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.

Clara Holt

Clara E. Holt, 91, of Baker City, died July 16, 2005, at her home.

There will be a memorial service for Mrs. Holt in August at Rose Hills Cemetery in Whittier, Calif. Local arrangements were under the direction of Coles Funeral Home.

Mrs. Holt was born on Nov. 23, 1913, at Lily, S.D. She was one of six girls born to Leopole and Cora Rignier Brosseau. She lived her younger years in South Dakota attending one year of college.

She met George Crawford and after their marriage they moved to California where he worked as an ironworker erecting buildings. His work took them to various places and Clara traveled with him.

He died in May of 1974. She later married Roy Holt, who was retired. They made their home at Henderson, Nev. He died in 1985.

Mrs. Holt continued to reside in Henderson, where she enjoyed playing cards at the senior center, bowling with her league until a knee operation in 1995 curtailed that activity and making string rosaries for the needy with her Catholic church group.

She enjoyed traveling to Baker County to be near her niece, hunting and fishing with them. She moved to Baker County in April of 2004, to be near her niece full time.

Survivors include her nieces, Beatrice Hall and her husband, Bill, of Baker City, Betty Blume and her husband, Wally, of Bellingham, Wash., and LaVonne Tatro and her husband, Wally, of Utica, Mich.; nephew, Jense W. Warwick of Bellingham, Wash.; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her two husbands, her parents and her five sisters.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis de Sales Cathedral through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.

Don Valentine

Don L. Valentine, 72, of Sedro Woolley, Wash., died July 19, 2005, at a Tacoma, Wash., hospital.

His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Aumsville Cemetery.

Don was born on July 10, 1933, at Hermiston to Leonard and Lola Morin Valentine. He was the seventh of their eight children and he spent most of his youth in Baker County.

He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict and was very proud of his daughter, Dawn, who served in the U.S. Navy Reserves as a yeoman petty officer 3rd class.

His work in construction took him many places, and though he lived away much of the time, he always thought of Baker City as home. He was particularly proud that he had worked on the Mason Dam project. An injury disabled him in mid-life and he became an avid fisherman. He loved to hunt and mine for gold, and he excelled at gardening and growing beautiful roses. He also carved many useful items from wood. He had an infectious laugh and a warm sense of humor.

Don married Judy Profitt Johnson in Baker City on May 25, 1964. He was preceded in death by Judy, who died on May 9, 2003, and a longtime companion, Freda Boesch. Freda’s family, Rita and Tom Murphy, and Kaye and Burrell Frye, and their two children, Porsh Boesch-Frye and Daniel Frye accepted him as family and have treasured memories of him.

He also was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Leonard Jr., Gilbert andquot;Sam,andquot; and Leo; and a sister, Cleo Olp.

Survivors include his children, Dawn LeAnn Mack of Sedro Woolley, Wash., and John Lee of Louisville, Ky.; grandchildren, Amanda and Dustin Mack of New Hope, Pa., and Elizabeth Valentine of Louisville, Ky.; brothers, Darel and LeRoy, and sister, Velma Blando of Baker City; and many nieces and nephews, who have loving memories of time spent with Uncle Don.

‘Jim’ Henry

Jim Henry, 81, died at home on July 22, 2005, after a long battle with lung cancer.

His graveside inurnment service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in the military section of Mount Hope Cemetery. Father Camillus Fernando of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral will officiate. Military rites will be under the auspices of the National Guard and Doug Riggs will speak on behalf of the Baker Elks Lodge. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception after the services at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St.

Jim was born on Aug. 17, 1923, at Denver to John J. Henry and Mary Florence Fellows Henry. He was one of 12 children.

Jim attended Catholic schools in Denver, including St. Joseph High School. After high school, he worked in his father’s heating and sheet metal business, learning the trade.

In 1940, the family moved to Washington, and Jim again was employed in the sheet metal business at Bremerton, Wash.

In May 1943, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After training, he was assigned to the 19th bomb squadron, 22nd bomb group. His group was known as the Red Raiders.

He was a nose gunner on the B24 Liberator Bomber. Jim flew 40 combat missions in the South Pacific Theatre of World War II. His plane was shot down twice, once over Formosa and once over New Guinea.

He was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Theatre medal, the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, The Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one star, the Good Conduct Medal and two Purple Hearts.

After serving 15 months overseas, he was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant, in October 1945.

He moved to Talent with his family, and was employed at Olympic Petroleum and Equipment Co. in Medford for the next 20 years.

He married Carolyn Brannan in 1949. They had four children: Teresa, Cindy, Kevin and Michael.

In 1967, Jim and Carolyn purchased a wholesale beer distributorship in Baker City. They continued to operate the business for 26 years, until they retired in 1993.

Although separated for many years, they remained friends and business partners.

Jim was a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a charter member of the Eagles Lodge, and served two terms as commander of the American Legion.

Jim enjoyed fishing and bird hunting. He didn’t know a stranger and always had a beaming smile for everyone he met. Jim had a special place in his heart for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be missed by his family.

Survivors include his children, Cindy of Medford, Kevin of Gold Beach, and Michael and his fiance, Cheryl Guzman, of Baker City; grandchildren, Jacob Henry, Eli Johnson, Bridget Wood and her husband, Richard, Brooke Marsden and her husband, Brian, Michaela Henry and Emily Turner; great-grandchildren, Caitlin and Gwendolyn Wood, Kieran and Alexander Marsden, Dominic Arnold, Lillian Johnson, and Veda Turner; brothers, Patrick and his wife, Penny, of Talent, and Richard of Boise; sisters, Pauline Piquette and her husband, Jim, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Jeanne Spangler and her husband, David, of Olympia, Wash.; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; a beloved daughter, Teresa, who died in 1992; brothers, John, Robert, and an infant brother, Billy; and sisters, Ann Weinhold, Mary McCain and Betty King.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice through Gray’s West andamp; Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.

