System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Ruth Collier
Ruth Marie Collier, 77, died June 5, 2003, at La Grande.
Her graveside funeral was at 2 p.m. today at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.
Ruth was born in Halfway on Feb. 6, 1926, to A.N. and Gladys Rosella Sturgell Fisher. She was one of six children. She attended school at Halfway, all except the last two years of high school when she went to school at Corvallis. She graduated from high school at La Grande.
After graduation, she met and married Rulen Collier. Together they had two children, Jeff and Bethel. During their time in Halfway, they owned and operated the Stockman's bar and restaurant.
She had a very full and happy life. She enjoyed oil painting, crocheting, making afghans, going on car rides and taking part in her grandchildren's lives.
Ruth will be missed very much by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her sister, Clarissa; sisters-in-law, Ann Fisher and Kathleen Fisher; her children, Jeff and Bethel; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her brothers, Jack, Loy, Bob and Don; and granddaughter, Glori Jo.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Casey Foundation or the Shriners Children's Hospital through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Marjorie Tigli
Marjorie Foster Tigli, 73, died Nov. 18, 2002, at her daughter's home in Fairview.
There will be a celebration of life graveside service at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.
She was born Marjorie Irene Foster on July 3, 1929, at Halfway, to James and Phyllis Canaday Foster. She lived there until the age of 13, when the family moved to Vancouver, Wash.
After attending Shumway Junior High in Vancouver, Marjorie moved back to Halfway and attended Northwest Nazarene Academy where she met her first husband, Bill Sullivan. They were married on Sept. 5, 1945. This marriage ended in 1955. The couple had four children.
While living at Salem, Marjorie met Mario D. Tigli. They were married on April 27, 1957, and had three children. The family had lived in the Boring/Sandy area for the last 40 years.
Marjorie enjoyed being a homemaker, mother and grandmother. She also enjoyed painting, basketry, gardening, photography, arts and crafts and rock collecting. She had a very optimistic outlook on life.
She is survived by her husband Mario; her children, William Sullivan of Vernonia, Trent Sullivan of Vancouver, Wash., Gordon Sullivan of Sandy, Lona Bradley of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Mario Tigli of Sandy, Tony Tigli of Oregon City and Tia Bautista of Fairview; sisters, Betty Clark and Rae Woods; 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two grandchildren and one sister.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mount Hood Hospice through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Emma Shipman
Emma Shipman, 87, wife, mother, grandmother, homemaker, partner and friend, died July 25, 2003, after an extended stay at St. Elizabeth Care Center, attended lovingly by wonderful caregivers.
Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Baker City Christian Church, 2998 Eighth St. Mr. Jack Pittman and Pastor Roger Scovil will officiate.
Mrs. Shipman was born at Sunset, Washington County, Ark., the eighth child of David Franklin Alexander and Rosa Elizabeth Simpson Alexander on Feb. 6, 1916 (according to her birth certificate). Her mother died when she was 4 years old and she was adopted by Fritz and Ethyl Woods Klein. They celebrated her birth date as February 13, 1916.
She lived at Henryetta, Okla., and on a reservation in New Mexico before settling at Oak Creek, Colo., where her foster father worked in a mine. They took in a boarder, Frank Lester King, also a miner.
He and Emma were married and had one daughter, Alice Adeline, born in 1937. These were depression years and her husband had to leave Colorado to find work. He eventually joined the Army and was killed in Anzio and is buried at Nettuno, Italy.
She later met La Verne Gilbert Shipman. They were married at Sedalia, Colo., on June 2, 1940. Emma's husband and another man had a job in the mines in the Philippines. They were to get their shots to ship over when Emma found out she was pregnant with her son, Leland Gilbert.
The Shipmans' friends went ahead to the Phillipines and ultimately spent 3Ž years in a Japanese prison camp, broken in body but not is spirit. Only the Grace of God and Leland spared Emma and Verne this ordeal.
The couple next had a daughter Barbara Elizabeth, born on Christmas day 1943. She was a frail child and died of meningitis at Doernbecher Hospital at the age of 18 months.
Emma's second son, Keith Vernon Shipman, suffered kidney failure at the age of 27. Emma gave him dialysis at home for two years until a compatible kidney was found. The transplant was successful, but Keith died at the age of 33 from serum hepatitis from transfusions.
Emma's daughter, Vena Gay Shipman, born on Jan. 19, 1949. She was a talented musician with a beautiful singing voice. She lost her life early after a long illness.
Through all this Emma never lost her faith in God, who was her strength. She was a faithful member of the First Christian Church and an active member of the Friendly Circle and Mary/Martha group. She worked with the Rainbow Girls and DeMolay boys and was a tireless Girl Scout leader.
She supported her husband in every aspect of their life. Her greatest joy, after 64 years, was having her birth family find her and arrange a reunion. They traveled to Arkansas and met 200 relatives. She had a few good years corresponding and visiting with her family.
Survivors include one sister, Martha Jane Mc Daniels of Paragold, Ark.; a brother-in-law, Charles "Bink" Lewis, and his wife Glenabell; daughter, Alice, and her husband, Vernon Guy Knapp Sr. of Baker City; a son, Leland Shipman of Aurora, Colo.; grandchildren, Lorna Moncrief of Boise, LuAnn Jensen of Washington, Lesley Kay Waggerby of Baker City, J. Leonard Waggerby and his wife, Debra, of Aurora, Allison Lee Eschweiler and her husband, Lee, of Denver, Colo., Emily Patricia Bonner and her husband, Russell, of Aurora, Colo., and Vernon Guy Knapp Jr. of Fort Hood, Texas; stepgrandchildren, Mike Knapp and his wife, Judi, Debbie Knapp-Ard and her husband Cleve of Matthews, N.C., and Vikki Athen of Santa Clara, Calif.; great-grandchildren, Dane Timothy Creger and his wife, Candi, Thadeus Creger and his wife, Lorasa, all of Pendleton, Jewel Marie Jensen and Jessica Jensen, both of Baker City, Alice Michelle Jensen who is serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, Justin Lee Jensen of Woodburn, Shane Russell Sturdivant of Alabama, Dylan Russell of Baker City, Alissa Rene and James Waggerby of Aurora, Auriana Grey and Lauren Page Bonner of Aurora, Colo., Camlin Rene Ard of North Carolina and Suzanne Elizabeth Athen of Santa Clara, Calif.; and great-great-grandsons, Tyson and Austin Creger of Pendleton and Jonathon and Jayden Griffith of Baker City.
Emma was preceded in death by both sets of parents and her children, Barbara, Keith and Verna Gay Shipman.
Memorial contributions may be made to Baker City Christian Church Building Fund through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Arlene Griffin
Arlene Dora Griffin, 75, of Middleton, Idaho, died July 25, 2003, of natural causes.
Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Old Highway 30 at Caldwell, Idaho. Cremation and services are under the direction of Flahiff Funeral Chapel of Caldwell.
Arlene was born Dec. 20, 1927, at Baker City to Warren and Easther Reed. Arlene spent her younger years at Unity.
She graduated from Baker High School in May 1945. During her high school years, she worked after school folding bandages. She also spent several years helping her mother manage the Steakhouse Restaurant in Baker City.
In September of 1976 she married John Griffin. They lived many places together, but moved back to Idaho in 1986 where Arlene worked as a home health nurse for many years.
She loved to sew and do crafts. She was a very talented woman.
Survivors include her sons, Van Polley of Murphy, Idaho, King Polley of Baker City and Larry Rogers of Twin Falls, Idaho; and several grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and a son, Walt Cox.
Grace Spears
Grace M.L. Spears, 82, of Baker City died July 23, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Aaron Olgesbee of the Agape Christian Center will officiate. Because of the ongoing construction, those attending the funeral are asked to park on Estes Street. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Grace was born on March 1, 1921, at Hyannis, Neb., to Ira S. and Myrtle Lester Draper. She attended school at Fort Morgan, Colo., where she graduated from high school. She furthered her education at Denver Opportunity School for about a year.
She later graduated from beauty school and worked as a manicurist for a while. She eventually went to work for the telephone company in Denver as an elevator operator. She also modeled the uniforms for them. Later, she was trained as a telephone operator and worked in Denver for many years.
About 1953, she moved to Pendleton to be near her family. Grace also worked as a telephone operator for several years in Pendleton before she and her husband, George, moved to Baker City. After relocating, she continued her career for a while and later retired from the telephone company in Baker City.
Grace was known to have a big heart. She was gentle and caring and was genuinely concerned for people. She had heard about a school for the American Indian Children of South Dakota called the Red Cloud Indian School. Grace, being proud of her own Native American heritage, felt compassion for the needs of those children and often donated money to help fund the school.
After her retirement, she and her good friend, Fern, made a weekly event out of visiting the residents of the nursing home and taking them treats, reading to them, and just cheering them up. Grace loved reading and studying her Bible. Her walk with the Lord meant everything to her.
Survivors include one brother, Stephen F. Draper, and his wife, Ramona Sue of Baker City; two sisters, Juanita Lois Thompson of Athena, and Betty Jean "B.J." Calvert of Stanfield; and numerous nieces and nephews and great- nieces and great-nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Spears; and her parents, Ira and Myrtle Draper.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Red Cloud Indian School of South Dakota or the Agape Christian Center in Baker City through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Jean Mehlhorn
Jean Mehlhorn, 72, of Hood River, died July 20, 2003, after a short illness.
A memorial service for her and her husband, Dale, will be scheduled later.
Jean was born on Feb. 3, 1931, to Dorothy and Ray Smith at Mill City, Kan. She was a few minutes older than her identical twin sister, Joan.
The Smith family moved to California where Jean spent her childhood and early school days. They settled in Halfway where she attended high school and met Dale Mehlhorn.
Jean and Dale married in 1948 and moved to Corvallis, where Dale attended Oregon State University.
Jean and her family then returned to Baker County. She worked as a receptionist for several area doctors and raised her boys. Jean's greatest joys were camping with her family and watching her boys grow and participate in all manner of sports.
In 1968 Jean and Dale moved to Ontario where together they managed Delta Feeders. After the sale of that business she went to work at an area drug store as manager of the cosmetics department.
Retirement brought new interests. Dale and Jean became avid golfers. They spent many happy times traveling and playing dozens of courses throughout the West.
They settled for the last time at Hood River, where they spent three happy years.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Fred Mehlhorn; and her husband, Dale.
Survivors include her son, Ed Mehlhorn and his wife, Jana, of Fruitland, Idaho; granddaughters Ragan McBeth (Page), Sara Mehlhorn and Pam Kelly; grandson, Christopher Mehlhorn; great-grandson, Luke McBeth; great-granddaughter, Katie Kelly; sister, Deloris York, and twin sister, Joan Bloom; and brothers, Bud and Fred Smith.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont, Hood River, OR 97031.
‘Willie' Schlegel
Willard "Willie" Schlegel, 82, a former Elgin resident, died June 26, 2003, at Emmett Rehab & Healthcare in Emmett, Idaho.
The family invites all of Willie's friends to join them in a memorial celebration of his life on Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. at the Stampede hall on the rodeo grounds in Elgin.
The oldest son of Velma and William "Bill" Schlegel, Willie was born March 12, 1921, in Whitefish, Mont. He attended school in Whitefish, where he excelled in sports. In high school he was a member of the all-star team in both football and basketball. After graduation, he moved to Astoria, where he worked as a commercial fisherman, using draft horses to pull large nets at low tide to harvest fish.
In 1960, while working for Schrader Construction out of Portland, he met and married Maxine Nicely of Baker City. In 1961 they adopted their only child, Cass. The family moved all over the Northwest, wherever Willie's job took them, but eventually settled in Elgin.
Willie was very active in his community. He served on the city council in Elgin, was president of the Stampede Rodeo Club, and operated a fish market, Willie's Fresh Fish, on the Island City Strip. He founded the Eastern Oregon Timber Carnival in Elgin in 1975 and was president of that organization for three years.
He and Maxine later moved to St. Helens, where he fished every day that he could. Neither bad weather nor poor health could keep him away from his favorite sport. If he wasn't fishing, he was digging clams or catching crabs along the Oregon coast. He was an active member of the Senior Center in St. Helens and looked forward to helping each year with the center's annual crab feed.
Due to poor health and Alzheimer's disease, Willie and Maxine moved to Boise in 1999 to live with their daughter and son-in-law. In December of that year, Willie had a stroke while standing on the patio of his daughter's home. He fell, hitting a table, and suffered a severe head injury. With the trauma caused by both the stroke and head injury, Willie required full-time care. He became a resident of Emmett Rehab & Healthcare, where he lived until his death.
Willie is survived by his wife, Maxine, who is now a resident of Holly Nursing & Rehab in Nampa, Idaho; daughter and son-in-law, Cass and Jay Vaughn of Boise, and their three daughters, Bailey Joe Vaughn, Carlie Vaughn and Megin Hutson of Grand Prairie, Texas.
Willie was preceded in death by both of his parents; and by his brother, "Buck, " who was just 11 months younger than Willie, and who died in March of this year.
Melvin Williams
Melvin F. Williams, 51, a former Baker City resident, died July 18, 2003, at the Veterans Hospital in Boise.
There will be a private family service.
Melvin was born Aug. 30, 1951, in Baker City to Fred and Enola (Derrick) Williams. He was raised and educated in the Baker City area. He joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and served in Vietnam as a medic. He married Kathy Schuh in 1969. They had two children.
In 1976 he married Charlotte (Wood) Stephens, and they moved to Albany in 1980.
After Vietnam he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad in Baker City, as a nurse in Oregon and California, and as a cook in Albany and other locations.
He loved camping, fishing, cooking and spending time with family and friends.
Melvin is survived by his sister, Joann Wilson of Prairie City; a brother, Rodney Williams of Corvallis; a son, Vince Williams of Albany; a daughter, Kristi Berg of El Cajon, Calif.; a stepson, David Stephens of Albany; a stepdaughter, Michaelle Williams of Albany; foster daughters, Tami and Christine, both of Albany; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Lela Sayas
Lela Sayas, 70, of Durkee, died July 15, 2003, at her home.
Her graveside funeral was today at the Durkee Cemetery. Tom Brock of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officiated. There was a reception afterward at the Durkee Grange.
Lela was born on June 22, 1933, at San Diego to Thomas and Velma Stoner.
Survivors include her husband, Tony; children, Thomas Barrie, Velma Johnson and John Barrie; grandchildren, Diana Barrie, Donald Barrie, T.J. Barrie, Melody Wright, Darryl Johnson, Candace Johnson and John Barrie; great-grandchildren, McKenna, Ryan, Donna Jean, Isaac, Moncia and Trysta.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Keith Carnahan
Keith Charles Carnahan, 75, of Lake Isabella, Calif., and a former resident of Halfway and Richland, died June 16, 2003, at his home.
There will be a graveside military service in his honor honor at 10 a.m. Monday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.
Keith was born on Nov. 1, 1927, to Ernest Michael and Neva Elizabeth Bowerman Carnahan at Carson. He was raised at Halfway until the sixth grade when the family moved over to Richland. He graduated from high school at Richland.
During his life he served as a U.S. Army captain. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. While in the service he received a Purple Heart as well as many other medals.
He graduated from the University of Arizona at Tucson in 1959 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Keith worked for McDonnell Douglas and Northrop Corp. in California. He lived in Santa Monica, Costa Mesa and Lake Isabella.
Before Keith ever entered the service, he had a fascination with airplanes. He enjoyed putting models together, then as he got older and more knowledgeable, found that he enjoyed the challenge of putting together those airplanes that had been damaged by storm or wind. He always had an airplane in the garage that he could tinker with, and he was always able to give them a second chance to fly again.
With his personal private plane, he enjoyed flying. But he also enjoyed making deliveries of clothing and food goods for his church in Mexico.
Keith had great hopes of being a hunter or a fisherman, but he was far too restless to settle down and wait. He always had things that he had to do.
While his sister Ernestine was alive, he enjoyed coming to Halfway and spending the summer. And Ernestine as well, enjoyed spending her time at Lake Isabella with Keith during the winter.
Survivors include his wife, Ann Carnahan; children, Scott Carnahan, Mark Carnahan, Vicki Carnahan and Maureen Guyot-Carnahan; seven grandchildren; his sister, Claire Colliton of Yakima, Wash.; brother, Nolan Carnahan, and his wife, Barbara, of Baker City.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Carnahan and Neva Charters; brother, Kenneth Carnahan; and sisters, Mary Loueva Carder and Ernestine Engstrom.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church at Lake Isabella through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
