System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!‘Kenneth’ Vannice
Harvey “Kenneth” Vannice, 94, of La Grande, died May 22, 2001, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.
A celebration of his life will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at the North Powder Methodist Church. Sally Wiens will officiate. His graveside service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Alford Cemetery at Halsey-Harrisburg.
Mr. Vannice was born on Nov. 13, 1906, to James Harvey and Cassie Elizabeth Angel Vannice in Dayton, Wash. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Willamette University at Salem where he lettered in baseball. He earned his master’s degree from Oregon State University at Corvallis. He was an educator and taught all grades and coached various sports before moving to administration. He retired after 45 years in education.
He married Nellie Delia Falk at Halfway on June 9, 1929. They moved to North Powder in 1968 and later to La Grande. He was a member of the North Powder Methodist Church and sang with other family members in the choir. He also was a member of the Grange, where he served on the state installation team and was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge and the Lions Club.
Survivors include his wife, Nellie Vannice of La Grande; children, Kenneth and Holly Vannice of Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada, Vernon and Martha Vannice of Lacey, Wash., and Donald and Bonnie Vannice of Halfway; daughter-in-law, Marian VanNice of Corvallis; 11 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by brothers, Merwin, Claude and Bill; sisters, Ellen Roberta and Edna; one grandchild; and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the North Powder Community Methodist Church through Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, Ore. 97850.
Wayne Dennis
Wayne D. Dennis, 75, died May 23, 2001, at Settler’s Park after a long illness.
At his request, there will be no funeral.
Mr. Dennis was born on March 10, 1926, at Baker City to Earle and Verlie Graven Dennis. He grew up in Baker City and attended Baker schools. He also attended Union High School, graduating in 1944.
Mr. Dennis worked as a meteorologist in the 1950s in Oregon as well as years in Juneau, Nome and king Salmon, Alaska. Later, he returned to Baker City where he owned an operated the Baker Cab Co. for many years with his brother, LaVaughn.
Mr. Dennis loved music and could play any instrument. His favorites were the accordion and the violin. He also enjoyed playing chess. While living in Alaska, Mr. Dennis liked fishing from his boat.
Survivors include his brother, Kelsey Dennis; an uncle, Elmer Graven.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, LaVaughn and Lynn Dennis.
Merel Dennis
Merel Dennis, 34, of Oxbow, died as a result of an automobile accident May 21, 2001.
There will be a celebration of life service Friday at 2 p.m. PDT at the Oxbow School Community Building.
At his request, disposition was by cremation.
Pictures and memorabilia from Mr. Dennis’ life are displayed in the Memorial Window at Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home in Halfway.
Mr. Dennis was born Sept. 5, 1966, at Albany to Jerald Dwane and Sharon Elaine Irwin Dennis. He was raised in Eagle Valley by Sharon and Jerry, former owners of the Shorthorn Restaurant and Lounge.
He fished, farmed and hunted during these years, becoming the caretaker of the Eagle Valley Cemetery while still in high school. He attended Pine-Eagle High School. He was a member of the Pine-Eagle football squad and graduated in the spring of 1984. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he was a torpedoman aboard a Navy destroyer based out of Italy. He completed two years of service for the Navy.
After his discharge, he returned home to Eagle Valley where he met Karen Huston. They had two children, a son, Benjamin, and a daughter, Jessica, who died at the age of two months because of a heart condition. The family lived in Halfway for the duration of their time together.
Mr. Dennis then went to Washington where he became a skilled woodworker. He worked for three years at the Randall Allen Designs manufacturing firm in Tacoma, Wash.
He found that he missed his friends and family too much and decided to move back to the valley in 1997. He lived for a time with Jim and Dana Young.
After eight months, he and long-time friend Jeanne Wilmarth decided to marry. They were married in the home of friends, Max and Dottie DeMoss of Brownlee, on Feb. 25, 1998. He and Jeanne made their home north of Oxbow on Homestead Road, where he enjoyed woodworking, gardening, fishing and hunting. In the spring of 2000 Mr. Dennis joined the Forest Service in battling the tussock moth infestation of our forests. He received awards for his hard work and awareness of safety.
