Ernestina “Tina” Spivey, 78, a longtime Baker City resident, died May 19, 2005, at her home surrounded by her family.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a Celebration of Life potluck afterward at the Spivey-Bjorklund home at 2840 Fourth St.
Ernestina Gomez y Quinones was born on Dec. 23, 1926, at Aquadilla, Puerto Rico, to Francisco Gomez y Blas y Providencia Quinones y Hernandez. She lived at Aquadilla until relocating to the United States in 1946 after meeting her future husband, Claude R. Spivey.
He returned to Oregon after his discharge from the service. She flew to New York where she worked and lived with her aunt while waiting for him to return. They had met while he was stationed at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico during World War II.
After their marriage on July 5, 1947, they traveled for three days and three nights by train from New York City to Baker City where they would make their home for the next 58 years until her death.
Tina loved her family deeply. She was a loving wife, mother and a great friend to many. Although Tina was of small stature, her heart was filled with unconditional love for the many lives she touched. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Survivors include her husband, Claude R. Spivey; children, Diana Lynn “Deany” Hayes and her husband, Phil, of Grand Junction, Colo., Linda May Bjorklund and her husband, Bill, of Baker City, and Evelynn “Suzi” Spivey and her friend, Gene Solem, of Gresham and Ron Spivey and his wife, Ann, of Baker City; her grandchildren, Shane and Sheri Hayes, Kirk and Stella Hayes, Jason and Nancy Hayes, Travis Mason, Rachael and David Wasley, Heather Morgan, Misty and Michael Kuhl, Shakira Hester-Close, April and Bob Felix, Jamie Bjorklund, Shiloh and Wendy Bronson, Dusty and Jen Spivey, Lyndsie Spivey and fiance, Brian Williams, and Holly Spivey; great-grandchildren, Jen, Adam, Justin, Makayla, Isaac, Lucas, Nico, Destiny, Cody, Britnay, Korina, Taylor Julia, Jane, CJ, Aidan, Ailah, Anoah, Aeris, Weston, Luke, Taylor May, Jerod, Lindsey, Shiloh II, John Eric, Carol Ann and Chad; her aunt, Carmen Varela of California; two sisters, Mercedes “Chele” and her husband, Hector De Soto of Puerto Rico and Angelica Gonzalez of New York; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Wilfredo Gomez, Luz “Lucy” Hamlin, Blanca Gomez, Francisco Gomez Jr., Rafael Gomez, and Luis Gomez.
The “Window of Reflection,” memory window is on display at 1719 Main St., next to Elkhorn Title Co.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, May 27, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor