La Grande, Oregon
Lloyd Alvin Waid, 93, died on July 30 at a care center in La Grande.
A graveside service was conducted for the family at Stanfield Cemetery this morning. A celebration of life will take place at the Ukiah Senior Center for all of Lloyd’s friends and family. Time and date will be announced later.
Lloyd was born Feb. 27, 1914, to Eda Frederickson and Claude J. Waid in Stanfield. The family moved to Sand Hollow on a homestead and raised wheat. Because Lloyd’s mother died in 1924 when Lloyd was 10 years old, he was raised by his aunt and uncle, Neil and Lulu White at Hideaway Springs. Lloyd graduated from Ukiah High School, married his high school sweetheart and started working for the US Forest Service on Desolation Creek Lookout.
He had no ambition to attend college until, one day, he noticed an ad in a Montgomery Ward catalog that offered “free college.” It was a commission plan in which he got 25 percent of each order that he could get from prospective customers. He was the first person in his family to attend college and got a degree in forestry at Oregon State College in 1940 and began a 35-year career in the Forest Service.
Lloyd entered the naval air service, performing most of his duties in the South Pacific. Eventually commissioned as a lieutenant, though he “didn’t know port from starboard,” he decided to leave the Navy in 1949 and go back to forestry.
He married his wife Norma, in 1950 and they both worked for the Forest Service for many years.
In 1972, he retired from the Forest Service, whereupon he led a petition effort to incorporate the town of Ukiah. Part of the requirement for this was to install an approved sewer system and a town water supply. With that accomplished, he became mayor of Ukiah for the next 15 years.
Lloyd and Norma moved to Hermiston, Pendleton and finally to La Grande where they lived at the Grande Ronde Retirement Center until Norma died in 2001.
Lloyd loved to golf. In fact, he golfed just one month ago. He was such an avid hunter that it was a challenge for Norma to think of new ways to prepare venison. He was also a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lloyd is survived by his daughter, Karla Lewis and husband Ernest; granddaughter Melissa and husband Bill Wendell; brothers Ken Waid of Umatilla and Fred Waid of Bangkok, Thailand; cousin Vivian White who was almost like a brother; and many other cousins, nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Presbyterian Church in La Grande or the Ukiah Senior Center in Ukiah. Loveland Funeral Chapel at 1508 Fourth St., La Grande, 97850, is in charge of arrangements.
La Grande Observer, Obituaries For The Week Ending August 4, 2007 – Published August 4, 2007
Submitted by: Dixie Ricker