Umatilla County OR

Gardner, Donna Lea Howell Mrs. – Obituary

Donna Lea Gardner, 60, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 16, 2006, at the Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, Wash. Recitation of the rosary will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Burns Mortuary Chapel in Hermiston. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Burns Mortuary Chapel. Private burial will be at the Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Irrigon. Donna was born at Baker City on Jan. 6, 1946, to Robert and Violet Howell. For the past few years she had lived at Irrigon. She had lived at Baker City for many years and also spent 15 … Read more

Gorbett, Chester E. – Obituary

Chester E. Gorbett Dies at Hermiston. Chester Everett Gorbett, of Hermiston, formerly of Promise, passed away at his home July 12 at the age of 86 years and 9 months. He was born at Colton, Ore. Oct. 13, 1877, one of seven children born to Joshau and Orintha Gorbett. He spent his entire life in Oregon. He was united in marriage to Bessie Phillips April 2, 1905. Survivors include his wife, Bessie, of Hermiston; two sons, Rolin of Wallowa and Duane of Canby, Ore.; also three daughters, Mrs. Harvey (Lola) McDonald of Walla Walla, Wash., Mrs. Grady (Myra) Banks of … Read more

Collins, Ruby Banister Payne Mrs. – Obituary

Joseph, Wallowa County, Oregon Ruby P. Collins, 90, formerly of Joseph and Athena, died Monday, October 19, 1987 at Hillsboro. She was born April 10, 1897, at Athena, the daughter of Bern and Mary Pinkerton Banister. She was a member of Athena High School’s first graduating class. In 1916, she married Ross Payne. The couple farmed in the Adams area and had ranching interests at Joseph. Payne died in 1949, but she continued their farming and ranching until her retirement. During World War II she worked as a mechanic at the Pendleton Air Base and also received awards as an … Read more

Frasolas, Marjorie Della (Reece) – Obituary

Marjorie Della (Reece) Frasolas, was born May 5, 1900. She died at the Umatilla hospital on March 24, 1975 at the age of 74. Mrs. Frasolas was a resident in the Hermiston Umatilla area since 1936. She was a member of the Auxiliary and the Pocahontas. Survivors are two daughters; Mrs. Don Allstott of Hermiston and Mrs. Jay Huson of Adams, Ore.; brothers are Amos Reece of Port Orchard, Wash., and Emerson and Wayne Reece of Enterprise; sisters are Mrs. William Phillips of Wapato, Wash. and Mrs. Earl Bonner of Weiser, Idaho, seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Funeral services … Read more

Molstrom, John Adolph – Obituary

John A. Molstrom, 93, Adams pioneer rancher, died Monday [August 7, 1967] at Pendleton Community Hospital. Mr. Molstrom was born June 6, 1873 in Calumet, Mich. He was son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Molstrom, among the earliest of Umatilla County pioneers. He came west at the age of three. The family first came to San Francisco, then moved to Centerville, Wash., and then to Athena. He was married to Hilda Planting in 1905, and they farmed in the Adams area for almost 60 years. They retired in 1955 and moved to Pendleton. Mrs. Molstrom died Aug. 2, … Read more

Hedrick, Gene W. – Obituary

Gene W. Hedrick, 55, of Cove, a former Haines resident, died Sept. 1, 2003, as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident near Cove. There was a celebration of his life Friday at the Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. Private inurnment will be at a later date. Mr. Hedrick was born Oct. 13, 1947, at Hillsboro. He was the son of George W. and Ann Ustic Hedrick. He attended school and graduated from high school in Seattle. He worked there for a time before he began attending college at the University of Washington at Seattle. After … Read more

Planting, Allen Arnold – Obituary

Memorial service will be 2 p.m. June 17, 1994, in Trinity Lutheran Church in Vancouver, Wash. Disposition will be by cremation. Interment will be in Park Hill Cemetery in Vancouver. Mr. Planting died of a stroke June 13 in Portland hospital. He was 80. He was born Dec. 31, 1913 in Pendleton. Before his retirement he was a shipping clerk for Crane Plumbing Co. in Portland. He had lived in Vancouver since 1929. Survivors include his wife, Leone; daughters, Ann Bates, Ruth Sundheim and Kay Planting, all of Seattle; sister, Goldie Vice of Vancouver; and one granddaughter. Remembrances: Trinity Lutheran … 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

Steinbeck, J. D. – Obituary

Formerly of La Grande 1915-2009 J.D. Steinbeck, 93, of Seneca and formerly of La Grande, died Jan. 31 at Country Spice Assisted Living Center in John Day. Graveside services will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the Hermiston Cemetery. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. J.D. was born May 19, 1915, to Frank and Clara (Hadley) Steinbeck in La Grande. He graduated from La Grande High School and later from Boeing Aircraft School in California. He served in the U.S. Army as a diesel mechanic instructor based in Seattle. He then returned to La Grande to work … Read more

Flint, Jacob P. “Jake”

Jacob P. “Jake” Flint, 22, of Dade City, Fla., and a former Baker City resident, died Oct. 19, 2001, in Florida. His funeral will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Grays West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Father Rob Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. There will be a reception at the Flint home, 870 Campbell St., following the services. Disposition was by cremation at Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. Mr. Flint was born Oct. 27, 1978, at Pendleton to Pat and Gloria Flint. He spent most of his life in Baker City, where he loved … Read more

Eva Adeline Todd Burgess of Pendleton OR

BURGESS, Eva Adeline Todd9, (Erastus W.8, Erastus7, Aden6, Edmund5, Christopher4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Oct. 3, 1862, in Meriden, Conn., married Aug. 30, 1884, William Curtiss, son of Daniel and Ann (London) Dickens, of Ariel, Wayne County, Penn., an adopted son of Luther and Jennie (Ford) Burgess, of Scranton, Penn., and grandson of a nephew of Charles Dickens. He removed from Scranton, Penn., to Meriden, Conn., in 1888, and to Pendleton, Ore., in 1890; he was born Jan. 19, 1862. Children: I. William Erastus, b. June 3, 1885, d. June 23, 1885. II. Ethel Lillian, b. July 14, 1886, d. … Read more

See, Benjamin Franklin – Obituary

Benjamin Franklin See Jr. husband of Nancy Ann Hammack See Hermiston Herald – February 21, 1935 Pioneer of Union County called to Final Rest Another pioneer of the plains was called to his final rest last week when Benjamin Franklin See passed away after 89 years of sojourn here on this earth. As a youth, he braved the long journey to the West Coast and Oregon with his parents to help build civilization in the Grande Rhonde Valley in Union County. In later years, about 1865, Mr. See freighted between Umatilla and LaGrande enduring the hardships of the trail. He … Read more

Dern, I. Delbert – Obituary

I. Delbert Dern, 74, of Lynnwood, Wash., died Friday, Feb. 14, 2003, following a brief five month battle with cancer. Private interment was held at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle, and a family celebration was held on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Lynnwood. The celebration was well attending and a fitting goodbye, with cousins from Baker City, Arlene Fulton and Delores Kissire present. Also attending were nephew and wife, Kerry and Kathy Kissire, nieces, Suzie, Cherry and hubby Dave from Forest Grove, and Flores Phelps of Tumwater, Wash. He was born December 24, 1928 in his grandparents’ home in Pendleton, and … Read more

See, Benjamin – Obituary

Pioneer of 1865 Dies Friday At Hermiston, Ore Benjamin See, about 88 years of age and a pioneer of the Grande Rhonde valley of 1865, died Friday at Hermiston, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Anna Arthur. He moved to Hermiston from La Grande about two years ago. Funeral services will be held at the Summerville Chapel Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock with burial in the family plot. Snodgrass & Zimmerman have charge of arrangements. Other children who survive Mr. See are Jeff See, of Hermiston; Frances and George See, of Tacoma, and Albert See, of la Grande. La … Read more

