Neva Lucille Ayers, 92, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 2, 2008, at Ashley Manor.
Visitation will be until 7 o’clock tonight at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave. There will be a celebration of her life at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. Private vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Neva was born on April 8, 1916, near Scio to Robert C. and Lucy Jane Cole Pepperling. She was a graduate of Lebanon High School and Western Oregon University at Monmouth where she earned her teaching credentials.
Her teaching career took her from a one-room schoolhouse in the Willamette Valley to a first-grade classroom in Baker City.
Neva was a devoted member of the Calvary Baptist Church and contributed her musical talent as church pianist for many years. She was a 50-year member of Esther Chapter, No. 11, Order of the Eastern Star. She held many offices and was worthy matron in 1963-1964. She was also an active member of the Retired Teachers Association and was a past-president.
Neva’s favorite hobby was collecting antiques to decorate her home. Her favorite pastimes were picnicking, camping, picking huckleberries and hunting mushrooms. She especially liked to fish in the reservoirs around Baker with her husband and friends.
Her family expressed its appreciation to all of the staffs of Ashley Manor, Pathway Hospice and Gray’s West & Co. for their care and support.
Neva was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Albert; her two brothers; and a sister.
Survivors include her son, Daniel Ayers (Rebecca) of Columbus, Ohio; daughter, Julie Ayers Cox (William) of Baker City; sister, Ina Steward of Scio; four granddaughters; five great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Best Friends of Baker through Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Avenue, Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, July 8, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor