Baker City, Oregon
Pauline Mary Dyksterhuis, 79, a longtime resident of Baker City, died July 15, 2003, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.
A celebration of life service in honor of Pauline will be held at the Community Connection of Baker County, 2810 Cedar St., on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. Dinner and a little dancing to country tunes will follow.
Pauline was born on May 6, 1924, at Mount Vernon to Joseph and Mary Silvers. A brother and sister were born several years later. She attended a country school called the Belshaw School between Mount Vernon and John Day. She graduated from Grant Union High School in John Day in 1942.
After graduation, Pauline worked at Wayside Market as a bookkeeper, and in September 1945 married Floyd Schouten and moved to his ranch in Seneca. She lived there until Floyd’s death a couple years later. After moving back to John Day she began a 19-year career as a telephone operator at the local telephone company.
In 1949 Pauline married Eugene Roberts. They divorced 17 years later. She worked for three years for the city of John Day and several years for Dr. King as a receptionist.
Pauline later married Eugene Dyksterhuis; his job as a soil conservationist transferred them to Baker City in 1971. She went to work for Ellingson Lumber where she worked until her retirement in 1978. Her husband, Gene, died in 1981.
Pauline loved Baker County and enjoyed all it had to offer. She made many friends and spent years as a volunteer at the Oregon Trail Regional Museum, Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, the Senior Center and at St. Elizabeth Health Services where she also acted as treasurer for the hospital auxiliary. She was the president of Business and Professional Women for a couple of years in the late 70s and was an active member for many years.
Pauline loved the outdoors and liked to camp and fish. She loved children and liked to spend time with her great-nieces and great-nephew. She thrived on studying and traveling local areas with special friends and family. She also traveled to Portugal and the Azores Islands several years ago. Her parents immigrated to Grant County from the Azores.
She is survived by her sister, Ernestine Hill of John Day; brother Anthony Silvers of Baker City; nieces, Colleen Hill Hogan of Portland and Celeste Hill-Thomas of the Dalles; a nephew, Mike Hill from Baker City; two great-nieces and one great-nephew.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon State University Foundation, St. Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary or Community Connection of Baker County in care of Gray’s Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, July 23, 2003
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor