System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!‘Rod' Dickison
Charles Rodney "Rod" Dickison, 77, of Baker City, died Sept. 10, 2005, at his home.
There will be a Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Agape Christian Center, 650 Highway 7. Pastor Aaron Oglesbee of the church officiate. There was a private family graveside service at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Rod was born at McEwen on March 24, 1928, to Marcus and Olive Dickison. He was the fifth of seven children, and the third of five generations in Baker County.
He was raised in Sumpter Valley until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1945 to 1949. He was called back into service during the Korean War until 1951.
In between his military service, Rod worked on the Sumpter Dredge and then went to Barber College at Portland. He returned to Baker City and went into partnership with Kenneth Kofford. They operated the Kofford/Dickison Barbershop.
Rod continued his barber business for 55 years and volunteered his barbering services at no charge to the Baker County Jail and for the homebound elderly and ill.
On Feb. 8, 1953, he married Deloros E. Shoemaker. They had three children: James H. Dickison, Ronald C. Dickison, and Eutonna M. Dickison Lee. His grandchildren include Amos J. Lee, Shelby J. Lee, Eli R. Dickison, Michelle R. Dickison, Kyle M. Dickison, Cambry Bracken/Dickison and Alyssa Bracken/Dickison. Great-grandchildren are Aspyn R. Lee, Indigo K. Lee and Isaac I. Lee.
Rod was one of the community leaders to bring the Full Gospel Businessmen's International into Baker County. He was a member of the Methodist Church for 26 years, and then became one of the founding elders and leaders of the Agape Christian Center, which he has been a member of for the past 25 years.
Rod was a volunteer fireman for 25 years and a Boy Scout leader for 10 years. He was involved in many other community service activities that reflected his love of God and the people of this community.
Rod loved hunting, camping, fishing, family gatherings, his studies and teaching of the Bible, and bettering the lives of others through his community volunteer activities. He was known for his dedication to his faith; by his family he was know for his love and his service to God.
Rod was preceded in death by his sister, Carrie Hudspeth, and her husband, Ernest; and his brothers, Norman James Dickison and Wilson M. Dickison.
Survivors include his brothers, Andrew J. Dickison and his wife, Jo, Dean Dickison, Wesley Dickison and his wife, Kathy, and Paul Dickison and his wife, Nancy; his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; other family members, Brenda Dickison, Dell Dickison, Duane Lee, Tailee Lee, Kim Lee, Donna Case, Don Dickison, Tom Dickison, Barbra Saunders; nephews and nieces too numerous to list; and longtime family friends, including Phyllis Badgley, Bob and Catherine Ott, Lew Robbins, Bob and Gail Stanton and Arron and Betty Ogelsbee.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Agape Christian Center, Pathway Hospice or St. Jude Children's Hospital through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Darren Bradford
Darren Roland Bradford, 34, of Heppner, a former Unity resident, died Sept. 10, 2005, at Pilot Rock.
His funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Burnt River High School in Unity. Interment will be at the Unity Cemetery.
Visitations will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Burns Mortuary of Pendleton.
Darren was born on Jan. 14, 1971, at Seattle, Wash., to Gail and Lea Clevenger Bradford. At the age of 6 weeks, he moved with his family to Baker City where he lived until he was 9 months old.
From Baker City, the family moved to Unity where Darren grew up. He was a 1989 Burnt River High School graduate. He attended Blue Mountain Community College at Pendleton and moved to Pilot Rock in 1990. He worked for Louisiana-Pacific from 1990 to 1994.
In 1994, Darren moved back to Unity, where he lived until 1998. He met his wife, Belinda Harrison, in 1998, and they were married on July 17, 1999.
Darren later worked for Fleetwood Travel Trailers of Oregon for 2 years and then for Kinzua at Pilot Rock. In 2001, Darren and Belinda moved to Heppner where he joined the Heppner Volunteer Fire Department, a job that he was very proud of. He owned and operated Heppner Auto Service.
Darren loved sturgeon fishing and any other kind of fishing. He enjoyed hunting and is remembered as being a workaholic. He also enjoyed collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia.
He was a jokester and loved to laugh and to make others laugh. Most of all, he loved his children and spending time with them and his family.
He was a member of the Heppner Fire Department, the Heppner Ambulance team, the Heppner Christian Church and the Unity Volunteer Fire Department.
