Gordon E.VanCleave Sr., 78, of Mount Vernon, a former longtime Baker County resident, died July 2, 2003, at Mount Vernon.
He was born on Oct. 16, 1924, at Hereford to Benjamin Franklin and Sarah Maude Williams VanCleave. They moved to the Sumpter junction when he was small and he had lived in Baker County most of his life.
He loved to hunt and fish and he loved the mountains and camping. He was a logger, rancher and truck driver. He especially loved coaching high school rodeo. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945.
He married his wife, Kathleen, on May 31, 1997.
Survivors include his wife, Kathleen VanCleave of Mount Vernon; a son, Gordon E. “Sonny” VanCleave and his wife, Bonnie, of Payette Idaho; daughters, Sandy Howland of Pendleton, and Georgia L. Wallis and her husband, Steven, of Sandpoint, Idaho; stepsons, Alfred Dunn and his wife, LaRay, of Portland and Steve Dunn and his wife, Helena, of Ketchikan, Alaska; stepdaughter, Candy Duncan and her husband, Ken, of Baker City; sisters, Velma Hall of Springfield and Virginia Hall of Nyssa; a brother, Duane VanCleave of Burns; 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and a sister.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Grant County Hospice.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, July 11, 2003
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor