System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Katherine Lott
Katherine Mary Lott, 53, of Baker City, died Nov. 3, 2005, after a very courageous and long battle with cervical cancer.
Her memorial service was Sunday at the Eagles Lodge.
Kathy was born on Sept. 28, 1952, to Ervin and Virginia Burch at North Platte, Neb.
She married John Leon Lott Sr. on Dec. 4, 1971, at Springfield. Together they had three children: Christina, Brian and John Jr.
Kathy lived all over Oregon, including 10 years on the McKenzie River and the last eight years in Baker City, where she finally owned her own home.
She was a longtime member of the American Legion, where she was chaplain for a number of years. She also was a member of the Eagles Lodge.
Kathy was a real social bug. She loved everybody she met. She had many friends, and they were all very important to her. But the real love of her life was her grandchildren, who brought her lots of joy.
Kathy had many kinds of jobs, and her favorite was being a caregiver. She loved camping, fishing, traveling and her barbecue parties. She loved music, bus trips to Winnemucca, Thursday night music at the Legion and karaoke.
Her nickname was "Laughalot" — she laughed out loud and a lot. Kathy had a huge love for life, and she lived life to its fullest right to the very end.
She was a loving mother, wife, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She said there are no goodbyes, but we'll meet again someday.
Survivors include her children, Christina Blankenship and her husband, Kevin, of Baker City, Brian Lott and John Lott Jr., both of Ontario; grandchildren, Arron Sheridan, Eric Sheridan, Morgan, Breanna and Skylar Blankenship; siblings, Carol Free and her husband, Al, of Baker City, Ervin Burch and his wife, Kay, of Missouri, Shelly Howell and her husband, Denny, of Florence, Doug Burch and his wife, Tina, of North Platte, Neb., and Sheila Peel and her husband, Mike, of Seattle; nephews, Adam Larson, Christopher Larson and his wife, Heather, and Timothy Larson and his wife, Beccha, all of Florence, Kristian Burch and his wife, Jamie, of Portland, Jacob Peel of Seattle, and Chad, Chase and Colton Ficek of Florence; nieces, Brandi and Misti Burch of Missouri, Amber and Kimberly Martin of Seattle and Nicole and Gabriel Burch of Nebraska; numerous great-nieces and nephews and one great-great nephew who was born Nov. 1, who she waited for; many aunts and uncles, her loving grandmother, Eleanor Hartman; numerous cousins; stepfather, Keith Halladay; stepmother, Fran Burch; and her special partner, Jay Chandler.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Lott Sr.; her mother, Virginia Halladay; her father, Ervin Burch Sr.; and a brother-in-law, John Ficek.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Legion or Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814, for cremation costs.
Virginia Stuart
Virginia "Ginger" Stuart, 68, of La Grande, died Nov. 2, 2005, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.
There will be a private family graveside service Wednesday at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Pastor Ray Wilson of the New Bridge Church of the Nazarene will officiate.
Ginger was born at Ogden, Utah, on May 3, 1937. She was one of five children. Her family moved to Baker City where she was educated. She married Harry "Bud" Frashier in November 1955. They were married for 25 years before divorcing. She married Walt Stuart in November 1981.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Donald Frashier of Eagle, Idaho; a daughter, Tina Kassel of Chandler, Ariz.; and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Bill' Street
William "Bill" Street, 70, of Gresham, died Oct. 31, 2005, near Sumpter.
His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 17th Street and Pocahontas Road. Pastor Tony Brandon of the church will officiate. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception after the service at the home of Robert and Alice Street.
Bill was born on April 18, 1935, at Baker City to Robert and Clarice Street. He was raised in Baker City and attended the Pocahontas Schoolhouse. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956.
After his discharge, he moved back to Baker City and helped build the Brownlee Dam. In 1958, he moved to Portland and went to work as a welder on the John Day Dam.
He worked for various lumber mills, for Ash Grove and the Portland shipyards, from which he retired in 1999.
Bill liked to travel, restore automobiles, ride his Harley and visit the home ranch in Baker City.
Survivors include his wife, Kathy Street of Gresham; his stepson, Kim Hoffmiller; a brother, Robert K. Street Jr. of Baker City; one niece, six nephews, numerous great-nephews and great-nieces and cousins, including Jim Roe of Baker City, who was a frequent travel companion.
He was preceded in death by a stepdaughter, Jan Hoffmiller, and his parents.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Seventh-day Adventist Church through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Keith Irey
Keith Irey, 67, a former Baker City resident, died Oct. 23, 2005, at Spokane, Wash.
His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. There was a service in Spokane earlier.
Keith Irey was born on Jan. 1, 1938, at Baker City. He attended Baker schools and was a Baker High School graduate.
He was a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and, retired in 1994 from the Federal Aviation Administration after 38 years as an engineer.
