Virgil Elwood Stace, 81, of Prineville, a former Baker City resident, died June 19, 2006, at Bend.
His funeral was Thursday at Prineville Funeral Home. Interment was at Juniper Haven Cemetery. The Rev. Craig Smart officiated.
Virgil was born on June 1, 1925, at Wallowa to Delbert and Cora Shoemaker Stace. When Virgil was in the third grade, the family moved to Baker City, where he attended schools. He was a 1944 Baker High School graduate.
After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marines and was stationed at the Portland shipyards. He served in the South Pacific, Australia, Japan and in the Suez Canal.
After World War II, he returned to Baker City where he worked in a bakery in the early mornings and ran movies at the movie theater at night. He married Autumn Griffith on June 10, 1950, at Baker City.
The couple moved to Bend in 1951. Virgil worked for Meadowland Creamery and eventually went to work delivering groceries all over Central Oregon for more than 30 years. He retired from the Franz Bread Co. as a distributor in 1980. He moved to Prineville in 1962.
Virgil loved to fish for trout and salmon. He enjoyed dancing, camping, canning fruits and vegetables, hunting for pheasant and deer and bowling on leagues at Prineville.
He was a member of the Prineville Lions Club and held many positions, including president. He had been a member of the Redmond Buckaroo Breakfast since 1956. Virgil also was a member of the Prineville Elks Lodge and the Eagles Club.
Survivors include his wife, Autumn Stace of Prineville; his children, Summer Cardin of Redmond, Kimberly and Doug Johnson of Reno, Nev., Lance and Kathryn Stace of Redmond and Sand and Michelle Stace of Terrebone; a sister, Eilene Morfitt of Prineville; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother; and one grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lions Eye Bank.
The Prineville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, June 30, 2006
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor