Bethel Illean Goodwin Huff, 80, passed away at home in Halfway, Ore., Sept. 29, 2007.
Bethel was born on Sept. 13, 1927, in Baker, Ore., to A. Niles ‘Shorty’ Goodwin Sr. and Emma Marie Sanders Goodwin.
Bethel married her high school sweetheart Jimmy Huff on Christmas Eve, 1947 in Baker, Ore., and would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Christmas this year.
She was raised and attended grade school in Cornucopia and Jimtown, graduating from Pine Valley Union High School in Halfway in 1946. She and one brother and three sisters later moved to the Ranch above Jimtown, then to the Endrupp sawmill, (later the Goodwin Sawmill) located on Goodwin Sawmill Rd. at Jimtown. She was the first of the girls to drive the 29 Chev wood truck delivering wood locally.
Bethel worked at a number of places up and down Main Street through the years. She was a telephone operator for what is now Pine Telephone, spent many years as a bookkeeper at the Pine Merc and retired from U.S. Bank as a Teller. Bethel was a special person, her attitude was always, “Get it done, now,” and she did.
Bethel was a person with unlimited energy; every day of her life she worked from can to can’t (can see to can’t see), arising early to have her housework completed before going to work. Her reason for being, was to care for her husband Jimmy, her sons Lyle and Gordon, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and her home.
She loved huckleberry, mushroom and late fall fishing seasons. She never came home empty handed and rarely revealed her mushroom hunting locations. She enjoyed the mountains, camping and fishing with her family. Bethel enjoyed most, decorating her yard to fit the seasons and holidays, lights and all.
Bethel is survived by her husband, Jimmy of Halfway; sons, Lyle and his wife, Lauran of Haines, Alaska, Gordon Huff of Cambridge; three grandchildren; three great great grandchildren plus one on the way; sisters, Ada Marie Litts of Longview, Wash., Grace Gulick of Halfway, Ore., and Gerrilyn Sneedon of Reedsport, Ore.; numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents Emma and A. Niles ‘Shorty’ Goodwin; brother, A. Niles ‘Sonny’ Goodwin Jr. who was killed in action, February of 1945 in Germany during World War II; grandson, Rory Huff in 2005.
There will not be a formal service, but family and friends will gather for a dinner to be held in the Spring of 2008. Those who would like to make a memorial contribution in memory of Bethel may do so to the charity of your choice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home P.O. Box 543 Halfway, OR 97834.
Used with permission from: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, October 4, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor