Obituaries for Jan. 25: Hazel Smith, Janet Wright

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 25, 2008

Hazel Smith

Hazel Ann Smith, 91, of Baker City, died Jan. 22, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Care Center.

Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Bishop Ernie Collard will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the church.

Hazel was born on Oct. 25, 1916, to James Robert Wanker and Zena Belle Whitten Wanker at the Wanker Ranch in Medical Springs. Hazel was the youngest in the family, with four older sisters. As a young girl, she helped cook for the ranch hands.

Hazel attended school at Medical Springs. She married Ernest Smith on June 28, 1943. That same year, the couple purchased the ranch on which she was born and raised.

They raised three sons, Gary, Dallas, and Larry. They sold the ranch in 1972 and moved to Baker City.

When she was 17, Hazel was a princess in the first Miners Jubilee in 1934. She rode in the parade again in 2004.

Hazel loved to fish, pick mushrooms and spend time with her family. The family and neighbors would take a wagon and some cream cans to the mountains and stay for a week at a time to pick huckleberries.

She won several contests for catching the biggest steelhead. She enjoyed quilting and embroidery, and still did perfect work at the age of 91.

Hazel had a great sense of humor, always making others laugh, and she had a kind heart, her family said.

Survivors include her husband; sons and daughters-in law, Gary and Judy Smith, Dallas and Peggy Smith and Larry and Deby Smith; 10 grandchildren and their spouses; three great-granddaughters; one great-grandson, with another expected in April; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Memorial contributions may be made to Community Connection of Baker County through Gray’s West andamp; Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Baker City, OR 97814.

Janet Wright

Janet Arteburn Wright, 72, a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 10, 2008.

A family service will be scheduled later.

Janet was born on June 24, 1935, at La Grande. She was raised at Baker City and attended Eastern Oregon State College at La Grande. (now Eastern Oregon University). During college she met Warren G. andquot;Dubandquot; Wright. The couple were married and became lifelong friends.

Janet later earned a master’s degree from Western Washington University. She spent most of her career working as a classroom teacher, outdoor educator, school administrator and elementary principal in the Highline School District in the Seattle area.

She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and especially enjoyed hiking, camping and just being outdoors. In 1978 Janet and Warren moved to their dream home at Greenwater, Wash., to be close to the outdoors and the natural world she loved.

andquot;Janet will be remembered as a loving and caring soul who always put people first in her life,andquot; her family said. andquot;She was truly an angel here on earth and we will all miss her dearly. We know she is healthy once again and hiking the mountains of heaven with the Lord.andquot;

Survivors include her husband of 51 years, Warren G. andquot;Dubandquot; Wright; daughter and son-in-law, Dana and Blake McKinley Jr. of Spokane, Wash.; son and daughter-in-law, Donald and Janis Wright of Bend; grandsons, Paul and Scott McKinley, both of Spokane, Wash.; sister and brother-in-law, Gwen and Bob Rouse of Terrebonne; brother-in-law, Gary Williamson of Spokane, Wash.; and numerous nieces and nephews in Oregon and Washington.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Royce andquot;Texandquot; and Amy Arteburn; and her sister, Lynne Williamson.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pierce County Fire District No. 26, 58120 SR 410 Hwy E, Enumclaw, WA 98022.