System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Darlene Robbins
Darlene Emma Robbins, 71, a longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 26, 2004, at Baker City after a lengthy illness.
Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. The Rev. Ron Kratzer will officiate. Inurnment will be later at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mrs. Robbins was born Sept. 13, 1932, at Bentonville, Ark., to Austin and Grace Robbins. She moved in 1936 at the age of 4 from Nebraska to Ontario. She was a 1950 graduate of Ontario High School. She met her future husband while attending the Methodist Church Camp at Wallowa Lake.
She married Llewellyn Leroy Robbins on Aug. 26, 1951, at Nyssa. They had many things in common, including the same last name, though they were not related. They moved to Corvallis where Llewellyn attended Oregon State University majoring in vocational agriculture. Darlene worked as a telephone operator in Ontario and Corvallis.
In 1954, they moved to Heppner, where Llewellyn accepted his first teaching position. In 1961, they moved to Baker City, where they purchased a farm on Pocahontas Road and Llewellyn continued to teach at Baker High School.
Darlene worked for and became the manager of Montgomery Wards until 1985 when the couple purchased the franchise. When Montgomery Wards closed all the franchise businesses, they opened Robbins Arrow and continued in the retail business until 1994 when they both officially retired.
After retirement, they went to the Ukraine as lay missionaries in 1998 with a group from the Church of the Nazarene to help restore an educational unit. They loved to travel and took many trips to various parts of the United States.
They went on several cruises, one of which was a 50th wedding anniversary gift to the Panama Canal in 2001. They visited other islands along the way. Other interests included embroidery, cake decorating, playing pinochle with friends, camping, fishing, hunting, watching the birds feed out their front window, and supporting her grandchildren by attending various activities.
Survivors include her husband, Llewellyn Robbins; daughters and sons-in-law, Ree Ella and Carsten von Borstel of Grass Valley and De Ette and Vern Stofleth of Lakeview; son and daughter-in-law, Denzil and Kathy Robbins of Baker City; son, Perry Robbins, and Connie Whitney of Burns; grandchildren, Bernadette, Seth and Lindsay, Noah von Borstel, Kristopher and Maranda, Brandon, Lauren, Kassie Robbins, Kelsey, Katie Stofleth, and Brittany, Miranda, Bradley Robbins; great-grandchildren, Breck von Borstel and Alivia Robbins; sister, Ione Wells of Nampa, Idaho; brother and sister-in-law, Brock and Ruth Robbins of Cambridge, Idaho; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law of Nyssa, Norvelle and Betty Robbins and Merildean and Winona Robbins; special uncle, Delbert Viken; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many close friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Austin and Grace Robbins; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Leicester "Les" and Inga Robbins; and brother-in-law, Elbert Wells.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice, Baker City Nazarene Church Work and Witness Program, or a charity of one's choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Chuck' Kenworthy
Charles Ray "Chuck" Kenworthy, 33, of Payette, Idaho, died Jan. 25, 2004, at Holy Rosary Medical Center in Ontario.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m. MST Tuesday at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1212 First Ave. S., in Payette. Celebrant will be the Rev. Calvin Blankinship. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Payette. Visitations will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. MST Monday at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel in Payette. There will be a vigil service at 7 p.m. MST Monday at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel at Payette.
Charles was born on Oct. 5, 1970, at Burley, Idaho. His parents are Joan and Dan Ledington and Larry Kenworthy.
He met Mary Upmeyer in grade school. They had known each other for most of their lives. They were married on Aug. 10, 1990, at Payette.
Charles was a loving father and husband. He was devoted to his children's activities and helped coach them in their sports. He enjoyed fishing, art and tinkering with electronics. He was a member of the Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus, 3rd Degree Knight.
Survivors also include his wife of 13 years, Mary Kenworthy, of Payette; two children, Dennis and Amanda; three brothers, Daniel Kenworthy and his wife, Wanda, of Nyssa, Robert Kenworthy and his wife, Kelly, of Baker City, and Matthew Kenworthy of Payette; two brothers-in-laws, J. R. Upmeyer and his wife, Joan, of Harrison, Mont., and M. Justin Upmeyer of Old Town, Idaho; his grandmother, Anne Hoyt, of Caldwell; grandparents, Robert and Irma Ledington of Payette, and Mike and Norma Upmeyer of Baker City; and many aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his Hoyt grandparents; and Uncle Norman and Aunt Jean.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Knights of Columbus Anti-Abortion Foundation or any program for mentally challenged children through Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, P.O. Box 730, Payette, Idaho 83661.
Doralee Beckel
Doralee Beckel, 92, a former Richland resident, died Nov. 30, 2003, at Bakersfield, Calif.
Her graveside funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church will officiate.
Doralee Beckel was born March 12, 1911, at Richland to Jesse and Verna Wallace.
Her family lived at Richland and Robinette until they moved to Bakersfield when she was 13 so her Dad could work in the oil fields.
She finished school at Bakersfield and then went to beauty school. She had her own shop for years. She also owned a dress shop and ran a liquor store.
Doralee was married to John Turner and later to William Beckel.
She is survived by several cousins, including Wally Stanciu of Richland.
She was preceded in death by her parents. It was her wish to be buried at Richland with her parents at Eagle Valley Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eagle Valley Ambulance Service through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Howard Taylor
Howard Taylor, 76, a longtime Haines resident, died Nov. 25, 2003, at his home in Baker City.
His graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jon Privett of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Military rites will be conducted by Baker City AMVETS, Post 1874. There will be a potluck reception at the family home after the service.
Visitations will be Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
Howard was born April 11, 1927, at Baker City to Balam "Lon" Taylor and Dorcey Higgins Taylor. He went to grade school at Haines and graduated from North Powder in 1945. He was a very talented actor and often played the lead in many of the plays his thespian club performed in school.
Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Howard was stationed in the Hawaiian Islands, where he served with the 1384th Co. He was a private first class with the military police.
He received two medals during his tour of duty. Howard received an honorable discharge in 1947 to return home to help his dad run the Haines ranch after the death of his mother. He worked alongside his dad until the sale of the family ranch in the 1960s.
Howard then continued working as a ranch hand around Haines. He lived at the family home in Haines until the last seven years of his life, when he moved to Baker City to stay with his sister, Debbie.
Howard was kind of a recluse in his later years, but he was always up on current events, reading everything from cereal boxes to the dictionary. To his family and those who knew him, he was as sharp as a tack.
His family will miss the music he played on the organ, piano, and guitar (as recent as a couple of weeks ago.) In his younger years he sang, too. He had the undiscovered voice of a Western star.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lon and Dorcey; brothers, Russell (World War II USS Scupin) and Loreing "Jack"; and sister, Faye Longebrake.
Survivors include his sister, Della "Debbie" Clelland; several nieces and nephews, several great-nieces and great-nephews, and several great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews.
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.
Vera Bennett
Vera B. Bennett, 78, died Nov. 26, 2003, at Baker City.
There will be a private memorial service later.
Vera was born on July 31, 1925, at Baker City to Ford and Jennie Mitchell. She was married to Harold Hewitt, divorced and later married her husband of 50 years, Donald F. Bennett.
Vera worked many years at Silverwheels Trucking in Baker and La Grande and retired from Viking Freight in La Grande. Vera also helped her mother out during lunch hours and special occasions at Topz Café in Baker City.
Vera's husband, Donald, died in June 2000. She also was preceded in death by her sisters, Gladys Sieg and Lela Blankinship, and her brother, Robert Mitchell.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Roni Hewitt of Salton Sea, Calif.; her daughter, Cheryl Cooper of Portland; a grandson, Shawn, of Texas and a grandson and his wife, Larry Jr. and Tara Hewitt; and a new great-grandson, Tyler Donald; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Oregon Chapter, through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Claudia Wallace-Brokos
Claudia Wallace-Brokos, 88, a former Baker County resident, died Nov. 6, 2003.
Claudia was born to a pioneer Seventh-day Adventist family, the daughter of James and Opal Wallace. She grew up in Eagle Valley and learned the family farming business at an early age.
Through high school she could be found weekdays and weekends helping her parents sell fruits, vegetables, homemade jams and pies at the Wallace Farm and around the Willamette Valley at farmers markets.
In the early 1930s, Claudia received her bachelor's of science degree in teaching and later a master's of science in psychology and counseling. During her college years she was a Seventh-day Adventist Bible School teacher and a popular host and singer on a weekly radio program in Walla Walla, Wash.
Claudia worked for both the Oregon State Public School system — spending some time in Baker City during the '30s — and the Washington State Public School system from the 1930s to the 1980s.
During the 1950s she was proud to be known as the first Richland Public School teacher to "open-the-doors" for an African-American student in the Richland Public School District. She also participated in the Richland Public School District's "Civil Defense" program.
She was famous for her professionalism, a "can-do" attitude and her sense of humor, and for never letting prejudice or discrimination deter her from helping her students, family or friends. Claudia always had a bright smile and a positive attitude for all her students, family and friends. She always made time to care.
In 1970 she married Emanuel Brokos of Crete, a Greek island.
During the late 1960s through the early 1980s, she worked for the Kelso, Longview, Moclips and Tahola (Indian Reservation) Public School Districts in Washington as a high school administrator and guidance counselor, helping an untold number of Native American Indian students succeed and excel in higher education.
