System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Marco Kiilsgaard
Marco Kiilsgaard, 84, died April 12, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Care Center after a long illness.
Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Monday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Bishop David Richards will preside and Dick Hindman will conduct the service.
Marco was born on Oct. 13, 1920, at Rockland, Idaho, to Chris and Martha Hunsaker Kiilsgaard. She was their second child.
She attended elementary school at Inkom, Idaho, but the family moved north to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, when Marco was in junior high school. After high school, she attended Lewiston Normal School at Lewiston, Idaho. She began teaching at Bonners Ferry, Idaho. She later received her bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho at Moscow.
She taught at Marysville, Wash., and Kodiak and Fairbanks, Alaska, before going to work for the Department of Defense teaching dependents of U.S. Air Force personnel. She taught in Germany, Morocco, the Philippines, Japan and Korea and spent most of her time on Okinawa.
For a time she worked for the American Red Cross in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. At that time she returned to college and received a master's degree in occupational therapy. Soon after that she returned to teaching on Okinawa.
She retired from teaching and moved to Las Vegas, Nev., in 1985. After an illness, she moved to Baker City in December 1993. Her true love was to travel and fortunately, she was able to see most of the world. She said she had the perfect life for a single person.
Survivors include her brothers and sisters, Thor Kiilsgaard and his wife, Martha, of Spokane, Wash., Carl Kiilsgaard and his wife, June, of Viola, Idaho, Tedde Healey of Mesa, Ariz., Joyce Hindman and her husband, Dick, of Baker City, Elene Rock and her husband, Jim, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Dane Kiilsgaard and his wife, Sharon, of Little Rock, Ariz.; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.
David Giroux
David L. Giroux, 47, died as a result of an ATV accident at Unity on March 29, 2005.
At the family's request, David was cremated. There will be a gathering of friends at Unity at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Water Hole in Unity.
David was born at Skowhegan, Maine, on Dec. 14, 1957. He lived in many places during his life, but when he moved to Unity nearly 12 years ago, he decided he had found his "home." He was an avid hunter and trapper all of his life. Those who knew him, will miss him greatly.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Lorene Cates; stepfather, David Woods; and an uncle, Bill "Poopie" Bottoms.
Survivors include his mother, Shirley Woods of Cornville, Maine; his father, John Giroux Sr. of Moscow, Maine; brother, John Giroux Jr. of Solon, Maine; and his second family, his aunt, Glennys Bottoms of Baker City; cousins, Sue Ann Bottoms and Gary Court of Corvallis, Bill Bottoms III of Baker City, Jodi Bottoms Nickerson of Baker City and her children, Lane Duncan, Greg Guardini, and Kaylin Nickerson of Troutdale, Josh and Tammy Summers of Donnelly, Idaho, Devon and Stacia Nickerson of Baker City, Mari Bottoms and Tony Martin of Baker City and their children, Kate Wisdom of Cove and Brad Bottoms of Baker City.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Gretta Vance
Gretta M. Vance, 97, a former Baker City resident, died April 6, 2005, at her home in Meridian, Idaho.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Relyea Funeral Chapel, 318 N. Latah St., Boise, Idaho. There will be a graveside service in Kansas at 1 p.m. CDT April 19 at the Medicine Lodge Cemetery.
She was born on June 19, 1907, at Medicine Lodge, Barber County, Kan., to Harvey Harris and Jennie Stone McCoy. She attended school at Medicine Lodge and graduated from high school there. She attended business college at Wichita, Kan.
She married Howard V. Vance on July 17, 1928, at Pratt, Kan. They had one son, Howard McCoy Vance.
Gretta was an excellent seamstress and made many of her clothes as well as those for grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She taught sewing in 4-H for many years. She was also proficient at crocheting. She made afghans for all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She and her husband spent most of their married life at Garden City, Kan. In 1953 they moved to Ulysses, Kan. During that time she worked for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
After retirement they made their home at Canon City, Colo. She moved to Baker City in 1987 to be near family. While in Baker City she attended the Methodist Church.
She moved with her son and his wife to Meridian, Idaho, in 1996, where she made her home until her death. She was lovingly cared for by her daughter-in-law, Jean, and great-granddaughters, Angie and Kayla Clark. Gretta was a very gracious lady and very appreciative of all that was done for her.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1980; her parents; two brothers, Clay and Bill; a sister, Louise; and one granddaughter, Vickie Mae.
Survivors include a sister-in-law, Faye McCoy of Wichita; her son and his wife; six grandchildren, Clay and Cynthia Vance of Eugene, Doug and Carolyn Vance, Ed Vance, and Shanna and Kent Clark of Meridian, Kristine and Craig Atkinson of Boise and Rob and Tracy Vance of Twin Falls, Idaho; 19 great-grandchildren and three great-great- granddaughters; and several nieces and nephews.
Mary Carder
Mary Nell Carder, 84, of Baker City died April 10, 2005, at Meadowbrook Place.
There will be a private family inurnment at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery.
Mary was born on June 11, 1920, to Rueben and Lenna Reusaw Isitt at Elgin. Her family moved by wagon from Milton-Freewater to Elgin. She was married to Elmer Midkiff in 1941. Together they raised two children, Bernadine J. Stillwill and David E. Midkiff.
After Elmer's service in the U.S. Navy, the family traveled to Oregon following his work in construction. They spent most of their time in Klamath Falls and Umatilla. The couple later divorced.
She later married George Smick, and moved to Pendleton. They owned a bakery and Mary worked mainly as a waitress.
In 1970, Mary was married to her third husband, Glen Carder, at Lewiston, Idaho. She moved to Baker City in 1981 and worked in home care for several families.
Mary lived at Eldon Street and met and enjoyed many people in the neighborhood. She loved going for drives and picnics. At home, she enjoyed embroidery and gardening; she loved her flowers. Mary was active at Community Connection and a member of the Adventist church.
She was preceded in death by her ex-husbands, Elmer Midkiff, George Smick and Glen Carder; parents, Rueben and Lenna Isitt; daughter, Bernadine Stillwill; brothers, Alton, Noah, George, Ralph and Jess; sisters, Agnes, Pat, Lorraine "Rusty, " Amy and Margaret.
Survivors include her son David Midkiff and his wife, Janet, of Baker City; grandchildren, Sgt. Daniel T. Midkiff, serving in Iraq, and his wife, Michelle, of Hermiston, Cameron Midkiff and his wife, Rosa, of Los Angeles, Matt Stillwill and his wife, Denise of Seattle, Wash., Susan Stillwill of Tri-Cities, Wash., and Patrick Stillwill of Boulder, Colo.; nine great-grandchildren; a brother, Tom Isitt; and a sister, Bea Clemensen.
Memorial contributions may be made to MayDay or to the Adventist Church through Gray's West & Co., PO Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Duane Bennehoff
Duane Elbert Bennehoff, 81, a long-time Baker City resident, died April 11, 2005, at the Boise Veterans Hospital.
At his request, he was cremated. A private service will be scheduled later.
Duane was born on Sept. 26, 1923, at Richland. He was the first child of Eagle and Christia Bennehoff. He attended school at Richland and went on to graduate from Multnomah Junior College at Portland. After college, Duane went into the U.S. Navy, where he served in the South Pacific during World War II.
After his time in the service, Duane returned to Portland where he worked for several years as a meat cutter. He later returned to Richland to run the Bennehoff Dairy.
Most of his lifetime he was a farmer/rancher, but he also spent many years building in the Baker Valley. He enjoyed fishing and working with wood.
Many of his friends referred to him as "Benny" and he helped many people get a home or business started. Duane helped run the weight scales at the Baker Livestock Auction Yard and strongly supported the Baker Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Willma Guard Bennehoff; his sisters, Phyllis Jones and Natalie Tawney; his sons, Gary, Bert and Glen Bennehoff; a daughter, Brenda Bennehoff Boyle; and grandchildren, Yohanas and Layna Bennehoff, and Justin, Eric and Brian Boyle.
Memorial contributions may be made to to the Disabled American Veterans Van Fund through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Earl Craker
Ashland's most loveable Fuller Brush man, Earl Craker, passed on into his eternal home August 3, 2014. He was born August 30, 1929 in Marionville, Mo. He served in the Merchant Marines from 1947 to 1951 and the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953.
On March 6, 1951 in Salt Lake City, Utah, he married Florence Hartwell. They were married for 63 years. They moved their family to Ashland, Ore. in 1967 and retired from his sales business to Rogue River, Ore. in January of 1994. He loved serving his church and playing golf. He was a member of Foots Creek Chapel near Rogue River, Ore. Earl captured the hearts of everyone that met him, both personally and spiritually.
Earl is survived by his wife, Florence; three children, Connie, David, and Paul; 11 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, August 7, 2014 at Ashland Bible Church, 400 Dead Indian Memorial Rd., Ashland, Ore.
Elma Ondrey
Elma Ondrey, 74, passed away August 2, 2014 in her home in Talent, Ore. Elma loved to travel, to always learn new things and to be involved with people who strived to make our world a better place. As a mediator, she helped many people and will be sorely missed.
She is survived by her children, Ione Tufts and Norman Ondrey; and her grandchildren, Neil and Katie.
A memorial service will be held at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, August 10, 2014 at Unity in Ashland at the Havurah, 185 N. Mountain, Ashland. Donations may be made to Unity in Ashland.
Leo Blando
Leo John Blando, 76, of Baker City died May 29, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mr. Blando was born May 15, 1926, at Aberdeen, S.D. He was a son of Phillip and Mary Hoffert Blando. He was raised and educated in Aberdeen. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Upon his honorable release from the service, he returned to school and graduated from Northern State College at Aberdeen, S.D. Upon graduating, he moved to Portland and was employed by U.S. Bank.
