Wayne Pierce

Baker City, 1970-2013

Wayne William Pierce, 42, of Baker City died April 23, 2013, with his family at his side after a long battle with melanoma.

A memorial celebration of his life will be Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m., at the Baker Elks Lodge, 1896 Second St.

Wayne was born a fraternal twin a few minutes ahead of his brother, Shane, on Mothers Day, May 10, 1970.

He grew up in the Baker Valley experiencing all that it had to offer and often enticing or convincing others to live in the moment in order to enjoy it to its fullest potential. He has been described by friends and family as a one of kind character that rarely left people without a smile or the shake of the head after having an encounter with him.

He was a proud 1988 graduate of Baker High School and a spirited Bulldog participating on the Forestry Team led by Mike Monaco during its heyday as well as working with a group of classmates to resurrect the High School Rodeo Club. Many weekends were spent on country back roads and skiing at Anthony Lakes.

He married his high school sweetheart, Garla Rowe, in 1989 and created many fun family memories while continuing to live in Baker and gaining experience at his lifelong career of operating heavy equipment. They moved to Albany for a period before taking separate paths and Wayne remained in the Willamette Valley near his siblings and father for over 15 years working as a member of the 701 Operating Engineers Union. Wayne was a deft equipment operator and took pride in his work. While helping to create the hole for an in ground swimming pool the foreman on the job said he had never had anyone as accurate as Wayne in meeting the specifications for the job.

In 2003 he came home to Baker City where he met his fiancandeacute;, Melissa Hertel. Wayne was a great dancer and they were seen frequently on the dance floor together, making memories. Together they had a baby girl, Kailyse Fuss-Pierce, in August of 2004. He was so proud of his daughter and he rarely came to visit a family member that Kailyse was not his travelling partner. Wayne helped raise four children with Melissa and in May of 2012 also became a proud grandpa. As a family they spent most weekends at the river, camping and fishing. Wayne was a great entertainer of all kids and often included their kids’ friends, his nieces, nephews and neighbor kids in these plans. “Bring them all” he would say, as he was a kid at heart himself.

During his final years with Melissa they relocated to John Day for a brief time where he did excavation projects with friends and had big block parties. He also became a very active member of the John Day Elks Club including becoming an officer. This affiliation gave him great purpose after his cancer had progressed to where he could no longer work. He also enjoyed time spent socializing and eating at the Eagles Lodge in Baker.

During his lifetime Wayne enjoyed staying busy outdoors or indoors. During his youth he worked on local ranches/farms or for his dad’s contracting company. As an adult, in addition to work he enjoyed doing home upgrading, maintenance, barbecuing and landscaping. He also loved watching the TV shows and movies he had grown up with in the 70s and 80s continuing his mastery of quick wit and an ability to mimic his favorite characters.

As a brief participant and lifelong fan of rodeo, Wayne was a dedicated volunteer at the Baker City Bronc and Bull Riding event. He worked the stripping chutes for many years, was always involved in putting together the VIP/Stock Contractor barbecue and was honored with a Top Hand Trophy Buckle at the event in 2012. With the exception of the birth of his daughter this was one of his proudest moments.

Anyone who knew Wayne at all knew that he learned to appreciate waterskiing, fishing and relaxing at Brownlee Reservoir at a very young age with his parents and an extended family of “River Rats.” This place became a touchstone of joy throughout his life and a place he wanted to share with anyone he became acquainted with and he told everyone that he loved that after he passed he would simply “see them at the rodeo or the river.”

He is survived by his daughter, Kailyse Fuss-Pierce; his fiancandeacute; Melissa Hertel and children Tyler Hertel, Kassidy Hertel and Dustin Fuss; his granddaughter, Kailyn Kuiper-Fuss; his mother, Shirley McPheron; his stepfather, Ken McPheron; his grandmother, Evelyn Steele; his sister, Lisa Xeros-VandenBos and her husband, Todd, and his brother Shane Pierce and his wife, Tammy, all of Baker City; his stepsisters, Kimm Wilcoxson and her husband, Brian, of California, and Rayne Christen and her husband, J.P., of Philadelphia; as well as beloved uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws.