Mr. Dennis was referred to as “mountain man” by those close to him, because of his love of the outdoors, both on the river and in the woods. In his love of gardening and the outdoors, he created a beautiful pond at his home, as well as a woven willow fence line around his and Jeanne’s rose garden. His woodworking skills are still evident in the homes of many who have his homemade trelliswork and gardening stations throughout the Hells Canyon area.
Mr. Dennis leaves behind many friends in the Panhandle area, many of whom will miss their chess partner, fellow musician and woodcutting partner. His diverse interests and quiet way of living made him many good long friendships that will outlast his time on earth.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Dennis; his mother, Sharon Baylock; his father, Jerry Dennis; his sister, Rose Bolyard; his son, Benjamin; stepsons, Jason and Damon Molina; stepmother, Grace Dennis; and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Pine-Eagle High School Football Fund through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Dan Elkins
Dan Garrison Elkins, 84, a former longtime Haines resident, died of a stroke on May 10, 2001, at Yakima, Wash., where he had moved to be near his family.
Inurnment will be at 2 p.m. June 16 at the Haines Cemetery. There will be a family gathering at Pilcher Creek Reservoir, his favorite fishing hole, afterward.
Mr. Elkins was born on April 27, 1917, at Plainview, Texas, to Arthur Thomas and Ethel Bowman Elkins. He spent his younger years moving between Texas, California and Arizona where he developed a love for the desert and a taste for jackrabbit stew.
He loved traveling and had many interesting jobs along the way, including working in the lettuce sheds, loading railroad cars with gravel bound for Grand Coulee Dam, roofing buildings for the 1939 Treasure Island World’s Fair in San Francisco, mining for gold and building a water reservoir in Arizona while in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
While serving in the Army Signal Corps during World War II from 1942 to 1945. His tour of duty took him to Australia, New Guinea, Japan and the Philippines. He was a former member of the Carpenter’s Union and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed fishing anytime, anywhere and hunting. As his sight failed, his books on tape gave him many hours of enjoyment.
He met his future wife, Diane Hazelbaker Weeks, when he hired her and her boys to harvest a hay crop. They were married on Dec. 29, 1966, at Reno, Nev., and made their home at Haines where he became “Dad” to the first of 42 foster children. To touch so many lives takes a special man and he is deeply missed, his family said.
Survivors include his wife, Diane, of Yakima, Wash.; sons, Steven Weeks of Kooskia, Idaho, and Larry Weeks and his wife, Dee, of Lewiston, Idaho; daughters, Dawna and her husband, Jerry Glenn, of Yakima, Wash., and Barbie Heilman of Baker City; his first wife, Mabel Clarkson, and their daughter, Donna Davis of Medford; sisters, Jimmie Ruth McCrae and his special twin sister, Beth Sample, both of California; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his siblings, T.B., Charlie, Stella and Edith.
Darlene Carter
Darlene Carter, 75, a longtime Huntington resident, died May 20, 2001, at her home.
Her funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. in Baker City. Pastor Monte Loyd of Baker Valley Christian Assembly will officiate. Private interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Visitations will be today until 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mrs. Carter was born Oct. 29, 1925, at Laverne, Okla., to Albert and Ruba Phoebe Bates Wright. She was raised and educated in Laverne and Blackwell, Okla. She married Raymond Carter on Dec. 31, 1948, in Missouri. They moved to Oregon and settled in Huntington, where she worked as a cook and waitress for many years before retiring.
Mrs. Carter enjoyed crocheting, embroidering, ceramics, and working in her yard. She was also very active with the senior citizens in Huntington.
She is survived by her husband, Raymond Carter of Huntington; a daughter, Loanna Carter of Vale, daughters and sons-in-law, Winona and Dean Linscott of Baker City, and Karol Rae and Michael LaMott of Boise; three grandsons, Raymond and Randy Abel, and Russell Kroush; granddaughters, LaDawn Linscott and Celinda Peck; three great-granddaughters; two great-grandsons; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers and sisters.
Contributions in Mrs. Carter’s memory may be made to the Senior Center of Huntington, in care of the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Marcel Spriet
Marcel H. Spriet, 85, a lifelong Baker Valley resident, died May 22, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
At his request, there will be no funeral. His body was cremated.
Mr. Spriet was born Nov. 5, 1915, at Baker City to Ivo and Alida Verhagey Spriet. He married Naomi Hall in Walla Walla, Wash., on March 17, 1936. He was a longtime employee of Burnt River Lumber Co. Mr. Spriet loved his children and grandchildren and hunting and riding his four-wheeler.
Survivors include his wife, Naomi Spriet of Baker City; son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Ginger Spriet of Winnemucca, Nev.; daughter and son-in-law, Eilene and Larry Schmit of Eugene; daughter-in-law, Loretta Spriet Hewitt of Baker City; brother and sister-in-law, Deal and Arlene Spriet of Baker City; sister, Julia Phillips of Baker City; grandchildren, Frank Spriet Jr., Robin Chesterman, Randy Schmit, Kathy Brown and Shálon Spriet, all of Baker City, Karen Wilson of San Jose, Calif., Tammy Geddes of Ketchum, Idaho, and Richard, Tyler and Nicky Spriet of Winnemucca, Nev.; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Mark; his daughter, Lois; grandson, Presley Wayne; and nephews, Harley Spriet and Dan Phillips.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Presley Wayne Scholarship Fund through the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Dorothy Henner
Dorothy Jane “Dot” Henner, 73, of Haines, died July 29, 2001, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
At her request, there will be no services.
Mrs. Henner was born Nov. 11, 1927, at Baker City to James and Mabel York Hall along with her twin brother, Donald, who preceded her in death in the early 1970s.
She married John E. Henner Jr. in 1946 in Baker City, and lived and worked in Haines until 1960, when the couple moved to Irrigon. After living in the Hermiston area for seven years, she and her husband moved to The Dalles; they eventually moved back to Haines, where they retired. Mrs. Henner worked as a cook, waitress and bartender in many restaurants through the years. Mr. Henner was a mechanic. He preceded her in death in 1996.
In December of 1956 Mrs. Henner gave birth to the light of her life, her only son, Jack. Despite severe health problems, she endured pregnancy to give life to her son, who was at her side as she passed.
Mrs. Henner enjoyed many outdoor activities with her husband, adored her grandchildren and enjoyed sewing. Her rough exterior rarely gave way to her charitable side. She was there in her own way when someone was in need, and there are many people who have stories of their experiences with her.
Mrs. Henner is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jack and Cindy Henner of Haines; her mother-in-law, Wilma Henner of Haines; a brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Violet Hall of Hermiston; sisters, Millie Hickerson of Baker City, Irene Martin of Boise and Loreen Spriet of Colorado; two grandchildren, Lora and Brandon; two step-grandchildren; one step-great-grandchild; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Henner was preceded in death by her husband; two brothers, Glen and Donald Hall; and a sister, Ada.
Contributions in Mrs. Henner’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association or American Cancer Society in care of the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, Ore., 97814.
Roger Loennig
William Roger Loennig, 92, a Haines native and third-generation Muddy Creek rancher, died July 26, 2001, at Settlers Park in Baker City.
His graveside funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Sally Wiens of Haines Methodist Church will officiate. Following the services there will be a reception at the Loennig family home at Muddy Creek.
Mr. Loennig was born March 8, 1909, to Benjamin Frank Loennig and Emma Elizabeth Lang at their home at Muddy Creek.
After graduation from Muddy Creek High School in 1927, he went to Los Angeles, where he earned his pilot’s license. He then returned to run the family ranch.
He married Alice Helen Williams on Dec. 21, 1935, in the Baker Hotel. Following their marriage, they moved into a new home on the ranch, where he lived until his death.
Mr. Loennig was active in local school boards from 1942-67. He served as State Representative in 1951-52 and State Senator from 1953-55. He was a member of the State Board of Aeronautics from 1955-70 and the State Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee from 1970-80.
As an active licensed pilots until the 1990s, Mr. Loennig established the Muddy Creek Airport in 1945 after purchasing a Piper Cub, the first of several planes he owned through the years. He was a captain in the Oregon National Guard Reserve during the Korean War and served on the Sheriff’s Possee in the Oregon Air Search and Rescue. He was a founding member and active in the Flying Farmers. In 1949 he soloed to Havana, Cuba, with a group of other Oregon private pilots.
Mr. Loennig was a Mason in good standing since 1949, and had advanced to Master of the North Powder Lodge. He was also a 50-year Scottish Rite member, and a Shriner.
The Loennigs enriched their retirement by wintering in Yuma, Ariz. They also enjoyed traveling, and pulled a trailer across the United States and into Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. They also toured parts of Europe, South Korea, Alaska and Hawaii.
Mr. Loennig is survived by his wife of 66 years, Alice H. Loennig of Haines; children and their spouses, Alice Anne and Norris Faringer of Yakima, Wash., Bill and Beverly Loennig of Haines, and Sally and James Gantor of Hoodsport, Wash., grandchildren and their spouses, Felicia Faringer-Babin and Chris Babin, and Scott and Helen Faringer, all of Yakima; a great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Faringer, and step-great-grandsons, Nick and Alex Gosseen, all of Yakima.
Mr. Loennig was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Frank, Henry and Carl Loennig; and his sisters, Erma Poulson and Beatrice Lawhorn.
Contributions in Mr. Loennig’s memory may be made to the Haines Methodist Church Building Fund in care of Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, Ore., 97814.
Elmer Brown Jr.
Elmer Lee Brown Jr., 73, of Richland, died July 23, 2001, at his home.
At his request, there will be no funeral. His body will be cremated through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home at Halfway.
Mr. Brown, who was proud to be a Texan, was born in a barn on Oct. 28, 1927, while his family was following the harvest. They picked cotton and other foodstuffs.
Through hard work and a will to succeed, Mr. Brown later became a successful businessman. He worked for the railroad for a time, then worked in the woods in all aspects of logging and log hauling. He spent a large part of his adult life as a diesel mechanic.
His life’s ambition was realized when he moved to Eastern Oregon and founded his own backhoe, gravel and soil-handling business, Brown’s Backhoe.
Mr. Brown served seven years from 1945 to 1952 in the U.S. Navy as a damage-control man, second class. He was mainly in the Indo-China Sea area.
He married Muriel Theresa Nygaard on Jan. 19, 1950. They raised a family of six after settling in the Eugene area.
After moving to Richland, he married E. Lorraine Specht and they had 15 years together.
Survivors include three sisters, Helen Brown of Paris, Texas, Mary Frances Meadows and Vaneta Lois Bryan and a brother, Elmer Lee Brown, all of Sayre, Okla.; two sons, George Leslie Brown of Marcola and Airman E1 (AW) Roy Lee Brown of Sicily, Italy; three daughters, Theresa May Howard of Mystic, Conn., Wendy Louise Bryan of Chesapeake, Va., and Nancy Elaine Willett of Toano, Va.; and a close cousin, Jerry Jones, whose family did so much to help Mr. Brown when he was a child; and nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer Lee Brown Sr. and Willie Lucille Smart; his sister Gertrude Belle of Paris, Texas; three brothers, James Henry Brown, Eddie Waylon Brown and Johnny Mack Brown and a sister, Voleta Fern Brown all of Sayre, Okla.; and a daughter, Barbara Jean Davis of Springfield.
Memorial contributions may be made to Eagle Valley Ambulance through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, Ore. 97834.
Vina Graves
Vina Lynn Cronk Graves of Vancouver, Wash., died on July 21, 2001, four days short of her 99th birthday.
Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
There will be a memorial service for her on Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Calvary Baptist Church, 2130 Fourth St.
Mrs. Graves was born on July 25, 1902, at Ord, Neb. Her family settled at Emmett, Idaho, in 1906 and she grew up there. She was a school teacher at Lookingglass for two years and homemaker, teacher and school volunteer for 40 years in Idaho.
She was married to Kent W. Graves in 1926, and was the mother of two daughters. Mr. Graves and her daughter, Coleen Phillips, preceded her in death.
She lived in Baker City for a number of years. She had lived with her daughter, Loreta Wood at Vancouver, Wash., since 1984.
Survivors, in addition to her daughter, include two granddaughters, Wendy Ricks and Kelley Heizer, and five great-grandsons; E. Merrill Cronk of Bremerton, Wash., one of her 13 brothers and sisters; and a number of nieces and nephews. Memorials contributions may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 2130 Fourth St., Baker City, OR 97814.
