Umatilla County OR

Price, Joanne Kaye – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Joanne Kaye Price, 73, died July 13 in her home in Hermiston. A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hermiston Church of the Nazarene. Burial will be at noon Monday at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Mrs. Price was born Jan. 16, 1933 in Fresno, Calif. to Samuel and Virginia Tarleton Timbrell. She graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1950, and on Sept. 9, 1950, she married John Robert Price in Hood River. The couple lived in Vancouver, Kennewick and Tacoma, Wash., and St. Helens, Astoria and Aloha. She graduated from … Read more

Poole, Fannie Brothers Molstrom – Obituary

A graveside funeral service for Fannie Molstrom Poole will be held at Olney Cemetery in Pendleton on Friday at 10 a.m. Mrs. Poole, 92, of Pendleton, died Tuesday, May 14, 1991, at Amber Valley Care Center in Pendleton. She was born Oct. 10, 1898, at Paducah, KY, to Chris Henry and Rachael Valentine Lee. She married Roy Brothers in 1915; they were later divorced. On March 4, 1929, she married Henry Molstrom. The couple was engaged in farming north of Pendleton for over 60 years. Mr. Molstrom died in 1975. In 1982 she married Elwyn Poole. He died in 1986. … Read more

Erwin, Hugh Gerald – Obituary

Union, Oregon Hugh Gerald Erwin, 95 of Union died June 21 at Grande Ronde Hospital. The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Monday June 26 at the Union United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at the Union Cemetery. Mr. Erwin was born Oct. 25, 1910, to Hugh and Bertie Largent Erwin in Adrian, Mo. He worked on ranches in Pendleton, Summerville and North Powder, and graduated from Powder Valley High School in 1929. On Sept. 26, 1936, he married Fern Baxter in La Grande. The couple lived in Union for many years, and he worked for the Oregon Highway Department … Read more

Young, Oliver – Obituary

Killed By Falling Tree A former resident of Wallowa county, Fancho Stubblefield, lives at Lehman Springs, 90 miles south of Pendleton, where one man was killed and another seriously injured by a falling tree Saturday night. The two were cutting wood for Mr. Stubblefield and slept in a bunk house, which was crushed by the tree. Oliver Young was killed and Vic McCormick was injured. Mrs. Stubblefield telephoned a report of the accident and Coroner Pat Folsom of Umatilla county and Mr. George Smith of Pilot Rock broke a path thru the snow from Ukiah to the springs and took … Read more

Capon, Trudy Jane Anderson Mrs. – Obituary

Trudy Jane Capon, 55, a longtime Monument resident, died Feb. 14, 2002, of cancer at her home near Monument. Her memorial service will be at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Monument Bible Church at Monument. Trudy was born on July 11, 1946, at Baker City to Raymond and Georgia Pugh Andersen. She was raised at Pendleton and graduated from high school there. She attended a business college in Portland. She married Don Capon at Monument on April 7, 1973. She was part-owner of the family ranch near Monument in addition to caring for her husband, four sons and … Read more

Biography of John R. Ladd

JOHN R. LADD. – The stories told to the children of the generation hence of the abundance of gold and the immense profits of the early pioneers will fire their imaginations and set them on wild, and perhaps profitable, trips to the Andes or to Alaska. Mr. Ladd’s career will be thus exciting to his descendants, and to all who see this sketch. He was born in the Empire state in 1838. He came to California with his father in 1852, but returning East married Miss Rachel Knapp in Illinois. Here might be mentioned as a remarkable coincidence, that Mrs. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William T. Wright

WM. T. WRIGHT. – Mr. Wright, who has demonstrated the practicability of fruit culture in the Umatilla country, was born in Massachusetts in 1830. His father was a molder and worker in iron furnaces, and in 1840 moved to Ohio, where Mr. Wright as a boy received a common-school education, and remained with his parents until of age, when he engaged in stock-dealing on his own account. In 1853 he came to California, mining, gardening, speculating and stock-dealing. In 1859 he returned to Ohio and engaged in the oil-well region at Mecca and in Pennsylvania. Ten years later he went … Read more

Hooker, Naomi Moffett Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Naomi Hooker, 91, of Pendleton, a former Baker City resident, died May 17, 2004, at a foster care home. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Baker City Christian Church, 2998 Eighth St. Ritualistic rites will be conducted by Esther Chapter 11, Order of Eastern Star. Pastor Roger Scovil will officiate. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight and from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Mrs. Hooker was born on Nov. 14, 1912, at Junction City to John Henry and Katie Hayes Moffett. She attended school at Lane … Read more

Biography of William F. Smith, M. D.

