System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Edgar Graven
Edgar C. Graven, 85, a longtime Richland resident, died April 10, 2001, at his home.
His graveside funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Pastor Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church will officiate.
Visitations will be from 8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Friday at the Richland Christian Church.
Mr. Graven was born on June 22, 1915, at New Bridge to Cecil and Cora Prock Graven. He attended school at New Bridge and lived there until about 1933 when he began working with the Civilian Conservation Corps. He did some mining at Greenhorn, Cornucopia and also worked at the dredge in Sumpter.
Mr. Graven was a corporal in the Quartermasters and at the end of World War II spent the remainder of his service in the Philippines. He spent most of his career at Timber Structures in heavy construction. He worked nationwide supervising construction of auditoriums, warehouses, field houses, churches, shopping centers and domes. He supervised the construction of the first wooden dome built in the United States in 1956 in Ohio.
He returned to his birthplace of Eagle Valley in 1976. He loved to hunt and fish and spent most of his last years in those activities. He also spent time panning for gold and traveling to see family. He was always generous in sharing his wealth of knowledge of the history of Eastern Oregon. He was well-read and was an avid fan of world history.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Hazel Connall; brothers, Loran Graven and Drake Graven; and a son, Edgar Graven Jr.
Survivors include his sons, Tom Graven and Duane Graven; sisters, Myrtle Peterson, Vernita Gillmore and Betty Scott; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews; and his longtime special friend, Ida Thompson of Halfway.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, Ore. 97814.
Edna Brill
Edna V. Brill, 79, a longtime Baker City resident, died April 8, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Bill Cox of the McEwen Bible Fellowship will officiate. Vault interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception after the services at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St.
Visitations will be from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co.
Mrs. Brill was born on Jan. 5, 1922, at Baker City to Howard and Goldie Jacobs. She attended the Lookout Mountain-Five-Mile School, McEwen School in Sumpter Valley and Baker City schools.
During the war years, she worked in the shipyards, cutting fiberglass as a member of the Carpenter’s Union. She also operated dairies for many years on the old Biswell and Boyce ranches. She lived most of her life ranching and farming in Baker County.
Mrs. Brill loved flowers and gardening and took great pride in her yard. Canning, sewing and cooking for her family was her way of life. Holidays were big events for her — the more the better was her style. After moving to town in her later years, she became involved as a caregiver for several older women whom she came to love so much.
She loved her children and was crazy about all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Music and dancing also were a favorite part of her life. Her motto was: “If you can’t say something good about a person, don’t say anything at all.”
Survivors include her daughters, Joyce Cree of Lakewood, Colo., and Joann Wellman and her husband, Stan, of Baker City; her sons, Charles Cree and Joe Emery Jr. of Baker City; grandchildren, Debra Clark and her husband, Shawn, of Portland, Richy Rowe and his wife, Misty, of Pilot Rock, Donny Rowe of Ontario, Garla Rowe and her fiance, Roman Reyes, of Baker City, Betty Gardner of Lakewood, Colo., Sally Bissen and her husband, Chris, of Chino Hills, Colo., Valarie Cree of Huntington, Texas, Lisa Lisn of Jerome, Idaho, Sherryce, Jamie, Luke and Austin Emery of Baker City, Josuha Parisien of Baker City; great-grandchildren, Tannia and Richy Rowe Jr. of Pilot Rock, Maranda Sears and Jacob Coles of Portland, Chris, Kyra and Rachel Rowe of Baker City, Christina and Georgina Cree of Huntington, Texas; sisters, Erma Price, Odetta Miller and her husband, Frank, and Ethel Rogers and her husband, Vern, of Baker City; brothers, Dewey Jacobs of Baker City and Duane Jacobs and his wife, Patti, of Hermiston; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by the her husband, Boyd Brill Sr.; a daughter, Ada Cree; parents, Howard and Goldie Jacobs; her grandchildren, Jerry Lunceford and Cindy Cree; two brothers; an infant sister; and brother-in-law, John Price Sr.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, Ore. 97814.
Ethel Stewart
Ethel Anderson Stewart, 89, of La Grande died April 9, 2001, at the Grande Ronde Hospital.