Survivors include his wife, Belinda Bradford of Heppner; his parents, Joe and Lea Greenwood of Unity and Shirley and Wayne Liles of Pilot Rock; his grandmother, Evelyn Kirk of Toledo, Wash.; stepgrandmother, Dorothy Lorene Bradford of Unity; a son, Logan Bradford of Heppner; daughters, Amanda Bradford of Pilot Rock and Samantha Robbins of Pendleton; brothers, Jeffrey Bradford and his wife, Debbie, of Sweet Water, Tenn., Shawn Greenwood of Huntington and Michael Liles of Pilot Rock, Rob Bradford and Brian Bradford and his wife, Cheryl, all of Unity, Rod Bradford and his wife, Kathy, of Vale, Loyd Harrison and Burt Harrison and his wife, Barb, all of Pilot Rock; sisters, Alice Bradford of New Jersey, Virginia Christian of Baker City and Chessica Liles of Pilot Rock; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Clifford Clevenger and Roland Bradford; his father, Gail Bradford; and brothers, Mitch and Steve Bradford.
Memorial contributions may be sent directly to Belinda Bradford, P.O. Box 667, Heppner, OR 97836 or to the Heppner Fire Department Darren Bradford Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 743, Heppner, OR 97836.
Olive Bieber
Olive D. Bieber, 82, of Port Angeles, Wash., a former resident of the Medical Springs-Pondosa area, died Sept. 7, 2005, at the Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Wash.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mrs. Bieber was born on Sept. 7, 1923, at Montpelier, Idaho, to William and Daisy Grunig. She attended Union High School.
She was a farmer's wife and worked as a school bus driver, a bookkeeper for Tide Water Oil at Mossyrock, Wash., and retired after working for 25 years as a clerk at Johnson & Bork Paint Store at Port Angles, Wash.
She was a 45-year member of the Elks Lodge and was a member of the Medical Springs Grange, the Home Economics Club and 4-H.
She enjoyed gardening with her yard and flowers, reading, crossword puzzles, taking cruises and trips with her husband and loving her family.
She was cared for by her husband and granddaughter, DeAnna, for the past five years.
"Olive was a very special little lady and she will live in our hearts forever as we were all in hers, " her family said.
Survivors include her husband, Orman W. Bieber of Port Angeles, Wash.; her son, James W. Bieber of Montana; her daughter, Sandra L. Cross of Seattle, Wash.; four granddaughters; a sister-in-law, Eloise Colton of Baker City; and a brother-in-law, George Bieber.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Virginia Mason Foundation, Mail-Stop D1-MF, P.O. Box 1930, Seattle, Wash. 98111.
‘Tom' Blaylock
Thomas Reed "Tom" Blaylock, 79, died Sept. 8, 2005, at St. Charles Hospital in Bend.
His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the McEwen Bible Fellowship. Pastor Bill Cox will officiate. Interment will be at the Sumpter Cemetery. Military rites will be accorded by Baker City AMVETS, Post No. 1874.
Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Tom was born on Aug. 8, 1926, at Seattle, Wash. He came to Oregon in 1945. He rode a horse to Arlington to work on a ranch. He graduated from school at Arlington.
He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps for a short time during World War II. He was honorably discharged when the war ended and he returned to Oregon and worked on ranches in Eastern Oregon.
He rodeoed in 1947. He met his wife to be at this time, Colleen Moore. They were married February 22, 1948.
In 1993, Tom and Colleen retired at Sumpter. He was an artist and painted murals and made welcome signs in Sumpter.
Tom and Colleen had four children: Carol Ann, Robert, Rita Marie and James.
Survivors include his wife, Colleen; his children; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Lois Edward of Spokane, Wash., and Katherine Wilkerson of Beaverton; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Memorial contributions may be made to the McEwen Bible Fellowship.
Jay Gould
Jay E. (Gene-O) Gould, 63, died Wednesday, September 7, 2005, at the Portland Veterans Medical Center due to complications from surgery. His memorial service will be held Saturday, September 10, 2005, at 2:00 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home. Military rites will be accorded by Baker City Amvets Post 1874.
Gene was born November 10, 1941, in Los Angeles, California, to Stanley and Rena Gould. He attended a boys Catholic school during his youth until he entered the U.S. Army. He served his country for nine years.
He lived most of his life throughout Texas and Oklahoma. He married the love of his life, Doris Jo Williams, on December 31, 1963. Together they had four children. They moved to Baker City in 1992. After moving to Oregon, Gene went to work at Marvin Wood Products, where throughout the years, he made lots of friends.
He loved to bowl and played in league play at Baker Bowl for years. There he gained his nickname, "Gene, Gene, the bowling machine."
Gene was also known as a great softball player and a true jokester. Gene will always be remembered by all who knew him as a guy who loved to speak his mind, laugh, pull pranks, fish, bowl, and gamble, his other true love.
Gene is survived by his family, his daughter and son-in-law, Voncille and Gary Sanders of Baker City; his son and daughter-in-law, Herschel and Heather Gould of Hermiston; five grandchildren, Tyler and Christina Urman of Hermiston; Herschel Gould, Jr., of Hermiston; Crystal and Shawn Gonzales of Baker City; Tiffany Williams and Carl Bork of Baker City; three great-grandchildren, Jayden and Josie Hallett, and Jordyn Gonzales all of Baker City; sister, Helen Yates of Tennessee; three nieces, Debbie, Carol and Cheryl of Dallas, Texas; nephews, Butch and Mike of Texas; and lots of brothers and sisters-in-law.
He was preceded in death by his wife, two sons, two grandchildren, one brother, one sister and his parents.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Gene Gould Foundation 340 4th Street, Baker City, Oregon 97814.
‘Bill' Gardner Jr.
Chester William "Bill" Gardner Jr., 87, of Washougal, Wash., whose name was familiar in the logging enterprise throughout Baker County, died Aug. 22, 2005, at his home after an extended battle with cancer.
His graveside service was Aug. 30 at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Ed Niswender of Calvary Baptist Church officiated. Military rites were accorded by the Baker Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, No. 3048.
Bill was born on May 9, 1918, at Baker City to Chester William Gardner Sr. and Cora Young Gardner. He was raised and educated at Baker City. After graduating, he logged with his uncles until World War II was declared. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as a gunner. He served proudly for three years and then returned home to Baker City and the mountains he loved.
His working life then was dedicated to logging. Mining was another of his great interests, and he spent time mining whenever possible.
As a young boy he became fascinated with eagles. Learning about them created a love and respect that lasted his entire life. He knew where several eagle pairs nested in Baker County and faithfully visited the nests to check out the hatch.
Bill was an honest, hard-working man with a fearless spirit, great physical stamina and strength as well as being an optimist. His dedication to rugged interests proved those qualities.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Rita; an only brother, David; and all of his aunts and uncles.
Survivors include his son, Frank Gardner of Burns; sister-in-law, Lorraine Gardner of Baker City; and several cousins.
John Tonning
John O. Tonning, 88, of Baker City, died Aug. 21, 2005, at his home.
His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Haines Cemetery.
John was born on July 20, 1917, at Kladesholmen, Sweden, to Karl and Bertha Tonning. He and his family arrived at Ellis Island, N.Y., in 1920.
He was proud to be an American and embraced the American dream. He graduated from Columbia University School of Engineering in 1939 and began a long and varied engineering career. During his career he worked for the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Anaconda Copper Mining and finally 22 years for Boeing Co. where he retired in 1985.
He was a 42-year-member of Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club. Boating was his second love in life, and he and his wife of 64 years spent many years cruising the San Juan Islands.
His family was his first love in life. John was the loving husband of Helen and father of three daughters, Lynn, Gale and Diane. He recently moved to Baker City from Bellevue, Wash., where he had lived for 40 years at Tom O'Shanter.
"He will be greatly missed by us all, " his family said.
Survivors include his wife, Helen of Baker City; daughters, Lynn Keener of Beverly Hills, Fla., Gale Drost of Burkeville, Texas, and Diane Florence of Baker City; six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Kenneth Sturgill
Kenneth William Sturgill, 86, a lifetime Baker County resident, died Sept. 3, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 2120 Second St. Deacon Connie Boone will officiate. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at the family home.
Visitations will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Gray's West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave.
Kenny was born on April 4, 1919, to Cecil and Jessie Sturgill at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital in Baker City. He was educated in the 5J school system, and was a 1937 Baker High School graduate. He served four years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Harris, completing 13 invasions in the South Pacific during World War II.