The state of Idaho, with its pulsing industrial activities and rapid development, has attracted within its confines men of marked ability and high character in the various professional lines, and in this way progress has been conserved and social stability fostered. He whose name initiates this review has gained recognition as one of the able and successful physicians of the state, and by his labors, his high professional attainments and his sterling characteristics has justified the respect and confidence in which he is held by the medical fraternity and the local public. A representative physician and surgeon of Mountain Home, … Read more

Biography of W. T. Cook

W.T. COOK. – There may not be a million dollars at the end of the pathway of every industrious young man; but in this country there is a competency, and, what is more, an honorable business and a happy home. Mr. Cook’s career proves this. He was born in Polk county, Missouri, in1848. Being thirteen years of age at the outbreak of the Civil war, his education was neglected for the next five years; but, repairing this loss by his own exertions, he fitted himself as school teacher, and thus supported himself for three years. Coming to Oregon in 1874, … 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

Biographical Sketch of Dr. F. C. Campbell

DR. F.C. CAMPBELL. – Literary ability is not so common on this coast as to be a drug in the market. It is agreeable to find it in professional men. Doctor Campbell is one of these persons. He was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, in the year 1854. He received a good common-school education in the Rock Creek graded school, and commenced the study of dentistry in the office of Doctor N.S. Burns, of Ashtabula, in 1872, completing his dental education in Monroe, Michigan, in 1875, since which time he has practiced in nearly every state and territory in the … Read more

Cox, Doris Elva – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Doris Elva Cox, 71, of La Grande, died May 27 at a local care center. A memorial service for Doris and her daughter, Earlene Nelson, who died on March 19, 2007, will begin at 3 p.m. Friday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande. Doris was born Sept. 18, 1937, to Elmer George and Edith Marie (Johnson) Cox in Falfa, Colo. During her lifetime she was active with the Salvation Army and their kettle work, especially in Pendleton. From 1952 to 1954 she was a plane spotter for the government … Read more

Speelman, Claude L. – Obituary

Claude L. Speelman, 90, of Hermiston, a former Haines resident, died Jan. 30, 2003, at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the chapel of the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home at Milton-Freewater. Pastor Richard Wright will officiate. Private interment will be Wednesday in Mount Hope Cemetery. Claude was born Oct. 27, 1912, at Haines. He was the son of LeRoy and Lela Cross Speelman. He married Janet Pettie at Weiser, Idaho, in 1939. He worked construction and the couple moved a lot when their children were young. He later worked ranches … Read more

Graham, Harry Russell – Obituary

Milton-Freewater, Oregon Obituary Harry Russell Graham, 80 a retired fruit farmer of Milton-Freewater died at a local rest home, Tuesday, Sept. 12 following an extended illness. Services will be held at the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home in Milton-Freewater, Friday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. Interment will also be at Milton-Freewater. The La Grande Observer, La Grande, Oregon – Wednesday, September 13, 1967 Transcribed by Dixie Ricker

Biography of Jeremiah De Spain

JEREMIAH DE SPAIN, – This veteran among the pioneers of Union and Umatilla counties illustrates in his career what one may accomplish on this coast. Coming here a poor man, he left at his death a competence valued at many thousand dollars. He was born in Knox county, Kentucky, in 1833, being the fifth child of Benjamin De Spain, whose family numbered six sons. In 1836 he removed with his parents to Warren county, Illinois, and there, on his father’s farm, acquired the habits of industry, and obtained what education was afforded in the frontier schoolhouses. In 1852, having attained … Read more

Bowman, Henry – Obituary

Another of Umatilla Counties Early Settlers Called To The Great Beyond. There will be old settlers for time evermore; but the old settlers who were here at the dawn of civilization, who marked the pathway of progress, are one by one crossing the silent river, and soon none will remain. Another has been claimed at Pendleton by the dark angel. Henry Bowman, widely known throughout Umatilla county and Eastern Oregon, died Sunday morning at 4:50 o’clock [November 30, 1892] at his home in this city. About two weeks ago he returned from the mountains, where he was engaged ten days … Read more

Ellenberger, William – Obituary

William “Bill” Ellenberger, 82, Pendleton died Saturday [January 12] at Delamarter Care Center. Funeral will be 10 a.m., Tuesday at Folsom-Bishop Funeral Chapel with interment in Olney Cemetery, Pendleton. Ellenberger was a life-time resident of Umatilla County. He was born Oct. 1, 1897 in Pilot Rock. He was married to the former Grace Spencer who died in 1967. Ellenberger farmed in the Pilot Rock area for many years, then owned the Trailer Park in Pilot Rock. Survivors include a half-brother, Milton Perry, Pendleton; half-sisters, Helena Parker, Milton, Wash. and Doris Delquest, Tacoma, Wash. There are several nieces and nephews. East … Read more

Biography of Jacob Frazer

JACOB FRAZER. – This pioneer of the wool business in Eastern Oregon, and owner of some of the best buildings in Pendleton, is a native of the Buckeye state (1820), and while but a boy of ten went with his father to Indiana, and as a youth of sixteen to Iowa. In this state, then known locally as the Black Hawk purchase, his father died at the advanced age of eighty-three. In 1850 Mr. Frazer crossed the plains to California with horses, being one of a party of five. This company was made to pay a toll of sugar, flour, … Read more

Nelson, Maria Hilda Molstrom – Obituary

Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Pendleton, for Maria Hilda Nelson, Pendleton. Mrs. Nelson, 96, died Monday [December 9, 1974] at St. Anthony Hospital. She had lived in Umatilla County for 84 years. She was born at Centerville, Wash., Feb. 9, 1878. She was married Sept. 5, 1897, to David H. Nelson. He died in May 1939 and a son, Harry in 1960. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson farmed on the Umatilla Indian Reservation for a short time after their marriage, then in 1900 started farming on Cold Springs. Mrs. Nelson was a … Read more