At her request there will be no public funeral service. Graveside committal and interment will be at 2 p.m. April 13, 2001, at the Island City Cemetery. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Daniels Chapel of the Valley.
Mrs.Stewart was born on Jan. 20, 1912, at North Powder to James A. and Cecil Ruby Myres Jones. She was a life member of Hope Chapter, No. 13, Order of Eastern Star; the Nydia Temple, No. 4, Daughters of the Nile Club; the Eagles Auxiliary, No. 259; the Rebekah Lodge; and the Lady Elks. She also was a member of the First Lutheran Church.
Mrs. Stewart was a charter member of the Oregon Trail Riders in Baker City, which was the first riding club organized in Oregon. The 36 original members made appearances and rode in rodeos and fairs in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, including at the Pendleton Round-up.
Mrs. Stewart enjoyed fishing and hunting and was a professional fishing flytier and worked at the Mid-West Tackle Shop. After leaving the tackle shop, she went into business for herself tying flies and shipping them to various outlets in the Northwest.
She married Thomas G. Stewart on April 3, 1978.
Survivors include her husband, Thomas G. Stewart of La Grande; stepdaughter, Bonnie Stewart of Seattle, Wash.; grandson, Tommy Stewart of Seattle; and other relatives and many close friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Mable Ann, Doris Fugel and Dorothy Person; a brother, David “Bud” Jones; and her former husband, Myron Anderson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children through the Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, Ore. 97850.
Maribeth Chandler
Maribeth L. Chandler, 81, a longtime Baker Valley resident, died April 7, 2001, at her home on the family ranch on Chandler Lane.
Her graveside funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Lura Kidner-Miesen of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Vault interment will be after the service. Visitations will be today until 7 p.m. at Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Mrs. Chandler was born Oct. 16, 1919, at Fort Benton, Mont., a daughter of Ben R. and Pearl Sample Gragg. She was a railroad daughter and lived in La Grande, Montpelier, Huntington and Baker City. Mrs. Chandler received her schooling in all of those towns and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in secretarial science.
She married Charles H. Chandler on June 13, 1941, at the home of Charles’ parents, Herbert and Linda Chandler.
Mrs. Chandler was a member of the Baker County Cattlewomen, Oregon Cattlewomen’s Association and a Lady Elk. She volunteered at the Bloodmobile.
After her marriage, she worked at JC Penney’s and later at U.S. Bank. Since then she had kept books for the ranch until her death.
She was a quiet person with great inner strength. She was vibrant and spunky with a very special wit. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother and was very close to her family. She enjoyed gardening, flowers and cooking.
Mrs. Chandler is survived by her husband, Charles Herbert Chandler of Baker City; son and daughter-in-law, George H. and Janet K. Chandler of Baker City; a sister-in-law, Herberta G. Chandler of Baker City; grandchildren, Duane H. Chandler, Patti S. and Clifford E. Hall, all of Baker City, Kelli R. Chandler of Kirkland, Wash., and Margaret and Scott Moore and their daughters, Madeline and Katie.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, Charles H. Chandler Jr.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker County Livestock Producers Foundation through the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Baker City, Ore. 97814.
Edward Cox
Edward Lee Cox, 66, of Spokane, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died April 3, 2001.
His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Opportunity Presbyterian Church in Spokane.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Baker City, the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite and El Katif Temple. He retired from Farm Credit Services after 25 years of service. At the time of his death, he was employed at Certified Appraisals.
Survivors include his wife, Jessie Cox; daughter, Cathy Peplinski; daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Tony Higley; grandchildren, Nicole and Matt Peplinski, Kelsey and Jamie Higley; and sisters, Betty Vanderwall, Geraldine Riggs and Donna Babbit.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the memorial fund at Opportunity Presbyterian Church, 202 N. Pines Road, Spokane, Wash., or Hospice of Spokane.
‘Betty’ Sanders
Elizabeth Janette “Betty” Sanders, 80, of La Grande, and a former Baker City resident, died April 5, 2001, at a local care center.
A celebration of life will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., in La Grande. The Rev. Vernon Slippy of the Grande Ronde Community Church officiating and with the participation of the American Legion.
Ms. Sanders was born Oct. 27, 1920, at Toppenish, Wash., to Carlton Joseph Sr. and Elizabeth Sheppard Waltz. She graduated from Baker High School in 1938 and attended Linfield College before entering the Navy during World War II. She was a Link Instrument Trainer and taught pilots how to navigate using instruments.
She married Burl Courtney in Weiser, Idaho, and attended both Eastern Oregon State College and Long Beach State College in California. She taught school until her retirement.
Later she married Jim Sanders in Los Angeles and returned to Baker City in 1985. She moved to La Grande recently to be near her family.
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Baker City, where she had served as receiving treasurer, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Order of Eastern Star, the auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and served as commander of the American Legion. She was a CASA volunteer and was active in the senior citizens’ organization in Baker City. She enjoyed traveling and had visited Europe, Australia and Mexico.
Survivors include her sons, John Courtney of Cove and Rod Courtney of Downey, Calif.; two grandsons and five great-grandchildren; a brother, C.J. Waltz of Pendleton; a sister, Beverly Kennedy of Bremerton, Wash.; and other relatives.
Contributions in Ms. Sanders’ memory may be made to the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression in care of Daniels Chapels of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, OR 97850.
‘Jean’ Foster
Dorothy “Jean” Foster, 73, of Ontario, and a former Baker City resident, died April 6, 2001, at her home after an illness.
Her funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. PDT at Ontario’s Assembly of God Church. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Ontario. Visitations will be today until 7 p.m. PDT at Lienkaemper Chapel, 78 Northwest First Ave. in Ontario.
Mrs. Foster was born July 3, 1927, at Bend to Roy and Caroline Campbell. She was raised and educated in Baker City, and graduated from Baker High School in 1946. She married Marvin Foster on June 1, 1947, at Baker City. They lived in Baker City and La Grande before moving to Ontario in 1958.
Mrs. Foster enjoyed her jobs in the cafeteria at May Roberts School, where she worked as a cook from 1965-85. She also worked in the bakery at Albertsons, where she was known as the “Cookie Lady” until her retirement in 1997. She had worked as a greeter at Call Jewelers in Nampa, Idaho, for the past two years. She was also the primary caregiver to her husband, Marvin, since he had a stroke seven years ago.
Mrs. Foster enjoyed taking care of her yard and flowers gardens, and especially her grandchildren.
She accepted her Master, Lord and Savior as a child and proposed to walk the walk until her dying day. She was an active member of the Ontario Assembly of God Church.
She is survived by her husband, Marvin of Ontario; three daughters, LaDon Reames and her husband, Jim, of Caldwell, Idaho, Beverly Ogburn and her husband, Paul, of Hudsonville, Mich., and Susie Foster and her fiance, Jerry Totman of Meridian, Idaho; her grandchildren, Jim and Tina Reames, Angela Reames, Shelbe, Breck, Tessa and Paul Ogburn and Donny, Philip and Timmy Ankenman; one great-grandson, Daniel Ogburn; and many loved nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Foster was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Gordan and Mathew Donald; and a granddaughter, Chelsea Reames.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mrs. Foster’s memory may be made to the Ontario Assembly of God Church, XL Hospice or to a favorite charity in care of Lienkaemper Chapel, P.O. Box 970, Ontario, OR 97914.
Fay Frazier
Fay Frazier, 88, of Simi Valley, Calif., and a former Baker County resident, died April 6, 2001, at her daughter’s home in Yakima, Wash.
Her graveside funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. A Christian memorial service will be held at a later date in Simi Valley, Calif.
Mrs. Frazier was born Nov. 29, 1912, at Ardmore, Okla., to Robert Clinton Franklin Byrne and Mary Elizabeth Crow Byrne. She met Farnum Boyd Frazier while living in Roy, N.M., and they were married Jan. 7, 1929, at Clayton, N.M.
They lived in New Mexico until moving to Southern California in the early 1940s. During World War II she worked as a riveter at Ryan Aircraft. About 1946 the couple moved to Halfway, where they farmed.
Mr. Frazier died in 1973, and Mrs. Frazier moved to Simi Valley, Calif., in 1976, where she lived until her death.
Mrs. Frazier enjoyed reading the Bible, praying, cooking, baking and shopping. She was devoted to her family and active in her church. Earlier, she taught Sunday school, and later she served as the “Sunshine Chairman” for her church greeting card ministry. She had beautiful handwriting and a special way with written words.
She will be dearly missed by her family.
She is survived by her daughters, Glenda Jean Smith and her husband, Ray, of Simi Valley, and Carol Lynn Helmick and her husband, Loel, of Yakima; five grandchildren, Farnum and Bryan Smith, and Loy, Charmel and Tessa Helmick; nine great-grandchildren: Tessa Helmick’s children, Mark, Brooke and Desmond; Bryan’s children, Jordan, Shelby, Cory and Olivia; and Farnum’s children, Jesse and Madison; and she was looking forward to the birth of her 10th great-grandchild, Charmel’s baby; she also leaves behind several extended family members.
Mrs. Frazier was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brothers, Homer and Loy; and her sister, Olive.
‘Bill’ Cantrell
William James “Bill” Cantrell, 84, of La Grande and a former North Powder resident, died April 3, 2001, at a local care facility.
A celebration of life service was today at the North Powder Methodist Church. Sally Wiens will officiate. Committal and interment was in North Powder Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Daniels Chapel of the Valley.
Mr. Cantrell was born on June 19, 1916, at La Grande to William Jasper and Martha Mildred McKenzie Cantrell. He grew up in La Grande and graduated from La Grande High School and Eastern Oregon College. He earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles in 1953.
Mr. Cantrell taught school for many years. His first position was at a small rural school at Beaver Creek near Baker City. He also taught at the Baker Middle School before accepting a position in Umatilla as principal.
While at Umatilla he met Lula Davis who was teaching there. They were married on June 17, 1952, at La Grande. They moved to Warrenton where they taught for several years and then to Portland where Mr. Cantrell taught at David Douglas School. They later moved to Baker City where he taught a short time until his retirement.
They then moved to the ranch at North Powder where they lived until moving to La Grande. His wife died on Sept. 29, 1998. Mr. Cantrell had been a resident of the Evergreen Vista Care Center since 1996.
He was a life member of the Baker Masonic Lodge, the Shrine, the Scottish Rite, the Oregon Education Association and the National Education Association. He also was a member of the Cattlemen’s Association.
Survivors include his brother, Jerry Cantrell of Haines; stepchildren, Patsy Patterson of Oliver, British Columbia, Canada; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children or a charity of one’s choice through Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, OR, 97850.
Ellen Hinshaw
Ellen Davis Hinshaw, 88, of Portland, died April 15, 2001, at Providence Hospital in Portland.
Her graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Darrell Johnson of the Grace Chapel in Prairie City will officiate. There will be a remembrance dinner at the Baker Valley Christian Assembly, 3720 Birch St., after the service. All who knew her or the family are welcome.
Visitations will be today until 7 p.m. at the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Mrs. Hinshaw was born on Oct. 3, 1912, at Burns to Alma and Annie Merle Davis. She was raised in Prairie City and lived at Bend, Portland, Sacramento, Calif., and Seattle.
In 1934, she married Delmar Hinshaw of Mount Vernon. They divorced in 1959. She attended business college in Sacramento. She was a nurse at the hospital in Prairie City, then a bookkeeper for the University of Washington at Seattle. The last 21 years she has lived with her daughter and son-in-law in Portland.
Survivors include her daughter, Barbara, and son-in-law, Barton Parker of Portland; brothers, Carl Forrest of Davis, Wash., Leslie Davis of Baker City, Eugene Davis of Sparks, Nev., and Wayne Davis of Redding, Calif.; a sister, Wilma Davis of Hood River; grandchildren, Barbara Dunn, Mary Morris, and Barton Parker II; and great- grandchildren, Savana Dunn, Colton Dunn and Brett Morris; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant brother and her brother, Henry Davis.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Humane Society through the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