In 1968, while working for the bank in Baker City, he met and married his wife, Velma Valentine Fisher. He worked for the U.S. Bank for 30 years in Baker City, Redmond and Portland.
He served on the Board of Directors of Alpine International. He and his wife, Velma, lived in Portland from 1970 to 1998 before returning to the Baker City area.
Leo was a devoted and loving husband, and dearly loved his step-children and grandchildren. He particularly enjoyed his avid gardening, fishing, and hunting.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Helen and Eva Ann.
He is survived by his wife, Velma of Baker City; his stepchildren, Elaine Thomas of California and John Fisher of West Linn; grandchildren, Michelle and Sandra Slone and Megan, Paul and Joe Fisher; brothers, Delbert Blando, and Joseph Blando of Aberdeen, S.D., and Edward Blando of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Heart Association through the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Gladys Sieg
Gladys May Sieg, 81, a longtime Baker City resident, died May 26, 2002, at Eugene.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Lenny Spooner of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate.
Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at the First Lutheran Church, 1734 Third St.
Gladys was born in Baker City on Oct. 29, 1920. She was the daughter of Jennie Mitchell and Ford Mitchell of Baker City.
Gladys was a 1938 Baker High School graduate and worked the next three years as a secretary for the Works Progress Administration. She married Norbert Sieg in 1941.
After Norbert's discharge from the U.S. Army in 1946, the couple began farming with Norbert's brother, Desmond, and father, Lynn. They farmed at Wingville until the ranch sold in 1983.
Gladys was very active in the Lutheran Church. She worked with Kid's Club, was a member of the Altar Committee and the Lydia Circle. As a stewardship chairman of WELCA (Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) she oversaw shipments to Lutheran World Relief. She especially liked working on the quilts that were sent in these shipments.
After Norbert died in 1990, Gladys continued living in Baker City until 1995 when she moved to Eugene to live with her son, Nolan Sieg, and his family.
Survivors include a sister, Vera Bennett of Baker City; her daughters, Karen Hobson of Arlington, Wash., Mardean Moss of Redding, Calif., and Debra Carstensen of Salem; her son, Nolan Sieg of Eugene; and her three grandchildren, Jason Moss, Andrea Sieg and Ryan Sieg.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggestions memorial contributions to the First Lutheran Church, the Alzheimer's Association or a charity of one's choice through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Ellen Williams
Ellen Williams, 80, a longtime Baker City resident, died May 27, 2002, at Meadowbrook Place in the presence of her family.
There will be a celebration of Ellen's life beginning at 2 p.m. Friday at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor John Goodyear of the Baker Valley Church of Christ will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the Elkhorn Athletic Club, 1243 Second St.
Ellen was born on March 21, 1922, at Minot, N.D., to Millie Gaslin and Orville Planer. Ellen grew up at The Dalles. She graduated from The Dalles High School in 1940 where she first developed her lifelong passion for art.
Ellen married Henry L. "Snoose" Williams in 1940 at Goldendale, Wash. They moved to Baker City in 1944. They had six children: Harry Williams, Dana Williams Endicott, George Williams, Beth Williams, Terry Williams and Jerry Williams.
Ellen was an accomplished artist and teacher and served as the first president of Crossroads Arts Center. Her paintings hang at the Oregon Trail Regional Museum, the Baker County Public Library, the Sumpter Junction and in many local homes and businesses.
In 1983, Ellen donated "Crossing the Powder" to the Oregon Trail Museum, a painting that later was photographed and distributed as a postcard, with the proceeds dedicated to the museum. Ellen's artistic legacy endures in her students, family, children and grandchildren.
Ellen's life and art encourages us to consider beauty in even the smallest details of our lives, her family said. She will be greatly missed.
Survivors include her sister, Olive; her children, Harry Williams of Baker City, Dana Endicott of Ontario, Terry Williams of Boise and Jerry Williams of Nacogdoches, Texas; and many nieces and nephews; and nine grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Beatrice; her husband, Henry; her son, George; and her daughter, Beth.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Trail Regional Museum through Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Leona Kasten
Leona M. Kasten, 93, of Baker City, died May 25, 2002, at Settlers Park.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Monte Loyd of Baker Valley Christian Assembly will officiate. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight at the funeral home.
Mrs. Kasten was born June 8, 1908, in Baker City to Alex and Lillie Irvin Holland. She attended school in the Pocahontas area. She married Orval Kasten at Weiser, Idaho, on Oct. 18, 1941. They farmed on the Oregon Slope near Ontario for many years. After selling the farm, they moved to Bend.
Mrs. Kasten worked at St. Charles Hospital and also at a large hotel in Bend for 14 years. After her husband's death in July of 1974, she moved back to Baker City where she had lived since. She provided child care at the Methodist Church for many years.
Mrs. Kasten loved her garden and canning, making pies, crocheting, and she enjoyed visiting and being with people.
Survivors include her nieces and nephews and several cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; a sister, Edith; and brothers, Wilbur, Lloyd, Verl, Marvin and Orval Holland.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation or the American Cancer Society through the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
