System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Raymond O'Neal
Raymond Willis O'Neal, 97, of Baker City died Feb. 24, 2003, at Settler's Park Assisted Living Center.
His funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Lenny Spooner of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at Gray's West & Co. Graveside committal will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Juniper Haven Cemetery in Prineville.
Visitations will be from noon to 5 p.m. Friday at Gray's West & Co.
Raymond Willis O'Neal was born July 11, 1905, at Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Ada and Newton O'Neal. As a small child he traveled by wagon train from Missouri to New Mexico where the family homesteaded at Elida.
He married Thelma Brummett Jan. 25, 1936, at Clovis, N.M. They moved with two small children to Kamiah, Idaho, in 1939 where they lived in a logging community in the mountains.
After the birth of their third child, they moved to the mill town of Kinzua where their fourth child was born. In 1959 they moved to Prineville where they retired and remained until 1993 when they moved to Baker City. Mr. O'Neal had lived at Settler's Park for the past two years.
Ray spent most of his lifetime logging and working in mills. After his retirement in 1969 he continued to work at odd jobs until he was no longer able to do so. He spent many years hunting in the mountains around Kinzua, then enjoyed fishing and camping on the lakes around Prineville.
He took great pride in gardening and always had a huge garden with no weeds and no rocks! His family was always of great importance to him and he was very fond of all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Ray was always known to be a generous man who would give you the shirt off his back – and he always loved a good joke whether he was giving or receiving it.
Survivors include his brother, Walter O'Neal of Albuquerque, N.M.; his children, Bill and Betty O'Neal of Heppner, Cenone and Lewis Benson of Prineville, Ada and Ernie Schell of Mitchell, and Darlene and Dennis Teskey of Baker City; grandchildren, Bobby, Richard and David Howard of Little Rock, Ark., Jim and Roxanne O'Neal of Duvall, Wash., Rick and Kathy O'Neal of Prineville, Donna and Jason Maben of Heppner, Nola and Larry Neal of Madras, Karen Albert of Prineville, Pete Schell of Sandy, Brenda Admire of Roseburg, Angie and Dusty Moore of Milwaukie, Troy Hanson of Baker City, and Season Teskey of Hillsboro; 25 great-grandchildren, four nieces and three nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Thelma, of 64 years; his daughter, Wanda Howard; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Emily Wiester
Emily Irene Wiester, 88, of Issaquah, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 24, 2003, at her home.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Madeleine Sophie Roman Catholic Church in Bellevue, Wash.
Irene was born on Jan. 26, 1915, in Prineville to Mary and Edward Street. Her parents moved to California shortly after she was born. Irene attended the University of Washington at Seattle as a freshman. There she met Harold Wiester.
After graduation from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor's degree in dietetics, she returned to the Northwest in 1938 as a dietetic intern at St. Joseph's hospital in Tacoma. Subsequently she worked at Doctor's Hospital in Seattle.
Harold and Irene were married in 1939 and had three children while they lived at Edmonds, Wash.
They set out on a farming adventure to Baker City in 1951. Irene worked as a caseworker for the Department of Human Services in Baker City for 22 years before she and Harold retired. They then moved to Lake Havasu, Ariz., where they enjoyed the sun and many rounds of golf. In order to be closer to family, Irene and Harold moved back to the Seattle area in 1995.
Irene was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church. She belonged to the American Dietetics Association and the Baker and Lake Havasu Elks lodges.
Family was very important to Irene. She was a constant source of inspiration to her offspring for her sharp mind and determination. She remained mentally alert her entire life and enjoyed family gatherings, travel and lattes.
Survivors include a son, Stephen H Wiester of Anchorage, Alaska; daughters, Lorene A. Colton of Baker City, and Sharon M. Burke of Redmond, Wash.; 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to Swedish Hospice, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98122-4307.
Arrangements are under the direction of Flintoft's Issaquah Funeral Home.
‘Ron' Thomas
Ronald "Ron" Thomas, 70, passed away Monday, Feb. 24, 2003, at his home in Medical Springs.
At Ron's request, disposition will take place at Gray's West Pioneer Crematory. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
Ron was born on May 17, 1932, to Clinton M. and Lillie Houseman Thomas at Hebron, Neb. He grew up and graduated from high school at Watsonville, Calif. On May 17, 1953, Ron married Norma Kaufman. The couple had three children, Pamela, Linda and Jim.
Ronald lived an adventurous life. He served in the U.S. Army, homesteaded in Alaska and fulfilled his dream of having a ranch. He also learned to make guitars and dobroes from his friend Pete Haynes. Ron loved playing music and singing, especially with his family.
Ron belonged to the Blue Mountain Old Time Fiddlers, the Oregon Cattleman's Association, Stewards of the Range, and was proud to be an National Rifle Association member.
He was a hard-working man who would always take time to help his friends and neighbors. We will all miss his humor and wit. Mostly, we will miss him.
Survivors include his wife of nearly 50 years, Norma Thomas; his daughters, Pamela Walker, and her husband, Bruce, Linda Mann and her husband, Michael; a son, Jim Thomas, and his wife, Jodi; grandchildren, Travis and Misty Walker, Ray Walker, Tonya and Jon Sanborn, Curtis Burnett, Michael Thomas and Monica Thomas.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Community Connection of Baker County or to the Blue Mountain Old Time Fiddlers through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Olivia Gongliewski
Olivia Alsada Gongliewski, 71, of Newberg, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 21, 2003, at her home.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Attrell's Newberg Chapel. Chaplain Greg Sealander will officiate. Committal will be at 2:30 p.m. at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.
Visitations were Sunday and until 8 o'clock tonight at the Newberg funeral home.
Olivia was born on Sept. 25, 1930, at Spokane, Wash., to William and Elma Moten Dillard. She grew up and attended elementary school in the Kooskia, Idaho, area before moving to Portland in 1942. She graduated from high school there and attended two years at PolyTech.
She became a practical nurse and raised her family. In 1965, she was employed at Tektronics where she continued to work for 21 years.
She married Leonard Gongliewski at Vancouver, Wash., on April 2, 1970. They lived at Aloha for 23 years. In 1986 Olivia retired. She moved to Baker City in 1991 where she lived for 10 years before moving to Newberg.
Olivia was a very good Christian. She loved music and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3048, and the American Legion, Post 41, Auxiliary. She loved sewing, was an exceptional cook and an avid gardener who really loved roses. She loved camping, fishing, deep-sea fishing and was very much an outdoor person.
Survivors include her husband, Leonard Gongliewski of Newberg; her son, Steven M. Mead of Sheridan; three daughters, Susan Graham of Liberty Lake, Wash., Marilynn Coryell of Portland and Debra Levine of Beaverton; her brother, John Dillard of Lewiston, Idaho; two sisters, Lucinda Smith of Grangeville, Idaho, and Martha Dillard of Clarkston, Wash.; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; one niece, three nephews and those who had come to know and appreciate her where she lived and worked.
C. Jack Miller
C. Jack Miller, 86, a longtime Baker City resident, died Feb. 19, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Coles Funeral Home. Pastor Susan Barnes of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate. The service will conclude in the chapel. Friends and family are invited to the Rogers Hall at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St., for a time of fellowship and sharing after the service. Private interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mr. Miller was born at Pilot Rock on July 30, 1916. He was raised at Clatskanie, where he graduated from high school. In July 1941, after two years at the University of Oregon, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
He was assigned to Fort Logan, Colo., and later to Luke Field, Ariz., where he attained the rank of staff sergeant. He subsequently attended Officer Candidate School. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Pacific Theater as a second lieutenant in the 866th Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery.
He fought as a platoon leader in the invasions of the Philippines and Okinawa, and took part in the occupation of the Japanese island of Ihea Shima as battery executive officer with the rank of captain. With the end of the war in 1945, he left the army and returned to civilian life.
In 1948, he married LaVera Knox at Portland. Soon afterward the couple moved to Baker City where they operated an independent insurance agency, the C. Jack Miller Insurance Agency for 28 years and raised two children.
During his career, Mr. Miller was active in both trade and civic organizations, serving at various times as director of the Oregon State Insurance Agents' Association, president of the Baker Lions Club, and director of the Baker Chamber of Commerce. He received the Baker Junior First Citizen award from the Baker Jaycees. A lifelong Presbyterian, Mr. Miller was an elder in the church and past president of the Presbyterian Men's Club.
He loved hunting and fishing and with his wife, LaVera, was an avid golfer. In retirement, he and his wife spent winters traveling, cruising, and following the sun in Southern California.
Survivors include his wife, LaVera M. Miller of Baker City; his son, Gregory J. Miller of Portland; his daughter, Patricia L. Boothby of Baker City; grandchildren, Shawn Boothby of Bakersfield, Calif., and Travis Boothby and Ryan Boothby, both of Baker City; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Louise.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Violet Hunt
Violet M. Hunt, 78, of Baker City died Feb. 16, 2003, at her home.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Ralph Holcomb of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St.
Visitations will be from noon to 8 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Gray's West & Co. Gray's West Pioneer Crematory will conduct the cremation after the funeral.
Violet was born on June 2, 1924, at Vernon County, Wis., to Alec and Nellie Watson Geddes. She graduated from high school at Grandview, Idaho, as the class salutatorian in 1942.
During high school, Violet dated a young man by the name of Ross Hunt. The couple married very soon after Violet's graduation in Mountain Home, Idaho, on June 15, 1942.
Ross and Violet spent their entire lives in the Northwest, living in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Violet was a Little League and Boy Scout mom and was always involved in community programs and organizations, some of which included the Red Cross, Baker County Possettes and the Baker County Search and Rescue.
She also was very active in the grange and, at one time, the Haines United Methodist Church and more recently, the Baker City Christian Church.
Violet was a huge advocate of being self-sufficient. She taught all four of her sons to cook and to clean for themselves. She also practiced what she preached, as she could often be found filling in on any job that needed done on the ranch, from cleaning house to driving a team of horses to bringing in the hay.
Violet enjoyed camping and fishing, gardening and all family entertainment. She was an extraordinary food canner and loved to can food of all types. She was a friend to everyone she met and will be greatly missed by all of her many friends and loved ones.
Survivors include husband, Ross Hunt; sons, Dan Hunt of Klamath Falls, Bob Hunt of Baker City, Russel Hunt and his wife, Anita, of Summerville, and Eugene Hunt and his wife, Rhea, of Federal Way, Wash.; granddaughter, Cheryl Porter and her husband, Robby, of Baker City; granddaughter, Paula Wigger and her husband, Cade, of Meridian, Idaho; grandsons, Daniel Hunt of Ontario and Curran Hunt of Federal Way, Wash.; granddaughter, Alyson Hunt of Federal Way, Wash.; stepgrandsons, Lane and Ross Kemp of Summerville; sister, Marie Vessels of Florida; seven great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice or the Shriners Hospital for Children through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Carol Whiteley
Carol Berdean Whiteley, 72, of Halfway died Feb. 8, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Disposition was by cremation. At the request of the family, there will be a memorial service in the spring. Coles Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Berdean was born on Oct. 20, 1930, at Halfway to Ray and Edna Buchanan Robertson. She attended Dry Creek School and Halfway Elementary School and was a 1948 graduate of Pine Valley High School at Halfway.
She attended beauty college in Portland and later worked as a beautician in Halfway at the Gray Gables. She married Lloyd "Bub" Whiteley on Dec. 12, 1953, at Las Vegas, Nev., where both were employed. They returned to Halfway in the spring of 1954 and had lived there since.
Berdean had several passions: kids, horses, rodeo, hunting deer and elk, and searching for the elusive mushroom. She loved kids and she was devoted to teaching them how to ride horses.
She formed the Hells Canyon Junior Riding Club in 1962 and worked with kids who wanted to participate in rodeo without having to purchase the high-dollar horses necessary to compete in the arena events.
As her daughter Jerri Kay said, "For a kid on a horse, having a benefactor like Berdean Whiteley is like being touched by an angel — just a little harder, a little louder and with a tad more cussing."
She loved to hunt, but probably even more she enjoyed looking at the beautiful animals. She would watch herds on a hillside for hours and was a local expert about where a hunter should go.
Her legendary mushroom spotting was unparalleled. She could spot a mushroom on the bank when nobody else could see a thing. Berdean was unique — a one of a kind and special person and will be missed by her family and friends.
Survivors include her husband, Bub Whiteley of Halfway; her daughter, Jerri Kay Goodwin of Meridian, Idaho; her two granddaughters, Macy Hack and Brittany Goodwin; her brother and his wife, Daryl and Dulcina Robertson of Halfway; aunts, Lena Buchanan, Edith McDowell and Estella Summers; and a niece and numerous nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Edna; her father, Ray; and her son, Mickey.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hells Canyon Junior Rodeo in care of Linda Miller, P.O. Box 734, Halfway, OR 97834 or Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
‘John' Burlew
Johnnie N. "John" Burlew, 85, a longtime Baker City resident, died Feb. 11, 2003, at his home.
His funeral will be at noon Saturday at First Lutheran Church, 1734 Third St. Pastor Dennis Hickman of the First Lutheran Church will officiate. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at First Lutheran Church.
Visitations will be until 5 p.m. today at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
John was born on Nov. 9, 1917, at Baker City to Truman Allen and Johannah Mary Sorenson Burlew. He was raised mostly in Baker City.
John served in the U.S. Marine Corps from May 1943 to October 1945, attaining the rank of master sergeant. As a veteran of World War II, he served in battle at Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain and in the Philippine Islands.
John always made a living by his hands. He owned ad operated several different businesses. He owned a construction company, was a contractor, owned a shoe shop at La Grande and was a mill worker. He worked on the green chain for the Oregon Lumber Co.
John built his first house at Pilot Rock while working for the lumber company. He built many other houses in Baker City as well.
He built Tiny Jones' truck stop in Baker City and he helped to renovate the natatorium, which is now the Oregon Trail Regional Museum. He built milking parlors throughout the valley for farmers and did ditch work for the ranchers in the Baker Valley. He also built the tower at Lookout Mountain.
His hobbies included mining, fishing, hunting, welding and iron working and numerous other activities. John was known as an inventor. He was a creative man and could fix anything. Known for his sense of humor, his favorite phrase was "Zippity-Doo-Dah."
John was proud of his country, his community and most of all, his family.
Survivors include his daughters, Patrina Burlew of Baker City and Marie Jones of Emmett, Idaho; his granddaughter, Christy Smith, and her husband, Brian, of Nampa, Idaho, and their four children, Kassondra, Matthew, Colton and Darren Smith; his brother, Morris, and his wife, Margaret, of Grass Valley, Calif.; his nephew, David, and his wife, Jan, of Gold Hill; his brothers-in-law, Donald Christy and his family of Baker City, and Gerald Christy and his family of Meridian, Idaho; a sister-in-law, Teresa McCabe of Washington; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his stepmother, Harriet Burlew; and his beautiful wife, Nona.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Lutheran Church or a charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Ivan Edwards
Ivan Russell Edwards, 83, of Woodburn, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 25, 2003.
At his request, there was no funeral.
Mr. Edwards was born on Feb. 4, 1919, at Baker City. He worked as a boilermaker, retiring in 1981. He was a member of the American Legion, No. 122, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Baker City. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and the National Guard. He served during World War II at Papua, New Guinea. He lived at Aurora before moving to Woodburn in 2001.
His interests included hunting and fishing. He married Elsie Schlunegger on Oct. 28, 1956, at Reno, Nev.
Survivors include his wife; daughters, Shellie Spangenberg of Aurora and Sally Vaughan of Woodburn; a son, Charles Edwards of Hubbard; a sister, June Rode of Baker City; three grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren.
Arrangements were by the Simon-Woodburn Funeral Chapel.
Memorial contributions may be made to Willamette Valley Hospice, 2700 Market St., N.E., Salem.
