Sparta Oregon

Powell, Milton “Dean” – Obituary

Milton “Dean” Powell, 63, of Sparta, died March 15, 2008, at his home. His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the New Bridge Grange. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck reception after the service at the Grange hall. Dean was born on July 14, 1944, at Kuna, Idaho. He was the second son and the fourth of eight children born to Milton Wesley Powell and Nellie Frances Barnes Powell. His family moved to the New Plymouth/Fruitland, Idaho, area in 1950. Dean worked on the family farm, was active in the Nazarene Church and … 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

Coombes, Maude Pearl Johnson Mrs. – Obituary

Haines, Oregon Maude Pearl Coombes, 97, of Haines, died Dec. 8, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Disposition was by cremation at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Crematory. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Baker City Christian Church, 2998 Eighth St. Pastor Roger Scovil of the church will officiate. Mrs. Coombes was born on April 1, 1904, at Pine Hill, Ky., to John Clark and Liza Edwards Johnson. She was the last of 12 children. She moved from Kentucky to St. Maries, Idaho, and then to the Republic, Wash., area where she met Oscar Cullen … Read more

Perkins, Rufus “Perk” – Obituary

Sparta, Baker County, Oregon We regret to hear of the death of Rufus Perkins, of Sparta, which occured December 8th, at the home of his family in Illinois, whither he went about a year ago, on a visit. He had been in bad health for some time and his death was not unexpected, but in his death the people of this vicinity have met a loss that it is very probable will never be replaced. “Perk” was ever ready to accomodate or extend a helping hand to the deserving when in need, and we fear it will be a long … Read more

Gordon, Robert D. – Obituary

Robert D. Gordon, 72, a former Baker City resident, died June 20, 2005, at his home in Sheridan. His memorial service will be Thursday at Sheridan. His ashes will be scattered at Sparta. Bob was born on June 11, 1933, at Sunnyside, Wash., to Harry and Elizabeth Stuber Gordon. When he was 2, the family moved to Richland. When Bob was 6 they moved to Sparta. At the age of 8, Bob helped in the haying. He drove a team of horses, mowed hay and used a buck rake to move hay to the stock yard. He and his sister, … Read more

Grissom, Eula I. Hoffman Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Eula I. Grissom, 82, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 26, 2004, at her home. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Ray Wilson of the New Bridge Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Vault interment will be at Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Eula was born to George and Jasmine Hoffman on Nov. 5, 1921, at Council, Idaho. When she was 2, her parents returned to Eagle Valley. Here she was able to have her horse that she so very much loved to race. As a … Read more

Wilson, Walter L. – Obituary

Walter L. Wilson, 65, died Dec. 30, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His graveside service was Jan. 4 at Mount Hope Cemetery. The family invites friends to share with them in a potluck memorial of Walt’s life at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall at First Street and Valley Avenue. Walt was born on March 25, 1940, to Boe and Ila Wilson of Sparta. He had spent his life working in the timber industry, either in a mill or logging. Except for a few short years, Walt lived his entire life in Baker … Read more

Jones, Virginia Francis Butterfield Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Virginia Francis Butterfield Jones, 69, a lifetime Baker County resident, died April 13, 2002, at her home in Baker City. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Bishop Greg Baxter of the 1st Ward will officiate. Interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight at the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Virginia was born on Jan. 9, 1933, the second of three daughters to John Butterfield and Elsie Bernard Butterfield on a mining claim near Sparta Butte. … Read more

Smith, Delbert Ray – Obituary

Sparta, Oregon Delbert Ray Smith, 56, a lifetime Sparta resident, died at his home Dec. 6, 2004. There will be a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. Friday at the Richland Christian Church. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception afterward at the Richland Christian Church. Delbert was born on April 5, 1948, at Baker City to Earl Albert Sr. and Elta Louise Burchell Smith. He was actually in Baker City just long enough to be born, then immediately taken home to Sparta. He was raised at what is termed the “rock house.” Delbert went to … Read more

Barrows, H. A. – Obituary

Sparta, Baker County, Oregon Barrows-At Sparta November 11th H. A. Barrows. Aged 30 years. Eastern Oregon Republican, Thursday November 19, 1891

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

Gover, William Sr. – Obituary

William Gover, Sr. Lifetime Resident Passes June 27 Funeral services for William Louden Gover, Sr., 55, of Richland, Ore., will be conducted at 11 a.m., Friday, June 30, 1972 at the Methodist Church in Richland. The Rev. Carroll McIntosh of Redmond and Rev. Russell Booher of Halfway, will officiate, with interment following in Eagle Valley Cemetery under the direction of the Beatty Chapel. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers those who desire may make memorials to the Oregon Heart Fund or to the First Methodist Church of Richland, which can be done through the Beatty Chapel. Mr. Gover … Read more

Long, Garnet Alonzo – Obituary

Garnet Alonzo Long, a longtime Baker City resident, passed away Friday, March 22nd, 1991, at his home in Baker City. He was 83 years old. Funeral services for Mr. Long was conducted on Wednesday, March 27th, at 2:00 pm in the Pioneer Chapel of Gray’s West and Co. Vault interment and Dedication of the grave followed at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Baker City. Officiating at the service was Bishop Donald Morgan of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Baker City. Mr. Long was born Aug. 7, 1907, west of North Powder, Oregon (near Wolf Creek dam). … Read more

Mitchell, Rosemary Jones Mrs. – Obituary

Rosemary Mitchell, 90, of La Grande, a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 17, 2002, at a La Grande adult foster home. Her funeral was today at the First Church of the Nazarene in Baker City. Art Evans of the New Life Center at La Grande officiated. Interment was in Mount Hope Cemetery. There was a reception afterward at the Nazarene Church Fellowship Hall. Mrs. Mitchell was born on Oct. 3, 1911, at Union to Robert and Mary Gilkison Jones. She married John R. Mitchell in Baker City on May 24, 1931. Their first years were spent at Sparta in … Read more

Neault, Andrew – Obituary

Sparta, Baker County, Oregon Young Man Dead From Gunshot Wound Andrew Neault, 22 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Neault, ranchers near Sparta, died at a hospital in Baker Monday as a result of a gun shot wound, sustained Sunday forenoon. Young Neault took an automatic pistol and started out to shoot a coyote. He fired three times when a cartridge stuck. In clearing the gun it was discharged and the bullet passed through his stomach. He was able to walk in the house, and was later taken to Baker, a distance of thirteen miles, where he lived … Read more

Sparta Cemetery, Sparta, Oregon

Sparta was one of the earlier mining camps, gold being discovered there in 1863. It is now a ghost town, practically deserted. An old cemetery is located there which old-timers believe was started about 1870. It is located on land now included in the Mackey homestead. To reach Sparta, take State Highway 86 out of Baker for about 18 miles where it crosses the Powder River, then take the first road to the left eight or nine miles. The graves are to the left of this county road when traveling in an easterly direction. There are many early graves unmarked … Read more

Gover, Wilford L. Sr.

Wilford Lovell Gover, Sr., 67, a resident of Pine Valley, died Tuesday night at his home. Services will be Friday at 2 p.m. at the Christian Church in Halfway with the Rev. Arthur Harriman and the Rev. Ed Neuenfeldt officiating. Burial will be in Pine Haven Cemetery. Friends may call at the church from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Friday as the casket will not be opened at the service. Mr. Gover, son of William and Rebecca Gover, was born in Richland, Ore., Jan. 31, 1893, attended schools in Eagle Valley and business college in Salem. He moved to Pine … Read more

Braswell, Katheryn Sullivan Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Katheryn Braswell, 90, of Baker City, died April 8, 2002, at Ashley Manor Care Center. Her graveside funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. The Rev. Lennie Spooner of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the home of Pat and Bobbie Braswell. Visitations will be until 6 o’clock tonight at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave. Mrs. Braswell was born on April 5, 1912, at Baker City to A.P. and Lulu Sullivan. She attended Baker schools and was a 1930 … Read more