System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Louise Balfour
Louise Balfour, 80, a longtime Baker City resident, died Jan. 16, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Her funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Ed Niswender of the Calvary Baptist Church will officiate. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Louise was born Nov. 19, 1923, in Truman, Ark., to John Norva Whitlatch and Lois Virginia Garrett Whitlatch. She came to Baker City with her aunt and uncle, Babe and Nick Fricke, when she was 15 years old.
In 1938, she married Walter Robinson. They had three children. In 1966, she married William Balfour. Bill not only married our mother but our family. She loved her husband and her children and everyone who knew her knew this well.
Among her favorite pastimes was quilting and crocheting. She enjoyed completing puzzles and playing cards. She also enjoyed picking huckleberries and panning for gold. Attending the activities of her grandchildren was most dear to her heart. She was very active in the V.F.W., participating and organizing their cake walk fund-raiser. She was noted for her fairness. Every summer for many years, she looked forward to helping and organizing the Kiddies Parade. She enjoyed seeing the little ones as they participated.
She loved God and worshiped as a member of Calvary Baptist Church.
Louise is survived by the love of her life, her husband, Bill Balfour of Baker City; one daughter, Darlene Featherstone and her husband, Ron of Omaha, Neb.; two sons, John Robinson and his wife, Connie, of Baker City, and Mike Robinson and his wife, Tammy, of Waldport; five grandchildren, Bill Saul and his wife, Arlene; Haley and Kym Robinson; Kellie and Kody Robinson; two great-grandsons, Jason and Aaron Saul; one stepdaughter, Carla Young and her husband, Norman; four stepgrandchildren, Tara, Dia, Russell and Logan, and one step-great-grandson, Andrew; two foster sisters, Janice Fricke Ladly and Mary Jo Fricke Borden; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers and two sisters, all of Arkansas.
Contributions in Mrs. Balfour's memory may be made to Pathway Hospice, in care of Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Gay' Fitzgerald
GaNell Wilburn Jeffries "Gay" Fitzgerald, 90, of Baker City died Jan. 16, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Care Center.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Ed Haugland of the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah's Witnesses will officiate. Visitations will be from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday at Gray's West & Co. and Friday before the service, starting at 8 a.m.
Gay was born on Aug. 25, 1913, at Payette, Idaho, to Thomas Frederick Wilburn and Nell Gertrude Carpenter Wilburn. She was raised on the family ranch at Paddock Valley and Crane Creek, Idaho, where she attended school.
She married Kenneth Lavern Jeffries on July 25, 1929, after attending one year of high school at Weiser, Idaho. They continued to live in the Crane Creek area for several more years where she gave birth to two sons, Thomas Kenneth Jeffries and Claude Calloway Jeffries. Both babies died of complications during birth.
The couple later moved to Haines to help a friend for two weeks. Ken and Gay then stayed in the Haines and Baker City area to raise their family. They had two daughters, Carole and Peggy, and a son, Gary. Even after they were divorced, Gay stayed in the area for the rest of her life.
Gay married Edward Fitzgerald on Oct. 3, 1958, at Winnemucca, Nev. They enjoyed trips to the ocean, camping and picnics with grandchildren. Gay worked as a waitress at many of the Baker eating establishments and was proud of her long tenure of dependable service, quoting one of her employers as saying, "she can be counted on like the morning sun."
She was a faithful member of the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation and helped spread the gospel until her age and health restricted her activities.
She was most proud of her children and their families. Gay was her happiest when she was making dinners for the family get-togethers, holidays, or any occasion.
Survivors include her husband, Ed Fitzgerald; daughters, Carole Kenworthy, and her husband, Leonard, of Baker City, and Peggy Waterson and her husband, Lee, of Prairie City; her son, Gary Jeffries, and his wife, Dorothy, of Idaho Falls, Idaho; 11 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sisters, Margaret Derrick, Callie Solders and Goldie Emery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Anna Flower
Anna Mae Whiting Flower, 86, of La Grande, who taught school for many years in Eastern Oregon, died Jan. 18, 2004, at La Grande.
Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Island City Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She was born on April 11, 1917, at Mount Glenn to Edward Daniel and Mary Emelia "Mille" Olsen Whiting. She married Jake Cecil Flower on Jan. 17, 1944, at Los Angeles. They were later divorced. The couple had three children, Kay, Lee and Keith.
