Ileana O’Dell

Ileana Rose O’Dell, 79, of Baker City, died Aug. 8, 2006, at her home.

Her graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Sister Kay Marie Duncan will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at Calvary Baptist Church, 2107 Third St.

Ileana was born on Nov. 24, 1926, at Caldwell, Idaho, to Harold and Eva Razey Hopkins. She met her future husband, Roy O’Dell, at Amarillo, Texas, where Roy was stationed in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

The couple settled in Baker City in 1948. Ileana worked at Neuberger andamp; Heilner’s clothing store for 16 years. She enjoyed flowers, fishing, taking drives, crafts, crocheting and spending time with her family and friends.

Survivors include two sisters, Lorraine Gardner of Baker City and Sue Perry of Sutherlin; two sons, Cecil O’Dell of Longview, Wash., and Larry O’Dell of Castle Rock, Wash.; a daughter, Rosanne O’Dell of Castle Rock, Wash.; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Robert Hopkins; a sister, Jackie Leathlane; and her husband of 45 years, Roy.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice through Gray’s West andamp; Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

‘Don’ Stephens

Donald Ray andquot;Donandquot; Stephens, 72, of Haines, died Aug. 6, 2006, at his home.

His graveside funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Rock Creek Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.

Don was born on April 10, 1934, at Twickenham to Rose and Ralph Stephens. At the age of 7, he moved with his family to Haines. He attended Rock Creek and Muddy Creek schools and graduated at North Powder School.

He loved playing football in school. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in an airborne unit during the Korean conflict. He was stationed in Germany for part of this time.

Don worked hard all his life. He was a diesel mechanic. He retired from the Ellingson mill.

He loved his ranch in the Rock Creek area. He was especially proud of his cow herd.

Survivors include four siblings, Marilyn Kidder of Lewiston, Idaho, Evelyn Fisher and her husband, Elbert, Richard Stephens and his wife, Nina, and Robert Stephens and his wife, Caren; Don loved little kids and leaves a great many nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Gideon Bible or the American Cancer Society through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.

‘Bub’ Witham

William Patton andquot;Bubandquot; Witham, 60, a former Baker City resident, died April 4, 2006, at Kingman, Ariz.

He was born to Fred and Eve Witham on Nov. 8, 1946. He was one of three children in the family, which also includes an older sister, Merrillee of Sparks, Nev., and Bob of Spokane, Wash.

He attended Brooklyn Elementary School and was a 1964 Baker High School graduate. He attended Eastern Oregon College (now Eastern Oregon University) at La Grande.

He was active in the logging industry and worked at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, for more than 22 years. He also had lived at Vancouver, Wash., for many years, working with heavy equipment.

He enjoyed fishing and hunting and spent many years with his father and friends in the fall, hunting for the prize animal. He had many friends and family. andquot;We will miss you,andquot; they said.

‘Billy’ Hughes

Joseph William andquot;Billyandquot; Hughes, 79, of Salem, a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 3, 2006, at his home.

Billy was born on Jan. 21, 1927, at Concordia, Kan., to George Aurthur and Beatrice Iola Gerard Hughes. He was raised at Concordia, Kan., where he also attended school.

Billy left school at Concordia to serve in the U.S. Navy. During his duty he was commissioned on the LSMR Rocket Ship to Pearl Harbor. Billy was very proud to serve as a crew member on his ship.

He and his family had the opportunity to revisit the LSMR Rocket Ship after it was retired. While in the Navy he developed a love for boxing and became the fleet champion.

After his service in the Navy, Billy moved out West. Upon arriving in Baker City, he worked as a projectionist for the Eltrym Theater and was a bar bouncer.

Billy then followed the trend of the area and worked in the mills. After the mill closed, he worked several years as a ranch hand on the Shawn Ranch and for Staggs and Weber at Keating.

In the ’70s he changed professions and became a grounds and building maintenance man. He worked for St. Elizabeth Hospital and at the Baker County Fairgrounds. Billy moved to the Beaverton area in 1976 and worked for St. Mary’s of the Valley for several years.

Billy retired and moved to Wamic, which was everything he loved. Billy loved the country and being around the farm animals, especially the work horses. Every day he lived there he had a beautiful view of Mount Hood and said he was living in God’s country. Due to his illness, he later moved to Salem.

Billy was married twice; first to Barbara Lee on April 30, 1955. She is the mother of his five children. They spent most of their married life living in Baker County. He then married Cecil Minor on Aug. 19, 1972.

In marrying Cecil, he acquired a large extended family. Billy’s family was the most important part of his life. He worked hard to provide for them and was always there when he was needed. He loved his family very much.

Billy was very mischievous and loved to prank his friends and family. When Billy had andquot;thatandquot; smile you knew he was getting ready to pull something. He also had a dog named Ming who he loved very much. No other dog could ever replace Ming in Billy’s heart.

Billy hunted with his family for many years. In the early years he hunted with his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and then with his children when they got old enough. Billy also enjoyed fishing and the ocean.

Billy was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. He also volunteered with the Baker County Sheriff’s Department.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Beatrice Hughes; a sister, Pearl Huff; and brothers, Archie Hughes, Kenneth Hughes, Eldon Hughes, and Ernie Hughes.

Survivors include his children, Cathy Murray, Robin Hughes, Bradley Hughes, Donald Hughes, and Ronald Hughes; grandchildren, David Murray and Kristi Merideth, Clarissa Winn, Christina Self and Christopher Hughes, Christopher Winters and Heather Hughes, Bobby, Brandon, and Brianna Hughes and William Christy; and nine great-grandchildren; sisters, Gladys Newlin, Marceline Edison and Alice Carlton; a brother, Danny Hughes; Barbara Hughes Cropp; Cecil Hughes Cutshall; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West andamp; Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

Walter Love

Walter J. Love, 87, of Baker City, a longtime Keating resident, died Aug. 7, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Care Center.

His memorial service will be at 9 a.m. Friday at Gray’s West andamp; Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Michael Thompson will officiate.

Walt was born on Oct. 17, 1918, at Baker City to Clarence and Ethel Love. He attended Baker County schools and was a 1936 Baker High School graduate.

He joined the Army Air Corps on July 15, 1940, and served in Africa, Italy, Corsica and France during World War II after several stateside assignments. He was discharged in September 1945.

Walt bought the Old Love Ranch on Goose Creek in 1946. He married Lucy Colvard in September of 1946. They lived on the ranch, which they operated until 1985 when they sold it and moved to Baker City.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Lucy; three sons and their wives, Bill and Debbie of La Grande, Tom and Karen of Umatilla and Robert and Lynn of Dallas; two daughters and their husbands, Judy and Mike Thompson of Portland and Edith and Ken Hale of Pendleton; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, James and Duane; and a son, Clyde C. Love.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker County Historical Society through Gray’s West andamp; Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.