Haines, Oregon
Bill Trindle, 94, of Haines died Jan. 9, 2007, at this home.
His memorial service and celebration will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Haines United Methodist Church. There will be a storytelling lunch afterward.
Bill lived a rich life, full of many memories of the times he had seen, the family he so dearly admired and the opinions to which he adhered. He was born at Salem in 1912 to Alice and William, both college-educated and quite involved with local politics and development.
He loved flying and received his pilot’s license at the age of 16. He entered the ROTC and completed his bachelor of science degrees in mining and engineering from the University of Washington at Seattle.
After graduation he worked for the Bureau of Reclamation and helped design the canal system from the Owyhee Dam that feeds the Treasure Valley. In 1941 he moved to Jordan Valley to manage a ranch his father owned, and quickly became enamored and embraced by the Basque community.
Also in 1941, he married Dorothy Winegar of Salem. They were married in Washington, D.C., where Dotty worked as the secretary to Sen. Charles McNary and Bill was being deployed as a pilot into the U.S. Navy.
Bill flew transport and trained pilots during World War II. He continued to serve in the Navy Reserves until 1960. The couple moved to Eastern Oregon in 1954 with their four older boys. They started ranching first in the North Powder area and later on the Ebell Ranch at Pocahontas.
Bill enjoyed fly fishing, skiing, telling stories, and most of all, he enjoyed and was proud of his family.
Survivors include his six children and their partners, Bill and Sarah of Panama, Mike and Ann of Baker City, Ed and Melanie of Haines, Tom and Meredith of Elko, Nev., Alice and Susan of Haines, and Pat and Joan of Fort Benton, Mont.; his sister, Helen Ritzer of Nevada; 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dotty; his grandchild, Corey; and his sister, Eleanor.
Contributions may be made to the Haines United Methodist Church Memorial Garden Fund in memory of Bill and Dotty Trindle through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, January 15, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor