Sumpter Oregon

Young, Kenneth Gordon – Obituary

Kenneth Gordon Young, 74, of Cove died March 13 at Grande Ronde Hospital of heart failure. Gravesite services will begin at 1 p.m. May 24 at the Cove Cemetery. Friends and relatives may sign the guest registry at www.danielsknopp.com. Kenneth was born May 24, 1933, to Fred and Laura Ackerman Young in Baker City. He lived in Sumpter during his childhood and completed his junior high and high school education in Baker City. He completed a bachelor of science degree at Eastern Oregon University and a master of arts degree at Colorado State University. He served in the Navy from … Read more

Biography of Arthur A. Miller

The list of Wallowa County’s business men and prominent stock raisers would be quite incomplete were there failure to incorporate in the number that of the prominent and intelligent young man which is the subject of this sketch, and of whom we are pleased to record that he has manifested marked ability in business enterprises during the years in which he has wrought here, as well as before coming here, and that also there must be accredited to him sound principles, and a high sense of honor that he has maintained intact and by which excellent sagacity he is demeaned. … Read more

Menolascina, Kay Sharon Phillips Mrs. – Obituary

Kay Sharon Menolascina, 68, of Baker City, died July 16, 2009, at an adult foster care home after an extended illness. At her request, her body was cremated. Private inturnment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Menolascina was born on Nov. 17, 1940, at Oregon City to Raymond I. and Emma “Jean” Phillips. Kay graduated from Franklin High School where she sang in the choir. She also attended Business College. For more than 10 years she and her husband, Dino, operated D & K Detector Sales, a successful metal detecting and prospecting business they started together in 1968 in … Read more

Quartz Mining, Baker County Oregon

About two thousand claims on quartz lodes have been recorded in Baker County since 1862. More or less development work has been done on most of them, perhaps one half of them having been worked to the extent which the law requires in order to make the claim secure. Nineteen quartz mills have been built, ranging in capacity from two to sixty tons per day. The first one built was the Ruckles mill at Baker City, which was put in operation in 1864. The mill was run by waterpower, and was built to work the ore from what was then … 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

Haley, Evelyn May Mrs. – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Evelyn May Haley, 61, of Sumpter, died Nov. 26, 2000, at her home. Her memorial service was Thursday at 10 a.m. at McEwen Bible Fellowship Church, with Pastor William Cox officiating. Cremation was at Gray’s West Pioneer Crematory. Mrs. Haley was born Dec. 6, 1938, at Yuba City, Calif. Evie, as she was known by all, graduated from Modesto High School in Modesto, Calif. She attended Modesto Junior College and later obtained her degree in nursing at the University of Nevada. She also took specialized classes at Truckee Meadows Community College. She began her nursing career as a … Read more

Graves, Larry A. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Larry A. Graves, 66, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 26, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His funeral will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Bill Cox of McEwen Bible Fellowship will officiate. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be today until 8 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Larry was born March 12, 1936, in Baker City to Lawrence and Emma Graves. Though born in Baker City, Larry lived with his family at Sumpter at the time, and he continued to … Read more

Old Sumpter Cemetery, Sumpter, Oregon (1)

One of the earliest cemeteries in Baker County is located at Sumpter. We have been unable to learn exactly when it was started but it is believed to have had its beginning soon after discovery of gold in the area, some time in the 1860’s. The cemetery is located just off of State Highway 220, about one mile south and east of the town of Sumpter on the right hand side of the road going westward. Sumpter was first settled by a few white men who mined in the area. Later several hundred Chinese came to the mines. Many of … Read more

Old Sumpter Cemetery, Sumpter, Oregon (3)

Graves known for sure in Sumpter Cemetery as studied by Brooks Hawley October 8, 1961. Over 21 Years Old D.C. Austin 1842-1900 Mattie Bailiess, guess 1874 Mayme Lee Baird 1878-1911 V. Black 1864-1900 John Beardsley 1864-1900 Ernest Wm. Beyers 1868-1904 Albert Butcher 1873-1937 Elizabeth Calhoun 1850-1907 Andrew A. Couse 1852-1910 J.P. Fain 1848-1899 Laura Bell Frodsham 1869-1903 James F. Gallagher 1833-1900 C.H. Gardner 1870-1911 Thomas Cumming Gray 1860-1909 Emma Herold Griswold 1870-1959 Nathan Hatley Effie Hatley 1862-1951 Laura Hatley 1878-1900 Gertrude Hatley 1883-1913 Ralph Hatley 1903-1950 M.V. Hefling 1833-1908 John J. Hinton 1850-1928 Nancy C. Hinton 1854-1931 John James 1844-1901 … Read more

Reimers, Ethel Mae Ross Mrs. – Obituary

Ethel Mae Reimers, 90, of Ontario, died March 14, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Riverside Cemetery in Payette, Idaho. Pastor Martin Frusti of Pilgrim Lutheran Church at Ontario will officiate. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel in Payette. Ethel was born at Nyssa and raised in the Ontario area. She was the daughter of Seymour and Minnie McGregor Ross. She married Leland G. Reimers on Nov. 11, 1934. He died on Nov. 6, 1991. They were married for almost 57 years. … Read more

