Obituary

Wilbur, Ila Pearl Heller Housden Mrs. – Obituary

Ila Wilbur, 86, died Jan. 18, 2008. There will be a family celebration and gathering in her memory during the summer. Ila Pearl was born on Feb. 21, 1922, at Bridgeport, Wash., to Charles Burton Heller and Bertha Ham Heller. She excelled in her schoolwork and graduated as valedictorian from Brewster High School in 1939. After graduation, she married Gene Housden of Brewster. They had four children before moving to Hermiston in the early 1950s. Later she married Raymond Wilbur and had two more children while living in Montana and California. Ila enjoyed being outdoors, flowers, playing games and being … Read more

Carlson, Marjorie Catherine Emele Mrs. – Obituary

Marjorie Catherine Carlson, 89, a lifelong Baker City resident, died Jan. 13, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. There will be a celebration of her life at 1 p.m. Friday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. The Rev. Aletha Bonebrake of St. Stephens Episcopal Church will officiate. Visitations will be from noon to 5 p.m. today at Gray’s West & Co. Marjorie Catherine Emele was born on Dec. 2, 1918, at Baker City to Harry and Edith Brown Emele. She was raised at Baker City and graduated from … Read more

Ciesiel, Marihelen Williamson Mrs. – Obituary

Marihelen Ciesiel, 73, a longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 13, 2008, at The Cottages in Weiser, Idaho. Marihelen’s vigil/wake was Wednesday night at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated today at the cathedral. Internment was at Mount Hope Cemetery. Marihelen was born on April 26, 1934, at Nocona, Texas, to Freda Wilton and Emmett Williamson. She was raised in Los Alamos, N.M., before it was an official town. She graduated from Los Alamos High School and went on to college at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, where she met Robert F. Ciesiel. … Read more

Kinsey, LeeRoy – Obituary

LeeRoy Kinsey, 73, of Grants Pass, a former longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 11, 2008, at his home. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m., Friday at Calvary Church on Midway Avenue in Grants Pass. Private interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements. He was born on March 10, 1934, at Yakima, Wash., to Ted and Neta Kinsey and was raised at Halfway. He proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and in the reserves while living in Baker City. On Dec. 24, 1959, he … Read more

Richmond, James Norris – Obituary

James Norris Richmond, 72, of Sumpter, died Jan. 12, 2008, after a long battle with cancer. At his request, his body was cremated and a memorial service will announced later. Mr. Richmond was born on Oct. 27, 1935, at Detroit, Mich., although his roots were in Tennessee. He was a son of Russell S. and Rubby Lee Essary Richmond. After serving in the U.S. Army and being stationed in Germany where he learned the language, he went on to be successful at the endeavors he chose. He had a body shop, built a log home and sailed down the West … Read more

Scrivner, Virgel Ray – Obituary

Virgel Ray Scrivner, 78, of Ontario, a former longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 10, 2008, at his home after a long illness. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Visitations will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Gray’s West & Co. Virgel was born on Dec. 30, 1929, at Austin to Vollie and Maude Scrivner. He was the youngest of four children. Virgel attended Baker schools and was a 1948 Baker High School graduate. He married Betty Wolfe in 1949 and together they had three … Read more

Molchan, Gregory John – Obituary

Gregory John Molchan, 37, of Baker City, died Jan. 9, 2008, at Corona, Calif., of natural causes. Inurnment of his ashes will be Jan. 18 at Riverside, Calif. He was born on Dec. 28, 1970, at Los Angeles. His parents are George and Barbara Molchan of Corona, Calif. He had been a Baker City resident for 4 years and was known as a kind and helpful man, his family said. He was a member of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. Survivors include his wife, Amy Aleo of Baker City; five children, Candice Molchan, 14, Elizabeth Molchan, 8, Rebekah Molchan, 7, … Read more

Hartman, Eleanor Mae Geise Mrs. – Obituary

Eleanor Mae Hartman, 90, a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 9, 2008, at Bend. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Jehovah’s Witnesses Hall at Sisters. Eleanor was born on Nov. 22, 1918, at Philadelphia to John and Emma Geise. She married Henry Willis in 1934 in Nebraska. The couple had five children. She then married Howard Metzel at Salt Lake City in 1950. She had three more daughters. Eleanor and her brother, John Geise, lived at North Platte, Neb., where her father was a train engineer for Southern Pacific Railroad. She later moved … Read more

Chaney, Goldie Ann Hunt Mrs. – Obituary

Goldie Ann Chaney, 101, of Baker City, died Jan. 5, 2008, at her home. At her request, there will be no funeral. Cremation was by Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. Goldie Ann was born on Jan. 24, 1906, to Samuel and Gertie Quimby Hunt in a small cabin on Moscow Mountain at Moscow, Idaho. On the day she was born, the wind was blowing the snow into the cabin onto the bed where Goldie was born. She grew up on the mountain and attended Hunts School through the eighth grade. Her family moved from Idaho to Montana and then to California. … Read more

Davis, Vivian Clare McGrath Mrs. – Obituary

Vivian Clare McGrath Davis, 100, died Jan. 2, 2008, at her home in Spokane, Wash. Her graveside funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the North Powder Cemetery in North Powder. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home of Spokane is in charge of arrangements. Through this century,Vivian touched many lives and helped many people, her family said. Whether she was helping out on the family farm or playing music, she was always there to please. She was born on Sept. 28, 1907, at North Powder, to Walter Vincent and Leila Marquerite Gardner McGrath. She spent 72 years of her life at … Read more

Bennehoff, Wilma Alberta Gard Mrs. – Obituary

Willma Alberta Gard Bennehoff, 89, a lifetime Baker City resident, died Dec. 22, 2007. She was born in 1918 to Harriet Creathbaum Gard and Bert Gard and spent her childhood years on the Auburn Beaver Creek Ranch. Willma was a 1936 Baker High School graduate. After high school, she attended business school in Portland for two years only to return to Baker County and continue the ranching life she so loved. She married Duane E. Bennehoff in 1956. They lived and worked on the Auburn Beaver Creek ranch before moving to town in 1967. Willma was a home-care provider and … Read more

McGregor, Sadie Darlene Tripp Mrs. – Obituary

Sadie Darlene McGregor, 86, of Livermore, Calif., a former Baker City resident, died Nov. 18, 2007. Her memorial service was Dec. 15 in the regional meeting room of the Dublin Civic Center at Dublin, Calif. Darlene was born on July 29, 1921, at Downey, Idaho, to Guy Ernest Tripp and Sadie Elizabeth Criddle. She lived most of her early years in Idaho and Oregon. She married Vernon McGregor in 1941. Their marriage lasted 64 years, until John died in 2005. As a couple, their first move was to Wonderland, Calif., where John worked on the construction of Shasta Dam. Shortly … Read more

Hansen, Mary Margaret McEnroe Mrs. – Obituary

Mary Margaret McEnroe Hansen, 81, of Baker City, died Dec. 29, 2007, at her home. The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at the cathedral. Inurnment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mary Margaret was born on June 10, 1926, at Baker City to Joseph P. and Sarah Jean Bartshe McEnroe. She had two siblings, Joene and Joe. She attended St. Francis Academy through elementary school and was a 1944 Baker High School graduate. She attended nursing school … Read more

Campbell Jr., Harry Lee – Obituary

Harry Lee Campbell Jr., 83, died Dec. 27, 2007, at Meadowbrook Place. His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Bishop Ernie Collard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will officiate. Mr. Campbell was born on Feb. 4, 1924, at Baker County to Harry Lee Sr. and Pearl Alma Watt Campbell. Harry served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He worked many years for the Great Northern Railroad. Later in life, he enjoyed working on numerous ranches with the love of his life, his wife, … Read more

Hesus, Carol Andrea – Obituary

Carol Andrea Hesus, 50, of Eugene and formerly of Baker County died July 31 at 3:30 a.m. after a four-month battle with throat cancer. A celebration of life will begin at 12:15 p.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Eugene. A family gathering will be held in Halfway next summer. Andrea was born in Baker in 1957. She attended schools in Baker and graduated from Pine Eagle High School in Halfway. She met Frederick Hesus while attending Eastern Oregon State College. They married in 1978 and moved to Halfway to live near Andrea’s family. In 1985, Andrea and Fred … Read more

Tibbs, Eugene “Curt” – Obituary

Eugene “Curt” Tibbs, 71, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 3, 2008, at Belmont Terrace in Bremerton, Wash., after a courageous battle with cancer. At his request, there will be no service. He was born on Jan. 12, 1937, to James and Lilah Tibbs at Baker City. The family lived at Sumpter at the time of his birth. He attended various schools in Baker Valley. Curt worked in logging and as a millwright and welder in Oregon and Washington. He retired from Centralia Mining Co. in 1999 and moved to the Bremerton area to live near his daughter and … Read more

Spivey, Glenn Duane – Obituary

Glenn Duane Spivey, 73, of Prineville, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 8, 2008. His graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Juniper Haven Cemetery. Dr. Barry Gridley will officiate. Glenn was born in Baker City, on June 18, 1934, to Luther A. and Ora Lee Ellis Spivey. He attended Baker High School and was a member of the first graduating class at the new high school in 1952. Glenn enlisted and served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959. He married Connie Nelson at Spray on June 30, 1962. Glenn worked for the Kinzua Corp. … Read more

Hendriksen, Beverly Y. Haskin Mrs. – Obituary

Beverly Y. Hendriksen, 78, of Boise, a former Baker County resident, died Jan. 31, 2008, at her home after a courageous fight with a recent illness. Her funeral was Feb. 7 at Cloverdale Funeral Home. Burial was at Cloverdale Cemetery. There was a gathering afterward for family and friends. Beverly was born on Jan. 9, 1930, at Haines to Robert and Aletha Haskin. She spent most of her childhood in the Haines area. She met and then was happily married to George Hendriksen of Baker City for almost 60 years. They moved to Boise in 1959 where they spent the … Read more

Pifher, Ava A. Baldock Mrs. – Obituary

Ava A. Pifher, 95, of Baker City, died Feb. 18, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. She was the last of the Baldock family, namesakes of the Baldock Slough near Baker City. Her funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Visitations will be from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, at Gray’s West & Co. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception at the St. Francis Parish Hall, First and Church streets, after the service. Ava was born on Aug. 5, 1912, at Baker City to Earl and … Read more

Bacon, Lesa Kathreena Mrs. – Obituary

Lesa Kathreena Bacon, 84, of Baker City and a former longtime Sumpter resident, died Feb. 6, 2008, at Meadowbrook Place. Her cremated remains will be inurned at the Sumpter Cemetery this spring. Lesa was born in Germany and moved to the United States with her aunt in 1923 at the age of 3 months. She grew up on a farm at Peoria, Ill., until the age of 25 when she married. Lesa moved to California after her first marriage. She moved to Sumpter about 20 years ago where she bought and ran the Elkhorn Restaurant. While in Sumpter, she remarried … Read more