After retirement, her former students would often telephone, visit her at home, or stop her in public to say hello or catch up and to tell her that she was their most favorite teacher of all and ask her to come out of retirement or to teach at the local college.
Claudia was an inspiration to her family and to so many students and friends in her life, including when she miraculously survived being run over by a 10-ton truck near the family farm in 1963. And most recently through the example she set while battling a long-term illness. Whatever it did to her body, she would not let it shake her unconquerable spirit or her unwavering faith in God. Claudia touched the lives of everyone she came in contact with, especially her students, family and friends.
She loved the ocean, traveling abroad, reading, writing, baking, painting, and reading poetry — especially Walt Whitman and Robert Frost. She was a staunch Democrat and stayed well informed about educational, national and world events and was always eager to contact her state legislator, congressperson or senator to discuss civil rights, educational, environmental, endangered species and veterans rights issues.
Claudia was preceded in death by her father and mother, James and Opal Wallace; her sisters, Virginia Wallace of Portland and Marjorie Wallace-Raugh of West Richland, Wash., and her brother, Dale Wallace of Portland.
She is survived by her husband, Emanuel Brokos of Aberdeen, Wash.; her son, William Pollard and his wife, Hope, of Richland, Wash.; her grandsons, William Pollard Jr. and his wife, Jhivaun, of West Richland, Wash., Richard Pollard of Richland, Wash.; a great-grandson, Joshua Pollard of West Richland, Wash.; her brother and his wife, Kirby and Donna Wallace of Goldendale, Wash., and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association. Former students, friends and family are invited to share memories at: claudiabrokos@aol.com.
Rowena Sass
Rowena Louise Howell Sass, 83, of Baker City, died March 22, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Disposition was by cremation at Eastern Oregon Pioneer Crematory. A private service will be held at a later date.
Rowena was born May 11, 1920, near Richland to Orla and Imogene Cooper Howell. She attended 12 years of school in Richland, graduating from Eagle Valley High School in 1937. She then attended Baker Business College in 1938.
Rowena worked at Baker Packing Co. for about 10 years before marrying John R. Sass on Sept. 17, 1948. John and Rowena had two children: Robbi Ann Sass was born in 1949 and Dean Dennis Sass was born in 1952. Robbi preceded her parents in death in 1994.
Rowena and John operated a Hereford cattle ranch in Eagle Valley until 1972 when they retired to a small place near Holcomb Park. Rowena was active in the Baker County Cattlewomen and the Richland Methodist Church.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Dean and Sheri Sass; two grandchildren, Jill Dooley and her husband, Ken, and Ryan Sass of Meridian, Idaho; a sister, Colleen DeGroft and her husband, Bill, of Wallowa; a sister-in-law, Catherine Howell; and numerous nieces.
Rowena was preceded in death by her husband, John; her daughter, Robbi, her parents, Orla and Imogene Howell; and her brother, Clark Howell.
The family requests that memorial donations be made to the Richland Library or Richland Ambulance through Gray's West & Company, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Della Edison
Della Edison, 52, of Baker City, died March 22, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
A celebration of her life will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 2005 Valley Ave. A dinner will follow the service.
Della was born in John Day to Opal and Norma Davis. After moving to Baker City, she met and married James Edison Sr. They enjoyed 34 years of marriage in which time they had three children: James Edison Jr., Kathy Free and Carrie Johnson. She also considered Rudy Soliz to be her son.
Her greatest joy in life came from spoiling her 10 grandchildren. She was loved by many and will be missed greatly by all.
Survivors include her husband, James Edison Sr. of Baker City; her children, James Edison Jr. and his wife, Leanne, of Boardman, Kathy Free, Carrie and Rod Johnson and Rudy and Debbie Soliz, all of Baker City; a sister, Linda Pifher-Davis; a brother, Rick Davis; grandchildren, Cheylan, Raymond and Kirsten Edison, Tyler, Amanda and Trevor Free, Wyatt and Aleecia Johnson and Sean and Tiffany Soliz; nephews, Shea Maliwauki and Jim Howerton; a niece, Nicole Howerton and many other nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Roger Davis, and numerous aunts and uncles.
Memorial contributions may be directed to James Edison Sr. This may be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Lois ‘Larrie' Bowerman
Lois "Larrie" Bowerman, 82, a longtime Halfway resident, died March 11, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Her memorial service will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church in Halfway.
Lois was born Sept. 30, 1921, in the high altitude of Victor, Colo., to Washington Denver and Gwendolyn Honeycutt. She was the second-eldest of four girls. Lois received good grades in school and received her eighth-grade diploma in Spokane in 1935. However, the Great Depression had set in and she opted not to continue her education because she could not afford new clothes. Her father's automobile business soon failed and for the next few years the family, like many others, traveled the western states looking for work.
By the late 1930s things started looking up for Lois. The Honeycutts arrived in Everett, Wash., where Lois met her first love, Harold Sanders. In 1940 Lois married Harold and within the next three years gave birth to her first two children, Steve and Gail. In 1943 Harold, Lois and their two young children rejoined the Honeycutts in the secluded farming community of Pine Valley, Ore. Harold was drafted into the Navy and after his return from the South Pacific they eventually bought some land in Carson where they started construction of a home.
After Harold's accidental death in 1948 Lois met and married Jarold L. Bowerman, son of Floyd and Esta Bowerman of Pine Valley. As a family they moved to the Tri-Cities, Wash., in 1950, where Jerry was employed at Hanford. It was in Richland, Wash., that Lois gave birth to two more children, Mike and Linn. In 1953 Jerry, Lois and their four children returned to Pine Valley for one year before moving to what is now Lakewood, Wash. It was in their home overlooking Steilacoom Lake that the children were raised and Lois found some time to renew her interest in poetry and oil painting.
In the 1960s life took an unfortunate turn for Lois. To supplement the family's income Lois sold cosmetics and started a short career working in a retail drugstore. In 1967 Jerry accepted a better paying position in Puyallup, Wash., with the idea that Lois would spend more time at home. They sold their house in Lakewood and moved to a brick rambler in the Puyallup Valley. However, within a year Jerry was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He died in February 1968, leaving Lois a widow for the second time within a 20-year period.
The misfortunes of life had their effect on Lois. Although she never lost her independent nature, Lois was never quite the same person.
In 1972, when the last of the children moved out, Lois returned to her property in Carson where her parents had been living since the 1940s. Relaxing in the seclusion of Pine Valley, she was able to renew her interest in poetry and oil painting. In 1974 Lois sold her Carson place and bought a piece of land and a mobile home on West Bell Street in Halfway. It was here that she would live the final 30 years of her life.
Lois was an intelligent woman who took pride in all that she did. She was a strong-willed person and at the same time she had a great deal of inner passion. One only has to observe one of her finely detailed paintings or read one of her poems to see these qualities. She enjoyed learning new facts, quizzing herself with a math problem, and keeping up with the national news. On the domestic side Lois was well-known for her cooking and baking skills. At one time she commercially sold her banana cream pies in the restaurants of Halfway. Lois enjoyed the outdoors and marveled at nature. She and Freda Martin spent many hours fishing the creeks of Pine Valley or casting for salmon in the Snake.
Next to her children, Lois took great pride in her meticulous oil paintings and her passionate poems. She introduced Pine Valley to her painting skills when she won a ribbon for a painting she entered at a Baker County Fair arts and crafts exhibit. This particular painting was acquired by Everett and Margaret Baird of Pine Valley. It depicted a turn-of-the-century horse-drawn shipment of gold descending from the mines of Cornucopia. Many locals of the time recognized the scene through Lois' rendition of a legendary large tree that once flanked the wagon trail to Copia.
Lois' poems are a pleasure to read. They varied from deep philosophical thoughts about life and nature, to lighthearted children's poems. Her children's poems of the 1950s were originally composed to entertain a terminally ill child in Lakewood, Wash., and were published in a local newspaper. A limited publishing of her poems will soon be available again.
She was of the generation who grew up in the Depression era. Lois knew of hard work and the value of a dollar. To say she had the ability to improvise was an understatement. A good example of this was a 1950s whim of Lois' to paint a scene in her memory. The fact that she did not have the necessary materials or money to buy them never stopped Lois. Her Depression era "make do" attitude took over and before you knew it she created a beautiful seascape using a mixture of white shoe polish and food coloring from the kitchen. Persistence was a key element in her personality.
Honesty and integrity is what she lived and is what she expected. If you got in her way or failed to show some respect you definitely would get a piece of her mind. For the most part she lived quietly and to herself but her wonderful talents will be shared for years to come.
Lois is survived by her children, Gail Lynn Kepler and Linnelle Alane Osman and her husband, Dave, of Pine Valley, Stephen Harold Bowerman and his wife, Terry Rae, of Honolulu, Jarold Michael Bowerman and his wife, Angelika, of Seattle; 15 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren; her sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Harry Coyle of Pine Valley; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, W.D. and Gwendolyn Honeycutt; her husbands, Harold G. Sanders and Jarold (Jerry) L. Bowerman, and her sisters, Gaye (Bessie) Kempe and Ginger (Thelma) Kempe.
Contributions in Lois' memory may be made to the Halfway/Oxbow Ambulance Service in care of Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
