System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Glenn Weideman
Glenn August Weideman, 71, a former longtime Baker City resident, died July 5, 2005, at his home in Moses Lake, Wash.
There will be a memorial service for Glenn at Phillips Lake on Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. For more information, call his son Wayne at Anacortes, Wash.
He was born on May 14, 1934, at Mount Clemens, Mich., to Robert and Clara Lipke. Glenn lived for nearly 40 years in Baker City where he made a career as an engineer for the U.S. Forest Service. He worked mostly on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and later commuted to John Day to work on the Malheur National Forest.
Among his many accomplishments, Glenn proudly participated in the design of local forest roads at all scales from logging roads to the Anthony Lakes Highway and sections of Interstate 84.
He also was a veteran, where he competed with the U.S. Army's national rifle and pistol team.
Survivors include his brother, Roy, and sister-in-law, Carolyn, of Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; a sister, Lynn Berger of St. Clair Shores, Mich.; his two sons, Dale and his wife, Joan, and their sons Eric and Kyle of Pacifica, Calif., and Wayne and his wife Liz of Anacortes, Wash.
LettyBelle Gray
LettyBelle Gray, 85, of Baker City, died Aug. 5, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
At her request, cremation was held. Private inurnment was at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mrs. Gray was born on May 24, 1920, at California to Trustrum and Emily Hall. She was raised and educated in California, moving to Idaho where she worked as a licensed practical nurse.
She met and married Fred Gray. They moved to Baker City where she was a homemaker. She was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She also enjoyed gardening.
Survivors include her husband, Fred Gray of Baker City; children, Bob McDaniel of Anchorage, Alaska, Phyllis Kurfurst and William McDaniel, both of Grass Valley, Calif., David McDaniel of Germany and a stepdaughter, Nancy Nelson of Baker City; two sisters; and numerous grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 42171 Chico Road, Baker City, OR 97814. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Helen Wilson
Helen Florence Wilson, 88, a former Northeastern Oregon resident, died Aug. 1, 2005, at a Portland hospital.
A celebration service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Laurelwood Baptist Church in Vancouver, Wash.
Helen was born on April 2, 1917, at Greeley, Colo. She was raised and educated at Delta, Colo.
Helen married Doyle "Doc" Wilson on May 31, 1936. They lived at Summerville from 1948 to 1962. She was a homemaker and mother, and an accomplished choir director and organist.
She was a member of Laurelwood Baptist Church at Vancouver, Wash., where she had lived since 1989.
Survivors include her husband, Doyle "Doc" Wilson of Vancouver; a son, Michael W. Wilson of Milwaukie; daughter, Janice Lund of Salem; sisters, Mildred Peterson and Lorraine Valentine, both of Baker City, Bernadine Nichols of Sweet Home and Fern Beck of Portland; 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Brazil Missions, in care of the Sellwood Baptist Church, 1104 S.E. Spokane St., Portland, OR 97202.
The Vancouver Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Phyllis Jones
Phyllis Ann Jones, 80, of Baker City, died Aug. 1, 2005, at her home.
Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Baker Elks Lodge, 1896 Second St. A graveside service will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Pastor Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church will officiate. Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Phyllis was born on Dec. 7, 1924, at Richland to Christia Miller and Eagle Bennehoff. She was a 1942 graduate of Eagle Valley High School at Richland and attended Multnomah College at Portland, graduating in 1944.
She lived at Portland until she married C.W. "Tiny" Jones in 1946 at Richland. They moved to Baker City in 1950, where they built Jones Truck Line.
They had two children: Everett, born in 1948, and Kristi Ann, born in 1955. Along with being a mother and wife, she worked as a secretary and dispatcher for Jones Truck Line for 30 years. After selling the truck line, she went to work for D&S Realty. She was employed there until the business sold. She then worked as a secretary for Century 21 until she retired in 2003.
Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Tiny Jones of Baker City; her son, Everett Jones of Gillette, Wyo.; and daughter, Kristi Ann Jones, and her husband, Mark Nelson, of Tumwater, Wash.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Duane Bennehoff.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Oregon Chapter; Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; or the Baker Elks Lodge through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Chuck' Adams
Charles M. "Chuck" Adams, 79, a longtime Baker City resident, died July 29, 2005, at his home.
His graveside memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jack Bynum of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Chuck was born on June 28, 1926, at Todd, N.C., to Wiley Lee and Hollie Wagner Adams. He graduated from high school and entered the U.S. Army serving in World War II.
After he was discharged from the service, he married his wife, Charlene, on Sept. 26, 1947. He loved automobiles and his entire career centered around them. He worked as a mechanic at the Ford garage, in auto-parts sales for Basche-Sage Hardware Store, owned and operated Bridge Street Richfield Gas Station, worked as an auto-parts salesman for McNeil Auto Parts, and owned and operated Charles Adams Part House at Burns.