Elizabeth Gunter

Elizabeth Avery Nock Gunter, 87, of Bend, a former Baker City resident, died July 3, 2005.

Her memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Bend.

Ms. Gunter was born on Aug. 12, 1917, at Baker City to Thomas and Emma Nock. She was a Baker High School graduate and attended the University of Oregon at Eugene. She married Smith Meador in 1945 at Pampa, Texas.

Ms. Gunter worked in real estate sales. She enjoyed singing, cooking, poetry and entertaining.

Survivors include her son, Robert Meador of Florida; three daughters, Pati Rea and Marcia Battles, both of Bend, and Molly Gunter of Texas; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Autumn Funerals of Bend is in charge of arrangements.

Mark Moseley

Mark Everett Moseley, 46, died July 19, 2005, at his home in Palm Springs, Calif.

There will be a celebration of Mark’s life in August.

Mark was born on April 22, 1959, to Fred and Carol Baird Moseley at the Presbyterian Hospital at Whittier, Calif. At about the age of 5, the family moved to Oregon. It was there that he was raised and educated. During his school years, Mark enjoyed choir and drama. He was a 1977 Parkrose High School graduate.

After graduation, Mark was an entrepreneur. He attended trade school for a time to become a respiratory therapist. He was a massage therapist, he dabbled in computers and he loved driving truck.

Mark enjoyed spending his summers at Halfway with his grandparents, Everett and Margaret Baird. He enjoyed country music and riding horses.

Survivors include his father, Fred Moseley of Las Vegas, Nev.; sisters, Tami and Lynn Carpenter of Halfway and Lori Moseley of Portland; a brother, Craig Moseley of Portland; grandmother, Margaret Baird; very good friend, Steve Anderson of Palm Springs, Calif.; aunt and uncle, Joe and Gladys Baird; cousins, Julie Loo and Joan Webb; and several other aunts, uncles and cousins; and his canine companions, Lucky and Buddy.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Everett Baird, who died in 1982; and his mother, Carol, who died in 1997.

Memorial contributions may be made to Camp Laurel (a camp for children) or Parkrose High School Drama Department through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.

Jack Perry

Jack W. Perry, 84, of Baker City, died July 10, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

His memorial graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Jack Bynum of the United Methodist Church will officiate. Military rites will be accorded by Baker City AMVETS, Post 1874. Honor guard will be by Co. A 3-116th Cavalry, Oregon National Guard. Officers of the Bend City Police Department will also assist.

Jack was born in 1921 at St. Maries, Idaho, to John and Wilhelmina andquot;Minnieandquot; Perry. His parents moved to Bend when he was 7, and he lived there for the next 78 years. He met Betty Jeanne Smith and they were married on May 4, 1946. They had two sons and a daughter. Jack and Betty moved to Baker City in 1999.

Jack joined the Army National Guard as a senior in high school in 1939 and trained at Ft. Lewis, Wash. During World War II, he went to the South Pacific and served as platoon sergeant for three years.

He was wounded during an engagement on his first campaign in New Guinea and was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He was sent to a field hospital in Australia, and upon his recovery he rejoined his troops for two more campaigns. The last one involved the taking of Biak Island.

He was discharged from the Army in 1945 and rejoined the Oregon National Guard. He served as company commander of the National Guard Infantry Division in Bend for 16 years, and then commanded the National Guard Tank Corps in Redmond for three years. He retired at the rank of captain on June 23, 1981.

In 1952, Jack joined the Bend City Police Department. He retired as a sergeant in 1978 after serving 26 years. He was a life member of the Elks Lodge and Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of the Reserve Officer Association and Retired Officers Association of the United States.

Jack loved the great outdoors, and throughout most of his life he spent much of his time with his family hunting, fishing, camping, and being part of it. In later years, when he physically couldn’t get around outside, he would still enjoy the new stories that friends and family would tell.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Betty; three children, David L. Perry of Cheyenne, Wyo., Sharon Love of Eagle Point, and Stephen J. Perry of Baker City; a sister, Shirl Dewitt of Palmdale, Calif.; eight grandchildren, John Love, Jaime LaRance, Leslie Elms, Stephanie Elms, Kimberly Perry, Wade Glanders, Tony Perry, Brianna Perry; and nine great-grandchildren, Shawn Long, Richard LaRance, Riley LaRance, Erin Elms, Madison Elms, Averi Elms, Rylee Elms, Joshua Glanders, and Noah Glanders.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Arnold Perry, Gene Perry, and Carl Perry; and a sister, Juanita Bryan.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 380 S.E. Spokane St., Suite 110, Portland, OR 97202. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Harold Monroe

Harold R. andquot;Halandquot; Monroe, 88, who with his wife founded the McEwen Bible Fellowship in the 1950s, died June 6, 2005, surrounded by family and his faithful dog, Ginger.

His memorial service was June 17 at the Roseburg Christian Fellowship.

He was born on July 28, 1916, at Orland, Calif. He was raised on a nursery in California and loved fruit.

He worked for Douglas Aircraft for 26 years, retiring on June 6, 1976, as branch manager of telemetry and radio communications. He developed seven patented inventions while working for Douglas, including the air/sea rescue unit still being used by military and airlines today.

His hobbies included gold mining, fishing and traveling. He loved serving the Lord. He and his wife continued to live in the McEwen area off an on until about five years ago.

Memorial contributions may be made to McEwen Bible Fellowship in care of Marie P. Monroe, 236 N.W. Bree St., Winston, OR 97496.