He was preceded in death by his father, Wayne E. Pierce; his grandparents, Thomas R. Steele, David Pierce and Margie Boyer-Pierce; his aunt, Marilyn “Tudy” Carr; his cousin, Robert “Robby” Carr; his brother-in-law, Constantino G. Xeros; and his best friend and cousin, Kerry Logsdon.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions be made through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814, to the Billie Ruth Bootsma Infusion Clinic or the Kailyse Fuss-Pierce fund. Contributions to the latter can also be made at any Sterling Savings Bank branch, including the Baker City branch at 1990 Washington Ave.

Cecil Fisher

Formerly Haines, 1936-2013

Cecil K. Fisher 76, of Boise, and a former longtime Haines area resident, died April 25, 2013, in Boise.

Funeral services for Mr. Fisher will be Friday, May 3 at 2 p.m. in the Coles Tribute Center, 1950 Place St. in Baker City.

Pastor Tim Fisher of Elkhorn Baptist Church will officiate. Vault interment with military honors will follow at the Haines Cemetery just north of Haines. Visitations will also be on Friday at Coles Tribute Center from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Mr. Fisher was born May 2, 1936, at Baker City to Muddy Creek ranchers Orville and Helen (Gilkison) Fisher. He was the eldest of three children, joined by his adoring sisters.

Cecil attended grade school at Muddy Creek and graduated from Powder Valley High in 1954, serving as class president. During these years, he was active in 4-H. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout and attended the Boy Scouts of America Jubilee at Valley Forge in 1950. He excelled at sports and was selected as a Tri Valley All Star in basketball in 1954. While summers were busy with work and activities, it was also a time of fun adventures on the ranch with visits from numerous friends and cousins.

After one year at the University of Oregon, Cecil and his cousin, Lloyd Fisher, joined the Marine Corps. Cecil served aboard the USS Bennington as it traveled on a goodwill tour of Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. He also served aboard the ship in Australia. Upon his honorable discharge, he met, dated and later married Sylvia Blair, on June 7, 1959. At first, Cecil worked for Standard Oil, but soon joined his parents in the family ranching business. They formed the OandC Partnership. Cecil and Sylvia also had their own ranching properties.

A little girl, Natalie Kay, joined the family and it grew with the additions of Nanette Gail and Nancy Lucille. A boy, Timothy Orville, completed the family. Cecil was involved with his children and active in the community. He was a 4-H leader and baseball coach, having Cecil Fisher Field in Haines named in his honor. He belonged to the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. Most of all he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother and friend. He always had a smile and thumbs-up.

Cecil would walk into a room full of strangers and come away with many new friends. He was so friendly.

The past eight years he has lived at the Heritage in Boise. He was loved by all staff and residents. This was his home and extended family. He will be missed by many.

Survivors are his four children: Natalie Miller of Baker City, Nanette Collier of Seattle, Nancy Harrington and her husband, Ed, of Boise, and Timothy Fisher and his wife, Roxann, of Baker City; two sisters, Marilyn DelFatti and Baker City and Gail McAllister and her husband, Jack, of Fallon, Nev.; grandchildren, Andrea Jaca and her husband, Ed, of Baker City, Amanda Grandeen and her husband, Shawn, of Kennewick, Wash., Ashliegh Meeks and her husband, Frank, of La Grande, Preston Strey of Seattle, Suzan Collier of Seattle, Jonathon Harrington, a corpsman in the U.S. Navy, Jacob Harrington of Boise, Sheldon Fisher of Baker City, and Austin Fisher of Baker City; eight great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; one aunt, Connie Fisher of Echo; and many cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia; his parents; and a brother-in-law, Gerald DelFatti.

Those wishing to make contributions in the memory of Mr. Fisher may direct them to the Wounded Warriors Foundation, Dornbechers Children’s Hospital or Shriners Hospital for Children, through the Coles Tribute Center, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.