He retired and he and his wife made their home at Baker City. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, woodworking, and photography. He won many awards for his photos.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Charlene Adams of Baker City; his son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Doreen Adams of Hillsboro; grandchildren, Michaela and Colleen Brown and Benjamin Adams; great-grandchildren, Michael Brown and Jeffrey Brown; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Wiley Lee Adams and Hollie Ward.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to the Youth Ministry of the Methodist Church.
John Colton Jr.
John J. Colton Jr., 90, a longtime Baker County resident, died July 31, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Monday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Cathedral. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a luncheon afterward at the parish hall.
Visitations will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
John was born the third of 15 children on Dec. 21, 1914. He attended grade school at the Washington School (Medical Springs Grange) and high school at St. Francis Academy, graduating from Baker High School.
After graduation he herded sheep for the family ranch as well as working at the Pondosa sawmill.
He married Anna Hope Harris on July 15, 1936. They were married for 53 years before her death in 1989.
After their marriage, they herded sheep in the mountains of Baker and Union counties and began their family. During World War II, the family moved to Vancouver, Wash., where John worked as a welder in the shipyards.
The sheep called him home before the end of the war and the family returned to Baker County where they lived and worked on the family ranch in the Keating Valley. John worked on the ranch until he was forced to retire for health reasons.
He and Hope then began wintering in Arizona nearer to their two daughters. After Hope died, John continued to live on the ranch and to spend winters in Arizona, until this past year.
John had been active in the Baker County Sheriff's Posse, serving as captain. He was a past president of the Baker County Livestock Association, a longtime member of the Baker Elks Lodge and the Knights of Columbus and a lifetime member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church.
He and Hope enjoyed dancing, playing cards, gardening, fishing and hunting and spending time with his brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren. He also was an avid sports fan.
Survivors include his daughters and sons-in-law, Donaldine and Hal Huntington of Baker City and Loralee and Steve Ramsdell of Phoenix, Ariz.; his son and daughter-in-law, Gerald and Bonnie Colton of Baker City; his sisters, Nell Owen, June Premovitch, Jean Thompson, LaRue Brooks and Joyce Turner; a brother, Donald Colton; and nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Hope; five brothers, Frank, Hugh, Phil, Bill and Blaine; and two sisters, Mary Dolby and Madge Lloyd.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker County CattleWomen's Scholarship Fund or a charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
‘Peggy' Melchior
Bertha Mae "Peggy" Melchior, 71 of Halfway, died July 25, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center surrounded by her family.
A celebration of Peggy's life will be scheduled later.
Peggy was born and raised at San Diego. In 1950, while working at Rohr making airplane parts, Peggy met and later married Donald Johnson. They had one daughter, Sherry. That marriage ended in divorce.
A few years later, she married James Robert Melchior. They had three children, Jim, Dorothy and Gary. When Jim's tour of duty in the Navy was up, they returned to his home state of Colorado.
After a divorce in the mid 1960s, Peggy and her four children moved to San Diego to be closer to her family. In 1969, she had another daughter, Pamela.
In 1973, she traveled to Richland to visit friends and fell in love with the area. She immediately went home to San Diego, packed her things and moved with her children to Richland. They lived at Richland for a few years before they moved to Halfway. Peggy loved Halfway and never left.
She enjoyed gardening, farming, ceramics, teaching and loving her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved and lived for browsing yard sales and Jacob's Dream. Her family and friends hope very much that heaven has a Jacob's Dream. She also had an extensive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia.
Survivors include her brother and his wife, Gene and Rose Lampert; children, Sherry Darlene and her husband, Clark Downing, James Eugene and his wife, Lynne Melchior, Dorothy Pauline and Herman Thompson, and Pamela Dawn and Jason Miller; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Pauline Lampert, who died in 2001; her father, Jesse James Lampert, who died in 1969; a son, Gary Melchior, who died in 1981; a grandson, Gary Roy Thompson, who died in 1980; and her ex-husband, James Robert Melchior, who died in 1996.
Peggy was deeply loved and will be missed by many, most especially by her grandchildren and great- grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Dorothy Smith
Dorothy Smith, 85, of Unity, died July 30, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Helix Cemetery. Jack Pittman of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate.
Dorothy was born on Aug. 23, 1919, at Burns. She was the valedictorian of her high school class at Entiat, Wash. She attended Washington State College and later earned a degree in education from Western Oregon University at Monmouth.
