Doris Letha Courtney, 78, of Burns and formerly of Union and Wallowa counties died March 28. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday April 1 at LaFollette Chapel, 332 W. Monroe St., Burns. Burial in the Burns Cemetery will be private.
Mrs. Courtney was born Sept. 5, 1927, to John and Marjorie Miller in La Grande. She grew up in Cove on a dairy farm, and was a princess at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show and the Elgin Stampede. She graduated from Cove High School in 1944, and attended Eastern Oregon College of Education before moving to Portland to work for the Oregonian newspaper.
On April 11, 1948, she married Harold “Jim” Courtney in Union County. They lived in Joseph and Enterprise where he was a teacher before moving to Burns where he was the ESD superintendent until his retirement in 1988.
She was a charter member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and enjoyed golf, bridge, crossword puzzles, card games and dancing.
Survivors include her husband; a brother and sister-in-law, Edmond and JeanAnn Miller of Beaverton; children and their spouses, Dan and Janyce Courtney of Pendleton, Dave and Nancy Courtney of Burns, and Steve and Diane Courtney of Burney, Calif.; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and other relatives.
Memorials may be made to Harney County Hospice or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of Oregon in care of LaFollette Chapel, P.O. Box 488, Burns 97720.
The La Grande Observer – Obituaries for the week ending April 1, 2006 – Published: April 3, 2006
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Doris Letha Miller Courtney died March 24, 2006, in Burns of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 78.
Mrs. Courtney was born in La Grande on Sept. 5, 1927, to John and Marjorie Miller. Raised in Cove on her parents’ dairy farm, she was the youngest of three children with brothers Edmond and Alvin. While growing up in Union County, she was selected as a Union Stock Show Princess and an Elgin Stampede Princess. After graduating from Cove High School in 1944, she attended Eastern Oregon College of Education prior to moving to Portland to work for the Oregonian newspaper.
After returning to Union County, she married Harold “Jim” Courtney on April 11, 1948. After Mr. Courtney finished college, the couple moved to Joseph in 1952 where he started as a teacher and she worked in banking as well as raising her family. She was a charter member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority as well as a member of the Legion Auxiliary. In 1960, the family moved to Enterprise when Mr. Courtney became school superintendent there.
In 1976, the family moved to Burns where Jim served as the Burns School District superintendent until his retirement in 1988. The difficult experience of leaving her friends in Wallowa County was eased as she became active in Harney County. She made many new friends while participating in the golf and bridge clubs, the Legion Auxiliary and the Beta Sigma Phi sorority as an “at large” member.
She was an avid crossword puzzler and loved to play cards. She enjoyed dancing and would often grab one of her sons for a partner. Many evenings were spent dancing in the front room while her brother Al played the piano.
Mrs. Courtney is survived by her husband Jim; brother Edmond and his wife JeanAnn of Beaverton; her sons and their wives: Dan and Janyce Courtney of Pendleton, Dave and Nancy Courtney of Burns, and Steve and Diane Courtney of Burney, Calif.; grandchildren Karny Hart, Jamie and husband Mitch Siegner, Chad and wife Katie Courtney; Kristen and Travis Courtney; Ryan, Linsey, and Mackenzie Courtney; great-grandchildren Andrew Sexton, Justin Hart and Kelsie Siegner; niece Jodi Leonard and family of Eugene and nephews Jeff Miller and family and Mark Miller of Portland.
Services have been held.
Contributions can be made to Harney County Hospice or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of Oregon through LaFollete’s Chapel at P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR, 97720.
Wallowa County Chieftain, April 6, 2006
