Bethel Huff

Bethel Illean Goodwin Huff, 80, died Sept. 24, 2007, at her home in Halfway.

There will not be a formal service, but family and friends will gather for a dinner in the spring of 2008.

Bethel was born Sept. 13, 1927, in Baker City to A. Niles andquot;Shortyandquot; Goodwin Sr. and Emma Marie Sanders Goodwin.

Bethel married her high school sweetheart, Jimmy Huff, on Christmas Eve, 1947 in Baker City. They would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Christmas this year.

Bethel was raised and attended grade school in Cornucopia and Jimtown, graduating from Pine Valley Union High School in Halfway in 1946. She and her one brother and three sisters later moved to the ranch above Jimtown, then to the Endrupp sawmill (later the Goodwin Sawmill) located on Goodwin Sawmill Road at Jimtown. She was the first of the girls to drive the ’29 Chev wood truck delivering wood locally.

Bethel worked at a number of places up and down Main Street through the years. She was a telephone operator for what is now Pine Telephone, spent many years as a bookkeeper at the Pine Merc, and retired from U.S. Bank as a teller. Bethel was a special person, her attitude was always, andquot;Get it done, nowandquot; and she did.

Bethel was a person with unlimited energy; every day of her life she worked from can to can’t (can see to can’t see), arising early to have her housework completed before going to work. Her reason for being was to care for her husband Jimmy, her sons, Lyle and Gordon, her grandchildren and her great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and her home.

She loved huckleberry, mushroom and late fall fishing seasons. She never came home empty handed and rarely revealed her mushroom-hunting locations. She enjoyed the mountains, camping and fishing with her family. Bethel especially enjoyed decorating her yard to fit the seasons and holidays, lights and all.

Bethel is survived by her husband, Jimmy of Halfway; her son Lyle and his wife, Lauran, of Haines, Alaska, son Gordon Huff of Cambridge, Idaho; three grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren plus one on the way; her sisters, Ada Marie Litts of Longview, Wash., Grace Gulick of Halfway,. and Gerrilyn Sneedon of Reedsport; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bethel was preceded in death by her parents, Emma and A. Niles andquot;Shortyandquot; Goodwin; her brother, A. Niles andquot;Sonnyandquot; Goodwin Jr., who was killed in action in February of 1945 in Germany during World War II; and her grandson Rory Huff, in 2005.

Contributions in memory of Bethel may be made to the charity of your choice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home P.O. Box 543 Halfway, OR 97834.

Gordon Aldrich

Gordon Aldrich, 78, a lifelong Haines resident, died Sept. 30, 2007, surrounded by his family at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise.

His graveside funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Haines Cemetery, with Cliff Cole officiating. A reception will follow at the Haines United Methodist Church.

Visitations will be Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.

Gordon was born Jan. 29, 1929, to Lewis and Edna (Burnside) Aldrich. A terrible snowstorm prevented the trip to Baker City, so Gordon was born in Haines in the house currently owned by Betty Brown.

Gordon grew up on a horse and was always seen riding to and from the Muddy Creek School. He attended Muddy Creek School from first grade to 12th grade and he was a member of the last class to graduate from Muddy Creek High, in 1947.

After graduating, Gordon enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was sent to San Antonio, Texas, where he did his basic training. Then he spent two years in Oakland, Calif., as a medic and ambulance driver. He finished out his service as a dispatcher in Tripoli, Libya.

After Gordon was discharged from the service, he returned to Baker County, where he met Eula Mae Hung. They were married on May 28, 1955.

Gordon and Eula lived in Rock Creek and Gordon worked at a sawmill out of Union. He then got employment with Standard Oil Company and he and Eula moved to Baker City. He also worked for Valley Motor Company as a shop foreman.

Soon, Gordon and Eula purchased the Utoco Service Station (present site of Coles Bros. Service Station). Eula ran the Pine Cone BBQ and Gordon ran the service station and lube room.

In 1965, Gordon and Eula purchased the old Ashwood place and they have lived there for the last 41 years. During this time, Gordon worked for Dick Camp and Henry Steele, and he spent 15 years working at North Powder Mandamp;M Company. Gordon retired after the mill burned, but continued to cattle ranch on their place.

Gordon and Eula celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2005. They had been married 52 years.

Gordon enjoyed his nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren very much. The highlight of his summer was spending two weeks with them camping up Rock Creek. Gordon always knew how to make people laugh and loved to visit with everybody at the Haines Sell-Rite store. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Gordon is survived by his wife, Eula; a daughter, Pamela Mathson and her husband, Dave, of Dillon, Mont., a daughter, Sally Scelson, of Baker City; a son, James Gordon Aldrich and his wife, Chris, of North Powder.

Gordon was preceded in death by his father and mother, Lewis and Edna Aldrich; his brother, Lewis Aldrich Jr. (Bud); and his son, Ronald Hung.

Contributions in Gordon’s memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.