Ashley Hilderbrand

Ashley Hilderbrand, 22, a longtime resident of John Day and Baker City, died unexpectedly Dec. 19, 2006, at Salt Lake City Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

A funeral service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Baker City Christian Church, 650 Hwy. 7 in Baker City. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception following the services at the church.

A funeral service will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at Whispering Pines Funeral Home in Prineville. Interment will follow at Juniper Haven Cemetery.

Ashley Jean was born June 21, 1984, in John Day to Mariann andquot;Connieandquot; (Villastrigo) and Lee Hilderbrand. Ashley went to kindergarten in Prineville. The family then moved to Baker City, where she attended school and attained her state diploma from Baker Alternative School in 2002.

Following graduation, Ashley traveled to Laramie, Wyo., and lived there for a year. She returned home to Baker City and went to work for Marvin Wood Products. After some time, she decided to move to Prineville, and went to work for Prineville Disposal.

In January 2005, Ashley wanted to move back to Baker City and she immediately went back to work for Marvin Wood Products.

Ashley enjoyed being outside, hunting and fishing. She enjoyed traveling to car shows and attending motto-cross rallies. Ashley loved music and dancing. Most special to her was spending time with her family and her dog Duke.

Ashley was a andquot;free spiritandquot; she just loved life and what it had to offer her. She had a wonderful talent for art and enjoyed drawing and sketching in her spare time.

She is survived by her father, Lee Hilderbrand of Baker City; her mother, Mariann andquot;Connieandquot; Coffer of Prineville; sisters Amanda Garbarino and her fianc Anthony Washington of Baker City, and Annie Hilderbrand of Pendleton; grandparents Jim and Theresa Hilderbrand of Halfway, and Frank Villastrigo Sr. of Prineville; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; her boyfriend, Shaun Neal, and her beloved yellow lab Duke.

Ashley was preceded in death by her Grandma Teresa Villastrigo, and uncles Carlos Villastrigo and Richard Villastrigo.

Those who would like to make a memorial contribution in memory of Ashley may do so to the American Heart Association, Best Friends of Baker or the charity of your choice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.

John Williamson

John Leo Williamson, 37, of La Grande, died Dec. 26, 2006, at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande after a long battle with bone cancer.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of The Valley Catholic Church in La Grande. Burial will follow at La Grande Grandview Cemetery.

John was born in Baker City on Jan. 21, 1969 to John H. Williamson of Baker City and Alice (Stroud) Williamson of La Grande. He attended school in both La Grande and Baker City.

He married Martha Eoff of Elgin. They have two sons: Donald, 13, and Lucas, 10. The couple later divorced.

John had worked most recently for the Oregon Department of Transportation with the surveying crew. John also worked as a wildland firefighter, saw mill worker, and often mechanic for those who needed him.

He enjoyed fatherhood and often spoke of it as the most rewarding job of his life. He stayed strong for a very long time for his boys.

John was an avid fisherman and hunter. Most of all he enjoyed sharing his love of the outdoors with others. He was always happy to teach his sons, niece, and nephews the amazing wonders of fishing and hunting. John was also the best handyman anyone could find. He could fix anything mechanical, electrical, or otherwise, even after he lost his right arm to cancer. John also had a terrific sense of humor, and he loved to laugh.

He was a member of the sons of the American Legion of Baker City.

John is survived by two sons, Donald of La Grande and Lucas of Otis; his parents, John H. Williamson of Baker City, and Alice (Stroud) Williamson of La Grande; three sisters Sue Carner of Lincoln City, Christine Carlson of La Grande and Beth Schmidt and her husband, John, of Monmouth; a brother, James H. Devine of Sandpoint, Idaho; a niece, Rachel Carlson; three nephews, Steven Carlson, Nathan and Parker Schmidt; four aunts, Bobbie Jo Adlard of Quartzsite, Ariz., Margaret and Shirley Sagendorf, both of Spokane, Wash., and Annie Wickert of Baker City; five uncles, Donald Stroud of Ketchikan, Alaska, Francis Williamson, Tony Williamson and his wife, Patricia, and Donald Williamson, all of Baker City, and Leo Williamson of Pendleton.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents and Aunt Mary DeVose.