A descendant of a wagon train pioneer family that settled in Baker County in 1868, Kenny was steeped in the philosophical spirit of "can do, make it do, do it over, or do without." Kenny spent his entire life just "doing it" for his family, his friends, his community and his country.
After returning home from the Navy, Kenny married Barbara Clabough. They raised two sons in Baker County.
The pioneering heritage of the Sturgill family served Kenny and Barbara well as they began their married life on the family farm in a three-room house with no electricity, no telephone and no indoor plumbing — just a well-worn path to an outside hand pump, and another to the outhouse. Starting at an early age, they instilled in their two sons the same pioneering "can-do" spirit and neighborly helpfulness.
When the boys were still quite young, Kenny took a job with Production Credit Association, where he worked for 28 years, and the family moved into a somewhat more modern house on the corner of Chestnut Street and Valley Avenue.
Later, in order to have room to accommodate 4-H animals, they moved to Cedar Street, which became the family home as long as he and Barbara were able to care for themselves. Since Barbara's death in June of 2004, Kenny had been living in elder care centers, most recently Meadowbrook Place.
Kenny was an active member in many aspects of the Baker County community, including the Baker County and Oregon Cattlemen's Association, which honored him in 1964 as Baker County Father of the Year and Oregon Father of the Year.
The honor was due in large part to his dedicated service in the Baker County 4-H and FFA programs, in which both his sons were involved for as many years as they were eligible. He willingly arose each day at 5 a.m. to drive his sons to the outskirts of town where their animals were kept to help feed, water and work them. He then returned home for breakfast before heading off to work.
He willingly spent endless Saturdays and several evenings a month instructing, coaching and mentoring dozens of youth, including his sons in raising show animals. His dedication was clearly evident in his scheduling vacations around 4-H Show and Sale Week so he could be there from dawn to all hours to lend a supportive hand and to do every chore connected with the annual Baker County event.
During his sons' youth, there wasn't a sports or extracurricular activity in which the boys were involved that Kenny, his wife, Barbara, his parents Grandpa and Grandma Sturgill, and his sister, Cecille, were not front and center to cheer and encourage all the youth to do their best.
Being involved in his sons' lives was very important to Kenny. He served as a dedicated and innovative Cub Scout master and was an active member of the PTA, where he was known to be a willing worker at special activities. He helped with the Youth Hunter Safety program and taught his sons how to handle a gun properly and then took them pheasant hunting on the family farms.
For many years, after spending the day at his regular job, Kenny would faithfully attend to the various night janitorial jobs he performed to supplement the family income. An important side bonus to these night jobs was having one or both boys accompany him, thereby teaching them honest work ethic and how to earn and manage money.
Kenny also served in the community of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church where he was a teacher, Sunday School superintendent and a lay reader. He served as the treasurer of the vestry for more than 20 years.
After his sons were grown and away from home, Kenny became involved in the Elks Lodge, the Lions Club and other organizations where he willingly assisted in any area where he was needed. He also was active in the Me n' You Dinner/Dance Club and his expertise in handling livestock was put to use in establishing the petting zoo at the Baker County Miners Jubilee.
Kenny's greatest contributions to people in Baker County might best be described as that of selfless humanitarian. He was a dedicated helpmate and caregiver to his wife, Barbara, and he was always there to lend a helping hand to friends and neighbors. He was a great role model to his own sons, numerous other youth, friends and neighbors. He was truly an inspiration to all who knew him.
Kenny was selected as Baker County Unlimited 2002 Legacy Man of the Year.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara; his parents, Cecil and Jessie Sturgill; and his sisters, Cecille Sturgill and Lettie Higgins.
Survivors include his two sons, R. Blair and his wife, Carolyn, and Robert W. and his wife, Peggy; grandchildren, Kirsten Sturgill Murphy, and her husband, Brian Murphy, Kathy Sturgill Carter and her husband, Sam Carter, Robert Sturgill Jr. and his wife, Debbie, Jenny Sturgill, Brett Sturgill and his wife, Hailey, Christopher Sturgill and his wife, Kira, and Michael Sturgill and his wife, Danielle; great-grandchildren, Joshua, Elizabeth Christine, Madison and Makaila; a sister, Fran Chaves; and numerous nieces and nephews.
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.
