System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Clifford Coffman
Clifford Coffman, 89, of Weiser, Idaho, and a former Baker City resident, died Nov. 17, 2003, at a Weiser assisted living center.
His graveside funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Hillcrest Cemetery in Weiser.
Cliff was born on July 2, 1914, at Penokee, Kan., to Mitchell H. and Maude Green Coffman. He moved with his family to the Boise area as a child. He attended Boise schools, receiving a diploma from Stack Rock School.
Cliff married Alta Alberta Gatliff on Aug. 8, 1935, at Boise. The couple moved to Baker City and then to Hermiston and finally to Weiser in 1944 where they had lived since.
He owned and managed an associated oil distributorship for several years. He also owned the Dairy Freeze fast food business, which was located where the underpass is now at Weiser. He had a farm on the Weiser River and he worked with Huckstep House Movers in the Weiser and upper valley areas.
Cliff was an active member of the Nazarene Church and helped build the Weiser church.
His wife died on Jan. 22, 1997.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth and Thelma Coffman of Meridian, Idaho; a daughter, Donna Dae Adamson of Las Vegas, Nev.; three grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter.
He also was preceded in death by two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Nazarene Church Building Fund, 340 W. Commercial St., Weiser, ID 83672.
Thomason Funeral Home of Weiser is in charge of arrangements.
Nellie Brannock
Nellie G. Brannock, 88, a former Hereford and Baker City resident, died Nov. 6, 2003, at Omak, Wash.
Her graveside funeral was Nov. 12 at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Nellie was born on Aug. 10, 1915, to Lewis C. and Laura Phillips Morin at Haines. She married Gerald Brannock at Weiser, Idaho, on Oct. 15, 1936. Most of their married life was spent on their ranch in the Hereford area.
Upon Nellie and Gerald's retirement, they moved to Baker City and sold the ranch to their nephew, John Morin, and his wife, Roberta.
Gerald died in 1978. Nellie continued to live in Baker City by herself until 1987 when her brother, Ted Morin, moved in with her upon the death of his spouse.
Together Ted and Nellie shared many interests. They attended church together, gardened and always opened their home to family and friends.
Nellie was a great caregiver to so many people. If someone was ill, she was right there to comfort and serve. She was an accomplished seamstress and cook and she loved baseball, basketball and horse racing. She was loved by many and will be missed by a host of family and friends.
Survivors include her son, Ken Pearson, and wife, Darlene, of Republic, Wash.; a foster daughter, Darlene Jenkins, and husband, Jerry, of Wilbur; a sister, Gladys Ward; two brothers, Ted Morin of Baker City and Claude Morin of Ogden, Utah; seven grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Research Alliance of Oregon or to the charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Dorothy Denne
Dorothy M. Denne, 88, of Baker City, died Nov. 16, 2003, at Ashley Manor, a Baker City senior care center.
Her memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Sister Kay Marie Duncan will officiate.
Mrs. Denne was born May 18, 1915, to Wilford Anderson and Isabelle Nicholson Anderson near Nash, N.D. She was educated in the Hoople, N.D., schools before entering nurses training at Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, graduating in 1938.
On Aug. 8, 1939, she married Edwin J. Denne at Minneapolis, where they lived until 1944. They then lived in St. Louis, Mo., until their final move to Colorado in 1951. In 1954, Mrs. Denne returned to her nursing career and she continued to work until her retirement in 1977.
Survivors are a daughter, Kathryn Waneka and her husband, Michael, of Greeley, Colo.; two sons, Gerald Denne and his wife, Karen, of Grand Island, Neb., and John Denne and his wife, Cindy, of Baker City; a surviving sister in Pittsburgh; two brothers in Hoople, N.D.; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Her husband and one sister preceded her in death.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Alzheimer's Association through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Marsha Jacobson
Marsha Faye Jacobson, 62, died Nov. 13, 2003, at her home near Haines.
