, son of a pioneer family, and at one time was a professional baseball player with the Weiser team when Walt Johnson was pitching for the. Childers attended the local schools. Survivors include his wife of Dunsmuir, a daughter in Los Angeles, two sisters, Mrs. Della Wagner and Olive Childers, brigadier in the Salvation Army, and a … Read more

Chitwood, Lawrence Allan – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Lawrence Allan Chitwood, 65, of Bend and formerly of La Grande, died unexpectedly of natural causes Jan. 4 while hiking up Pilot Butte. Memorial services are being planned. Visit www.LarryChitwoodMemorial.notlong.com for details. Larry Chitwood was born Aug. 4, 1942, to Paul H. and Ruth O. Chitwood in Los Angeles. He spent his childhood in Mount Shasta, Calif., and completed high school in Klamath Falls. His early interests included music, astronomy, electronics and mechanics. He earned degrees in music and education from Whitman College in Walla Walla. While attending Whitman, he met Karen Bergstrom of Yakima, and they … Read more

Biography of John William Whalley

Whalley, John William, was born on the 28th of April, 1833. His ancestors on his father’s side had, for a long period, been yoemen residing at Dent in the West Reding of Yorkshire, England, who had migrated there from Norfolk, and belonged to the same family of which Edmund Whalley of the Cromwellian Army was a member. Many of the family held respectable positions, both in the church, the army and at the bar, the elder sons usually owning and managing the small estate of the family, the younger members making their living in some of the learned professions. On … Read more

Biography of William H. Townsend

Since the earliest pioneer development of Owyhee County, William H. Townsend has resided within its borders. Silver City had as yet no beginning when he arrived on its present site, in 1863, and De Lamar, Dewey and other towns were not heard of for many years afterward. The rich mineral deposits of this region, however, have attracted a large population, and with marvelous rapidity villages have been builded and all the enterprises and business industries of older communities have been introduced. All honor is due to the brave band of pioneers who first opened up this region to civilization, among … Read more

Blacker, Mary E. – Obituary

Mary E. Blacker died November 19, 1920, at the home of her son Robert, in South union, at the age of 91 years. The funeral took place from the residence Sunday November 21, 1920 at 2 p.m. She was laid to rest by her husband, who preceded her to the Great Beyond 9 years ago. Mary Elizabeth Duignan was born in Ireland in 1829. She came to this country at the age of nineteen years, settling in Philadelphia, where she spent three years with friends. She then left for San Francisco to join a brother who was living there. She … Read more

Biography of Frederick D. Schnebly

FREDERICK D. SCHNEBLY – Our subject was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1832, and was educated in the Franklin and Marshall College of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1854 he started for California by way of Nicaragua. In passing up the Pacific, the steamer, Star of the West, on which he had taken passage, took fire; but the horrors of a burning ship tragedy were avoided by the timely and effective labors of the crew and passengers. After stopping for a time in San Francisco, he visited the Sandwich Islands, but, returning to the Golden state, spent two unsuccessful years in mining. … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Brown

BENJAMIN BROWN. – Mr. Brown was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1831, and remained at his native place until 1857, receiving a common-school education. In this year he emigrated to American and settled in Michigan, remaining until March, 1858, when he came to California by way of New York and the Isthmus. From San Francisco he found his way to the Siskiyou mines, and operated until July of 1868, and thence came to the Frazer river mines. In the autumn of that year, he brought his journeyings to a close at Steilacoom, where he remained a year. Being favorably impressed … Read more

Bruch, Georgeanna Marie – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Georgeanna Marie Bruch, 89, of Hillsboro and formerly of La Grande died Aug. 4. A memorial service was held today in Hillsboro. Burial at Fir Lawn Cemetery in Hillsboro will be private. Fir Lawn Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Bruch was born Nov. 19, 1916, to George E. and Marie Keller Lockwood in Riverside. She attended school in La Grande and graduated from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Spokane in 1940. On Jan. 24, 1943, she married Robert H. Bruch. The lived in Yreka, Calif., and Hillsboro before moving to Woodburn, and more recently … Read more

Biography of James A. Pinney

The enterprise of our American citizens has given the nation a position among the powers of the world that it has taken other countries many centuries to gain. The progressive spirit of the times is manifest throughout the length and breadth of the land, yet even to our own people the growth and development of the west seems almost incredible. Less than half a century ago Idaho, California, Montana, Oregon and other western states were wild and almost unpeopled regions, without the railroad or other transportation facilities, without the telegraph or the varied commercial and industrial industries of the east. … Read more

Biography of Orley Hull

ORLEY HULL – The experiences of the early pioneers were severe almost beyond belief; and, were it not for the fact that their hardships were intermitted by times of peace and plenty, it would have been scarcely possible for them to have gotten through. Mr. Hull is a pioneer of 1850, and in crossing the plains, and in the early days of Southern Oregon and Northern California, saw times and circumstances as hard as were to be found. He was born in New York in 1821, and when a young man went to Missouri, but was deterred from making a … Read more

Garrison, Mattie Jane – Obituary

Mattie Jane Garrison, 91, Rt. 1 Tulelake, Calif., died June 1 in Klamath Falls. Services will be held tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. in the Langrell Mortuary with Pastor Joe Jewitt, Christian Church of Enterprise, officiating. He will be assisted by Pastor Marvin Carr, the Christian Church of Baker. Internment will be in the family plot at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Garrison was born February 4, 1880 in Illinois. She was a longtime Baker resident but resided the past few years in California. She is survived by one daughter; Gladys Bergman, Tulelake, Calif.; sons; James H. McGinnis, Ripor, Calif.; and Thomas … Read more

Biography of Thomas H. Gilham

THOMAS H. GILHAM. – Although born in another state, the subject of this sketch is practically a product of Union county, being educated here and here achieving the success that has attended him in his labors, while he has ever manifested a stanch and unswerving integrity and adherence to the principles of uprightness, laboring for the advancement and upbuilding of the county, as well as prosecuting with vigor and sagacity the private business enterprises that have occupied him. Thomas H. Gilham was born in Siskiyou county, California, on February 13, 1858, being the son of Calvit A. and Almeda (Howell) … Read more

Biography of Samuel Hughes

Samuel Hughes, probably the oldest pioneer Arizonan now living, was born in Wales, British Isles, August 28th, 1829. In 1837 his father settled in Pennsylvania, where Mr. Hughes lived up to 1848, when he became a cabin boy on the Mississippi River, which vocation he followed until 1850, at which time he came to California overland from St. Louis. His first mining was done in Hangtown, California. In 1851 he went to Yreka, California. In 1852 he crossed the mountains to Rogue River Valley in Oregon, where he was one of the first to discover Rich Gulch at Jacksonville. In … Read more