Obituary

Levanger, John Laurance – Obituary

John Laurance Levanger, 41, died July 2, 2008. The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church at Vale. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Burial will be at the Ironside Cemetery in Ironside. John was born on Sept. 28, 1967, at Ontario to Jerry and Nancy Levanger. He was raised at Vale, Brogan and Juntura. John was a 1985 Vale Union High School graduate and continued to live in the Vale area. He was an avid hunter and fisherman – some of John’s greatest friendships began with … Read more

Anderson, Eric – Obituary

Eric Anderson, 77, died of cancer at his home near Sparta on July 3, 2008. Eric was born Dec. 1, 1930, at Holland, Mich., to Carter Henry Anderson and Mildred Melodie Bunnell. He grew up mostly at Mauston, Wis., moving to Mount Vernon, Iowa, where he graduated from high school. He maintained close friendships from his high school days all his life. He joined the U.S. Marines during the Korean conflict, later attending the University of Iowa at Ames. He later worked for Boeing Co., where he met his wife, Barbara K. Webb. While with Boeing Co., they worked at … Read more

Huff, Jimmy Newton – Obituary

Jimmy Newton Huff, 79, died June 12, 2008, at his home. A celebration of his life will be scheduled later. Jimmy was born on Oct. 2, 1928, at Baker City to Clarence C. and Minnie Z. Wilson Huff. He was raised and educated in Pine Valley, graduating from Pine Valley High School at Halfway. Jimmy was the youngest of nine surviving children born to Clarence and Minnie. There were seven boys and two girls. He went by the name of Jimmy to prevent confusion and misdirected mail due to others named Jim Huff. He married Bethel Goodwin on Christmas Eve … Read more

Sass, Herman B. – Obituary

Herman B. Sass, 95, died July 2, 2008, at his home at Settler’s Park Assisted Living. His graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Herman Bernhardt was born on Aug. 7, 1912, at Baker City to Peter and Katherine Nave Sass. He was raised in Eagle Valley and graduated from Eagle Valley High School at Richland. Herman married Alice Cundiff on July 3, 1948. They made their home in Eagle Valley, started farming the Cundiff Ranch and operated a dairy. According to Herman’s family, when once asked why he never took a … Read more

Nelson, Dora B. Moseley Mrs. – Obituary

Dora B. Nelson, 77, died June 26, 2008, at her home in Blythe, Calif., of natural causes. Her memorial was June 30 at Zion Lutheran Church in Blythe, Calif. Dora was born on Sept. 1, 1931, at Halfway, Oregon to RD and Nancy Moseley. Survivors include her husband, Don Nelson; two sons, Kevin and Steve, also of Blythe; one daughter, Lori Pawley of Chicago; four grandchildren, Destiny, Stevi, Samantha Merrell and Jack Pawley; brother, Fred W. Moseley of Las Vegas, Nev.; and sister, Vi Siler of Salem. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Joe, Dave, and Benette; … Read more

Ayers, Neva Lucille Pepperling Mrs. – Obituary

Neva Lucille Ayers, 92, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 2, 2008, at Ashley Manor. Visitation will be until 7 o’clock tonight at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave. There will be a celebration of her life at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. Private vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Neva was born on April 8, 1916, near Scio to Robert C. and Lucy Jane Cole Pepperling. She was a graduate of Lebanon High School and Western Oregon University at Monmouth where she earned her teaching credentials. Her teaching career took … Read more

Feldman, Sbrina Lynn – Obituary

Sabrina Lynn Feldman, 31, who filmed the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally in Baker County two years in a row, died July 5, 2008, at Portland from heart failure. Sabrina was born on March 30, 1977, at Portland. She had heart problems from birth that led to her receiving a heart transplant in 1997 at Oregon Health & Sciences University at the age of 20. Sabrina possessed an excellent sense of humor, which she used to liven up the ward where she was hospitalized while waiting for her transplant. Her family members said the current rules regarding the use of water … Read more

Tallman, Irene Esther Capelli Mrs. – Obituary

Irene Esther Capelli Tallman, 87, a former Baker City resident, died July 1, 2008, with her daughter at her beside at their Reno, Nev., home. The rosary will be said at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Winnemucca, Nev. Mass will be celebrated at 10:20 a.m. There will be a graveside service at the Winnemucca Cemetery with a reception-luncheon afterward by St. Paul’s Altar Society in St. Paul Parish Hall. A longtime resident of Humboldt County, Nev., Mrs. Tallman was born on June 18, 1921, at Cavagnago, Switzerland. Her father, Mattei Capelli immigrated to Quincy, Calif., in … Read more

Kasper, LaVonne B. Hayhurst Beard Mrs. – Obituary

LaVonne B. Kasper, 51, of Baker City, died July 2, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Bishop Allen Bingham will officiate. Interment will be at the Haines Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at the LDS Church. LaVonne was born on July 6, 1956, at Lone Pine, Calif., to Ernest Murphy and Clara Mai Rook Hayhurst. She graduated from Carlsbad High School and attended Brigham Young University at Provo, Utah. She was a wonderful homemaker and mother and she … Read more

Johnson, Juanita Zudora Shippy Mrs. – Obituary

Juanita Zudora Shippy Johnson, 81, died June 27, 2008, at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise with family at her bedside. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. She was born on March 28, 1927, at Aline, Okla., to William W. and Artie E. Elliott Shippy. Juanita attended schools in the Aline area and was a 1946 Aline High School graduate. Not long after she graduated, she married Lawrence Homer Johnson, who was an airman in the U.S. Air Force stationed at a nearby Air Force base. The couple … Read more

Perkins, Ronald D. – Obituary

Ronald D. Perkins, 62, of Haines died June 30, 2008, at his home. His graveside memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Haines Cemetery. Mike Trindle will officiate, accompanied by Pastor Jack Hatfield. There will be a reception afterward at the First Baptist Church in Haines. Ron was born on July 3, 1945, at Baker City to Dwight L. and Viola Green Perkins. His parents were the inspirations in his life. He attended Muddy Creek School during his grade school years and was a 1963 North Powder High School graduate. He enjoyed playing football in high school. … Read more

Fales, Alta Faye Wunder Mrs. – Obituary

Alta Faye Wunder Fales, 71, of Payette, Idaho, died June 28, 2008, at Holy Rosary Medical Center in Ontario surrounded by her family. There will be a celebration of her life at 1 p.m., Saturday at the Payette Christian Church. The Rev. Ralph Pearson will officiate. Cremation and services are under the direction of Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette. Alta was born on Aug. 6, 1936, in Baker City to Clive and Nina Payton Wunder. She lived at various mining towns in Baker County until she was 6 and her family moved to Baker City, where she grew up and met … Read more

Shurtz, Aletta Fae Dunn Mrs. – Obituary

Aletta Fae Dunn Shurtz, 84, of Albany, a former Baker County resident, died June 10, 2008, at Albany. A memorial service will be scheduled later at Baker City. Fae was born on Sept. 1, 1923, at Haines to Roy and Clara Walling Dunn. She spent her early childhood at Sparta and attended Baker schools. During World War II she worked at the Kaiser Shipyard at Vancouver, Wash. She also worked as a waitress, a bartender and as a beautician and instructor. She married Ab Shurtz and they lived for several years at Yuma, Ariz. After Ab died she moved to … Read more

Jones, Marnie Jo McConnell Mrs. – Obituary

Marnie Jo Jones, 59, of Baker City, died June 28, 2008, at her home. She died just one day after her birthday. Beloved mother, wife and friend, she had suffered cancer for the past year, her family said. Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Bishop Ernie Collard of the 1st Ward will officiate. At Marnie’s request, her body will be cremated and her ashes will remain in the family home. Marnie was born on June 27, 1949, at John Day and had lived in Eastern … Read more

Ransom, Paul E. – Obituary

Former Milton-Freewater resident, Paul E. Ransom, 83, died Aug. 8, 2008, at Rose Cottage, an adult care facility, in Kennewick, Wash. The memorial service will be 2 p.m., Friday, Aug.15, 2008, at Mountain View-Colonial DeWitt, 1551 Dalles Military Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Pastor Roger Holden will officiate. A reception will follow at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the New Bridge Church of the Nazarene in New Bridge, Oregon or Tri Cities Hospice through the funeral home. Mr. Ransom was born Sept. 30, 1924, in Walla Walla, to Ernest and Lou Hahn Ransom. He attended elementary … Read more

Benintendi, Kathryn “Katie” Paulson Mrs. – Obituary

Kathryn “Katie” Benintendi, 84, died Aug. 10, 2008, at her home in Baker City surrounded by her family. Her memorial graveside service will be held today, Thursday, Aug. 14, at Mount Hope Cemetery. Sister Kay Marie Duncan of Pathway Hospice will officiate. Kathryn was born to Rebecca and John Paulson in Ontario, Ore., on April 14, 1924. She was one of nine children and attended schools in Ontario. She met Cecil Benintendi at church and married him on June 28, 1941, at the age of 17. They moved to Baker City in 1952. She held a variety of jobs throughout … Read more

Sears, Roger Leigh – Obituary

Roger Leigh Sears, 79 of Boise, Idaho, and a former Baker City resident died July 13, 2008, at the Veterans Hospital in Boise. Memorial services were held July 23, 2008, at the Idaho Veterans Home in Boise. Burial was at Idaho Veterans Cemetery in Boise. Mr. Sears graduated from Baker High School in 1946 and enlisted in the Navy in 1947. He worked and lived mostly in the Treasure Valley until moving into the Idaho Veterans Home in 1999. Mr. Sears is survived by his son Leo, Seattle, Wash., and his daughter Erleen, Portland, Ore. He was preceded in death … Read more

McCabe, Jessie Hightower Luster Mrs. – Obituary

Jessie Luster-McCabe, 89, died July 26, 2008. There will be a private family celebration of her life on Aug. 9. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Casey Eye Institute in Portland through Burns Mortuary of Pendleton, P.O. Box 489, Pendleton, OR 97801. Jessie was born on Sept. 17, 1918, to Elmer and Hill Hightower at Prague, Okla. She married Gilbert Luster in 1937 while he was stationed at Fort Sill, Okla. Jessie and Gilbert raised seven children, living in Cascade and Boise, Idaho. They moved to Baker City where Gilbert operated a logging truck operation … Read more

Adams, Steven D. “Steve Dr. – Obituary

Dr. Steven (Steve) D. Adams of Baker City, Ore., passed away Aug. 3, 2008, after an extended battle with cancer. He was born Jan. 5, 1951, in Eugene to Al and Ruth Adams. He graduated from Pleasant Hill High School in 1969 and attended Eastern Oregon College and Oregon State University where he received his degree in microbiology in 1974. This was followed by attending the School of Dentistry at Oregon Health Sciences Center in Portland where he earned his DMD degree in 1978. Following graduation he established the Adams Family Dental Clinic in Baker City, which he operated for … Read more

Wright, Calvin Ray “Cal” – Obituary

Calvin Ray “Cal” Wright, 52, of Hamilton, Mont., a former longtime Baker City resident, died Aug. 24, 2008, as the result of an accident. There will be a memorial barbecue Sunday in his honor at Hamilton, Mont. He was born March 10, 1965, at Waynoka, Okla., to Coral Belle Boren. When he was 2, Cal moved with his mother to Idaho. There she met and married Robert Boren who Cal respected and loved as his father. Cal grew up on a ranch at Emmett, Idaho, along with his eight brothers and two sisters. On Jan. 8, 1976, he married the … Read more