Biography of Robert Couch Kinney

ROBERT COUCH KINNEY. – Oregon will always treasure with respect and admiration the memory of the men and women who came in the days when the Pacific Northwest was the home of savage tribes, mountain men and a few traders, to plant homes and lay the foundation of an empire on the waters of the Columbia. They dared much when they accepted the roll of pioneers to the Pacific. Some became notable for success, and developed character that gave standing to the new state; for the constitution and early legislation of Oregon showed statesmanship seldom equaled in the erection of … Read more

Humphreys, Sarah Lulu Odell – Obituary

Humphreys, Sarah L.-Age 80, November 5, 1962 of Vancouver, Wash. Born November 5, 1882 at Dayton, Ore. Lived in Vancouver since 1948. Resided at 1012 West Twenty-first St. Formerly of California and member of a pioneer family of Willamette Valley in Oregon. Son Norman Humphreys, Vancouver, Wash.; Daughter, Lois M. Humphreys, Vancouver, Wash. There are two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Brother, Albert L. Odell, Portland, Ore. Funeral services at 3 p.m., Thursday, November 8 at the Vancouver Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Edward Hastings officiating. Vault interment in Brush Prairie Cemetery. Vancouver Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. … Read more

Biography of Conrad G. Saylor

CONRAD G. SAYLOR – Among the pioneers to the Pacific Northwest, and especially to the “classic shades” of Yamhill county, Oregon, none enjoyed a greater measure of esteem than the gentleman whose name is the title to this memoir. He was born in Martinsville, Indiana, October 6, 1818, and in that state resided until he was twenty-two years of age, when he came west to Iowa. In the latter state he learned the brickmaking and brick-laying trades, which he followed in various sections, first as employe’, then as contractor and builder. Among the numerous buildings which were constructed under his … Read more

Roy, Doris Mary Scott Mrs. – Obituary

Dorris Mary Scott Roy, 88, a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 10, 2001, in Oregon City. Mrs. Roy was born on Sept. 30, 1912, at Corvallis to Frank and Malinda Scott. She was proud of her roots and the fact that she was a native Oregonian. Her paternal grandfather came West in a wagon train from Dubuque County, Iowa, and settled at Tangent in 1853. After graduating from Corvallis High School, she completed a degree in home economics from Oregon State University and earned a master’s degree in Extension Education from the University of Wisconsin. She lived in Baker … Read more

Biography of James L. Story

JAMES L. STORY. – Mr. Story, the present mayor of The Dalles, Oregon, and a lawyer of leading character, is one of the Oregon educated men of whom the state has reason to be proud. He was born in Missouri in 1845, but at the age of eight years came with his parents across the plains to Oregon. The first home was on the Willamette river among the groves of maple and magnificent cottonwood trees where is now situated the little town of Lincoln. In 1854 he removed to McMinnville, and at that place, in 1864,enlisted in the First Oregon … Read more

Lambert, John A. – Obituary

John A. Lambert was born in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 10, 1845, and died July 28, 1917, making him 72 years, 5 months and 18 days old. From Nashville he went with his parents to Illinois, and from there to Missouri.. In 1864 his parents died and he with an older brother crossed the plains, arriving in Oregon in December, 1869. He was converted and joined the Methodist Church of which he was a lifelong member. He was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ellen Coovert, March 13, 1870. Their home was on a farm four miles south of Dayton until … Read more

Schuchardt, Kenneth D. – Obituary

Kenneth D. Schuchardt, 74, of McMinnville, Ore., a former longtime Baker County resident, died Nov. 2, 2007, at the Willamette Valley Medical center in McMinnville. He had lived at Oakwood Country Place care home for almost a year before entering the hospital. Arrangements for cremation will be by Crown Memorial Center in Tualatin. At his request, there will be no funeral. Ken was born in September 1933 at Oakdale, Neb., to Raymond and Ada Schuchardt. His family moved to Oregon when he was small. He was barber at Lafayette for several years and then moved to Sumpter. He operated Ken’s … Read more

Gongliewski, Olivia Alsada Dillard Mrs. – Obituary

Olivia Alsada Gongliewski, 71, of Newberg, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 21, 2003, at her home. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Attrell’s Newberg Chapel. Chaplain Greg Sealander will officiate. Committal will be at 2:30 p.m. at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Visitations were Sunday and until 8 o’clock tonight at the Newberg funeral home. Olivia was born on Sept. 25, 1930, at Spokane, Wash., to William and Elma Moten Dillard. She grew up and attended elementary school in the Kooskia, Idaho, area before moving to Portland in 1942. She graduated from high school there … Read more

Conaway, Violet – Obituary

Joseph, Oregon Violet Effie Conaway, 88, of McMinnville, died April 15, 2004, at home. She was born Oct. 3, 1915, in Flora to Roy and Bessie Varney. Mrs. Conaway spent most of her growing up years on Upper Prairie Creek and graduated from Joseph High School. After marrying James B. Conaway in 1938, the couple moved to La Grande a few years later where she worked as a high school secretary, followed by a move to McMinnville in 1950. After a short time in Alaska, the couple lived in Vancouver, Wash., before returning to McMinnville in 1980 with two young … Read more

Coles, Edward – Obituary

Death came to Edward W. Coles, 103 year old retired Haines cattleman and one time Oregon livestock industry leader, at McMinnville, Tuesday, January 5. He passed away about three months after actively participating in his 103rd birthday anniversary party there early in October. Funeral is scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 1982, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Haines. Interment will follow in the Haines Cemetery. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers that donations may be made to the Memorial Fund of the First Baptist Church at Haines or to a charity of ones choice. Gray’s West … Read more