Brothers, Gloria A. Newall Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Gloria Brothers, 78, of Newberg died Friday, Aug. 23, 2002, at her home. Attrell’s Funeral Home of Newberg was in charge of arrangements with inurnment in Valley View Memorial Park in Newberg. Mrs. Brothers was born Nov. 1, 1923, in Port Angeles, Wash., the daughter of Evah and Edgar C. Newall. The family resettled in the Newberg area where landmarks like Newall Road and others record the family’s influence in the community. After graduation from high school in Vancouver, Wash., she attended the University of Oregon to obtain a degree in English. She was a member of … Read more

Kinkead, James Robert – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon James Robert Kinkead, 82, died Sept. 1, 2004, at his home in Pilot Rock. A celebration of life memorial will be held at the Community Presbyterian Church in Pilot Rock on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. Arrangements are in care of Bishop Funeral Chapel in Pendleton. Jim was born March 10, 1922, at La Grande to George Wesley and Edith (Cowan) Kinkead. Most of his youth was spent in and around Sumpter. He graduated from Baker High School in 1941. After high school he was in the National Youth Administration, where he was trained in machine … Read more

Cowan, Lois – Obituary

Wallowa, Oregon Lois Cowan of Wallowa died May 17, 2006, at the Wallowa Memorial Hospital after a short illness. She was 94. Mrs. Cowan was born Jan. 31, 1912, in Elgin to James Elvis and Bertha Witty Witherspoon. She grew up on the family farm on Cricket Flat and attended the Hindman Country School. She graduated from Elgin High School in 1931. After graduating, Lois worked as a telephone operator and a clerk in a grocery store. On June 26, 1938, she married Carl Raymond Cowan in Elgin. They lived in Baker City, Sumpter, La Grande and Elgin before moving … Read more

Hallstrom, Dorothy Frances Brandt Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Dorothy Frances Brandt Hallstrom, 80, of Baker City died at her home on May 27, 2004. Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the cabin near Sumpter, which Dorothy dearly loved. Dorothy was born on July 9, 1923, at Seattle, Wash., to George and Doris Brandt. She moved with her parents to Portland, where she completed her education. Dorothy always appreciated a good day’s work and never shirked responsibility. She worked as a bookkeeper and owned a successful yarn shop in Baker City. She also helped build a log cabin with her husband, James … Read more

Smith, Willard Hoffman – Obituary

Willard Hoffman Smith, 83, a former Sumpter resident, died May 26, 2005, at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise. There will be a memorial service for him at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Idaho State Veterans Home. There will be a second memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday at the McEwen Church near Sumpter. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck dinner afterward. Willard was born on July 27, 1921, at Leland, Idaho. He moved with his family to Nyssa where his parents farmed. He was a Nyssa High School graduate and married his high school … Read more

Crane, Helen Iva Ranes Mrs. – Obituary

Helen Iva Ranes Crane, 80, of Baker City, died June 21, 2005, at Baker City. There will be no service. She will be buried in the family plot at Lostine. Helen was born to Fred Richard Ranes of Forest Grove and Iva Agnes Harris Ranes of Pomroy, Wash. She was raised in Wallowa County and then spent the rest of her life at Sumpter and Baker City. She was married to Billie Jerome Crane at Weiser, Idaho, on Nov. 29, 1941. They divorced in 1950. She married Dorrel George Dotson in La Grande on Dec. 19, 1950. They divorced in … Read more

Ryder, Jack Hughes – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Jack Hughes Ryder, 70, of Sumpter, died July 15, 2002, at his home. His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Bill Cox of the McEwen Bible Fellowship will officiate. Burial will be at the Blue Mountain Memorial Garden at Walla Walla, Wash. Jack was born on July 3, 1932, at Baker City to William Horace Ryder and Helen Rose Hughes Ryder. He graduated from Baker High School and went on to attend Oregon State University at Corvallis for three years. Jack served his country in the … Read more

Defrees, Margaret Elayne Rice Mrs. – Obituary

Margaret Elayne Defrees, 71, died Dec. 1, 2005, at her home in Sumpter Valley. Her funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Bishop Jeff Daniels of Baker City 1st Ward will conduct. Margaret was born on Feb. 6, 1934, at Yakima, Wash., to Dallas and Kathryn Rice. She lived her first 13 years at the White Swan Christian Indian Mission where her parents were superintendents of the mission school. Her high school and junior college years were spent at Yakima … Read more

Rowan, F. MaRee Beigh Mrs. – Obituary

F. MaRee Beigh Rowan, 74, died May 14, 2008, at her home in Sumpter. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave. There will be a graveside service at 3 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Ontario. Friends are invited to join the family at the Lions Park for a celebration of life party in MaRee’s honor after the service. MaRee was the daughter of Millard and Florence Beigh of Cambridge, Idaho. She was born and raised at Cambridge. She married the love of her life, Durwood “Jim” Rowan of Ontario, on Nov. … Read more

Hickok, George C. – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon Geo. C. Hickok, formerly in the hardware business in La Grande and well known to many here, died of pneumonia Nov. 20, at Sumpter. He leaves a wife and five children who are provided for by $1,500 life insurance. Mr. Hockok was a personal friend of the editor and his death will be regretted by a large. (Rest of obituary cut off) Cove Ledger Thursday December 1, 1898