Anna attended schools at Mount Glenn and La Grande. She was a 1934 graduate of La Grande High School. She attended Eastern Oregon Normal School from 1934 to 1936 and graduated with a life teacher's certificate. She was a member of Phi Beta Sigma and president of the Women's Athletic Association in 1935 and 1936.
She first taught at Kimberly where she boarded with the Clyde Jackson family. The next two years she taught at Sumpter and then moved back to La Grande and taught there 7 years before marrying and starting a family.
She lived at North Powder and taught school there for 28 years. During that time she studied and received her bachelor's degree at Eastern Oregon College in 1958 and later her master's degree at the University of Oregon at Eugene. She taught grade school, home economics and was one of the first teachers to be certified as a media specialist in library science.
She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities. She played the organ for church at Mount Glenn and for the 1st Ward in La Grande and also led the singing for Sunday School at La Grande 1st Ward.
She helped start a Primary class at North Powder where 35 children attended. She played the piano for MIA at Union Ward and was in the MIA Presidency in the Union Ward where she earned the leader's award.
She taught the Gospel Essentials classes in Union and Baker 2nd Ward. She was in the Stake MIA Presidency as a counselor. She was the Compassionate Service leader in the Baker 2nd Ward. She filled a mission to the Virginia, Roanoke and Mesa, Ariz., Mission in 1982-83. She belonged to Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.
Her hobbies included gardening, teaching piano lessons and playing piano and organ, crocheting afghans, reading and learning and storytelling and being with her grandchildren. She had a great desire for truth and knowledge and passed that on to her children.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Blanche Whiting Quebbeman; a brother, Edward Jens Whiting; two grandchildren, Summer Flower and Autumn Flower; and a great-grandchild, Tanys Flower.
Survivors include her children, Kay Flower Hall and her husband, Joe, of Rock Springs, Wyo.; Lee Flower, and his wife, Ann, of La Grande and Keith Flower and his wife, Laura, of Firth, Idaho; 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Steven Springer
Steve Springer, 55, a husband, father, businessman and friend of many, died Jan. 17, 2004, from complications of pancreatic cancer.
His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St.
Steve kept his spirits high and his sense of humor intact throughout his nine-month bout with cancer. He enjoyed working laboriously and had a keen love of the outdoors. His friends and family were the most important things in his life. Most people knew him from Sho Gun Video, the business that he and his wife, Harumi Springer, owned and operated for the past 16 years.
Steve served in the military in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. He enlisted in the Navy with his best friend, Bill Gilliland, and became part of the Navy Air Sea Rescue where he jumped out of helicopters to save soldiers stranded in the water.
He was stationed in Atsugi, Japan, outside of Yokohama, where he met the love of his life, Harumi Furuta. They married on March 11, 1971, and he brought her back with him on his return home.
They settled in Baker City and had their first child, Richard Eugene Springer, on Jan. 16, 1974. Their daughter, Michelle Tomoko Springer, was born on May 4, 1977.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Theron and Dorothy; and his brother Terry Springer.
He left behind a very large family, much too extensive to list them all, but the most immediate of which are his wife, Harumi Springer; his two children, Richard and Michelle Springer; his brother, Jim Springer; and his sister, Rebecca Henry.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Boise Veterans Hospital, Oncology Department, through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street, Baker City, OR 97814.
Rose Mahoney
Rose M. Mahoney, 94, a long-time Baker City resident, died Jan. 20, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Vigil services will be at 7 o'clock tonight at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Deacon James Watt will officiate. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the cathedral. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin will celebrate. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Friends are invited for a luncheon in the Parish Hall after the service.
Rose was born Oct. 13, 1909, at Cushing, Minn., to Anthony Henry and Margaret Simones Wenker. She and Joseph Leo Mahoney were married on June 12, 1930, at Kenmare, N.D. In 1945, the family moved from North Dakota to Spokane and in 1948 to Baker City where they became permanent family residents.
Through the years while raising their six children, Rose helped her husband doing the bookkeeping for their paint contracting business. Rose was devoted to her faith and was an active member of the St. Francis Altar Society.
She took great pleasure in her large flower garden, which was enjoyed by all who had the opportunity to see it. Rose was an avid bridge player and was always ready for a competitive game of Scrabble with her daughters.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph; a brother, Lee Wenker; and a sister, Vera Wenker.
Survivors include her children, Colleen Culbertson, and her husband, Ron, of Myrtle Creek, Marjorie Kenny and her husband, William, of Heppner, Sally McDevitt and her husband, Larry, of Milton-Freewater, Dennis Mahoney and his wife, Mary, of Elgin, and Mary Jo Mahoney and her husband, Greg, and Tim Mahoney and his wife, Chris, of Baker City; brothers, Richard Wenker of Minneapolis, and Brother Pius Wenker of Richardton, N.D.; 33 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Catholic Church or CASA through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Dale Carlile
Dale Robert Carlile, 63, died Jan. 9, 2004, at his home in Durkee.
At Dale's request, there will be no services.
Dale was born May 10, 1940, at Kelso, Wash., to Harry Carlile and Frieda Valentine Carlile. He attended school at Kelso/Longview where he loved playing football. After graduating from high school, Dale joined the U.S .Army and attended Ranger school.
He was involved in the early years of the Vietnam War. Dale left the Army six years later as a lieutenant colonel. He moved home to Kelso/Longview and began his career as a police officer.
He worked on the force in Kelso/Longview, Riverside, Calif., and at Astoria. In Astoria he spent time as a captain on a fishing boat, which he greatly enjoyed. While working in Astoria, Dale was injured. He was left permanently disabled and unable to work as a police officer.
Dale retired from the force and moved to La Pine in 1976. There he enjoyed hunting big game and fishing. Dale met Gloria Marsh in 1990. They were married in 1992.
Dale was a member of the Mining Association and moved to Durkee six years ago where he and Gloria enjoyed gold mining.
Dale was known to have a large, stern personality that he was not afraid to share with people who deserved it. He also had a fun side and enjoyed playing tricks on his hunting partners.
Survivors include his wife, Gloria; four children; his mother, Frieda Boone; his sister, Carol Meredith; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, Harry Carlile.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Lt. Col. Carroll Mitchell
Retired Army Lt. Col. Carroll Mitchell, 90, a longtime Baker City resident and accountant, died Jan. 17, 2004, at Ashley Manor Care Center.
The memorial service for Carroll, which will be a celebration of his life, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastors Aaron Oglesbee and Joe Bush will officiate. Internment will follow sometime in the coming months at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., where Carroll's father, Lt. Col. Manton Mitchell, and his mother, Kathleen Carroll Mitchell, are also buried.
Carroll came from a military family. His father, Manton, was a graduate of West Point (in the same class as his friend, General George Patton) and served in Europe in World War I. So it was only natural that Carroll would also pursue a career in the Army, a career that lasted more than 28 years.
After completing ROTC at Stanford University in 1934, Carroll's first duty in the military was to be part of a team running camps for the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Depression-era program that helped young people find work on various government projects. It was through his assignment to a camp in Baker City that first brought him to the area. Coming from the big city of San Francisco to the wide-open spaces and tall mountains of Eastern Oregon marked a turning point in Carroll's life. He fell in love with the area and wanted to stay.
With the outbreak of World War II, Carroll went on active duty in 1940. He eventually served in the Pacific Theatre for almost 28 months and was involved in operations in the Aleutian Islands, Okinawa, the Philippines and the island of Kwajalein in the South Pacific. After the war, Carroll returned to Baker City and continued in the active reserve. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.
Upon his return to the area, Carroll looked for services that the community needed and that he could perform. He saw the need for accountants, so he founded the first CPA firm in the area. The firm, known for many years as Mitchell and Guyer, is now known as Guyer, Lindley, Bailey and Martin.
Anyone who knew Carroll could tell what was most important in his life and the core values of integrity, morality and loyalty that he stood for. Despite the often long hours that being a CPA required, he still found time to invest in his family, his community, his country and even other countries.
His love for his family was evidenced throughout his life by his desire to love and honor his wife Joyce, to see his children have a good name, to be educated and have the opportunities to travel and live in other countries.
His love for his community of Baker City was carried out through his help in bringing Baker College into its brief existence, his involvement in the Lions Club, and work on other matters of civic interest. Carroll also was involved in politics and served as chairman of the Republican Central Committee in Baker County.
His love for other people in the community found a number of different outlets. Carroll was the co-founder of the Baker Chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship, a non-denominational organization founded to reach out to businessmen with the love of Christ. Over the course of 22 years, Carroll and others brought many noted speakers to Baker City who shared powerful testimonies of what Christ did in their lives. Carroll desired that even those in jail would have a chance to know the liberating power of Jesus Christ so he became the first appointed Chaplain for Baker County Jail and served in that capacity for 21 years. He then became the first Chaplain at the Powder River Correctional Facility.
As far as love of country, Carroll's patriotism was unquestionable. He was a strong supporter of the military and was committed to living out and educating others about the Christian principles on which this nation was founded. He was very interested in the U.S. Constitution and did not hesitate to voice his disapproval when politicians seemed to stray from following it.
Carroll's love for other countries was seen through his travel to many nations, his involvement in local exchange student organizations, and the many persons from other countries who he invited over for a meal.
In 1956 Carroll married Joyce Boorman, a World War II veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who had traveled extensively and served in the diplomatic corps in Pakistan. Together, Carroll and Joyce poured themselves into community activities, their church, politics and their growing family.
Carrroll is survived by his wife of 47 years, Joyce. Carroll and Joyce's firstborn son, Kim H. Mitchell, lives in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife Maggie and daughter Renee. Their second son, Kirk C. Mitchell, lives in Washington, D.C., along with his wife Annie, daughter Grace, son James and daughter Lydia. He is also survived by his two sons from a previous marriage: Carroll II (Squeakie) and his wife Kathleen of Baker City, and Matt Mitchell of San Diego.
Memorial contributions can be made to Agape Christian Center or New Hope Church through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
John Murdoch
John Murdoch, 81, of North Powder, died Jan. 19, 2004, at his son's ranch in Oreana, Idaho.
His funeral will be Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m. at Haines Methodist Church.
John was born Jan. 24, 1922, in Fruitland, Idaho, to John (Scotty) and Esther Hvidberg Murdoch. He graduated in 1940 from Haines High School.
John married Barbara Daugherty on Feb. 13, 1943, in Weiser, Idaho. He joined the Navy in 1944, serving in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, John ranched for several years, and then purchased the Chevron Service Station in North Powder, which he and his wife operated for 36 years.
John enjoyed the great outdoors and his mules. He dearly loved his family, which he never failed to let them know.
John will be missed. He was dearly loved by all his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; his daughter, Donna Dias, and her husband, Ernie, Lora Murdoch and her dear friend, Doug Fialkowski; his sister, Elizabeth Eide and family; three grandchildren, Scott Murdoch, Lorrie Murdoch and her fiancee', Rick Thompson, and Tonya Valentine and her husband, Mike; three great-grandchildren, Zackary, Joshua, and Logan Valentine.
He was preceded in death by his son, Dennis, and his parents, Esther and John (Scotty) Murdoch.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the North Powder School Athletic Program, P.O. Box 10, North Powder, OR, 97867, or to the charity of your choice.
Dennis Murdoch
Dennis Sutherland Murdoch, 57, of Oreana, Idaho, and a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 11, 2004, in a motor vehicle accident.
Family and friends will celebrate his life Saturday at 4:30 p.m. MST at Oreana Hall.
Flahiff Funeral Chapel of Homedale, Idaho, is in charge of arrangements.
Dennis was born July 18, 1946, in Baker City to John and Barbara Murdoch. He moved to Oreana in 1982, where he has ranched and raised paint horses. He has been an active member/officer of Owyhee County Cattlemen's Association as well as holding office in the Idaho and National Paint Horse Association.
Dennis is survived by his parents, John and Barbara Murdoch of North Powder; two children, Scott Murdoch of Portland and Lorrie Murdoch of Mancos, Colo.; two sisters, Donna Dias of Jamieson and Lora Murdoch of Boise; and his niece, Tonya Valentine and family of Baker City.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Idaho Youth Paint Horse Club, in care of Dick Ramsey, 5717 East Powerline Road, Nampa, ID 83687.
