System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Vera Lethlean
Vera Mae Thorne Lethlean, 76, of Baker City, died Sept. 25, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Care Center after an extended illness.
Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. A concluding service and dedication of the grave will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight at the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Vera and her twin brother were born prematurely on April 22, 1926, at Holdman to Walter J. and Evelyn "Eva" Olive Corporon Thorne. Weighing only 2 pounds, 6 ounces, she survived the first days of her life in a shoe box in the warming section of the wood-burning cook stove. She was one of seven children.
She grew up in the Hermiston-Stanfield area. At the age of 16, she moved to Muddy Creek where her family farmed and ranched. She graduated from Muddy Creek High School.
While attending Muddy Creek High School, she met classmate Dale Lethlean. On Dec. 22, 1945, the high school sweethearts exchanged wedding vows at El Paso de Robles, Calif., while Dale was on a three-day pass attending military training during World War II.
Vera and Dale had six children; J.D., Linda, Kim, Jim, Tim and Kay. Being a wife and mother was the center of her life. She was always worrying about her family who she wished to be safe and happy.
"We could always count on Mother to be there for us, " her children said. "Not being able to turn to her anymore in this life will be difficult. Her love and devotion to her family was immeasurable."
Vera's favorite seasons were spring and summer. She loved the sunshine and the longer days it brought. She enjoyed being in her yard.
Every year new batches of petunias, especially Cascade Red Petunias, would be placed in her garden where one could always find multiple birdhouses and hummingbird feeders. This last season she watched from her chair as more than 100 hummingbirds visited the feeders.
Vera and Dale purchased the In & Out Drive-In on Jan. 1, 1957. She took an active role in building the business. She enjoyed serving the customers until two years ago when her health began to fail.
Vera was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Vera and Dale and their family were sealed for all time and eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple on June 12, 1965.
Vera's generous nature was felt by those who were a part of her life. Her presence here on earth will be missed greatly not only by her family but also by many friends and loved ones.
Survivors include her husband, Dale Lethlean; sons, J.D. and his wife, Linda, Kim and his wife, Gladys, and Tim and his wife, Kelly, all of Baker City; daughters, Linda and her husband, Russ Canham, of Portland, and Kay and her husband, David Carlson, of Vale, daughter-in-law, Shannon Lethlean; grandchildren, Joe, Julie, Scott, Bill, Dustin, Michelle, Allen, Larry, Melissa, Josiah, Erica, Lauren, Noah and Japheth; great- grandchildren, Acia, Asher and Anya; sisters, Margueritte Dillow of Silverton and Ruby Halvorson of Hermiston; nephew, Howard Thorne of Portland; and numerous nieces and other nephews.
Vera was preceded in death by her son, Jim Lethlean; her parents, Walter and Eva Throne; brothers: Frank William Thorne and Daniel Lewis Thorne, and twin brother, Vernon Throne; sister, Ella Frankie Thorne; and stepmother Lula Thorne.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Carcinoid Cancer Treatment Center through the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR. 97814.
Nadine Mahoney
Lucille Nadine Mahoney, 78, a longtime Huntington resident, died Jan. 20, 2003, at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Boise.
A celebration of her life will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. The Rev. Mr. James R. Watt of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Private interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mrs. Mahoney was born Oct. 14, 1924, at West Plains, Mo., to Archie and Flora White Stephens. She was an only child.
She married John Edward "Ed" Mahoney on July 7, 1939, at West Plains, Mo. In 1941, they moved to Nyssa and then to Huntington in 1950. In 1955, the family moved to Baker City, where some of the children finished high school. Their final move back to Huntington occurred in 1965.
She was a strong, kind and independent women who was loved and will be missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
Survivors include her children and their spouses, John P. and Helen Mahoney of Spring Hill, Fla., Robert D. and Anne Mahoney of Pendleton, Mary Ann and Leo James of Hermiston, and Gregory A. and Mary Jo Mahoney of Baker City; grandchildren include Barry Mahoney of Sacramento, Calif., Teri and Dennis Brehio of San Angelo, Texas, Dan, Mike and Matt James of Hermiston, Teresa Hester and Rob Mahoney of Pendleton, Joy Mahoney of Corvallis, John and Darcy Mahoney of Nyssa, Jim and Donessa Mahoney of Baker City, Jeff Mahoney of Albany, and Jacqueline Mahoney of La Grande; and 11 great-grandchildren, Ashlee, Nicholas and Alexa Brehio of San Angelo, Texas, Jessika and Greyson James of Hermiston, Alexzandria and Robert Dean Mahoney III of Pendleton, Mackenzey and Zane Mahoney of Baker City, and Brenden and Tyran Mahoney of Nyssa.
The family suggest memorial contributions to Mountain States Tumor Institute or to St. Luke's Cardiac Care Unit at Boise through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Eileen Lee
Eileen Lee, 91, a longtime Baker City resident, died at her home on Jan. 27, 2003.
Her memorial service will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. The Rev. Susan Barnes will officiate. At Mrs. Lee's request, a private interment of her cremated remains will be at the North Powder Cemetery.
Eileen was born June 24, 1911, in Baker City, the only child of Edgar and Susan Browning Cochrane of Haines. Eileen attended school in Haines until 1924, when her parents moved to Baker City.
She was a 1929 Baker High School graduate. She attended Willamette University at Salem and Eastern Oregon University at La Grande.
She taught music and elementary school at New Bridge, La Grande, North Powder, and Baker City. She retired from teaching in 1973 after 32 years of service that spanned five decades.
Eileen married George E. "Jimmy" Lee on Dec. 27, 1938, at Baker City. After brief relocations to Payette, Idaho, Boise and the Bremerton, Wash., Shipyard, she and her husband returned to Baker City until 1947, when they opened their own grocery store and locker plant in North Powder. In 1955, the Lees moved back to Baker City.
Eileen was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church. She was the church organist for more than 20 years and the founder and director of the church's junior choir.
Eileen was a member of Baker Education Association/OEA/NEA, Delta Kappa Gamma, International Chapter P.E.O. Sisterhood, a 50-year member of Esther Chapter, No. 11, Order of Eastern Star, and the American Association of University Women.
Eileen's retirement years were enriched by her interest and research in Baker County history and the study of her family's genealogy. She was an early member of the Baker County Historical Society and a volunteer at the museum.
Survivors include her three daughters and their families, Luanne Lee and Cliff Weeks of Brookings, Patricia and Tom Hunt of Ketchikan, Alaska, and Marilyn and Steve Carnine of Portland; grandchildren, Brooke and James Hunt; and four great-grandchildren.
In addition to her father and mother, she was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Jimmy Lee, in 2002, and her grandson J. Scott Carnine in 1995.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Presbyterian Church, Pathway Hospice or a charity of one's choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Joe Harrison
Joe E. Harrison, 85, died at his home in Baker City on Jan. 22, 2003.
At his request, there will be no funeral. An urn burial will take place later at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene.
Joe E. Harrison was born on Dec. 24, 1917, at Wallowa to John Baker Harrison and Lula Jane Markham Harrison. He attended school at McEwen in Sumpter Valley until the age of 16 when he moved to New Bridge in Pine Valley to finish his education and to work in the Cornucopia Gold Mine.
He later moved to Portland where he worked as a stainless steel welder on aircraft carriers during World War II. He drove log trucks for several years and also worked for Myrno's, Levitts & West Coast Trucking. He eventually moved to Springfield where he owned and operated a diesel mechanic business.
From 1954 to 1956 he was vice president of the Springfield Speedway and had a great appreciation for fast cars. After retiring, he had a gold mine on Conner Creek near Durkee. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed dancing, fishing, camping in the great outdoors and telling stories of his adventures.
He enjoyed the companionship of his dachshund dogs and riding his ATV with his wife. His love of music inspired him to play the saxophone at a young age. He was a loving and generous man who cared deeply for his family and friends.
Survivors include his wife, Delma Miles Harrison of Baker City; son, Wayne Harrison, and wife, Shari; daughter, Linda Jo Fountain, and husband, Dick; grandsons, Jerry Campbell, and wife, Jennifer, and Justin Campbell; six great-grandchildren, Brandon, David, Brogan, Danika, Kendra and Tarrin, all of Springfield; nephews, Frank Vale of Springfield, Harvey Harrison of Pendleton, and Tom and Dennis Curtis of Halfway; nieces, Velma Barnham of Florida and Nancy Fergeson of Bates; Ralph and Myrna Morgan of Baker City, Myron and Dotty Miles of North Powder, and Keith and Anita Miles of Indonesia; and 11 stepgrandchildren and 18 stepgreat-grandchildren.
Mr. Harrison was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Mildred and Alta; and a brother, Victor.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice or the charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co., PO Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Ron Batson
Ronald Orville Batson, 63, of Walla Walla, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 20, 2003, at his home after an extended illness.
His memorial service was Friday at Walla Walla. His cousin, Pastor Mouse McKinney, and Pastor Dan Neisner officiated.
Ron was born on April 9, 1939, at Cobden, Ill., to Orville Jake and Elma Simmons Batson.
His early years were spent at St. Louis, Mo. The family moved to Baker City in 1955. He was a 1958 Baker High School graduate.
Ron served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1962. He married Marie Cote' on Sept. 7, 1962, at Walla Walla.
He was a 1965 graduate of Hartnell College and Salinas, Calif., and a 1966 graduate of Moler Barber College at San Jose, Calif. He retired from a 30-year career with the U.S. Postal Service at Walla Walla in 1995.
Ron and Marie owned and operated the Lavender Hill Herb Farm at Walla Walla from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Elks Lodge, the America Postal Workers Union, National Woodcarvers Association and the NORD Foundation.
He was a devout Christian, a serious Bible student and a member of the City Seventh-day Adventist Church at Walla Walla. He was a talented artist in pen and ink and also did woodcarving.
He was a Civil War buff and also studied paleontology, birds and early Christian history. Ron will be remembered as a devoted and gentle husband, father, brother, son, grandparent and friend, and for having a wonderful sense of humor.
Survivors include his wife, Marie of Walla Walla; his son, Robert, daughter-in-law, Tina, and granddaughter, Riella, all of Anchorage, Alaska; his daughter, Tina Hammons of Walla Walla; granddaughter, Natasha Husak of Portland; father and stepmother, Orville and Estelle Batson of Carbondale, Ill.; sister, Donna Scott of Baker City; half sister, Brenda Quintero of Pasadena, Calif.; cousins, Dick Culley, and his wife, Darlene, of Baker City, Al Simmons and his wife, Phoebe, of Madras, and Mouse McKinney and her husband, Jim, of La Grande; and special friends, Sherri and John Neel and Sandy and Lupe Torres.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Elma Phillips; his stepfather, Marvin Phillips; an infant sister, Clara Jean; and brother-in-law, Gerald Scott.
Lawson Howland
Lawson A. Howland, 86, died Jan. 25, 2003, at the Weiser Rehabilitation and Care Center.
His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Cambridge, Idaho. Burial will be at Salubria Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Summers Funeral Homes, Boise Chapel.
Lawson was born and raised in Cambridge, Idaho. He attended grade school and high school in Cambridge and graduated in 1934.
He lived with his parents on the family farm along Pine Creek about four miles northwest of the city. He was very active in sports throughout his childhood, competing in basketball, football, and boxing. The majority of his time during his school years was spent helping with the family farm operation.
His father raised purebred Suffolk sheep and Lawson was very involved in all aspects of the business. Throughout his high school years he spent a good deal of time herding the bands of sheep in the mountains and foothills north of town.
He was an accomplished sheep shearer and trimmer. Working on the shearing crews took him to the Salmon River and Snake River country, and to Montana as well as the local area in Washington County.
A few days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Lawson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After his initial training, he was sent to Scott Field, Ill., where he graduated from the Field Radio Communications School in June of 1942.
He was then transferred to Smyrna, Tenn., where he graduated from the Air Traffic Control Academy. He was transferred to Selman Field at Monroe, La., on Sept. 14, 1942, where he was the air traffic control chief. In December of 1944, Lawson was transferred to the island of Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands, where he was the chief air traffic controller. He remained there until the end of the war.
Lawson was married to Marian Alice Paul in 1944. After the war ended in 1945, Lawson and Marian moved to Rupert, Idaho for about a year. He farmed part of the land owned by Marian's father.
As his heart was not in row-crop farming, he moved back to Cambridge and again entered the sheep business. He raised Suffolk and Hampshire breeding stock until his retirement in 1975. He sold purebred rams at sales located in Utah, Idaho, and California.
In 1948, Lawson spent several weeks at Decatur, Ind., where he graduated from the Reppart School of Auctioneering. He was actively involved in auctioneering on a part-time basis over the next 30-plus years.
