Bernice Virtue, June Freeman, Dennis Huff

Bernice Virtue

Bernice J. Virtue, 84, died Oct. 15, 2008, surrounded by her loving family.

Her funeral was at Elk Grove Funeral Chapel in Galt, Calif.

Bernice lived her early years in Iowa before moving to California where she was a homemaker. After her husband died, she moved with her daughter to Baker City and lived there for seven years. She returned to California for the last year and half of her life.

She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great mother, aunt and friend, who devoted her time and love selflessly, family members said. Bernice loved to work in her vegetable garden and did a lot of canning in her early years. She had a passion for raising the most beautiful flowers, a trait she has passed on to her family.

In her later years, she enjoyed making potholders for everyone she met and doing her embroidering. She was a faithful Catholic and was faithful in saying her rosary. Her love of family will forever be missed.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John; daughter, Sheral; grandson, Kim; her parents, Charles and Josephine Bollig; and brothers, Chuck and Bill Bollig.

Survivors include 11 children and their spouses, Jerry and Marianne Virtue of Galt, Calif., Shirley and Phil Barbara of Fair Oaks, Calif., Jack and Sue Virtue of Galt, Calif., Jim and Louisa Virtue of Galt, Calif., Sandy Shumway and Mike Proschold of North Highlands, Calif., Steve and Kim Virtue of Baker City, Pat Cartmell of Baker City, Randy and Anna Virtue of Orangevale, Calif., Tom and Tina Virtue of Baker City, Lori and Ken Austin of Baker City, and Kent and Tammy Virtue of Roseville, Calif.; 22 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and many nieces nephews.

June Freeman

June Freeman, 92, of Baker City, died Oct. 20, 2008, at Settler’s Park with her family by her side.

At her request, there will be no formal funeral.

She was born on April 14, 1916, in Plattsmouth, Neb. June was given up for adoption at birth and was raised by Guy and Lynn Closson. The family lived at Huntington where she attended school.

She was a quiet person with a quick wit, very kind and extremely generous, her family members said. She had beautiful red hair, a sweet smile and always a special twinkle in her eye.

June and Woodie Bunch were married in September of 1938 and made their first home at Pocatello, Idaho. They had a daughter, Velda. The family moved to Huntington where Woodie went to work with the Union Pacific Railroad. The couple’s daughter, Marion, was born at Huntington.

The family moved to a seven-acre ranch at Halfway in 1948. June and her family tore down three Cornucopia houses to get the lumber to build their new home, even pulling the nails to be reused again.

June was a true homemaker. Her early days were filled with canning, pumping water, outside plumbing, gardening (from the garden that Grandpa Bunch put in for her), hunting, fishing, mushrooming and her favorite of huckleberrying.

She was always up for a romp with a picnic basket and enjoying her dog, Penny. On occasion she and Woodie would go dancing at the Grange or the 399 Club. She sewed, gave the girls hair permanents and shopped in catalogs for school shoes and winter coats.

Woodie and June decided to move to Ontario and both found work with Ore-Ida. After several years, they moved back to Halfway and Woodie went to work for the co-op. Granddaughter Rhonda remember falling asleep in a cabin up at Cornucopia to the sound of voices saying “fifteen two, fifteen four” as they played cribbage with friends in the lamplight.

June belonged to the Grange and Home Extension and the Order of Eastern Star and helped with all the Lions Club crab feeds and dinners.

Woodie died on Sept. 2, 1975. June found work at the school with the hot lunch program and truly enjoyed all the kids. She worked there until her marriage to Jim Freeman. They were married on May 7, 1977, at he Pine Valley Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Russ Booher and she remained a member of the church throughout her life.

Jim and June began traveling as snowbirds to Arizona where they lived in a trailer.

The couple enjoyed fishing at Fish Lake and also following the snow line to get those early mushrooms.

June felt blessed for all of her children, which included Jim’s. The couple moved to Nampa, Idaho, to an assisted living center when their health warranted it.

“We as a family were grateful that she was able to return to the area and spend her final months at Settler’s Park in Baker City, Oregon. Her window allowed her to look over her mountains. Thanks to all of you who made her final days memorable ones for her. She was ready to go home,” family members said.

Survivors include her children, Velda Huff of Halfway, Marion Derie and her husband, Lyle, of Fruitland, Idaho, Susan Torres and her husband, Julian, of Yakima, Wash., Sandi Scheele and her husband, Greg, of Meridian, Idaho, and Nick Freeman of Stanley, Idaho; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

She also was preceded in death by her second husband, Jim.

Memorial contributions may be made to Best Friends of Baker City through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.

Dennis Huff

Dennis Lyle Huff, 53, of Halfway, died on Oct. 19, 2008, at his home.

There will be a celebration of Dennis’ life and memorial service at 2 p.m. Wednesday at San Jose, Calif. His graveside memorial will be at Halfway in August of 2009. Dennis will be interred at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway next to his grandparents, Ruth and Claire Huff.

Dennis was born on Oct. 8, 1955, to Barry and Janada Patterson Huff at the Great Lakes Navel Hospital in Chicago. He was raised and educated in Southern California.

Dennis served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1974 to 1980. Dennis had the gift of marketing; he worked internationally for several network marketing companies.

Survivors include his children, Alicia (18), Alexander (11), Janaya (9), and Aaron (6); his parents, Barry and Mary Huff of San Jose, Calif., and Janada and Bill Colfelt of Marysville, Wash.; his siblings, Brady and his wife, Marcy Huff of San Jose, Calif., and Michelle Davis of Mesa, Ariz.; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Arrangements are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home.