Union County OR

McKenzie, Myra June (Glenn) – Obituary

Myra J. McKenzie of Summerville died on Thursday at a local hospital at the age of 82. Mrs. McKenzie was born June 4, 1888 at Summerville, the daughter of Tolbert T. and Sarah Glenn. She attended Pleasant Grove school. On December 23, 1913 she was married to Clyde McKenzie in La Grande. Survivors include her husband Clyde and one son Glen both of Summerville; nieces, Violet Glenn Maughan, Eugene; Ena Glenn Warnock, Lostine; Mildred Standley Beedle, Reno, Nev.; Bonnie Settlemire Higinbotham, Central Point; Pauline Rinehart Hartsock and Jean Rinehart Thorson, both of California; Geneva Glenn Hamm, Portland; and Carol Glenn … Read more

Kippes, Joseph – Obituary

Miner Killed When Cable Breaks Joseph Kippes was killed in a fall of 700 feet at the Queen of the West mine near Cornucopia last Thursday afternoon at about 4 o’clock. He is survived by a widow and three small children. The body was crushed almost beyond recognition, and was recovered from the bottom of a deep canyon where it fell. Mr. Kippes was about 35 years old. Mr. Kippes had just finished his day’s work and was going home in an ore bucket on the tram. The traveling cable which pulls the car broke. The jar threw Mr. Kippes … Read more

Bruce, Mary Jo – Obituary

Palmer Junction, Oregon Mary Jo Bruce, 81, formerly of Hermiston died Tuesday at the home of her daughter in Palmer Junction. A graveside service will begin at 10 a.m. Friday Sept. 1 at the Hermiston Cemetery with a reception following at the First Christian Church on Highland Ave. Mrs. Bruce was born June 1, 1925, to Patrick Donald and Mary Josephine Stubbs Quinn in Burwell, Neb. She married Owen Lee Bruce in Grand Junction, Colo. on Jan. 25, 1944, and graduated from high school in Ouray, Colo., the same year. The couple came to Oregon in 1947 and lived in … Read more

Blakeslee, Caroline D. – Obituary

Caroline D. Blakeslee, age 90 years, 4 months and 22 days, died in La Grande Monday last, and the funeral took place from the Episcopal church, Union, Wednesday afternoon, the 30th inst. Mrs. Blakeslee was 90 years old, having been born in Lewiston, New York, September 6, 1827. She was married to Chas. L. Blakeslee, May 12, 1850, and lived in Battle Creek, Mich., until 1865, when they crossed the plains to Union, where she lived until 1910. Since that time she has loved with her daughter, Mrs. Oliver. Mr. Blakeslee passed away June 1, 1905. She is survived by … Read more

Geer, Judd – Obituary

Cove, Union County, Oregon Prominent Pioneer Resident of Cove, Passes at Hot Lake Yesterday; Funeral Sunday Judd Geer, a prominent resident of Cove for the greater portion of his life, passed on at four o’clock yesterday at Hot Lake at the termination of a long illness. His remains were forwarded to La Grande and funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon from the Snodgrass and Zimmerman funeral service parlors at one o’clock. Interment will take place in the I. O. O. F. cemetery. Mr. Geer, who was 55 years, 11 months and 6 days of age, is one of the … Read more

Benge, Mary – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Mary Benge, 92, died June 21 in La Grande. A memorial service will be held at the Heppner Masonic Cemetery at 11 a.m. Saturday. A potluck will follow at the Heppner Elks Club. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Mary was born April 9, 1915, in Coffey, Mo., to Claude and Ethel Brumfield Cartwright. She had four siblings. Raised by her grandparents, she grew up in Coffey and graduated from Coffey High School at age 16. After graduating, she met and married Dem Reninger and they had three children. They lived in Denver, where they … Read more

McLachlen, Don – Obituary

Don McLachlen Answers Call Death Comes After Brief Illness Funeral to be held from the Home Tomorrow Afternoon at 2 O’clock Donald A. McLachlen aged 37, died last midnight after an illness of less than a month brought about by hardening of arteries. The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock from the J. H. McLachlen home, 1803 Third street. His life has been despaired for several days and the end came about midnight last night. His son Archie was called from Portland, and his near relations were assembled in the home of his father, J. H. McLachlen … Read more

Douglas, Linda Colleen – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Linda Colleen Douglas, 46, of La Grande died June 14 at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital in Portland. A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. June 23 at Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth St. Burial will be at Grandview Cemetery followed by a celebration of life at the Presbyterian Friendship Center, 1204 Spring Ave. St. Mrs. Douglas was born June 9, 1960, to Colen and Irene Lucht Weaver in Porterville, Calif. She graduated from Porterville High School in 1978 and married Dale Douglas in Las Vegas, Nev., in 1979. The family moved to La Grande in … Read more

Fisher, Columbus W. – Obituary

Fisher, Columbus W. Dies At WallowaColumbus Warren Fisher of Wallowa passed away suddenly last Friday, Feb. 1. Funeral services were held in the Elgin Christian church at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon with Orion lodge No. 73 K.P. in charge. Burial was in the Elgin cemetery. Mr. Fisher was born at Summerville, Ore., on Feb. 1, 1877. He lived at Elgin for a number of years before moving to Wallowa. During his lifetime he had owned several sawmills and more recently was engaged in extensive logging operations. [Note: Columbus Fisher was the son of Union County pioneers Enos Richard Fisher and … Read more

