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 & Co. Pioneer Chapel is in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Native of Haines
Mr. Coles was born in Haines, Oregon, October 11, 1878 and attended schools in Baker. At the age of 16 he enrolled in Business College at Portland.
His father became seriously ill and he was called home and was 18 when his father died, leaving him in charge of a large framing operation. The land included Radium Hot Springs.
Later he had a large resort hotel built at the spring and used the hot water for heating and mineral baths. Today a very popular swimming poll still uses the hot artesian water.
In 1897, he was married to Ollie Taylor. In 1972 they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Mrs. Coles passed away the following month.
Mr. Coles was a Haines rancher, dairyman, and cattle feeder and shipper until he was 85. He was the last surviving charter member of the Oregon Cattleman’s Association (Oregon Cattle and Horse Raisers Assn.) in Baker in 1913. Today the membership is 3000. In 1973 he was recognized by the Association and presented the first lifetime membership as an acknowledgement of his many years of active service.
Fist P.I. Champion
In 1910, Mr. Coles won first grand champion prize on a steer at the first year of the Pacific International Livestock Show. There were no buildings and all showing was done in the yards. This huge steer weighed 1550 pounds and sold for 2 cents a pound.
When the show began attracting carload lots of steers, Mr. Cole took grand championship prizes for eleven years in a row on his carloads of Hereford steers from Haines. There were 16 head in the show ring. In 1917 he also took first prize and grand champion in Spokane and Yakima and Lewiston as well as in Portland.
He joined the Haines Baptist Church when he was 14 and has been a lifetime member. He served as a director on the Haines School Board for 25 years. He was on the Board of Directors of the Payette Creamery Cooperative Association for ten years.
Mr. and Mrs. Coles had four children: Mrs. Norwood Apperson (Letha) of McMinnville, LaSelle Coles of Prineville, Bernal Coles of Haines, and Mrs. Lou Keller (Dollis) of Yuma. They also raised a nephew, Duane Coles of Ontario who came to live with them when he was three years old. There are 15 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, and 12 great-great grandchildren.
Source: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, January 7, 1982
Contributed by: Belva Ticknor