Dickison, Charles Rodney “Rod” – Obituary

Charles Rodney “Rod” Dickison, 77, of Baker City, died Sept. 10, 2005, at his home. There will be a Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Agape Christian Center, 650 Highway 7. Pastor Aaron Oglesbee of the church officiate. There was a private family graveside service at Mount Hope Cemetery. Rod was born at McEwen on March 24, 1928, to Marcus and Olive Dickison. He was the fifth of seven children, and the third of five generations in Baker County. He was raised in Sumpter Valley until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1945 … Read more

Harrison, Joe E. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Joe E. Harrison, 85, died at his home in Baker City on Jan. 22, 2003. At his request, there will be no funeral. An urn burial will take place later at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. Joe E. Harrison was born on Dec. 24, 1917, at Wallowa to John Baker Harrison and Lula Jane Markham Harrison. He attended school at McEwen in Sumpter Valley until the age of 16 when he moved to New Bridge in Pine Valley to finish his education and to work in the Cornucopia Gold Mine. He later moved to Portland where he … Read more

Old Sumpter Cemetery, Sumpter, Oregon (2)

There are no known original records or maps for the cemetery. It is proper to suppose that any such was lost in the Sumpter fire of 1917. The City of Sumpter now assumes cotrol. It was originally called Blue Mountain Cemetery and was owned by E.A. Case the Sumpter undertaker. There was an earlier cemetery in Sumpter near the NE corner of Auburn and Ibex Streets. Those graves were all moved here in 1900 and likely this cemetery was not started much before then. The earliest dates here, 1895, could have been moved. This outline defines only the old fenced … 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

Burke, Sandra “Cass” Mrs. – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Sandra “Cass” Burke, 62, of Sumpter, died Sept. 1, 2003, at her home. At the family’s request, disposition was by cremation at Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. A private memorial service will be scheduled later. Cass was born March 31, 1941. She was a wonderful mom, “the best on the block,” always taking time to color or play with her children. Cass spent the last years of her life with her husband, Bo, and friends near Whitney. She enjoyed entertaining her loved ones and will be greatly missed for her sense of humor, her amazing zest for life, and … Read more

Culley, Ronald Duane – Obituary

Ronald Duane Culley, 66, a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 26, 2007, at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Pastor Jonathan Privett of the Nazarene Church will officiate. Ron was born on July 17, 1941, in Baker City to Harold and Catherine Bradley Culley. He lived for a couple of years in Baker City then spent about a year on the Umatilla Army Depot where his father was working. He moved from there to the Bourne area where … Read more

Aikey, Virgil – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Virgil Aikey, 66, of Sumpter, died Oct. 16, 2004, at the Boise Veterans Hospital. There will be a wake in honor of his life at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Elkhorn Restaurant in Sumpter. Virgil was born on Aug. 7, 1938, at Canandaigua, N.Y. He moved to Southern California in 1960. He served in the U.S. Army in the 101st Airborne. He was the youngest journeyman in the heating and sheet metal business in the 1960s in Southern California. After that he became a swimming pool contractor for Bee Sunny Pools in Chatsworth, Calif. In 1988, he moved … Read more

Klunder, Marie Judy Mrs. – Obituary

Marie Klunder, 93, a longtime Baker City resident, died Dec. 24, 2004. Her graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jack Bynum of the United Methodist Church will officiate. There will be a reception for family and friends after the service at the United Methodist Church, 1919 Second St. Everyone is invited. Marie L. Judy Klunder was born on Nov. 18, 1911, to Lloyd M. Judy and Molly Dickison Judy at Sumpter. After graduation from Baker High School in 1930, she used her secretarial skills in the high school office, and later for Philo … Read more

Abrams, Hazel Branch Vogel Mrs. – Obituary

Hazel Branch Vogel Abrams, 85, beloved mom and grandma, died Dec. 21, 2004, in the comfort of her home and wrapped in the love of her family. Her funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Cambridge, Idaho. Burial will follow at Cambridge Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser, Idaho. Hazel was born July 28, 1919, at Sublimity, Ore., the fifth of six children of Burton S. and Etta Mae Potter Branch. She was raised on their homestead in the Crane Creek area east of Midvale, Idaho, and she … Read more

Laursen, Maybelle Sheret Mrs. – Obituary

Sumpter, Oregon Maybelle Laursen, 78, a resident of Deer Creek Road near Sumpter, died Oct. 18, 2002, at her home. At her request there will be no service. Disposition was by cremation. Mrs. Laursen was born at Seattle, Wash., on Aug. 8, 1924, a daughter of Albert Alexander and Sarah Durie Sheret. She was raised and educated at Milwaukie. She started her career as a telephone operator in British Columbia and returned to the United States working for Pacific Northwest Bell as a long-distance operator. She met and married Otto Laursen in 1953 at Portland. They were married 46 years … 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

Bacon, Lesa Kathreena Mrs. – Obituary

Lesa Kathreena Bacon, 84, of Baker City and a former longtime Sumpter resident, died Feb. 6, 2008, at Meadowbrook Place. Her cremated remains will be inurned at the Sumpter Cemetery this spring. Lesa was born in Germany and moved to the United States with her aunt in 1923 at the age of 3 months. She grew up on a farm at Peoria, Ill., until the age of 25 when she married. Lesa moved to California after her first marriage. She moved to Sumpter about 20 years ago where she bought and ran the Elkhorn Restaurant. While in Sumpter, she remarried … 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

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

Bork, Rita Joylean Mrs. – Obituary

Rita Joylean Bork, 67, a former area resident, died April 1, 2003, at Oroville, Wash. Her memorial service will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at McEwen Bible Fellowship in Sumpter Valley. Friends and family are invited to a potluck after the service. Rita was born April 19, 1935, at Dayridge, near Flora. She married Bernard Murphy at age 17. Rita became a Christian when she married Bernie. They had five children. Rita lived at Halfway, Baker City and Sumpter before moving to Oroville, Wash., four years ago. Survivors include her children, Earl Murphy of St. Helens, Audrey Murphy Handyside of … Read more

Culley, Catherine E. Starr Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Catherine E. Culley, 81, a longtime Baker City resident and former Sumpter resident, died July 6, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Ed Niswender of Calvary Baptist Church will officiate. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at Calvary Baptist Church, 2107 Third St. Visitations will be until 8 o’clock tonight at Gray’s West & Co. Catherine was born on July 7, 1920, at Astoria to Clarence E. and Lucille Lockwood … 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

Simonson, William “Doug” – Obituary

William “Doug” Simonson, 76, died at an assisted living center on Sept. 28, 2007. His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. PDT at the McEwen Bible Fellowship Hall, 15403 Sumpter Stage Highway (on Highway 7 three miles south of the Sumpter junction). Doug was born on March 1, 1931, at Sandpoint, Idaho. He lived with his mother, Ida Veda, his father, William E. Simonson, and his brother, Dave, at Hope, Idaho, until the age of 10 when his mother died. Because of his father’s job with the Spokane Railroad, which took him away from home a great deal, he … Read more

Downie, John – Obituary

John Downie, a resident of Sumpter valley, Baker county, died last week after a protracted illness with Brights disease. He was a brother of Richard Downie, of Union and leaves a wife and family to mourn his loss. The funeral took place last Monday in Baker city from the residence of his daughter Mrs. Emil Volgt. Eastern Oregon Republican, Thursday January 2, 1890

Crockett, Rosslee Dama “Rosy” Taylor Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Rosslee Dama “Rosy” Crockett, 82, a longtime Baker City resident, died Dec. 21, 2000, at her home. A celebration of her life will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Darlene Friedlander will conduct the service. A reception will follow the service in the Oregon Trail Room at the Quality Inn Motel, 810 Campbell St. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be today until 8 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Mrs. Crockett was born Feb. 8, 1918, at Monett, Mo., to Leslie A. Taylor … Read more