Wally Brennan

Walburga Wally Brennan, 86, a lifelong Baker City resident, died Dec. 29, 2000, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

The rosary will be said today at 7 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Mass of Christian burial will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the cathedral. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be today until 5 p.m. at Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.

A superwoman perhaps before the term was used, Mrs. Brennan lived as one. She was born June 3, 1914, at Baker City to John and Walburga OConnor, and she lived most of her life in this community. Her formative years were spent enjoying Baker Valley and attending St. Francis Academy. While attending the school she participated in the art and music programs. She even directed the orchestra. She graduated from St. Francis in 1932.

Her next adventure took her to Marylhurst College in Portland. In May of 1942 she completed her degree at the Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Spokane, Wash. While in college she enjoyed skiing, golfing and archery, and although she loved the outdoors and being active, she never did take to camping and swimming.

It was in Spokane that she met the love of her life, John V. Brennan. They were married on May 2, 1942, at the Sacred Heart Church in Spokane, and then were off to Sandstan, Va., where they had their first child and lived until Mr. Brennan was called off to World War II.

Mrs. Brennan decided that she would return to her family in Baker City alone with her daughter, Ann, and wait for her husbands return. Back in Baker City she lived at 1517 First St. with her parents and worked as a nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Once the war was over, her husband joined her and they lived the rest of their lives in Baker City, where they raised five children.

Mrs. Brennan retired from nursing in 1979. She was a lifelong parishioner of St. Francis de Sales Catholic church and was a member of the Mothers Club and Altar Society. She passed quietly from this world surrounded by those who loved her. Her passing is a great sorrow to those who knew and cherished her.

Mrs. Brennan is survived by five children and their spouses: Ann and Matt Kniesel, Margaret and Jon Eyer, Mary and Tom Norton, John and Sandy Brennan and Colleen and Jeff Collier; grandchildren Tony and Michael Day, Theresa and Brett Hamilton, Colleen and Lenny Keiser, Christine, John and Matthew Eyer, Jenell and Jimmy Zamora, Benjamin and Cynthia Norton, Calvin, Joseph and Jacob Collier, and Michael, Becky and Angela Brennan; six great-grandchildren, Thomas and Samuel Hamilton, Jonathon and Samantha Brennan, and John and Joseph Keiser; and by her brother, Joseph OConnor.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Walburga OConnor; her husband, John Brennan; brothers, Francis and Micheal OConnor; and a grandson, John Day.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Francis de Sales Food Bank through Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, Ore., 97814.

Leona McDonald

Leona Faye McDonald, 73, a longtime Baker City resident, died Dec. 30, 2000, at her home.

Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Baker Valley Christian Assembly, 3720 Birch St. Pastors Monte Loyd and Loyd Phillips will officiate. Vault interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 oclock tonight at the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.

Mrs. McDonald was born on Feb. 24, 1927, at Prairie Valley, Okla. She was the daughter of Harland Cecil and Inez Marie Dyer Crownover and was raised in Coburg. She married Doyle J. McDonald on Dec. 19, 1959, in Vancouver, Wash. They moved to Baker City in 1970.

Mrs. McDonald loved life, and her husband, children and faith were at the center of it. Making a home for her family was her work. Many happy memories were made fishing and being with them.

Gardening was another favorite thing for her. She was a loving person and in all of her life she never met a stranger. Her faith in her Lord and Savior was her strength. She was a member of the Baker Valley Christian Assembly.

Survivors include her husband, Doyle McDonald of Baker City; sons, Harley Sorrells of Spokane, Wash., and Frank Sorrells of Radcliff, Ky.; daughters, Mary Howery and Shannon Lethlean, both of Baker City; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers-in-law, Donna and Loy Moss of Springfield and Corinna and David Metzler of Arizona; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Londa Sorrells; a sister; two grandsons; and her son-in-law, Jim Lethlean.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker Valley Christian Assembly Building Fund through the Coles Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, Ore. 97814.

Rachel Daly

Rachel Hanby Hudspeth Daly, 89, of Fossil, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 30, 2000, at her home at Fossil where she had lived with her husband, Richard, for 25 years.

Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Fossil Bible Fellowship. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mrs. Daly was born on Dec. 13, 1911, at Hereford to Alice and Walter Hanby. She was raised in Sumpter Valley.

In the 1930s she was partners with her first husband, Greene Hudspeth, and his brothers, Ernest and Wallace, in ownership of the Minam Horse Ranch. Her husband was killed there in a hunting accident in 1935.

In the early 1940s, she went to Pondosa to cook at the boarding house for loggers. There she met Richard Daly. The couple were married in 1942.

They lived at Baker City where she was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church. The couple retired to Fossil in 1977.

Survivors include her husband, Richard; a sister, Pearl Waller; her children, Jean Hudspeth Marrs, Bill Hudspeth, Mary Hudspeth Thompson, Joyce Daly Pierson and Sharon Daly Solseng; 16 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, a grandson and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of ones choice through her daughter, Jean Marrs, 2636 N.E. 20th, Portland, Ore., 97212; or Grays West andamp; Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, Ore., 97814.

Gertrude Hoisington

Gertrude Florence Hoisington, 77, of Durkee died Jan. 2, 2001, at Union.

Her graveside funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the Durkee Cemetery. Visitations will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Daniels Chapel of the Valley in La Grande.

Mrs. Hoisington was born on Jan. 19, 1923, at Burney, Calif., to Clyde and Hattie Wright Purden. She moved to Idaho and later to Durkee where she lived with her husband, Harold Hoisington.

She enjoyed fishing, picnicking and most of all spending time with her numerous nieces and nephews.

Survivors include her sister, Eleanor Morgan of Coos Bay; numerous nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, and five brothers and two sisters.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans or the Veterans of Foreign Wars through the Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, Ore., 97850.

Leon Bendixen

Leon E. Bendixen, 90, a former Halfway resident, died Jan. 2, 2001, at Heritage Bennion Care Center at Salt Lake City.

His graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. First Counselor Pete Bigelow will preside. Visitations will be from 11 a.m. to noon at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Halfway.

Mr. Bendixen was born Sept. 8, 1910, at West Jordan, Utah, to Ephriam Vigo and Caroline Delila Webster Bendixen. He married Ruby Olea Fowles on April 1, 1936, at Payette, Idaho.

Mr. Bendixen was a farmer most of his life. He also worked construction prior to farming. He greatly enjoyed hunting and chasing wild horses on the desert in southern Utah when he was a young man. As he became older, he enjoyed reliving his younger days by telling stories about his adventures.

Survivors include his daughter, Janice Olmsted of La Grande; son and daughter-in-law, Arden and Billie Bendixen of West Valley City, Utah; a brother and sister-in-law, Roy and Wanda Bendixen of Delta, Utah; sisters, Marie Rice of Halfway and Ethel Montague of Washington; seven grandchildren, Jurita and Dennis Cronin, Russell and April Olmsted, Richard and Barbara Olmsted, all of Oregon, and Lonnie Fair, Lori Bendixen, Josh Bendixen and Jeremy Bendixen, all of Salt Lake City; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ruby; two sisters; and a brother.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of ones choice through the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.