Beverly Sampson-Haas

Former Baker City resident, 1953-2017

Beverly Jean Sampson-Haas, 63, a former Baker City resident, died June 9, 2017, at Puyallup, Washington, in the arms of her twin sister and with family at her side.

Her memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 15 at the Harvest Church, 3720 Birch St. in Baker City. There will be a reception afterward at the home of Rodney and Carmen Wickham.

Bev was born on Aug. 7, 1953, at Baker City to Francis and Kathryn Sampson, the first born of twin daughters. The family lived at Wallowa for 11 years where the family spent many wonderful trips camping at the high mountain lakes. Her love of camping and fishing continued through the years.

The family then moved to Huntington and finally Baker City where Bev graduated from Baker High School in 1971.

Bev attended medical assisting school in Spokane Washington, then worked in hospitals in Spokane, Edmonds and Seattle, Washington, as an EKG technician. She later worked for Shepard ambulance and finally the last 21 years at UW Physicians in Seattle as a patient’s accounts analyst.

In August of 1988 while working at Shepard ambulance, Bev and her twin sister, Shirley, flew to Orlando to pick up an ambulance for the company and drove it back to Seattle.

They took three weeks to drive back to Seattle with many stops in Florida, New Orleans, San Antonio, Dallas, Tucson, Phoenix, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. That trip began a lifelong enjoyment of traveling. The family also did a lot of traveling and camping together over the years. Bev made many lifelong friends through her travels.

Bev loved spending time with her family both in Washington and Oregon. Together, Bev and Shirley traveled several times to England, France, Scotland, Wales, Italy and to many cities in the United States. They were always planning their next trip.

During the last 16 years, Bev and Shirley lived together, which made traveling much easier. Bev and her twin were more than siblings, they were best friends.

Bev was preceded in death by her mother, Kathryn; and her father, Francis.

Survivors include her twin sister, Shirley Sampson; aunt, Hildreth Jacobs; cousins, Curtis (Annie) and Perry (Corina) Jacobs, and their families of Baker City; cousins, Rose This, Tom Cope, Laura (Delbert) Perkins, Roger Leslie, Marilyn Fitzgerald, and Raymond (Nancy) Smith and their families, all of Washington State. And of course her beloved cat, Simon.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online condolences may be made at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com

Helen Brown

Former Baker County resident, 1931-2017

Helen Jo Brown, 86, of Lebanon, died July 3, 2017, at Evergreen Hospice House in Albany surrounded by her husband and children.

She was born on March 12, 1931, at Lebanon to Joe and June Gilbert. She had a younger brother, Arthur Gilbert.

She grew up on the family ranch at Berlin, Oregon, and greatly enjoyed her childhood. She was blessed with family, home, horses and pets — she especially loved to ride her horses.

She moved to Lebanon with her parents in 1948. Her childhood home is still in the family, which she loved to frequently visit and reminisce about.

Helen and her husband, John, lived in Lebanon most of their lives. They spent a few summers in Eastern Oregon on her father’s cattle ranch with their young family. They also moved to Hawaii in 1968 for a brief work in the timber industry.

Returning to Oregon, they bought a cattle ranch and moved to Keating. They also lived in Baker City for eight years and made many friends in the Baker Valley area. She learned to snow ski when she was 45 and enjoyed the sport with her family.

John and Helen returned to Lebanon in 1981 to assist her father, Joe Gilbert, in his personal and business affairs as his health was declining from Alzheimer’s.

Helen loved to sew and quilt. Even the letters WMQ were on the license plate of her car, which she jokingly related to “Women Must Quilt.” She belonged to a pinochle club and loved playing cards with her friends and family. She worked for Adams Rexall Drug Store for several years and always remarked how much she loved her job because she got to see and talk to so many people. She loved people and always found the good in everyone she met. Helen also worked as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer.

Helen suffered from Alzheimer’s for the past 10 years. She was courageous and loving throughout the illness, which ultimately was her cause of death. She had a few health care workers who came into her home over the years to help out. She of course, became very fond of a few of them like Morgan, Cece, Michaela and Angelina.

Besides her family, she deeply loved her friends whether they were lifelong friends or new friends and neighbors. For the last six years, she greatly enjoyed and loved her neighbors, Jacen and Mary Johns, who included the Brown family as their own, participating together in all the holiday and birthday gatherings.

The Johns have become honorary family and a blessing in so many ways. Helen loved everyone she met and always spoke wonderful things about them. She greeted everyone with her beautiful smile and a warm generous heart.

She was an inspiration to those who knew her, always full of love and life and an infectious sense of humor. All who knew her dearly loved her and she will be greatly missed.

She is now at home in heaven and reunited with her loved ones, family members said.

Survivors include her beloved husband of 57 years, John A. Brown; daughters, Gayle Jaca-Combs and her husband, Bret, of Baker City, Debra Lilly of Lebanon; son, John G. Brown, and his wife Christi of Boise; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Lisa Brown; her parents; and her younger brother.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Albany or the Alzheimer’s Association and sent in care of Huston-Jost Funeral Home, 86 W. Grant St., Lebanon, OR 97355

Dale Chamberlin

Richland, 1924-2017

Levi Dale Chamberlin (Dale), 93, of Richland, died July 7, 2017, at his home.

He will be laid to rest on Wednesday, July 12 at 11 a.m. with military honors at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. A potluck reception will follow at the Eagle Valley Grange.

Dale was born on Feb. 24, 1924, to Lula and Levi Chamberlin as the oldest of four brothers. He attended school in Eagle Valley. Dale left home at 17, going to Portland where he worked in the shipyards before joining and serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II. He always said they were the only ones who would let him serve since he had flat feet.

After coming back to the Eagle Valley he purchased ground in Eagle Valley and in Sparta and ran beef and dairy cows, and grew feed for his cattle. On April 12, 1953, he married Edna Cramer at Weiser, Idaho, and they came back to Eagle Valley to live on his ranch. Together they ran the ranch for more than 50 years and were very proud of the improvements he made to the ranch.

After retiring from the hard labor of day-to-day ranching, Dale could often be found in his shop working on various wood projects. He enjoyed refurbishing old rockers, tables and chairs. He also refurbished the mail buggy his father drove as postmaster in Eagle Valley. Dale enjoyed gardening and talking about the history of the valley with family and friends. He spent many afternoons sitting on his front porch with his dog Queen, watching people go by and visiting with anyone who stopped.

Dale loved being able to go camping, hiking, fishing, hunting and huckleberry picking in the Eagle Caps. When he was younger, Dale enjoyed being able to take horses and go packing. In his later years, he made walking sticks while sitting in the campgrounds, which he gave away and which have been enjoyed by many.

Dale was a member of the Eagle Valley Grange, VFW, and the Odd Fellows Lodge. He served in various membership roles during his 75-plus-year membership in the Eagle Valley Grange.

Dale is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Sharon Chamberlin, daughter and son-in-law, Cherie and Bill Keating; grandchildren, Jami Chamberlin, Levi Chamberlin, Suzie Chamberlin, Jeff Chamberlin, Brooke Chamberlin, Brandon Keating, Alyssa Keating, Matthew Keating, Sarah Keating, Cassandra Keating, and Amber Hiatt; sister-in-law, Ruth Chamberlin; seven great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna; twin children; his parents, Levi and Lula Chamberlin; and his brothers, Nolan (Skee), Irvin (Rosy) and Tommie.

Contributions in Dale’s memory may be made to the Eagle Valley Ambulance or Richland EMTs through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online condolences may be made at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com