Baker County, Oregon
Carolyn Sue Wilson, 53, a longtime Baker City resident, died Nov. 6, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services from complications associated with pneumonia.
Her funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Grays West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Father Rob Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Visitations will be Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Grays West & Co.
Mrs. Wilson was born Sept. 17, 1948, at Baker City to Harold J. “Buck” Calder and Opal E. Chrisman. She was the eldest of three children.
She attended school in Baker City until an injury to her back forced her to quit in the eighth grade.
She met her future husband, Leland G. “Lee” Wilson, shortly after she left school. They were married shortly after her 18th birthday, on Sept. 23, 1966.
Since she had a back injury the couple decided to adopt, but after a few years she decided it was real nice spoiling her nieces and nephews and then being able to send them home.
Mrs. Wilson loved to go dancing when she was able to. She had a great love of the outdoors, picknicking, mushroom hunting, camping, fishing, hunting or just cutting wood. In later years she loved to work with flowers, making wreaths and all kinds of flower arrangements.
She worked at many different jobs when she was able to. She was a maid at a motel, drove a water truck in the woods, put load tickets on log loads, cleaned house for other people, drove a taxi in Baker City, and delivered flowers as a matron for the Baker County Sheriff’s Office until her health forced her to quit.
Mrs. Wilson is survived by her husband of 35 years, Lee; a brother, Ron N. Calder of Baker City, a brother and sister-in-law, Edward L. and Cynda Calder of Baker City; a sister-in-law, Verna Calder of El Sobrante, Calif.; four nieces and four nephews; three aunts, Dorothy Simons of Milton-Freewater, LaVelle Calder of Baker City, and Zula Pellow of Enid, Okla.; four uncles, Dee Chrisman and Sam Chrisman, both of Enid, Bill Chrisman of Lawrence, Kan., and L.D. Chrisman of Nowata, Okla; and many, many cousins. She also leaves her four very special pets: two poodles, Jacque and Murphy, and two cats, Stripes and Fluffy.
Mrs. Wilson was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Tom Calder.
She will be deeply missed by her many special friends she made through the years.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society in care of Grays West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: The Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, November 16, 2001
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