He enjoyed watching the Seattle Mariners and playing chess and he loved people.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Thomas Hunt
Thomas Aasa Hunt, 71, of Boise, a former Baker City resident, died Nov. 1, 2005, after suffering from cancer for a brief period.
His funeral was at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4, 2005, at the Shamrock and McMillan Road Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Interment was at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery with full military honors.
Tom was born on May 29, 1934, at Baker City to Thomas Clarence and Marie Aasa Hunt. He married Mariam Colleen Boley on Sept. 17, 1954, at the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
They recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. They are the parents of four children, Mariam (deceased), Anna Marie, Thomas and Barry.
Tom was always a hard worker. He began delivering newspapers at a very young age. As a teenager, he worked in the lumber yards of Baker City and for the U.S. Forest Service.
Tom was an accomplished pianist and had perfect pitch. In 1952, as delegate to Boys State from Oregon, he performed the musical number "Bumble Boogie" to a standing ovation.
Tom loved athletics. He was a multi-sport star for Baker High School and received scholarship offers in basketball and football.
He graduated from Brigham University at Provo, Utah, in 1956 with a degree in accounting. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force through the ROTC program at BYU.
He entered the Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Tom had a diversified career in the Air Force, with about 6, 000 flying hours. Among the agencies he flew for were the Strategic Air Command, NASA and the Atomic Energy Commission.
Tom served as a test pilot for the Boeing plant at Seattle, Wash., where he accepted new aircraft for the military. He also helped in the development of the AWACS system.
In 1965-66, Tom served a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam, where he flew C-123 aircraft. He also served his country in Thailand in 1975, where he commanded the SCATBACK Squadron. He helped evacuate the Vietnamese premier and other dignitaries.
He flew one of the last missions into Cambodia to help evacuate military personnel before the borders closed. This was a risky mission that other pilots declined.
During the Apollo 11 lunar mission in 1969, Tom's aircraft relayed messages from the astronauts to the Earth. In his 20 years in the Air Force, Tom was stationed at eight bases, where he flew at least 11 different types of aircraft. He was very patriotic and had a deep love for his country.
After retiring from the Air Force, Tom pursued a lifelong dream and began an 18-year career as a stock and commodity broker with Merrill-Lynch in Boise. He especially enjoyed his associations with his fellow Merrill-Lynch brokers and his many valued clients.
After retiring from Merrill-Lynch, Tom learned the highly specialized art of building fly rods with his friend, Ken Smith. During President George W. Bush's most recent visit to Idaho, the last custom fly rod constructed by Tom and Ken was presented to the president by Sen. Mike Crapo and the Idaho delegation, as a gift from the state. Tom enjoyed many hours testing his fly rods on the South Fork.
As an active and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tom served in many different capacities. Among his many callings, he enjoyed his time as a temple worker, Elder's Quorum president, High Priest group leader and ward membership clerk. He also served as the LDS group leader while in Thailand. Working with the LDS servicemen was a very rewarding experience for him.
He thoroughly enjoyed his retirement years, especially spending time with his family. He never missed a sporting event or school activity involving his grandchildren. He particularly looked forward to his golf outings with his grandson, Mark.
He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. His family loved him dearly.
"He could be counted on in any situation and has left a void in our hearts that will never be filled, " family members said.
Survivors include his wife, Colleen; children and their spouses, Anna Marie and Darryl Neider, Thomas B. and Jan Hunt and Barry C. and Jessica Hunt; grandchildren, Natalie and Mark Neider, Dallas, Cole and Samuel Hunt and Mariella and Christian Hunt; brothers, Jim, John and Robert Hunt; and sisters, Jeanette Hindman, Barbara Beck and Marie Hines.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant daughter, Mariam; infant grandson, Thomas Boyd Neider; brother, Richard Hunt; and sister, Kathryn Hunt.
Gertrude Inman
Gertrude Turner Inman, 96, of Baker City, died Oct. 28, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Care Center.
Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Ralph Holcomb will officiate.
Gray's West & Co. is in charge of arrangements. A memorial event is being planned for the future.
Born in Portland on Nov. 8, 1908, to Ernest and Mattie Turner, Gertrude and her mother moved to Baker from Spokane, Wash., in the early 1920s. With family in Canyon City, she and her mother made frequent trips on the Sumpter Valley Railroad.
In Baker City, she met her lifetime best friend, Ava Steiger, and over the years the two became like sisters. In their teens, Gertrude and Ava tended sheep camps in the Wallowas, and developed a lifetime appreciation for travel and the great outdoors.
Gertrude graduated from Baker High School and continued her education at the Normal School in Cheney, Wash. At the age of 17, she began a more-than-30-year teaching career with a class of seventh- graders at Imbler.
