System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!James Kinkead
James Robert Kinkead, 82, died Sept. 1, 2004, at his home in Pilot Rock.
A celebration of life memorial will be held at the Community Presbyterian Church in Pilot Rock on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m.
Arrangements are in care of Bishop Funeral Chapel in Pendleton.
Jim was born March 10, 1922, at La Grande to George Wesley and Edith (Cowan) Kinkead. Most of his youth was spent in and around Sumpter. He graduated from Baker High School in 1941.
After high school he was in the National Youth Administration, where he was trained in machine and metal fabrication for the war effort. He then moved to Vancouver, Wash., where he worked in the shipyards until joining the U.S. Navy. He served in World War II until 1945. During that time he was stationed in North Africa, Sicily and Normandy.
In 1950 he attended Eastern Oregon University, and later transferred to Oregon State University in Corvallis. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in forest products.
In 1958 he married Barbara Livingston. He was employed at U.S. Gypsum from 1954 to 1986. He served on the Pilot Rock School District board and budget committee for several years. He was an active member of the Community Presbyterian Church.
Jim was named First Citizen of Pilot Rock twice, and named Booster of the Year.
He loved to attend sporting events at the high school, volunteering his time to take tickets and help raise funds for the youth of Pilot Rock.
He was also a life member of the Pendleton Elks B.P.O.E. 288 and the Union Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara; sons, Ray Kinkead and his wife, Patti, of Pendleton and James W. and his wife, Kathy, of Pilot Rock; a daughter, Lisa Cate and her husband, Kurt, of Pendleton; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, one brother and his daughter, Carla Dobbs.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Pilot Rock Booster Club or to the Community Presbyterian Church in Pilot Rock.
Jim Ritter
Jim Ritter, 89, of Richland, died May 2, 2004, at the North Senior Care Home at Richland.
There will be a Celebration of Life and Memorial Service for him at 11 a.m. Friday at the Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.
Jim was born at Halfway on March 3, 1915. His father was J.P. Ritter, a cattle rancher and community leader. J.P. had been a county commissioner as well as president of the local bank. Jim's mother was Ella Belle Canaday. His siblings were Harold, Clair, Perk, Ellen and Maud. They all died earlier.
The family lived on the ranch on Boulder Flat that is currently owned by Keith McLean. Jim grew up helping his father with the cattle and farming on the ranch. For a short time in his teen years, he traveled the rodeo circuit.
He participated in saddle bronc and bulldogging events at the local fair and surrounding areas. He also traveled to the Calgary Stampede, to Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyo., and to the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Kayo Garritson and George Hanson were his traveling buddies on a couple of occasions.
His brother, Perk Ritter, shared his love of rodeo. They were instrumental along with many others, in getting the Pine Valley Fair established in Halfway over the Labor Day weekends.
Jim met Evelyn Merrick while he was in the hospital in La Grande. They were married in 1943. They had one son: James, born in 1952, who lives in Canada.
Jim and Evelyn were very close to two nieces, Darlene and Joan Merrick. The girls lived with them for a couple of years. Their family ties remained strong over the years and Jim spoke of them often.
When Jim's mother, Ella, died, Jim and Evelyn moved in with his father on the ranch to help him through his elder years and to keep the ranch intact. During this time, Jim tried his hand at some outside career projects.
He built and operated a grain mill in Richland — the first mill of its kind in the area. Local farmers could take their crops directly to the mill and have them processed into feed.
Later Jim and Hugh Lockett operated a cube mill. It was located next to where Quilts Plus is now and across from the Halfway Feed and Seed.
Jim was a great, unknown inventor. His brother-in-law, Cliff Waldron, used to laugh and say, "Jim will spend 10 hours inventing something to do a job that would take 10 minutes to do."
His first invention was an automatic butter churner. He hated helping his mother churn cream into butter, so he devised jars that fit on a ring which in turn fit on the washing machine agitator. It actually made butter.
He also made and designed a grain auger. It was a spiral pole- type device that moved grain into the hoppers at his mill. It worked well and was the first of its kind seen in this area.
He also loved to make things with wood and was very adept with a hammer and saw. He made all kinds of animals, birdhouses, windmills and other items for yards. He also once built a chair that would transform into a ladder when needed.
His wife, Evelyn, died in 1967. Shortly afterward, he sold the ranch and moved to Canada where he stayed for several years.
He returned to Halfway in the early 1980s. He and a couple of friends decided to stake claims on a couple of mines. They spent many hours in the hills working these claims and dreaming of a rich gold strike.
Jim met Muriel Smith of Weiser, Idaho, through one of his mining buddies. They were married in 1984. They made their home at Weiser until Muriel died in May of 2000.
Jim closed out his home at Weiser and came back to Halfway. He stayed with his nephew, Bill Waldron, for a short time and then tried living at Settlers Park in Baker City. He was not happy there, so the family moved him to the North home at Richland.
This move made him very happy. It made him feel like he was back on the farm. He loved to feed the pigs and take care of other outside chores.
Survivors in Halfway and Baker City include Bill and Bob Waldron and their families and Melody Huff, granddaughter of Perk Ritter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Halfway/Oxbow or Eagle Valley Ambulance through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, Oregon 97834.
Madge Colton Lloyd
Madge M. Colton Lloyd, 84, a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 24, 2004, in Yakima, Wash., after a prolonged illness.
A celebration of her life will be announced at a later date. Services are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 15 in Baker City.
Madge, the daughter of John and Nora (Gilkison) Colton, married Robert H. Murray in 1939 and together they had 10 children. At the time of her husband's death they lived in Richland, Ore. With eight children to raise she decided to move to Baker City, where she returned to college to acquire skills for office work. She then worked as the city inspector's secretary, and later as a Deputy Sheriff Matron for Delmar Dixon.
She is survived by nine of her children: Robert L. Murray of Mabton, Wash.; Sheri Caldwell and her husband, Bob, of Pendleton; Shirley Steelman and her husband, Clif, of Prosser, Wash.; Richard Murray and his wife, Charlene, of Gillette, Wyo.; Joan Sherman and her husband, Jim, of Baker City; Nelda Ward and her husband, Joe, of Olympia, Wash.; Sherman Murray and his wife, Maxine, of Huntington; Thomas Murray and his wife, Rhonda, of Gillette; Blaine Murray and his wife, Kathy, of Kearney, Neb. She also is survived by 25 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; and by several of her 14 siblings, including sisters: Nell Owens; June Premorvich and her husband, George; Jean Thompson and her husband, Elmer; LaRue Brooks and her husband, Stan' Joyce Turner and her husband, James; Gail Stevenson and her husband, Charles; and brothers Donald Colton and his wife, Ann; and Johnny Colton.
Madge was preceded in death by her parents, John and Nora Colton; an infant daughter, Judith Murray; husband, Robert Murray, husband, S.E. Woods; brothers, Frank Colton, Hugh Colton, Phil Colton, Bill Colton and Blaine Colton; and an infant granddaughter, Mary Kay Murray.
Luana Dillman-Van Vleck
Luana Marie Dillman-Van Vleck, 77, died Aug. 24, 2004, at Holy Rosary Hospital in Ontario, where she had been hospitalized the past few days for flu-like symptoms.
Luana will be remembered in the Baker City and Halfway areas as Luana Dillman, and the mother of Walt Dillman Jr., Sammy (Nancy Dillman) Mercer, Lonnie Dillman and Dock Dillman.
Luana's graveside memorial service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Pastor Bill Shields of the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church will officiate. Interment will follow the services.
Luana, the daughter of Dock and Armilda Baze, was born Sept. 19, 1926, in the Grandview-Sunnyside area of Washington state. She was the fourth of nine children. She was raised in the Horse Heaven Hills near Prosser, Wash., and she boasted to her grandchildren how she rode with her father to wrangle wild horses for trade.
"That's how daddy made his living, " she said. "We'd wrangle the wild ponies in, break them and sell them."
She would laugh and say she didn't even know how to cook when she married her husband, Walt, whom she called daddy, as she would rather ride than do household chores.
They were married Oct. 7, 1942, at Prosser. Luana was 16, and they were married for 54 years.
As a young girl Luana would participate in rodeos as a trick rider. Even after marrying, she still participated in the sport as well as running barrels and doing other arena events. Her favorite of all was the racing circuit. She and Walt worked together as owner/trainer and won many races during their time.
The couple moved to Halfway in 1961. However, in 1964 they lost their home to a fire, which forced them to move. Walt Sr., being an experienced miner, started following construction which ultimately moved them to Washington, D.C., where he worked in the tunnels and Luana enjoyed living in a large plantation house. She enjoyed telling about the servant quarters and various other rooms of the old home, and talking about its history.
Luana had a variety of roles in her life. She was a skilled welder in the shipyards during the war. Mostly she worked as a commercial truck driver, which often took her cross country. All four of her children took up the truck-driving trade, but only Lonnie and Sammy remain in the occupation. When all else failed, you would find her either serving food or cooking in a restaurant. It's only been the last few years that she actually slowed enough to enjoy her retirement years.
Luana is survived by her husband, Everett Van Vleck, whom she married in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 19, 2002; her sons and daughters-in-law, Walt Jr. and Ronda Dillman of Halfway; Lonnie and Marie Dillman of Baker City; Dock and Cynthia Dillman of Baker City and their daughter, Sammy "Nancy" Mercer of Emmett, Idaho; brothers, Calvin Baze of Spokane, Wash., Fred Baze of Marina del Rey, Calif., Rolland Baze and his wife, Helen, of Pasco, Wash., and Floyd Baze and his wife, Sandra, of Christmas Valley; a sister, Cheryl Baze Robinette and her husband, Earl, of Halfway; 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; and numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews and cousins.
Luana was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Walt Sr.; a second husband, Richard Weeks; a grandson, Jeff Dillman; a sister, Helen Marler; and two brothers, Courtney and Bill Baze.
Contributions in Luana's memory may be directed to Hells Canyon Junior Rodeo Association or a charity of your choice. This may be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Norna Averett
Norna Marie Averett, 77, of Portland, died Aug. 23, 2004.
Her memorial service will be Saturday, Aug. 28, at 11 a.m. at Gateway Baptist Church in Portland. A graveside service in Haines will be announced at a later time.
Arrangements are under the direction of Omega Funeral and Cremation Service.
Norna was born at Haines on May 9, 1933, and graduated from Baker High School.
She worked as a beautician prior to marrying Donald Averett in 1954. The couple moved to the Portland area from Baker City in 1958.
She was a longtime resident of St. Johns and volunteered for many years with Camp Fire Inc. and 4-H.
Survivors include her husband, Donald Averett; daughters, Debbie Mix, DeLaina Morris and DeLouisa Rogers; a son, Donald Averett Jr.; sisters, Esther Van Ortwick and Shirley Koons; and 10 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions can be made to Camp Fire Inc.
Robert Mosley
Robert Eugene Mosley, 53, of Huntington, died Aug. 13, 2004, at his home.
His memorial service will be scheduled later.
Robert Eugene was born on Nov. 17, 1950, at Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Robert Joseph and Lois Pearl Sells Mosley. When Robert was only 18 months old, his family moved from Missouri to Oregon. He attended school at Lebanon, and graduated from high school at Powers.
Bob meet Jody Brotton at Powers. The couple were married in 1970 at Lebanon. Soon after their marriage, Bob joined the U.S. Marine Corps.
He was stationed in California. Robert's first son, Lance, was born in 1972. He and Jody later divorced.
Robert later married Debra. Boe, Bob's youngest son, was born in 1979.
In 1981, Bob moved his family back to the Willamette Valley and started work at the Smurfit Inc. paper mill. A few years later, the family relocated to Richland, and Robert started a fishing guide business.
Robert later returned to the valley to attend Linn Benton Community College at Albany. He graduated with honors from the dispatch courses.
He continued living in the valley until six months ago when he returned to Eastern Oregon. Bob had moved to Huntington to retire and to spend time with one of his favorite uncles, Sonny.
Robert enjoyed fishing, hunting, music, computers, spending time with his uncles and being with his grandkids.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert J.; and his brother-in-law, Patrick Pastmore.
Survivors include his two sons, Lance, and his wife, Jenna, of Aloha, and Boe and his wife, Trala, of Tillamook; his stepson, John Godown; stepdaughters, Michelle Walker and Corey Franklin; three grandchildren, Jacob, Evan, and Hayden; his mother, Lois Mosley of Lebanon; and his sister, Brenda Pastmore of Lebanon.
Memorial contributions may be made to Voluntary Services at the Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Chuck' Phegley Jr.
Charles W. "Chuck" Phegley Jr., 72, a longtime Baker City resident, died Aug. 13, 2004, at a Boise hospital.
There will be a celebration of his life at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the church.
Viewing will be for family only. Disposition will be by cremation through Gray's West & Co. Crematory.
Chuck was born on April 14, 1932, at The Dalles to Charles Wesley and Leolia Pear Phegley.
Graduating from high school in 1950, he was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1952. He served two years in Germany during the Korean Conflict. For most of his 72-plus years, Chuck dedicated his life's work to logging, first working for someone else and for the last 34-plus years for himself as Chuck Phegley Logging. He had won numerous accolades for his timber industry work, including being twice recognized as the Eastern Oregon Region Forest Practices Operator of the Year.
In addition to his deep appreciation and knowledge of the forests, Chuck also was incredibly civic-minded, having sought and been elected to the school board and city council at Halfway, volunteering on the Baker County Planning Commission and most recently in an elected position on the City Council for Baker City. In these capacities, Chuck was able to make a meaningful difference in the lives of his community's students and citizens.
Chuck continued to give to communities outside of the state and country through Work & Witness programs, supporting local missionary efforts in Arizona, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Western Samoa, Mexico and Ukraine, not to mention activities in his local church.
Chuck attributed his desire to give of himself to his deep and abiding faith in the Lord. He was constantly finding ways to share with others what he had been given.
"We are all comforted to know that while we will sorely miss him, he is at peace. We love you, Dad, " his family said.
He was preceded in death by his parents and by a younger brother, James Phegley.
Survivors include his wife of more than 32 years, Willma Phegley; daughter, Karri Ryan, son-in-law, Patrick, and granddaughter, Taylor, of Meridian, Idaho; son, Craig Davis, daughter-in-law, Melody, and grandchildren, Brandon, Ashley and Rebekah, of Baker City; and son, Charles Wesley "Wes" Phegley III of Wallowa; cousins, David Phegley and Denise Phegley Grande; nieces, Beverly, Wendy, Becky, Marilyn and Kimberly; and former stepchildren, David Ritch and Suzie Ritch Twiss.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Marjorie Williams
Marjorie J. Williams, 92, a lifelong Baker City resident, died Aug. 12, 2004, at Meadowbrook Place where she had been living for the last year because of health problems.
Her graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jack Bynum of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home.
Mrs. Williams was born on June 28, 1912, at Haines to Harry and Grace Truscott Spence. She was sister to Elwood, Owen and Paul Spence. The Spence family lived in the Keating Valley and at Baker City, where she received her education. She was a Baker High School graduate and had lived all of her life at Baker City.
Marjorie married Jay Williams in Weiser, Idaho, on Dec. 19, 1933. She and Jay made their home in Baker City and raised their son, Frank, and their daughter, Karey Rae. Besides being a housewife, homemaker and busy mother, she worked in many downtown businesses throughout her life, including restaurants, J.C. Penney and The Mode O'Day.
She also volunteered at St. Elizabeth Nursing Home, until a few years ago when she began to lose her eyesight. Marjorie was a member of the United Methodist Church and had attended Sunday services until her health kept her homebound.
Marjorie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She lived life to the fullest, and loved Baker County and the beauties and wonders of Eastern Oregon. She was the Spence family matriarch, and will be missed by those who knew her and loved her.
Survivors include her son, Frank, and his wife, Mary, and her daughter, Karey Rae, and her husband, Charles Craig, all of Portland; grandchildren, Jay, and his wife, Carol, of Winston, Jennifer and her husband, Semio, Charlie, Margi and her husband, Sean, and Jodi and her husband, Todd, all of Portland; great-grandchildren, Aaron, Travis, and Kyla; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She also was preceded in death by her parents, brothers and husband.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart or Lung Association through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