He auctioned the weekly cattle sale in Cambridge in the early '50s. For a number of years he auctioned the National Ram Sale at Ogden, Utah, the Idaho Ram Sale at Filer, Idaho, and the annual ram sales at Pocatello, Idaho, and Sacramento, California.
He cried numerous farm sales and countless charity auctions in the Cambridge area over this time period, including serving as the announcer for the Washington County Rodeo.
Lawson and Marian built a home at Cambridge in 1951, and the family lived there until about 1967. At that time they sold the home and bought an 80-acre farm approximately four miles east of town.
In 1974, Lawson was elected Washington County commissioner. He held that position for six years. From 1981 through 1986 he worked as the watermaster for Weiser River Water District No. 67.
From 1950 through 1967 Lawson served on the Cambridge School Board, serving as chairman for 12 years. During that same time period he was a volunteer member of the Cambridge Fire Department. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Suffolk Sheep Society from 1950 through 1960, serving as president from 1958 through 1960.
From 1954 through 1957, he was a member of the board of directors of the Farm Home Administration, Weiser District. He was a member of the Washington County Fair Board from 1975 through 1979. From 1976 through 1981 he was a member of the board of directors of the Idaho Weed Control Association, serving as president in 1980 and 1981. During the 1990s he served on the Salubria Cemetery Board.
Lawson was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge for more than 60 years, a member of the Cuddy Mountain Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a longtime member of the Upper Country Grange.
He was a man of few hobbies. He spent the majority of his time working.
He rarely took vacations, and seldom worked less than six days a week.
After he retired he went fishing a few times, but preferred to spend his time reading, watching TV, and drinking coffee with the boys. For the most part, Lawson's life centered around three interests: work, grandchildren, and politics.
Lawson was a devoted grandfather. The kids spent a lot of time on the ranch with Lawson and Marian. He taught each grandchild to drive.
The grandkids spent many an hour traveling with him on his water route, fishing, and changing sprinkler pipe. In his later years he was very taken by his great-grandchildren.
Lawson was known as a volunteer during his life at Cambridge. He thoroughly enjoyed helping others. These activities ranged from charity auctioneering, the volunteer fire department, donating lambs to 4-H and FFA members for fair projects, trimming the lambs for show, helping with search and rescue and working on a variety of community projects. He was recognized on numerous occasions by the community for the services that he provided.
Survivors include two sons, Steve Howland and his wife, Linda, of Elgin and Stan Howland and his wife, Linda, of Meridian, Idaho; a brother, Charles Howland of Nampa, Idaho; and a sister, Louise Welsh of Payette, Idaho; his grandchildren, Tina Howland of Los Angeles, Calif., Cheri Howland-Clark and Jason of Kuna, Idaho, Trevor Howland of Anchorage, Alaska, Paul and Elainna Howland of Ukiah, Tanya and Mitch Williams of La Grande; and several great- grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Marian; a brother, Buck; and sisters, Geneva and Bernice.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cambridge Ambulance and Fire Department Fund, Box 187, Cambridge, ID 83610.
‘Dee' Davis
Opal "Dee" Davis, 71, of Boardman, died Jan. 25, 2003, at his home.
Private cremation with a Celebration of Life graveside service will be held later this year in Canyon City, with time and date to be announced later.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements.
Dee was born March 27, 1931, at Waldron, Ark., the third child of Reacel and Monta May Starr Davis.
He was raised in Booneville, Ark., then moved to Oregon in 1948. There he married Norma Jean Wood on Aug. 9, 1949, in John Day. They had four children, Linda Davis Pifher, Della Davis Edison, Rick Davis, and Roger Davis.
He worked as a cat skinner, mechanic, heavy equipment operator and road builder.
Dee loved to hunt, fish and be with his family, and always had a story or joke to share. He was always ready to go fishing rain or shine, he hunted up until last year when his health declined.
He will be greatly missed by those who dearly loved him.
Dee is survived by his daughters, Linda Davis-Pifher of Boardman, and Della Edison and her husband, Jim, of Baker City; son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Dalene Davis of Baker City; 12 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Arnold, Elmer and Dean; one sister, Janie; many nieces and nephews; and a very dear and special friend, Clarice Dumler.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Norma Jean Davis; son, Roger Davis; his parents and an infant brother, Glen.
