System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Byron Brinton
Byron Charles Brinton, 93, of Baker City, died March 22, 2005, at his home with his family at his side.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. The Rev. Susan Barnes will officiate. A brief graveside service will be held at Mount Hope Cemetery. A reception will follow at First Presbyterian Church.
Visitations will be held Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Gray's West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
Byron was born in a "print shop" on Jan. 28, 1912, to Charles McKay and Elizabeth Rose (Mueller) Brinton in Fessenden, N.D.
He attended schools there, at Browning, Mont., Marcus, Wash., and graduated from North Powder High School in 1929. He served in the United States Navy during World War II in San Francisco.
He attended the University of Oregon, earning a junior certificate with honors. He quit in 1934 to become editor of The Record-Courier, a post he held until 1999. He became publisher in 1959 after buying his family's interest in the paper and served in that capacity until 2004, when he sold to his son Byron (RonD).
He married Roberta Lee Wright, a graduate of Haines High School, on Sept. 14, 1935, and to this union five children were born: Lynn Ann, Ross Burr, Byron Dorsey, Alice Kathleen and Greg Charles.
Byron grew up in the printing business, saying in a Courier Christmas greeting in 1992: "I was born in a printshop, that is, in living quarters with dividing door within a few feet of the huge gas engine that powered the plant 6 a.m. til 6 p.m., six days a week. My mother was a compositor til Dad installed one of the first Linotypes before I was born."
His name first appeared on the masthead when his family bought the Haines Record and the North Powder News in 1928, where he was listed as Assistant Editor, Manager.
Byron's career spanned the whole history of printing, from hand-composed forms printed on a handfed press to rotary letterpress and rotary offset composed on computers.
Byron's memberships and involvements reads like a Who's Who in Baker and Baker County history, including: member of Kiwanis, 1930s; charter member Baker Jaycees; charter member Evergreen Ski Club; charter member of the National Ski Patrol; secretary of the Anthony Lakes Playground Association; secretary of the Hells Canyon Development Association; honorary member of 4-H and FFA; honorary life member of Powder River Sportsmen's Club; charter member of the Sumpter Valley Railroad; member of the Baker County Historical Society; member and past president of the Baker County Museum Commission; member of the Oregon Water Resources Board; member of the Bonneville Power Administration Board; worked on the "Save the Minam River" group that led to the formation of that wilderness area; secretary of the Baker Manager Form Charter draft committee 1948-1952; organizing president of Anthony Lakes Corp. for two years and several years service on the Oregon Geographic Names Board.
He was awarded the Diamond Service to Agriculture in 1993.
Byron devoted years of personal and newspaper attention to promotion and organization of the Baker Valley project and Mason Dam authorization. He represented the region at Oregon hearings, House and Senate hearings and 19 days at the outset of Federal Power Commission hearings on Snake River hydroelectric development, testifying before the Senate on three different occasions.
He did local and legislative work assuring transportation routes to Hells Canyon and Snake River, was spokesman for Anthony Lakes market road and forest access prior to the ski area expansion and was with a group who pioneered federal interests that located present loop road access to Wallowa County and the Hells Canyon rim.
He was one of several who successfully prevented the freeway from by-passing Baker City, promoted with city leaders a central interchange and four-lane 10th Street and Campbell Street developments and held an important role in forest-federal-state negotiations that assured the Tipton Highway 7 cutoff.
He was also an activist in the Historical Society preservation of the Natatorium for the Oregon Trail Regional Museum and its restoration.
Byron has been an advocate of soil and water conservation, resource preservation and utilization, a quality city and county and was one of the earliest to forecast the energy crunch.
In a story written in 1984, he summarized his 50-year editorship "as a consistent mixture of advocating growth, clean air, pure water, productive soil, green forests, people responsibility and the bond of a free press." He was honored as Grand Marshal at the Haines Stampede Rodeo, Miners Jubilee in Baker City and the Halfway fair parade. He never missed attending the Halfway fair and always held a spot in his heart for this event.
He enjoyed the outdoors and was one of the first, with his wife Roberta, to take a lease on a cabin site at Anthony Lakes. When he could take time away from work, he enjoyed fishing.
He enjoyed huckleberry picking and hiking with Roberta and their dogs, and during a couple of years period, they traveled on weekends to put together a "Travelog" feature for his newspaper.
He was a kind and caring man, a good husband and father and really enjoyed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Roberta in 1993 and other family members.
He is survived by his children, Lynn West of Portland, Ross and his wife, Georgia, of Baker City, Byron of Baker City; Alice Williamson and her husband, Larry, of Alta, Wyo., and Greg and his wife, Trish, of Baker City; grandchildren, Douglas Paul Remington and his wife, Annie, of Boston, Holly Ann Remington of Portland, Charley Burr Brinton and his wife, Misty, of Baker City, Morgan Elaine Brinton of Driggs, Idaho, Katie Jo (Williamson) Murdock and her husband, Cory, of Driggs, Idaho, Anna Lee (Williamson) Baler and her husband, Eric, of Tetonia, Idaho, Larry Adam Williamson and his wife, Robbi, of Driggs, Idaho, and Kaila and Julie Hughes of Baker City; great-grandchildren, Ashley Kaye and Bryce Charles Brinton of Baker City, Jesse and Russell Murdock of Driggs, Idaho, and Kinley Kathleen and Eric Remington Bahler of Tetonia, Idaho.
He is also survived by three brothers, Don, Tim and Tom, and two sisters, Ardis and Elizabeth.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Trail Regional Museum or Sumpter Valley Railroad in care of Gray's West & Company, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Georgia Scott
Georgia Loretta Scott, 97, a long-time resident of Haines, died March 21, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Heath Care Center.
There will be a memorial service on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 at 10 a.m. at the Haines United Methodist Church. Pastor Sally Wiens of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception following the service .
A private inurnment will take place at the North Powder Cemetery.
Georgia Loretta Jarman Scott was born in North Powder to Emery and Mary Green Jarman on Dec. 15, 1907. She was the oldest of three daughters. She lived there until she was a year old, then the family moved to Rock Creek. Her father was a butcher and had a meat shop.
Georgia attended school one year in Muddy Creek, then the family moved to Haines, where she finished school and lived the remainder of her life. She graduated from Haines High School in 1926 and attended Monmouth when it was called a teacher's college.
She began teaching after one year at Monmouth, and finished her education at Eastern Oregon State College by attending during the summers and taking extension classes from the University of Oregon. Georgia graduated from EOSC in 1956 with a bachelor's of science and a minor in music.
In 1930, Georgia married Earl Scott and lived on a farm for 25 years. They had two sons, David and Paul Scott.
Georgia taught school at Lone Pine, Rock Creek, Muddy Creek, Haines and Baker City, teaching first grade at Brooklyn for many years. Altogether, Georgia taught school for 36 years. After retiring, she taught piano lessons for several years. She loved children and enjoyed every minute with them, whether teaching first-graders to read or teaching children to play the piano.
Georgia was a 52-year charter member of the Elkhorn Grange in Haines, an 80-year member of the Haines Methodist Church where she was the organist and pianist for 50 years, a member of the Baker County Retired Educators, State and National member of the Mutual Improvement Club since 1930, and a 27-year member of the Baker County Garden Club.
Georgia loved working in her yard and always had a beautiful yard and flowers, even after she was unable to maintain it herself. It continued to give her great joy to look out upon the flowers and watch the squirrels and birds.
She is survived by her son, Paul; grandchildren, Jim Scott of Haines, Joe Scott of Baker City, Diana Grende of North Powder and Mike Scott of Haines; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; a niece, Nancy, and special friends Eddie Heidel of Haines and Louise Pierce of Ontario.
She was preceded in death by her husband Earl, son David, sisters Helen Spahn and Beryl Kulhank, daughter-in-law Betty and great-granddaughter Jennifer.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Haines Methodist Church in care of Gray's West & Co., PO Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Midge' Short
Mildred "Midge" Irene Short, 74, died peacefully at her home in Baker City on March 10, 2005. At her request, no services will be held. The family will hold a potluck wake in her honor on Saturday, March 19, at noon at the Baker County Extension Building, 2610 Grove Street in Baker City.
Midge was born Feb. 28, 1931, in Palmer, Idaho, to Archer Bradford Wayne and Irene Hack Wayne. She had three brothers and two sisters. She grew up in Baker County and graduated from Union High School. During these years she both attended and participated in rodeos.
Midge had various occupations throughout her lifetime, including stay-at-home mom, bartender, waitress and long-haul truck driver. Because of these occupations and the many adventures of her life, she traveled extensively throughout the United States. She lived in many communities throughout the area but spent most of her time in Baker City and Madras.
She was a passionate reader, a history buff, and an excellent cook. She was a tremendous storyteller and shared her joy and knowledge of the places she had been and people she had met with great humor, wit and sass, often leaving her listeners with sore sides and cheeks wet from laughing. She was a generous soul, known for taking in strays, both people and pets, becoming "Mom" to many people, and a valuable friend who will be greatly missed.
Midge had three children, Joni Lee Nagel, Calvin Loran "Bill" Elliott and Laurence Eric "Boo" Short.
Midge is survived by her husband, Lester "Shorty" Short; her two sons; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family members and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, her sisters, and one brother.
The family requests no flowers. Donations in her memory can be made to Lester "Shorty" Short. This may be done through the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Dorothy Boardrow
Dorothy May (Price) Boardrow, 88, of died peacefully in her sleep on March 14, 2005.
At her request there will be no services.
Dorothy was born Dorothy May Daniel on May 28, 1916, in Monroe, Mich., the third of four children. She headed west with her family at a very young age, living in Colorado, Portland, and Wolf Creek, Ore. At the age of 18, Dorothy regularly delivered mail and supplies by muleback in harrowing trips from Wolf Creek to a mining camp high in the mountains.
In 1934 Dorothy married Robert Price. They had three daughters. In 1940 the family moved to Pondosa, where they lived until the town was dismantled in 1958. She believed in volunteer service. During World War II she volunteered as an airplane spotter, and was very proud of the wings she earned for her efforts. She was an excellent seamstress, and taught sewing and cooking in 4-H. She was a Girl Scout leader, enjoyed nature, and spent many weekends camping. At home, she was skilled in upholstery, carpentry, wallpapering, painting, and small appliance repair. She loved growing flowers and was known for her wonderful sweetpeas.
During the Eastern Oregon winters of the '40s and '50s, the BC&T logging train would sometimes bury itself in snowdrifts between Pondosa and Telocaset. Dorothy's job was to deliver coffee and sandwiches to the crew while they dug out the train, usually in the dark of night. She would drive as close to the stalled train as she could and then hike in through deep snowdrifts to deliver the food. To find the train, she would blow through her hands to make a sound like a train whistle that friends said could be heard for miles. (She retained this ability nearly all her life.) The train crew would hear her and blow the train whistle to guide her. She was frequently accompanied on these late-night jaunts by one of her daughters and a wild snowshoe rabbit or two.
She and Robert divorced in the early '60s. Many years later she married Ralph Boardrow, who shared her love for traveling the country and exploring new plaes.
Dorothy is survived by her three daughters: Sara Price of Elgin, Susan MacLeod of Beaverton, and Bobbi Kremer of Elgin; six grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; and several nieces.
She leaves us with stories that in our times seem larger than life, and memories of her practical wit and philosophy. She is sorely missed by all her family and many friends.
Ron Gaub
Ron Gaub, 97, a longtime Baker City resident, died March 12, 2005, at his home.
Military rites will be conducted by the Baker City AMVETS and Veterans of Foreign Wars at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Ron was born on Nov. 15, 1907, at Kramer, N.D., to John and Christina Keebler Gaub. He lived with his family until he was 17. He then rode his Harley Davidson to Oregon for the first time, returned to North Dakota and later returned to live in the Willamette Valley.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard the USS Kenneth Whiting AV-14. After the war, he lived at Wallowa where he owned and operated a gun shop.
He moved to Baker County in 1955, where he married Alberta Sipp and continued to work in building and construction. He was employed by the U.S. Forest Service in 1966, helping to build Union Creek Campground, many bridges and camping areas throughout the Wallowa- Whitman National Forest.
He retired at age 75 after 16 years with the Forest Service. He enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout his life.
Survivors include his wife, Alberta of Baker City; son, John Gaub of Spokane, Wash., and son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Lenora Gaub of Baker City; grandchildren, Kathryn, Christina and Alexander Gaub of Baker City and Bradley Johnston and Angela Foersterling of Baker City; five great-grandchildren; two brothers, Clarence Gaub of Silverton and Ernest Gaub of Salem; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and his sister.
Memorial contributions may be made to the VFW's Disabled American Veterans Van Fund through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Betty Hardman
Betty Marie Hardman, 83, a longtime Baker City resident, died March 14, 2005, at her home surrounded by friends and family.
Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Haines United Methodist Church. Sally Wiens of the church will officiate. There will be a lunch reception afterward at the church. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery during a private family service at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Visitations will be from 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock tonight and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
Betty was born on Feb. 12, 1922, at Baker City to Benjamin and Laura Emele. She spent her life in the Baker and Burnt River valleys, except for the time she traveled with her husband during World War II. Betty grew up in the Muddy Creek area and later moved to Haines. She was a 1940 graduate of Muddy Creek High School and also of Baker Business College.
Her greatest interests were piano, gardening, birds, fishing and camping. Her pets were constant companions. Betty loved traveling with her daughter and son-in-law.
She was a lifelong musician and played the piano for churches at Unity and Haines. She was a member of the Baker United Methodist Church and the Haines United Methodist Church.
She also was active in 4-H. Her legacy is her family. She loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren because they were the absolute joy of her life.
She married Wally E. Hardman on March 18, 1943. Betty and Wally were partners in cattle ranching for many years at Unity and Baker Valley.
They purchased a franchise from Blitz Weinhard Inc. and for a number of years operated Hardman Distributing of Baker. Upon selling the distributorship, they returned to ranching at the foot of the Elkhorn Mountains.
Betty also worked in the business offices of Basche-Sage Hardware. For 15 years she worked as a dispatcher for the Oregon State Police headquarters in Baker City. She retired from the state position in 1979 and spent many years actively involved in the Baker County and Baker City Garden Club, which she served as president for three years.
She is survived by her two children, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was a very loving and caring mother and grandparent. She will be remembered for her humor, love and compassion. She was very close to her family and she was very proud of them.
Survivors include her son, W. David Hardman and his wife, Paula, of Lynden, Wash.; her daughter, Roxy G. Hardman Ulrey and her husband, Don, of Baker City; six grandchildren, Jennifer and Benjamin of Bellingham and Lynden, Wash., Bradley and Justin of Salem, Jake of Baker City and Julee, who attends Eastern Oregon University at La Grande; six great-grandchildren, Alyssa, Kavika, Tanner, Megan, Mckennah and Lacey; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wally; her parents, Benjamin and Laura; and brothers, David and Gene, who died when she was a young child.
Memorial contributions may be made to Guardian Home Care and Hospice, Blue Mountain Humane Association and the Haines United Methodist Church Memorial Garden Fund through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Walt Butler
Walt Butler, 79, a former Halfway resident, died on March 9, 2005, at Yuma, Ariz.
At his request, there will be no service.
Walt LeRoy Butler was born at Wiley City, Wash., on March 21, 1925, to Walt LeRoy Butler Sr. and Annette B. Sams. Walt left high school early, acquiring a GED. He then entered the U.S. Navy and served until 1946.
After the service, Walt went to work for Safeway stores in northern California, a career from which he retired in May of 1975.
In September of 1971, Walt and Elsie Scoggin were married at Carson City, Nev. The couple raised a blended family of seven children, Walter LeRoy Butler III, Christine, Cindy, Nannette, Linda, Donald and Darrell.
In 1976, Walt and Elsie moved to Halfway. Prior to their arrival in Halfway, Walt had been involved with the Ceres Fire Department, so it was a perfect fit for him to volunteer for the Pine Valley Fire Department.
Walt was also active with the Lions Club, American Legion, Halfway/Oxbow Ambulance Service, Elks Lodge, Sheriff's Posse, and both the Hells Canyon Junior Rodeo and Panhandle Labor Day Rodeo. He was a reserve deputy with the Baker County Sheriff's Department and served as mayor of Halfway from 1979 to 1981.
Walt loved to umpire the local Little League games. Every summer, he looked forward to helping his nephew, Larry Casebold, at Yakima, Wash., with his cherry and pear orchards.
Walt was always there when something needed to be done, or when others needed encouragement. He always had a joke, a wonderful smile and that little mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Walt loved to fish and to hunt deer and elk. He always had to "have his paper." He enjoyed keeping up on the events of the Panhandle area. In 1987, Walt and Elsie became winter visitors to Yuma, Ariz. In October of 2002, they became permanent residents of Yuma.
Survivors include his wife, Elsie; son and daughter-in-law, Walter LeRoy Butler III and Patricia of Ceres, Calif.; daughters and sons-in-law, Christine and Glenn Naylor of Yarington, Nev., Cindy and Ed Blomdahl of Modesto, Calif., and Nannette and Lenny Anderson of Tuolumne, Calif.; daughter, Linda Nager of Delhi, Calif.; sons, Donald Scoggin of Ceres, Calif., and Darrell Scoggin of Delhi, Calif.; brother-in-law, Al Benton of Seattle, Wash.; nephews, Larry Casebolt and his wife, Susan, and Jack Zager and his wife, Diane; 15 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Walt was preceded in death by his parents, three stepsisters and one stepbrother.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker County Sheriff's Posse or the Halfway/Oxbow Ambulance Service through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543 Halfway, OR 97834.
