A 49-year-old farmer, Orville R. Loney, 747 Bowman, was found dead Friday afternoon [March 16] in the machine shop on the Guy Kent ranch on Dry Creek. He apparently had died of a heart attack. Don Rhodes, deputy coroner, said. Loney was discovered lying in the shop by another Kent employee, Jerry Loranger at 6:05 p.m. Kent said he had last seen Loney at 3:30 p.m., “feeling fine.” Rhodes and Deputy Dan McKay investigated the death. Loney had died of natural causes, Rhodes said.
Loney was born Aug. 15, 1907 at Stateline. He was the son of William D. and Evangeline Loney, pioneer county residents.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth, and children Richard, Janet, Deanna, and David Loney, all at the home; seven brothers, Delbert and Virgil Loney, both of Walla Walla, and Herbert of Touchet, Albert of Connell, William of Moscow, Earlwyn [Elwin] of Midvale, Idaho, and Earl Loney of Des Moines, Iowa, and a sister, Mrs. Vincent (Violet) Nelson, Walla Walla.
He was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. [Interment Mountain View Cemetery]
Walla Walla Union Bulletin, March 17, 1956
Contributed by: Shelli Steedman