System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Norma Simmons
Norma Colleen Simmons, 80, a former Grant County resident, died Sept. 30, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
At her family's request, there will be no service.
She was born on Sept. 14, 1923, at Hood River to Joseph and Nell Green. She grew up at Long Creek.
Colleen later married Jack Simmons in South Carolina. She then moved to Fox and later to John Day.
She worked at Grant County Bank in John Day, and then transferred to First Interstate Bank in Baker City until she retired.
She loved to read books, crochet and play bingo.
Survivors include her husband of 61 years; a son, Delo, and his wife, Lisa Simmons, of Baker City; daughter, Evelyn, and her husband, Tony Johns, of Prairie City, daughter Janyce and her husband, Terry Foersterling, of Baker City, and son, Jeron, and his wife, Charline Simmons, of Baker City; sisters, Lorene Carter of La Grande, and Elouise Simmons of John Day; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom she loved dearly.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Morris Wells Jr.
Morris Wells Jr., 79, a longtime Baker City resident, died Tuesday, September 30 at his home.
At his family's request, disposition will be by cremation. A memorial gathering will be scheduled later.
Morris was born on April 1, 1924, at Cambridge, Idaho, to Morris C. Wells Sr. and Myrtle Winegar Wells. He attended grade school at Cambridge and Heath, Idaho, and later moved to Richland where he attended high school.
After high school he returned to Cambridge where he worked as an auto mechanic. He then worked at a lumber mill at Tamarack, near Cambridge. He married Georgia Howland on Nov. 10, 1944, at Council, Idaho.
Not long after their marriage, the couple moved to Unity where Morris worked as a log truck driver for his brothers-in-law, Hopkins and Mason. They remained at Unity for three years.
They moved to Baker City in 1949 where Morris purchased his own log truck. He continued to operate his trucking business until the mid '60s when he sold his truck and went to work driving fuel trucks for a highway construction contractor. He then went to work for Gary Smith Trucking until his retirement in 1988.
Morris enjoyed taking drives and traveling with his wife, working on his car and helping others. He was always there to lend a helping hand. He also enjoyed mining at his claim overlooking Connor Creek and the Snake River. In his younger days, he enjoyed hunting birds and big game, but as the years went on, he really enjoyed seeing the animals along the road more than hunting them.
Survivors include his wife, Georgia Wells of Baker City; his son, Larry Wells of Bremerton, Wash.; three granddaughters, Brenda Wells, Karen Wall, and Rhonda Wells; and a great-grandson, Jesse Joe Wall, all of Bremerton, Wash.; numerous cousins; and an aunt, Fannie Blank.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Pearl White
Pearl West White, 93, of Baker City, died Sept. 12, 2003, at Ashley Manor, where she had spent the last years of her life in Baker City.
Disposition was by cremation. There will be a private family remembrance.
Mrs. White was born on Sept. 14, 1909, at Pocatello, Idaho, to Adolph and Tillie Peterson Carlson. She lived the majority of her life at Halfway, Huntington and Baker City. She married Frank West in 1927; he died in 1960. In 1965 she married William White; he died in 1977.
Pearl enjoyed traveling to visit her family and was the mainstay of her family's lives. The family is left with many wonderful "Pearl stories" and memories.
Survivors include her sisters, Ellen Henderson of Washington and Grace Mitchell of California; brother, Spencer Carlson of Washington; son, Wayman West, and daughter, Jean Wheaton, both of Washington; granddaughters, Sandy Scott of Baker City, Paul Smith of Boise, Kristen West of Olympia and Kerrin Robson of Connecticut; great-grandchildren, Micah, Sarah and Lucas Smith, Sam and Eric Scott and Samantha Robson; and great-great-granddaughter, Brooklyn Scott.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Ruth Ritch.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice. Coles Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
‘Roby' Pipes
Taylor "Roby" Pipes, 87, of La Grande, died Sept. 20, 2003, at his home.
His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 24, 2003, at the First Christian Church in La Grande. There will be a gathering at 3:30 p.m. at the Grande Ronde Retirement Center in La Grande for friends who wish to visit with the family or who were not able to attend the memorial service. Daniels Chapel of the Valley of La Grande is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pipes was born near Fayette, Mo., at the Pipes family home on Sept. 9, 1916. As a young man in Arvada, Colo., he enjoyed going with his dad, who was buying and shipping dairy cattle to California.
In his spare time, he enjoyed playing baseball, ice skating and roller skating, fishing and swimming. He quit high school near the end of the Depression, working many days for a place to sleep and eat. Wages of 50 cents per day were considered a gift.
After his parents divorced when he was 19, he made his own life, spending much time at Filer, Idaho. He married Anita Hermann at Weiser, Idaho, on July 4, 1940. He always said "he gave up his independence on Independence Day, on Leap Year."
On Dec. 18, 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served with the 743rd Railroad Operating Battalion, Co. C-European Theater. He served mostly in Belgium, keeping supplies going through for the ground troops.
A perfectionist, he was very mechanical and skilled with his hands. After he was honorably discharged as a captain, he joined the Army Reserves and served until his discharge in 1963. In 1946 he returned to La Grande and went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad.
When the yard office closed in La Grande, Yardmaster Pipes went on the road as a brakeman on the Wallowa Branch line and later worked on the main line between Hinkle, La Grande and Nampa. He retired in 1977 as a Union Pacific conductor.
He loved to fish, pheasant hunt, camp and to putter around in his shop and visiting with people.
In 1984 he had a lemon-size brain tumor removed and was fully recovered after three months. He and Anita then went on a European trip to visit their daughter's family in England, and then on to Belgium to revisit World War II sites and to renew foreign friendships made during the war.
In 1997 he suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke after the removal of a second brain tumor. Intensive therapy and tenacity helped him to regain his ability to walk, read, write and speak small sentences.
After living in their own home on Washington Avenue at La Grande for 50 years, the Pipes moved to the Grande Ronde Retirement Center in 2001. In 2002, he had a third brain tumor removed.
Even after suffering further setbacks, he was committed to regain and retain his health. He could be seen walking around various parts of town, carrying his cane like a "country gentleman", only using it for safety purposes when going up or down curbs or crossing rough spots.
Survivors include his wife, Anita Pipes of La Grande; daughters and sons-in-law, Janice and Tim Kerns and Jean and David Conklin; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sister, Helen Burt of Arlington, Wash.; and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a brother, David Pipes.
Memorial contributions may be made to the GRH Hospice or the charity of one's choice through Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, OR 97850.
Laura Tracy
Laura Mae Ostwald Tracy, 75, a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 21, 2003.
There will be a private service.
Laura Mae was born on July 9, 1928, at Baker City to Paul William and Anna Bell Grubb Ostwald. She grew up in Baker City along side her older brother, Walter Alvin Ostwald. She was a 1946 Baker High School graduate.
At 19 Laura and a girlfriend moved to the Portland. She pursued a career in modeling and art design and later became display manager at Roos Atkins in San Francisco. While living in California, she met and married Ted N. Tracy in 1965.
One of the most outstanding things about Laura Tracy was the number of cherished friends she collected over the years. Once you were her friend, you were a friend for life and the more blessed for it. She will be missed by many and always remembered with a smiling heart.
Survivors include her brother, Walter of Baker City; her four stepchildren, Janet Austin, Marilyn Farris, Ted Tracy Jr., and Sarah Griffin; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
‘Bud' Morris
Ernest Henry "Bud" Morris, 80, of Baker City, died Sept. 24, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Visitations will be from noon to 6 p.m. Friday at Gray's West & Co.
Bud was born on Aug. 4, 1923, at Payette, Idaho, to Charles Burt Morris and Alma Augusta Troxell. He was a lifelong Baker City resident.
Bud joined the U.S. Navy in 1942, serving during World War II. Almost a year after returning from the Navy, on Nov. 21, 1946, he married Martha Earline Bowman. Bud worked for Russell Rode Meat Packing, rode for the Durkee Cattleman's Association, and retired from the railroad in 1981 after 32 years.
Bud spent lots of time reading, writing and collecting poems. He enjoyed sharing his many poems with his family and friends. Bud also spent time raising bees, trapping, and gardening, but most of all, he enjoyed hunting.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Burt and Alma.
Survivors include his wife of almost 57 years, Earline; two sisters, Vera Elizabeth Lammert and Verna Francis, both of Baker City; two nephews, Allen Lammert and Dell Francis; two nieces, Virginia Caldwell and Wilma Bishop; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews and lots of loving family.
Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society, Baker County Unit, through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Charles Bacon Jr.
Charles Clayton Bacon Jr., 86, of Payette, Idaho, a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 22, 2003, at Ontario.
His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Haines Cemetery. Pastor Jon Privett of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Arrangements are under the direction of Gray's West & Co.
Clayton was born on Nov. 9, 1916, at Sumpter, to Charles Henry Bacon and Essie Maxwell Bacon.
In 1941, Clayton joined the U.S. Army where he served for four years. A month after he was discharged, on Sept. 21, 1945, he married Genevene Merle Blize. They had two children, Linda Bacon Myers and James "Jim" Bacon.
Clayton spent many years at Sumpter working on the dredge and logging. He also had a mining claim.
Clayton ran a gas station and enjoyed working in his shop on cars. He spent his last 10 years living in Payette, Idaho, with Gale and Linda Myers. He immensely enjoyed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; a brother, John Henry Bacon; and a sister, Jessie Mabel Bacon.
Survivors include his daughter and son; eight grandchildren, Tina Myers Johnson, Troy Myers, Dana Myers Harvey, Freedom Myers Gassaway, Jeni Myers Hathaway, Heather Bacon Forsberg, Laura Bacon Rush, and Allen Bacon; 15 great-grandchildren, Jesse Johnson, Timothy Johnson, William Johnson, Kristina Johnson, Jeremiah Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Tiffanee Myers, Jacob Myers, Devon Harvey, Tiyanna Harvey, Bryttney Harvey, Elizabeth Gassaway, Melanie Rush, Kyle Allen Bacon; and nieces and nephews.
George Tipton
George Perry Tipton, 82, of Baker City, died Sept. 22, 2003, at Baker City.
His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Ed Niswender of Calvary Baptist Church, 2107 Third St., will officiate. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Coles Funeral Home.
Mr. Tipton was born Dec. 5, 1920, at Haysville, N.C., to James and Pearl Day Tipton. He moved with his family to California at an early age and attended Manteca High School. He was honored as an outstanding ball player during his high school years.
After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on the U.S.S. Fletcher in the South Pacific during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
In 1946 he married Mary Anna Larsen. They had three sons, Thomas, William and Robert James. Mr. Tipton owned and operated a Richfield Service Station at Manteca, Calif.
He retired in 1977 and remained in California until 1997 when he and his wife moved to Baker City to be near their son, Bill.
Mr. Tipton was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a good family man and looked after his family very well. He enjoyed the outdoors and was a sports enthusiast.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Anna of Baker City; sons, Thomas Tipton and his wife, Linda, of Roseburg, and William "Bill" Tipton of Baker City; three grandchildren, Chris Tipton, Katie Tipton and Julie Tipton; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Robert James; three sisters; and a brother.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Red Cross, Eastern Oregon Chapter, through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Carl Peterson
Carl C. Peterson, 83, of Baker City, died Sept. 20, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
There will be a celebration of life memorial for Carl Peterson at 2 p.m. Thursday at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Pastor Lennie Spooner will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the Family Life Center.
Carl was born on Nov. 13, 1919, at Delta Colo., to Clarence Emil and Deliliah May Peterson. He married Mildred Alexander on Feb 12, 1943.
They farmed at Delta until they moved to Baker City in 1947. Carl was a building contractor and built many homes in Baker City, La Grande, and Island City. He will best be remembered by his family and friends as a man of unwavering faith. Carl loved God, God's word, and God's church.
He supported missions through many programs including work and witness teams, and he helped to share God's Word to the world through the Gideon Ministry. He loved his family and blessed his children and grandchildren with a heritage of Christian faith.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Mildred Peterson, his son, David Peterson, and his daughter, Gayle Poe, all of Baker City; daughters, Judy Tschirgi of Elgin and Cherie Parmenter of Springfield; two sisters, Selma Zavislan of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Daisy Byers of Delta, Colo.; a sister-in-law, Eleanor Peterson of Oklahoma City, Okla.; a brother-in-law, Arnol Hunt of Eckert, Colo.; eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and a large extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Robert, Grant, and Clarence Peterson; and two sisters, Grace Plackett and Anne Hunt.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Gideons International through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
David Eardley
David William Eardley, 99, a longtime Baker City resident, died Sept. 12, 2003.
Those wishing to pay their respects and to visit with the family may come to Gray's West & Co. Funeral Home, 1500 Dewey Ave., from 6:30 until 8 o'clock tonight. There will be a private family memorial service Tuesday. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
David was born on Aug. 8, 1904, at Baker City, where he lived almost his entire life. He attended school at Baker City, graduating as valedictorian from Baker High School. He also attended the University of Utah at Salt Lake City where he graduated with honors with a degree in music.
David was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served a mission in Great Britain for the church. He served as a ward organist most of his life, and was a member of the Stake High Council for 16 years.
He was well-known for his great musical talent in organ and piano accompanying. He played for countless vocal and instrumental soloists, many choirs and groups, and a dance band. He was also in great demand for playing weddings and funerals.
He served many years as the owner-operator of the Eardley Lumber Co. in south Baker City. In his later years, he worked as a radio announcer for KBKR in Baker. David was well-loved by his family.
Survivors include his daughter, Linda, and her husband, John Chatelain of Salt Lake City; a son, Don, and his wife, Myrna, of Farr West, Utah, and a son Kim and his wife, Valerie "Chip, " of Baker City. They lovingly cared for him in their home the last six years of his life. He also is survived by seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, with two more expected this year.
David was preceded in death by his parents, James and Mary; and two brothers, Myron and Walter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