Volknennant, Herman C. – Obituary

Herman C. Volknennant, a former resident of this city and a resident of this vicinity for the past thirty-five years, died in Portland last Saturday and the body was shipped to Baker. The funeral took place from the chapel of West and Co. Tuesday afternoon under the auspices of Baker I.O.O.F. Lodge, Rev. Samuel Gregg of the Christian church officiating. The deceased was a native of Germany and came to this section from Davenport, Iowa, when a young man and engaged in the saloon business in North Powder, where he lived until several years ago. For the past three years … Read more

Conrad, C. C. (Tod) – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon C.C. (Tod) Conrad of Wallowa died today at Wallowa Memorial Hospital in Enterprise. Funeral services will be held at Wallowa Christian church Saturday at 2:00 p.m. with graveside services at Summerville cemetery at approximately 3:30 p.m. La Grande Observer, La Grande, Union County, Oregon June 9, 1966 Page 3 Contributed By: Sue Wells

Obituary of L. Virgil Chadwick

L. Virgil Chadwick, the son of Lynn James Chadwick and Georganna Miller Chadwick, was born on Nov. 3, 1920 at Hot Lake and died on Jan. 24, 1999 at the age of 78. Virgil grew up and attended school in Cove. After graduating from high school in 1938, he went to work on his cousin’s wheat farm. He later enlisted in the Unites States Army Air Corp for World War II and flew a number of missions into Europe. After his discharge from the service he returned to Cove and went back to work on the wheat farm. He then … Read more

McComas, John – Obituary

We are sorry to learn that Mr. John McComas, the father of E. S and S. D. McComas, of this place, died after a prolonged illness on the 26th of November, Iowa City, Iowa. Grande Ronde Sentinel, La Grande, Union, OR Saturday, December 19, 1868

Halliday, Grace Bertha – Obituary

Grace Bertha Halliday, 75, of La Grande, died Sept. 25 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise. A celebration of life will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Burial will follow at the Hillcrest East Cemetery. Viewing will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Grace was born on Oct. 26, 1931, to Raymond and Anna (Gritzmacher) Viergutz in Wausau, Wis. She played semi-pro softball on an all-women’s team and loved the sport. She graduated from high school in Wausau and moved to Oregon. On Oct. 9, 1951, she … Read more

Stevens, Jeffery Max – Obituary

Union County, Oregon Obituary La Grande, Oregon Jeffery Max Stevens, 39, formerly of La Grande, died March 10 after battling cancer. There will be a private family memorial service in Canby. Arrangements are under the direction of Loveland Funeral Chapel. Jeffery was born Aug. 22, 1967, to Arthur and Shirley (Shelly) Stevens in Oregon City, where he graduated from high school. He never married and was a painter by trade. He enjoyed spending time with his children, taking trips to the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, bowling and working in his yard. Survivors include his children, Jessy Stevens of Milwaukie and … Read more

Thilenius, Carol – Obituary

Carol Thilenius, 73, of Juneau, Alaska, and formerly of La Grande, died May 6 in her sleep at home. No formal services are planned. Family may be contacted at dmthilenius@aol.com. Carol was born in 1935 in La Grande. She was a graduate of La Grande High School. According to her family, she was a teacher, professional handweaver and marine biologist of considerable skill. She taught handweaving at the University of Alaska Southeast for many years but more recently had become interested in geology, micro fossils and botany. She traveled extensively in Africa, South and Central America and Australia, collecting plants … Read more

Waelty, Godfried – Obituary

Godfried Waelty Dies Near Wallowa Pioneer of Grande Ronde Valley Passes Away At His Home Here. Died August 1st, 1913 Godfried (Gottfried) Waelty, a Pioneer of the Grande Ronde Valley, and well known throughout Union and Wallowa counties, died at his home near this city last Saturday. The deceased was born in Oberutzwiel, St. Gallen, Switzerland April 11, 1831. He came to the United States and settled in Wisconsin in 1855 and was united in marriage with Elizabeth Ochsner, June 14, 1859. The deceased removed to Oregon in 1882 and settled in Grande Ronde Valley, and after residing in that … Read more

Hulick, John – Obituary

Cove, Union County, Oregon It becomes our painful duty to announce the death of John Hulick, an esteemed and well known citizen of Cove, which occurred about 8 o’clock Monday morning at the George Jasper place in Lower Cove, 8 miles south of here. He was driving a four horse team to a granary and had driven up to the door and stopped and had thrown on the brake. Jas. Coles who was with him had gone into the granary and when the team stopped he looked out and told Mr. Hulick to drive closer. He noticed he was leaning … Read more

Wise, James – Obituary

James Wise, of 905 Division St., died Monday, Aug. 25, at Grande Ronde Hospital. He was 90. Mr. Wise was born Feb. 24, 1890 in Marion County, Ky., the son of David Parker and Debby Ritter (Benningfield) Wise. He came to this area in 1904. He was married to Hattie Jeanette Dugan Oct. 3, 1914 at Summerville. She preceded her husband in death in 1975. Mr. Wise was a heavy equipment mechanic for Grande Ronde Lumber Co., and Mt. Emily Lumber Co. Survivors include his son Harold of La Grande, grandson James Calvin Wise of La Grande, and several nieces, … Read more

Cross, Lauretta – Obituary

Lauretta Cross, of Milton-Freewater and a former resident of Wallowa County, died July 9, 2007, at Walla Walla General Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 85. Mrs. Cross was born June 19,1922, in La Grande to James Everett and Etta Rebecca Berg Rachau. The family resided on Pumpkin Ridge, outside of Elgin. They later moved to Minam, where Mrs. Cross attended school through the second grade. In 1930, the family moved to Onalaska, Wash., where she finished her schooling, graduating from the eighth grade twice. Her father didn’t believe in higher education for women. She married young and had … Read more