She taught elementary school for many years at Nyssa, The Dalles and the Reynolds School District in Portland. She married Arthur W. Smith in 1941.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur W. Smith; her brother, Carl Swain; and a granddaughter, Emily Smith.
Survivors include two sons, Gary of Martinez, Calif., and Stephen of Wingville; a brother, Richard Swain of Santa Barbara, Calif.; a sister, Mary Rosengreen of Hillsboro; and three grandchildren, Amy Smith of Larkspur, Calif., Sarah Smith of Wingville and Allison Smith of Wingville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Wanda Gentry
Wanda L. Gentry, 83, of Ontario, who with her husband established the Gentry Ford Sales dealership, died July 27, 2005, at her home in the Meadow Brook Retirement Center.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Ontario. Ontario's Lienkaemper Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Wanda was born on March 18, 1922, at Portland to Walter B. and Verna D. Coffinberry. The family lived at Portland until 1926 when they relocated to Hot Lake and subsequently moved to Halfway in 1928. Wanda was a 1940 Halfway High School graduate.
She moved to Portland after high school to attend business school. Wanda married her high school sweetheart, Keith Gentry, on April 4, 1942. She continued to live and work in Portland during World War II while Keith was serving in the U.S. Navy.
After Keith's discharge, they moved to Baker City where they owned and operated the Third and B Market, a small grocery and convenience store. In 1949, Wanda and Keith moved to Pendleton where Keith got his start in the automobile business.
In 1952, they purchased the Ford Dealership at Weiser, Idaho. In 1958, they purchased the Ford dealership in Ontario and established Gentry Ford Sales Inc. Wanda was very active and involved in the business operations of the dealership throughout her life.
Wanda was a member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and PEO, Chapter AF. She was an avid golfer, fisherman and football fan. She had an opportunity to travel extensively throughout the world and truly enjoyed traveling with friends. Wanda's favorite times were spent at the cabin in McCall.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, John and Alicia Gentry of Ontario; a granddaughter, Kelli, and her husband, Dennis Wright, of Baker City; a grandson, J.Ryan Gentry of Ontario; and three great-grandsons, Nathan, Eli and Jacob, all of Baker City.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church or the charity of one's choice.
Violet Dodson
Violet Louise Parker Dodson, 101, of North Powder, died July 21, 2005.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the North Powder Community Church. Pastor Robin Harris of the Cornerstone Baptist Church will officiate. A graveside service will be at the North Powder Cemetery.
Mrs. Dodson was born to Thomas Henry and Violet Kelsey Parker on Jan. 30, 1904, on an Anthony Creek ranch that is now the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife elk feeding station. Born in the middle of a blizzard and weighing only 2 pounds, it was surmised that she wouldn't be long for this world.
Her father, the first forest ranger in the North Powder District, and her strong pioneer mother fostered a love for the mountains and the outdoors that she cherished her entire life. She attended grade school at Mount Caramel until her father's death in 1916.
Louise, her brother, Gifford, and her mother, Violet, then moved to one of the family farms closer to North Powder. She attended North Powder School, where she graduated in 1921.
Deciding that teaching would be her career, she attended college at Monmouth and Corvallis, and completed her degree at Eastern Oregon College in La Grande. While teaching at Mount Caramel she met the love of her life, Harold Dodson. They farmed and worked in the Powder Valley until Louise began a long and successful teaching career at Vale, returning to North Powder during the summers.
Mrs. Dodson taught for 17 years at Vale and two years at Juntura. She and Harold retired to North Powder in 1971 to enjoy camping, traveling, fishing and spending time with family.
After Mr. Dodson's death in 1975, Louise continued to enjoy life to the fullest. She actively traveled, camped, picked huckleberries and played pinochle with friends to the very end. Mrs. Dodson loved to paint, write poetry, sew and grow bountiful gardens for all to enjoy.
She was involved in many community activities and was the bookkeeper for the senior meals. She had an incredible zest for life and an immense love for her family, always asking how could she be so lucky?
Louise spent many hours teaching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren the joys of the outdoors. She has truly left a heritage and a legacy for the lives she touched.
Her knowledge of the history of the Powder Valley was impeccable and was captured in a local historical journal. She was a true matriarch of her family and she will forever be missed.
Survivors include her children, Don Dodson and his wife, Jessie, Joy Harrod and her husband, Howard, all of North Powder, and Dale Dodson and his wife, Shirley, of Baker City; grandchildren and their families, Sandra Richelderfer, of Wasco, Cheryl Martin and Janet Dodson of North Powder, Randy Dodson of Baker City, Gayleen Dodson of Boise, Richy Harrod of Leavenworth, Wash., and Ron Harrod of Estacada; 13 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the North Powder Community Center Fund at Community Bank.