She later graduated from the University of Washington at Seattle. The copious notes taken in her Shakespeare texts hint at the joy she found in language and literature. She continued her studies with graduate work at several universities, including the University of Oregon at Eugene.
She married Marion C. Inman at Ontario on Aug. 18, 1945. Together they raised two sons, Roger C. Inman, and John W. Inman, in the Baker house built by Gertrude's mother. Marion owned the Courthouse Market and later was a partner in Our Market. Gertrude taught at Baker schools and spent many years teaching senior English at Baker High School. She was both John and Roger's senior English teacher. The Inmans also raised cattle at their ranch outside North Powder.
After Gertrude retired from Baker High School in 1969, she and Marion began traveling by RV. Their motor home allowed them to visit with their sons and grandchildren throughout the country. Everywhere they went they explored the outdoors, and could usually be found behind a set of binoculars looking for new birds to observe. In the 1980s they had great fun being "snowbirds" in California and Arizona during the winter.
After Marion's death in 1983, Gertrude remained in Baker City, traveling to visit her sons and grandchildren. She and Ava continued their outdoor activities until Ava's death. Her membership in Delta Kappa Gamma, PEO and Eastern Star kept her in touch with many of her former colleagues and she loved to talk with former students.
Survivors include her sons and their wives, Roger and Karen Inman of Tallahassee, Fla., and John and Jody Inman of Salinas, Calif.; grandchildren Ann Gaylord of Huntington Beach, Calif., Amy Landerman of Maitland, Fla., Jill Marie Inman of Leesburg, Va., Marla Blair of Tallahassee, Fla., and Janet Inman Sutton of Anacortes, Wash.; and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker County Library Foundation or to a charity of one's choice.
Harold Combs
Harold Combs, 83, of Baker City, died Oct. 16, 2005, at the Veterans Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash.
At his request, he will be cremated and his ashes returned to his favorite place near Bates. There will be no funeral.
Harold was born March 19, 1922, at Austin to John and Margaret Combs. He was a World War II veteran. He lived most of his life in and around the areas of Bates, Austin and Baker City, and had worked for the Oregon Lumber Company throughout the years doing various jobs. The old engines used for transporting logs and lumber were a special interest of his, and he loved talking about them with family and friends.
Harold is survived by four sisters; three daughters, Alice Bartow of Baker City, Dianne Cramer and Kathleen Frazier of New Castle, Ind.; 10 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Harold was preceded in death by his son, James; his father and mother; one brother and four sisters.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice in care of Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Stub' Burril
Glen "Stub" Burril, 77, of Baker City, a former Unity resident, died Oct. 21, 2005, at his home.
His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. MDT Friday at the Wilder Cemetery in Wilder, Idaho. Pastor Roger Scovil of Baker City Christian Church will officiate.
Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Stub Burril was born Oct. 22, 1927, at Pierce, Idaho, to Charles and Lulu Burril. He attended schools around the Wilder, Idaho, area.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945, and served as a radio operator until 1947. Stub married Vera Obeta Huckabee on May 7, 1951, at Wilder, Idaho. He worked in the timber industry in various areas around Oregon.
After moving to Unity in 1959, Stub was a logging truck driver, a profession he greatly enjoyed, until his retirement. In 1994, he moved to Baker City where he lived with his companion, LaVelle Givens, for 11 years.
Stub had many friends through his association with the Baker Senior Center. For many years, he enjoyed playing music for dances at the center. Times with family and friends enjoying the outdoors, camping, playing music, throwing horseshoes, and just driving out in the forests were Stub's greatest joys.
Survivors include his companion, LaVelle Givens of Baker City; a brother Ralph "Lyle" Burril of Kuna, Idaho; a son, Lexie Burril of Baker City; a daughter, Doneena Vandecar of Umatilla; grandson, Joseph Vandecar II, and his wife, Brandi, and their children, Baylea and Joseph III; grandson, Joshua Vandecar, and his wife, Amie; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Obeta; his parents; four brothers, Donald Burril, Clyde Burril, Lex Burril, and Burt (Fay) Burril; and one sister, Vivian (Lyla) Cornwell.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Fund through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Donald Scott
Donald Ray Scott, 48, of Baker City died Oct. 24, 2005, at his home.
There will be no service.
He was born on May 17, 1957, at Baker City to Herschel and Donna Scott.
Donald treasured his Harley motorcycle and fishing. He also spent lots of time in his woodworking shop.
Survivors include his wife of two months, Mary Susan Scott of Baker City; one son from a previous marriage, Micah Scott of Sumpter; parents, Herschel and Donna Scott of Baker City; sister, Patricia Goode, and her husband, Curtis, of Summerville; brothers, Bud Scott, and his wife, Sandy, and Herschel Scott Jr. and his wife, Joyce, all of Baker City.
Donald was preceded in death by his brother, Erwin N. Scott.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice of Baker City in care of Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
