Baker City, Baker County, Oregon
Julia De Groote, 91, a longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 28, 2006, at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Recitation of the rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at the cathedral.
The Rev. Robert C. Irwin of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Ontario and the Rev. Julian Cassar of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will concelebrate the Mass. Private vault inurnment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Julia was born at Empire, Mich., on July 8, 1914, to Joe and Irma De Groote, Belgium emigrants. Soliciting advice from relatives who migrated west to Baker City, they arrived here in 1921. Julia lived in Baker City nearly her entire life.
She attended St. Francis Academy, graduating in 1932. After graduation, she was employed by the Baker Packing Co. as a bookkeeper for 18 years. In 1948, Julia purchased the South Baker Grocery store from her sister, Florine Tiedemann.
For three decades, Julia operated the white with red trim wood frame store at Second Street and Dave Eccles Road. Many customers, young and old, enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the store. A wood stove generated heat from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
A chair and a few crates around the stove provided friendly conversations with mill workers, friends and neighbors. Julia was sharp with numbers and had an incredible memory for names and events.
She sliced meat, pumped gas and took in empty beer and pop bottles providing many children the chance to come behind the counter and spend their change on the countless varieties of penny candy. After the closure of the plywood mill across the street, Julia continued to stay open during the economic decline.
She provided a refuge for unemployed neighbors and friends to gather and gave extended credit for groceries they needed. Ms. De Groote retired in 1978 and had since enjoyed her peaceful life with family and close friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Marcel, and a sister Florine.
Survivors include her sister, Mary Claeys of Hillsboro; nieces, Marilee Tiedemann of Pasadena, Calif., and Marlene Thompson of Hillsboro; nephews, Bill Tiedemann of Alpharetta, Ga., Dr. Robert Claeys of West Linn, and Don and Dick Claeys of Portland; and cousins, Palma Abbott of Bend and Stella DeBell of Gresham.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Francis de Sales Cathedral or to the charity of one’s choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 3, 2006
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor