System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!John Macy
John Macy, 81, a longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 3, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
His funeral was today at 2 p.m. at Gray's West & Company Pioneer Chapel. Pastor Ralph Holcomb of Baker City Christian Church officiated. Vault interment followed at Mount Hope Cemetery.
A reception will be held at 5 p.m. today at 413 Washington Ave.
Mr. Macy was born Aug. 17, 1921, in Baker City. His parents were Clyde and Elizabeth Macy. He had three older sisters: Gladys, Pauline, and Norma, as well as two younger brothers, Billy and Bobby.
He enlisted in the National Guard in September 1938 at age 17. He was in the Combat Infantry, 41st Division, F-Company, Baker, Ore. He served for five years and nine months. Coming home, he was viewed as nothing short of a hero by both his family and country.
After his return, he met a beautiful young girl by the name of Laurel Belle Hunt. They were soon wed and raised five children: Melvin, Terry, Jacque, Candice and Howard.
He was a special husband, dad and grandfather to numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mr. Macy retired from Weyerhauser in Springfield. After traveling for several years, he and Laurel settled back in Baker City. He enjoyed fishing, camping and time spent with his family.
Survivors include his wife, Laurel; three sons, Melvin, Terry and Howard; two daughters, Jacque and Candice; 12 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his sister Gladys, brother Billy and granddaughter Kristi.
Memorial contributions can be made to the John Macy Memorial Fund in care of Gray's West & Company, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Smokey' Gibson
William "Smokey" Gibson, 71, of John Day, a former John Day police chief, died Jan. 3, 2003, at Boise.
His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Driskill Memorial Chapel. There will be a graveside service afterward at the Canyon City Cemetery and then a dinner at the John Day Elks Lodge.
Mr. Gibson was born on July 12, 1931, at Desarc, Ark., to William Fred and Myrtle Cross Gibson. He moved to Idaho at the age of 2. He and his two sisters spent most of their earlier lives on a dairy farm at Weiser, Idaho. He was a 1951 graduate of Weiser High School and attended Boise Junior College.
He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1952. He was stationed in Germany for three years during the Korean War and was a member of a para-rescue team.
He married his wife, Lucy, on Jan. 21, 1956, at Weiser, Idaho.
He was employed by the John Day Police Department for 23 years, 19 of those as chief of police. He retired in 1990.
He was a member of the Elks Lodge, the American Legion, the Oregon Chiefs of Police Association, and the Grant County Sheriff's Association. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and music.
Survivors include his wife, Lucy Gibson of John Day; a daughter, Lori Gibson of Boise; a son and daughter-in-law, Monte and Shawna Gibson of John Day; a daughter and son-in-law, Ginger and Corey Younger of Baker City; a daughter, Becky Jenison of Boise; a sister, Dorthy Hurd of Payette, Idaho; a nephew and his wife, Elmer and Dottie Hurd of Boise; seven grandchildren, Christopher Gibson, Jeramy Gibson, Brandon Elliott, Shaylin Quintana, Bryan Quintana, Chance Quintana, Kody Younger and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, William Fred Gibson; his mother, Myrtle Alderson-Cross; his sister, Eloise Dunn; and a brother-in-law, Elmer Hurd.
Memorial contributions may be made to the John Day/Canyon City Parks and Recreation Youth Programs and Elks Scholarship through the Driskill Memorial Chapel, P.O. Box 364, Canyon City, OR 97820.
Margaret Kempfer
Margaret Mary Kempfer, 90, a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 5, 2003, at Valley View Assisted Living in John Day.
Rosary will be said on Thursday at Driskill Memorial Chapel in John Day, 241 S. Canyon Blvd. Mass will be celebrated Friday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Baker City. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mrs. Kempfer was born Feb. 7, 1912, in Moline, Ill., to John and Eliza Van Beveren, recent immigrants from Belgium. In 1915 the family moved to Baker City. She graduated from St. Francis Academy in 1930.
She married Charles Kempfer in the mid-1930s. He passed away in 1970.
She was employed by St. Elizabeth Hospital for many years until her retirement. She moved to John Day in 1994 and had resided at Valley View Assisted Living since 2000.
Survivors include her children, John Kempfer Sr. of Aurora, Colo., and Charlene Gardner and her husband, John, of Canyon City; grandchildren, Tony Gardner and his wife, Carmen, Amy Walker and her husband, Mike, all of Canyon City, Linda Enloe and her husband, Don, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Andy Gardner and his wife, Amber, of Sublimity, Patricia Kempfer of Aston, Penn., Jennifer Van Komen and her husband, Larry, of Nampa, Idaho, John Kempfer Jr. of Aurora, Colo.; great-grandchildren, Garret, Carli, Meghann, McKenzie, Christina, and Jacob; a sister, Palma Abbot of Yreka, Calif.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grant County Hospice or St. Elizabeth's Church Fund for the Needy in care of Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
Della Curry
Della Viola Morris Curry, 88, of Halfway died Jan. 3, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Halfway. Interment will be at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Friends are invited to join the family afterward for a reception at the Halfway LDS Church.
Della Viola Morris Curry was born on Sept. 28, 1914, at Richland to Thomas Lemuel Morris and Bertha Olive Makinson Morris.
Della was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She had a quick wit and a good sense of humor. No matter how dark the cloud, she knew there was always a silver lining. She loved to read, which was her hobby.
She was from pioneer stock. Her grandfather had the stage line stop at the bottom of the Halfway grade in Eagle Valley, and he was also the local doctor.
She was a professional cook for years. She then attended college where she earned a teaching degree while living at Guam and then Alaska. She also worked at the Hermiston Ordinance Depot during World War II doing her part for the home front. While living in Alaska she worked for the State of Alaska and for Harbor View Memorial Hospital at Valdez for five years.
She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She dearly loved the Lord and held various positions in the church throughout the years.
The American Poetry Society recognized Della as one of its accomplished poets. Her poems will be passed down from one generation to the next, because of the preciousness of her printed prose.
She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
"But she is where she can have peace, and we are so thankful for that knowledge, " family members said.
Survived include her sons and daughters-in-law, Roscoe and Sharlene Curry, of Spokane, Wash., John and Billie Curry of Halfway, and Jim and Edna Schell of Umatilla; daughters and sons-in-law, Louise and Dave Clark of Richland, and Vernona Rhea of Las Vegas, Nev.; a brother, Lester, and his wife, Naomi Morris, of Tacoma, Wash.; a sister, Nellie, and her husband, Lee, of Walla Walla, Wash.; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great- grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Edwin Curry; two sons, Eddy and Bob Schell; and several brothers and sisters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Halfway Senior Meal Site or to the Granite Peaks Building Fund through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Thomas Dryden
Thomas W. Dryden, 95, of Baker City, died Jan. 2, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
At his request, there will be no funeral services.
Disposition was by cremation at Gray's West Pioneer Crematory.
Mr. Dryden was born Feb. 16, 1907, in Dodge City, Kan., to Charles W. Dryden and Rose Bell (Arbuckle) Dryden. He was the youngest of three children.
When he was quite young, the family moved to Indiana, several years later to Arizona, and on to southern California.
He married Doris E. Smith on Sept. 12, 1931, in Yuma, Ariz., and settled in Escondido, Calif., where he had been working for the Matzen Ranches since the mid-1920s, raising avocados and oranges until his retirement in the mid-1970s.
Mr. Dryden was a past member of BPOE in Escondido. He was an outdoors person and loved camping and fishing with their friends. He and Doris moved to Baker City in 1997 to be near their daughter and son-in-law.
He was loved and very respected by all who were fortunate enough to know him.
Survivors include his wife of 71 years, Doris, of Baker City; daughter and son-in-law, Mickie and Skip Bell of Baker City; grandchildren, Sue Tessler and husband, Marc, of Santee, Calif., Tomi Jo Giedeman and her brother, Bob, of San Diego, Calif., Laurie Cantrell of Ruidoso Downs, N.M., Dakin Bell and his wife, Erin, of Seattle, Wash., and Stacy Bell of Portland; nieces, Earlyne Swanson and husband, Jim, of Escondido, Calif., Rosemary Sams and husband, Ed, of Yreka, Calif.; nine great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Betty Jo Willman, his brother, Verner Dryden, and his sister, Frances Zickefoose.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice in care of Gray's West & Company, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Edward Dwyer
Edward D. Dwyer, 75, of Halfway, died Dec. 30, 2002, at his home.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, Jan. 6, at 11 a.m. at St. Therese Catholic Church in Halfway. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Interment will follow at Pine Haven Cemetery. Military rites will be accorded by Halfway V.F.W. Post No. 7847.
Mr. Dwyer was born April 8, 1927, in Kansas City, Mo, to Bert M. and Frances (Northington) Dwyer. He was raised in Kansas City and worked at various jobs until he entered the U.S. Army in September 1946. He was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He was honorably discharged in September 1949.
After he was discharged, he worked at various jobs in Kansas. He moved to Whittier, Calif., in 1954, where he went to work as a carpenter for construction. He later moved to El Monte, Calif., where he met his future wife, Carolyn Weldon, at her sister's restaurant, where she worked as a waitress. He introduced himself and they started eating together.
Their relationship grew from friendship to love and they were married on July 11, 1958, in Downey, Calif. They lived in El Monte for five years and then moved to Valinda, Calif., where they resided until his retirement.
Mr. Dwyer loved to fish, and during one of their vacations they went to Halfway. He fell in love with Halfway and told his wife that he was going to move there after he retired. He retired as a 35-year union carpenter, and they moved to Halfway in March of 1992.
Mr. Dwyer loved to fish and watch all sporting events. He enjoyed Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. He enjoyed playing bingo and was a life member of the Halfway Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post No. 7847, El Monte Elks Club and Moose Club.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Dwyer of Halfway; his son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Helen Macias of San Dimas, Calif.; a sister, Katherine Granstrom of Kansas City, Mo.; granddaughter, Wendy Macias, of Boulder City, Calif., and grandson, Chris Macias of Covina, Calif.; great-grandchildren Autumn and Seabron; and a niece and nephew.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother-in-law.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Halfway V.F.W. Post No. 7847, in care of Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Marilyn Hunt
Marilyn Kennedy Hunt, 64, of Durango, Colo., and a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 29, 2002, from complications of an extended battle with scleraderma.
Her funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Hughes Lane in Baker City. Services are under the direction Coles Funeral Home.
Marilyn was born Dec. 24, 1938, in Baker City to George T. Kennedy and Maxine (Wanker) Kennedy. She was married to David J. Hunt, also of Baker City, for 44 years. The family was sealed together in the Logan, Utah, Temple in 1963.
Marilyn was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served over the years in many leadership positions. She was, above all else, a wife and mother, and her home was a delight and a place of order and peace to all who entered there.
She is survived by her husband and by her children: Cecelia Rysdam of La Grande, David Roger Hunt, Julie Hunt Russon, and K. Sunshine Hunt Smith, all of Pleasant Grove, Utah, and Todd C. Hunt of Ely, Nev. She is also survived by her sister, Donna Goodwin and her brother, Roger Kennedy, both of Baker City; and by 13 grandchildren, with one more expected.
She was preceded in death by her brother Robert, who died at age one.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Scleraderma Foundation or the Lupus Foundation. This may be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street, Baker City, Oregon 97814.
Robert Jones
Robert Paul Jones, 60, of North Powder, died Dec. 28, 2002, at his home.
A vigil service for Mr. Jones will be Friday at 7 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. in Baker City.
Funeral Mass will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in North Powder. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will celebrate. Vault interment will be at the Haines Cemetery following the service.
Robert was born March 30, 1942, in Tulsa, Okla., to Jess and Gertrude (Shutler) Jones. He was raised and received his education in King Fisher and Crescent, Okla. He also attended engineering school at Oregon State University.
On Dec. 26, 1970, he married Mary Colburn at St. Peter's Catholic Church in The Dalles. They moved to North Powder in 1973 from La Grande. He worked as a surveyor for the highway department and the U.S. Forest Service. He also did ranching jobs, commercial fishing and managed the ski shop at Anthony Lakes. He loved skiing at Anthony Lakes, and he loved his children and grandchildren. He was great at mechanics and mathematics and his family loved how he could fix anything. He had a special appreciation for ways and values of the Native Americans. He had interests in plants, gardening, tropical fish and photography.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, of North Powder; his daughters, Katie, of Haines and Maureen, of Bayside, Calif.; his son, Robert, of Vancouver, Wash.; a granddaughter, Eva, and grandson, Jesse; a sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Ken Self of Grass Valley, Calif.; aunt and uncle, Jim and Harriett Dorman of Florence; a niece, Kristin Volkman of Coronado, Calif.; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Contributions in Robert's memory may be directed to North Powder Quick Response Team. This can be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street, Baker City, OR 97814.
Robert Beason
Robert M. Beason, 81, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 28, 2002 at Eugene.
At his request, no memorial service will be held.
Mr. Beason attended local schools, and graduated from Baker High School as class president in 1939. He worked for the Bonneville Corps of Engineers for many years.
He served his country during World War II in the European theater.
He is survived by a daughter, Cathy Cone, of Eugene.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Nan Miller Beason, and a sister, Nancy Weeks.
‘Shorty' Taylor
Terry Grant "Shorty" Taylor, 41, of Albany, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 29, 2002, at Samaritan Albany General Hospital.
At his request, there will be no funeral.
Mr. Taylor was born on Nov. 7, 1961, at Baker City to Kenneth and Roberta Miles Taylor. He lived in Baker City until he was 17 and then lived in various places before moving to Albany about 11 years ago.
He enjoyed drawing and writing poetry. He served in the Oregon National Guard.
Survivors include his father, Kenneth Taylor of Baker City; brothers, Bob Taylor of Waldport, Sonny Taylor of Haines and Ron Taylor of Waldport; sisters, Cindy Stubenrauch of Bend, Tami Butler of Albany and Vicki Cook of Vista, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Roberta Taylor.
The Fisher Funeral Home of Albany is in charge of arrangements.