There will be a memorial gathering at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Haines United Methodist Church Community Hall.
Marsha was born on Feb. 13, 1941, to Forrest and Faye Lillard. She was raised in the Baker Valley and attended school at Muddy Creek and graduated from Powder Valley High School at North Powder.
She also attended Oregon State University at Corvallis before her marriage to John L. "Jack" Jacobson on Aug. 19, 1961. She quit school and worked to put Jack through law school. They returned to Baker City in 1965 where Jack set up his law practice.
In their earlier years in Baker City, Marsha worked as a bookkeeper, and had her own gift store, The Crystal Palace.
In 1981, Marsha returned to college at Eastern Oregon University at La Grande to earn her teaching degree. She began her career as an elementary teacher in 1985. She was well loved as a teacher because of her dedication to children and her great talent in working with children who had reading difficulties.
She was considered a "master teacher" by many, and continued to update her education with summer classes and special workshops whenever they were available. Marsha was one of those people who was "born to teach."
Marsha had many talents: making a house a home, sewing all the outfits for the Haines Rodeo Court, helping young people with their 4-H projects, and just being a good friend.
She took up painting with Terri Axness and discovered she had a great talent for it. Her love for birds and flowers showed throughout her artwork. Marsha loved her flower beds and living on their ranch outside of Haines, gourmet cooking, attracting birds to her yard, her dogs and especially her grandchildren. She made many trips across the state to spend time with her children and grandchildren.
Survivors include her husband, Jack Jacobson; two sons, Dr. John O. Jacobson and his wife, Amber, and their two daughters, of Brookings, and Kirk L. Jacobson and his wife, Lisa, and their son of Medford; and her mother, Faye Lillard, and her sister, Christine Lillard of Baker City.
She was preceded in death by her father and an infant daughter.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Haines United Methodist Church.
Rosalie Cempura
Rosalie Ettie Cempura, 98, a longtime Halfway resident, died Nov. 9, 2003, at Settlers Park Assisted Living in Baker City.
There will be a celebration of her life later this week at Christ's Lutheran Church at Waterford, Mich.
She was born on July 1, 1905, at Algoma, Kent County, Mich., to Daniel David and Jessie Maybell Armstrong Smith. Rosalie graduated from high school at Detroit.
She married Oscar Larsen in 1928. She went on to further her education at the University of Michigan at Lansing where she earned her master teaching credentials. She taught elementary and special education classes.
Rosalie was a published author whose passion for teaching led her to write "Springboards for Today's Education, " along with other writings: "Literacy Now!" "The Life and Loves of a Master Teacher, " and "Home Based Learning."
In the latter part of the 1970s, Rosalie married Vernon Motley and they moved to Pine Valley. They later divorced, but Rosalie loved Pine Valley and made her home there.
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was baptized Catholic in 1980. She enjoyed the senior citizen activities and was a member of the Pine Cone Club and the Grange. She saved every napkin from every Pine Cone Club dinner or meal. Each napkin was in mint condition.
She enjoyed her social life and visiting. Rosalie spent hours on her computer and enjoyed working with words.
She also enjoyed traveling and took a trip around the world with her group of teachers. She also enjoyed gardening. She remained active and social by attending her church as well as the senior functions.
Rosalie loved to dance. Many fondly remember Rosalie at a "Sweethearts Dance" dressed beautifully in black, wearing 4-inch heels and dancing the night away when she was in her early 90s. Rosalie always had an elegant flair.
Survivors include her daughter, Dagmar Rosalie Taylor and her husband, Vern, of Michigan, Winnie Allum of Oregon; eight grandchildren, Kenneth Palmer and his wife, Christina, Tina Palmer Evans and her husband, Palmer, Paula Carr, Greg Carr and his wife, Liz, Patrick Carr and his wife, Chris, Therese Buttenhoff, Christopher Carr and his wife, Dorothy, and Carla Carr; 19 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel and Jessie Smith; a daughter, Lois L. Carr of Phoenix, Ariz.; a son-in-law, Harry Allum of Oregon; and a brother, Norris H. Smith of Grand Ledge, Mich.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834 or her memory may be honored by performing an act of kindness for another person.
‘Rod' Cain
Rodney Joe "Rod" Cain, 55, of East Wenatchee, Wash., a former Baker City resident who worked as a Baker City Police officer and as a National Guard recruiter in Baker City, died June 2, 2003.
There was a celebration of Rod's life at the Precht Rose Chapel in Chelan, Wash., which was primarily prepared and conducted by his sons. The celebration was continued at the Fraternal Cemetery at Chelan with National Guard honors.
Rod was born June 3, 1947, at Beebe, Wash., just outside Chelan, to Theodora and James Cain. He grew up and was educated at Chelan. He joined the Washington National Guard at Wenatchee in 1964.
He married Sherry C. Whited on Feb. 1, 1967. Rod worked construction in the Seattle area for three years. During those years he and his wife had two sons, Rod and Brad Cain.
He moved his family to Anchorage, Alaska, to join his brother in his construction business. He soon moved to Soldotna, Alaska, with the construction business and entered the police reserves program there.
In a short time he applied and was hired for a police officer position with the Homer Police Department. After seven years, he wanted to be closer to his aging mother and his siblings. He researched areas close to them and learned of an opening with the Baker City Police.
He was interviewed and hired for the job, working under the direction of then-chief, Doug Humphress. Rod worked as a Baker City officer for 12 years, leaving as a sergeant.
He then was hired as a National Guard recruiter stationed in Baker City. In 1985, Rod and Sherry divorced and Rod moved to Ontario where he continued as a recruiter.
Rod married Shirley Otto at Ontario in 1986. They moved to Wenatchee, Wash., in 1998 where Rod continued as a recruiter until he retired in 1999. Rod's last employment was with the Chelan County Regional Jail where he worked as cook supervisor.
Rod was very proud of his sons and grandchildren. The last few months of his life they spent a lot of quality time together. Rod was a friendly guy who made friends easily. He enjoyed fishing and hunting, but mostly visiting with his many family members.
Rod was the youngest of 11 children. He was preceded in death by his parents, five sisters and two brothers.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley; his oldest son, Rod, and his wife, Dawn, and their children, Jesse, Allison, Tyler and Dylan of Weston; his youngest son, Brad, and his wife, Cynthia, and their daughter, Shelby, and sons, Bryce and Braden, of Nampa, Idaho; two stepsons, Kenneth and Jerry Otto; three sisters; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
‘Hutch' Hutchinson
Charles Eldon Hutchinson, 87, a lifelong Baker County resident who was known as "Hutch" by his many friends and neighbors, died Nov. 8, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Care Center.
His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Friday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Jack Bynum of the Baker United Methodist Church will officiate. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception at Gray's West & Co. after the service.
Hutch was born on the Hutchinson Ranch near North Powder on March 24, 1916, to Charles Edward and Maude Kelsey Hutchinson. He graduated in 1938 with a degree in agriculture from Oregon State College where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was enrolled in the ROTC program.
After college, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was discharged in 1945 with the rank of captain. While serving in the army at Fort Bragg, N.C., he met Clara Hall, his wife of 62 years.
They were married outside of Portland on Nov. 1, 1941. After completion of his military service, Hutch and Clara moved back to North Powder and purchased the family ranch, where they lived and raised their two daughters. In 1990 they sold the ranch and retired to their present home outside of Baker City.
Hutch was very active in community affairs. He served on various boards, including the North Powder School Board, North Powder Methodist Church Board, and Eastern Oregon University Board. He worked tirelessly for the creation and construction of Wolf Creek and Pilcher Creek dams.
Survivors include his wife, Clara; daughters Sherry Greulich of Beaverton and Pamela Enstad of Edmonds, Wash.; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and three sisters, Helen, Charlene, and Ardath.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Elizabeth Care Center through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Gary Aldrich
Gary E. Aldrich, 73, a longtime Baker City resident, died Nov. 9, 2003, at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Haines Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight and from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Mr. Aldrich was born Aug. 4, 1930, at Baker City. He was the son of Elvin "Dutch" and Mona Yankee Aldrich. He attended Muddy Creek School until 1947, when the school was closed. He then completed high school at North Powder. After graduating, he moved to Wyoming for a period of time and then returned to Baker City.
In January 1954, he married Betty Anne Tiffany of North Powder. They were divorced in 1958. He married Ethel Wintersteen on April 1, 1966. Mr. Aldrich worked as a painter and then went to work for Burnt River Sawmill in various positions until retiring at the age of 62 in 1992.
He enjoyed horses, fishing and doing ceramics with his wife.
Survivors include his children, Eva Marie Jarvis and her husband, Lee, of Kalispel, Mont., Rena M. Morrow and her husband, Mike, of Haines, Mike Wellman and his wife, Brenda, of Newberg, Mike Hotchkiss and his wife, Vicki, of Silverdale, Wash., and Sherry Hotchkiss of Baker City; brothers, Robert Aldrich and Neil Aldrich, both of Haines; 11 grandchildren, three of whom he raised, Emmie, Kattrina and Rachell; 14 great- grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ethel; and her son, James "Pit."
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Gary Aldrich Memorial Fund in care of US Bank. This may be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Peter Van Steinburg
Peter Blaine Van Steinburg, 55, of Kaneake, Hawaii, a former Baker City resident, died of cancer on Oct. 9, 2003, at Kaneake, Hawaii.
Family and friends gathered for a celebration of his life.
He was born Sept. 6, 1948, at Hollywood to Phillip Craig Van Steinburg and Laura Holderbach-Van Steinburg. He spent his early years at Burbank and Woodland Hills, Calif.
As a teen-ager, his love for animals brought him to Baker City where he worked on the ranch of Floyd and Betty Duncan. While attending high school in Baker City he met the love of his life, Beverly K. Brownell. They were married on Aug. 30, 1965, at Weiser, Idaho. They had a son affectionately known as "RePete."
Pete worked at Baker Mill & Grain for a couple of years and then at the Chevron Service Station. He began his sales career at Phillips-Long Ford. Pete was an exceptional salesman and at the age of 24 he was promoted to sales manager for Mel Winter's Mobile Homes at Pendleton.
After dabbling in the stock market for a brief period, he opened and ran Gallery T-Shirts, a retail store in Pendleton. In December of 1978, he and his family moved to Kailua, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, where he continued his sales career in Aloha wear.
He soon talked himself into a job selling advertising with GTE yellow pages for seven years. After that he purchased Drapery Masters Inc., which he continued to run until his final days.
Pete was a founding member of the Hawaii Single-Action Shooters Society and the National Single-Action Shooters Society. His alias was "The Governor."
Pete enjoyed a special, gentle relationship with all the animals he gave a home to — cats, dogs, chickens, geese and their beautiful horses. It was not unusual to see Pete with a goose or chicken on his lap that just wanted to be petted, not to mention the thousands of horsey kisses exchanged for carrots.
His generosity of time and spirit were evident to all his friends and family. He spent the month of July in Baker City this summer to reminisce about the time he spent here and to renew old friendships.
Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Beverly Van Steinburg; a son, Pete Craig Van Steinburg, and daughter-in-law, Nancy Bush-Van Steinburg, and two beautiful grandsons, Andrew Garrett Van Steinburg and Erik Blaine Van Steinburg, all of Sacramento; two brothers, Cary Jon Van Steinburg of Canoga Park, Calif., and Phillip Craig Van Steinburg II of Rochester, Minn.; 12 nieces and nephews; and numerous friends.