Turner, Bertha Belle Bowman – Obituary

Bertha Belle Turner, 85, long-time Pendleton resident, died here Friday night [December 23, 1961] after a lingering illness. The daughter of Pendleton pioneers John and Lydia Bowman, she was born Aug. 11, 1876, in Pendleton and lived here all her life. She owned an early-day millinery store in Pendleton. She is survived by a brother Frank V. Bowman, Portland; nieces Mrs. John W. Crow, Pendleton; Mrs. John O’Leary, Portland; Mrs. Albert Mosier, Pilot Rock; Mrs. Florence Windsor, Portland; nephews Oscar Bowman, Hugh Bowman, Robert Bowman and Kenneth Bowman, all Pendleton. Funeral arrangements are pending. [Interment at Olney Cemetery] Contributed by: … Read more

Conklin, Gene – Obituary

Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Gene Conklin Dies At Pendleton Gene Conklin, an attorney of Pendleton, and a native of Wallowa, passed away in Pendleton on Friday, March 19, 1971 following a short illness. He was born in Wallowa in 1919, son of Roy and Jennie Conklin, and graduated from the Wallowa High School. He attended Eastern Oregon College and the University of Oregon. He had been city attorney of Pendleton for many years and at the time of his death was city attorney for Pilot Rock. He was a past president of the Oregon Tuberculosis Association and had been a … Read more

Hook, Vivian Lee Lovell Mrs. – Obituary

Vivian Lee Lovell Hook, 77, a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 12, 2006, at her brother’s home at Milton-Freewater. The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bollman Funeral Home at Enterprise. Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Katherine Catholic Church in Enterprise. Interment will be at the Enterprise Cemetery. Vivian was born on Feb. 27, 1929, at Enterprise to Garrett Samuel Lovell and Evelyn Billerbeck Lovell. She attended Hurricane Creek School on Alder Slope and schools at Enterprise and Joseph. She married Carl Eugene Hook on Aug. 3, 1946, at Baker City. … Read more

Lippert, Elmer Eugene – Obituary

Elmer Eugene Lippert, 83, of Prairie City, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 28, 2005, at his home. His funeral was Dec. 31 at Driskill Memorial Chapel. Pastor Denny Diezel of the John Day United Methodist Church officiated. Elmer was born on July 8, 1922, at Baker City to Eugene H. and Mandy Richardson Lippert. He attended school at Granite, Ukiah, and at Ritter, where he spent most of his childhood. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1944 during World War II. He was in Berlin during the fall of Germany and also spent time in … Read more

Bowman, Lydia Margaret Brelsford – Obituary

Mrs. Lydia Bowman, aged 82, a pioneer of this county and beloved by many friends here, passed away yesterday [May 23, 1926] at 5:30 p.m. after an illness of seven months. Mrs. Bowman was born in Ohio and at the age of six years went with her parents from Ohio to Iowa, crossing the plains and coming from thence to this county, when she was 16 years of age. The Bowman family lived near Pilot Rock for a few years and came from there to Pendleton, where Mrs. Bowman had since resided. Surviving Mrs. Bowman are the following children: Mrs. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John F. Adams

JOHN F. ADAMS. – We have here the founder of the promising city of Adams, Oregon, which is located on the line of the railroad in Umatilla county. Mr. Adams was born in Franklin county, Maine, in 1835. When twenty-two years of age, he came to Douglas county, Oregon, and for five years engaged in school-teaching. Exchanging the master’s rod for the shepherd’s crook, he went extensively into the sheep business in the Umpqua valley, and in 1865 transferred his flocks to Umatilla county. Here he has lived twenty-three years. Besides the culture of sheep, he has devoted much time … Read more