Biography of Solomon M. Jeffreys

In the front rank of the columns which have advanced the civilization of the northwest, Solomon M. Jeffreys has led the way to the substantial development, progress and up building of Idaho, being particularly active in the growth of Weiser, where he still makes his home. He is numbered among the pioneers of Idaho, California and Oregon, his memory going back to the time when the entire Pacific coast was but very sparsely settled, when the Indians were more numerous than the white men, and the land had not been reclaimed for purposes of cultivation, but remained in the primitive … Read more

Biography of Robert C. Mays

ROBERT C. MAYS. – The well-known and capable business man, whose name appears at the head of this article, is one of the most widely known men of Union, and Wallowa counties, and is at the present time handling a large business as warehouseman at Elgin, where he is numbered among the leading residents of that thriving city, and he has made a record in this section that is both crowned with gratifying success from a financial standpoint, and wherein he has maintained a representation that is untarnished and displayed talents that properly place him among the real leaders in … Read more

Biography of George K. Gay

GEORGE K. GAY. – Mr. Gay was among the earliest of the pioneers of Oregon, having come to our state in 1835, in a party of eight, consisting with himself, of Turner, Dr. Bailey, John Woodworth, Daniel Miller, Mr. Saunders, “Big Tom,” an Irishman, and an Indian woman, the wife of Turner. This was the company that was attacked one morning about breakfast time by Indians on the Rogue river, and who escaped only by the most desperate fighting and with the loss of two of their number, and of their forty-seven horses, the whole of their outfit, and all … Read more

Biography of Mrs. C. B. Cary

MRS. C.B. CARY. – This refined woman and intelligent lady, one of our earliest pioneers, comes of one of the old Virginia families of English or Cavalier origin; whose members, in the early days of the Old Dominion, took and held an advanced social position. She was born at Richmond in 1815, and at the age of four moved to Kentucky with her father, William Taylor. In 1831 she was married to Miles S. Cary, one of the pioneer sons of Kentucky, with his full share of southern chivalrousness and western energy. In 1835 they moved to Missouri, and were … Read more

Farnsworth, Levi Albert – Obituary

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon for Levi A. Farnsworth, 91, who lived in Riverside since 1930 with his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jessie E. Farnsworth. Ill several weeks, he died Sunday [December 14] evening in Doctors Hospital, Oregon City, where he had been taken Dec. 2. The Rev. Dayton Loomis, pastor of Canby Methodist Church of which “Grandpa” Farnsworth was a member, officiated the services in the Canby Chapel of Everhart & Kent and at the graveside in Multnomah Cemetery, Portland. Menno Seethoff was soloist, with Mrs. R. F. Morrow at the organ. Pallbearers were Henry Kuehl … Read more

Alford, Helen M. Houck Mrs. – Obituary

Helen M. Alford, 77, of Amity, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 14, 2008, at a Salem hospital. Her funeral was Monday at the Chapel of Macy & Son in McMinnville. Pastor Jim Peterson officiated. Burial will be at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. She was born on Nov. 5, 1930, at Enterprise to Eugene Albert Houck and Doris Francis Houck. She grew up in the Zumwalt area of Wallowa County. In 1949, she married Glen Emory Alfred of Joseph. During their lives together they lived at Wallowa County, Baker City and the Willamette Valley. She enjoyed family … Read more

Biography of Hon. John Bird

HON. JOHN BIRD. – This venerable pioneer of our state comes from that stock of state-makers and town-builders who have ever been at the front. He was born in 1810 in Boone county, Kentucky, and lived there with his father until the year 1827, thereafter making Illinois his home until 1847. In the latter year he joined the train of Captain Sawyer, and set forth for Oregon, starting from Missouri about the 1st of May. Upon the trip nothing was more notable than the appearance of about one hundred Pawnee Indians, who laid a blanket on the ground for the … Read more

Biography of Hon. A. R. Burbank

HON. A.R. BURBANK. – Mr. Burbank, a founder of society and business upon the Pacific coast, was born April 15, 1817, near Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the son of Major Daniel Burbank, an American officer in the war of 1812, who came with his family in an open boat down the Alleghany and Ohio rivers as early as 1814, and made a home on its northern shore near the present metropolis. The Major was from Williamstown, Massachusetts. His wife, Margeret Pinchen, was from Atica, New York. In 1818 a further move was made in the family boat down the Ohio … Read more

Adair, Wistar Morris “Wis”, Jr. – Obituary

Wistar Morris “Wis” Adair Jr., 75, of Dundee, a former Baker City resident, died June 10, 2001, at his home. His graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Pleasant View Cemetery at Sherwood with Pastor Walter Dingfield officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Attrell’s Newberg Chapel. Mr. Adair was born on Dec. 9, 1925, at Portland to Wistar M. Adair Sr. and Margaret L. Weeks Adair. He moved to Sherwood at the age of 9 and was reared on the family farm. He attended the local schools and was a 1943 Sherwood High School graduate. He … Read more

Ward, John – Obituary

Graveside funeral services for John Ward, 67, formerly of La Grande, who died Friday at a Newberg hospital, will be held Monday at 12:30 p.m. at Grandview Cemetery. Friends may call from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Daniels Valley Funeral Chapel, 1502 Seventh Street. A complete obituary will follow. La Grande Observer July 4, 1987.