Marga Simonis, Harvey Starr, ‘Ed’ Mackan

Marga Simonis

Marga Lee Simonis, 70, of North Powder died July 19, 2010, in Baker City.

Her graveside service was July 24 at the North Powder Cemetery.

Marga Lee was born on July 3, 1940, in Muse, Okla., to Noble and Honey Pendleton. On Sept. 26, 1969, she married Keith Simonis in Winnemucca, Nev. He died on Sept. 7, 2003.

Marga Lee was an Eagles member and also helped start the North Powder Food Bank.

She loved to cook for family, friends and anyone who was hungry. She was also an avid hunter and fisherman and loved to mushroom and pick berries. She also loved her yard, whether it be working in her flower beds or her garden. She loved to can everything.

She also recently took up bird watching, and she would sit for hours listening to and watching them. She enjoyed raising her family and grandkids. She was a mother to all, her family said. She traveled to Alaska to see her son and daughter-in-law and loved her time there.

Survivors include her daughter, Kim, and her husband, Don Fordice, of Haines; four sons, Mark Putman of North Powder, Dann Putman and his wife, Carla, of Sterling, Alaska, Shawn Schisler of Richland, and Dusty Simonis and his wife, Nancy, of North Powder; 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Dan Putman, and her second husband, Keith Simonis.

Memorial contributions may be made to the North Powder Food Bank through Gray’s West and Co Pioneer Chapel 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

Harvey Starr

Harvey Starr, 81, a longtime Baker City and North Powder resident, died July 16, 2010, in Haines.

There was a private family interment at Mount Hope Cemetery on July 22.

Harvey Allen was born on April 19, 1929, in Bismarck, N.D., to Jessie and Margaret Nelson Starr. He had three brothers and three sisters. In his early years, he was very deaf and while his parents could afford it, he attended the School for the Deaf in Salem. After third grade he stayed home and was raised in the Rock Creek area. He was very happy-go-lucky in his youth.

Harvey and Margaret Young met in Baker City. They were married in 1952 in Boise. They made their home in Baker City and had three children: Tom, Eldon and Connie.

Harvey worked most all of his life on a farm. On occasion he would get out and hunt or fish, but would be sure to let you know when he returned “that I didn’t enjoy any of it,” his family said.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret; his son, Eldon Starr of Baker City; daughter, Cindy Starr; sisters, Evelyn Levill of Milton-Freewater, Carolyn Palmer of Baker City and Loraine Smedile of Roseburg; grandchildren, Tammy Starr and Kim Starr; and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his son, Tom, who died in 1995; his daughter, Connie, who died in 1999; and brothers, Melvin, James and Orin.

‘Ed’ Mackan

Edgar “Ed” Mackan, 89, of The Dalles, died July 25, 2010.

His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church in The Dalles. Interment will be in the IOOF (International Order of Odd Fellows) section of Mount Hope Cemetery.

Ed was born on Dec. 13, 1920, at Enterprise to Glenn and Cecila Beberniss Mackan. He attended high school at Hereford where he met Eleanor Boyer. They were married in 1942.

World War II had begun the previous year and Ed joined the U.S. Navy, serving for the duration of the war in the Pacific Theater of operations. He was discharged in December 1945.

For three decades he worked in the heavy construction trade as a member of the Teamsters Union. The work took him and his family to The Dalles in 1956 to work on dam construction on the Columbia River. Ed retired in 1982.

He had a long record of volunteer community service. He was active in his church and devoted 15 years as a driver for the senior bus. He also drove weekly for Meals on Wheels.

In 2001, he was honored as “King Bing,” the senior ambassador to the Northwest Cherry Festival.

Survivors include his wife, Eleanor; his son, Ed; and his daughter, Eva.

Memorial contributions may be made to The First Christian Church, 909 Court St., The Dalles, OR 97058.

Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.