Etta True

Etta Severns True, 87, a former Baker City resident, died April 1, 2002, at Hermiston.

Her graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Susan Barnes of the Presbyterian Church will officiate. Visitations will be until 7 oclock tonight at the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.

Mrs. True was born on July 20, 1914, at Dillon, Mont., to James Monroe Severns and Myrtle Olive Jones Severns. She was a 1933 graduate of La Grande High School and then attended Drapers School of Commerce in La Grande. She married Glen True on Aug. 16, 1941, at La Grande.

Etta worked for the Mount Emily Lumber Co. in La Grande, then for the Baker Production Credit Association in Ontario. Etta and her husband, Glen, who died in 1995, maintained a residence at Ontario and a ranch at Baker City.

Etta enjoyed the outdoors, horses, and the time she spent on the ranch with her husband, Glen. She will be missed by many.

Survivors include her brothers, Dean Severns of Seattle, Wash., Jay Severns of Hermiston and Don Severns of Albany; her sister, M. Iris Bates of La Grande; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of ones choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.

Robert Maxwell

Robert Wesley Maxwell, 85, of Weiser, Idaho, a former Baker City resident, died at his home March 18, 2002.

His funeral was at 2 p.m. March 21 at Thomason Funeral Chapel in Weiser. Inurnment was at Hillcrest Cemetery at Weiser.

He was born to Robert John and Marguerite Pringle Maxwell on Jan. 15, 1917, at Weiser. He attended Hale School and was a 1935 graduate of Weiser High School. He was a member of the Horse Cavalry for two years.

After high school, he attended the Intermountain Institute, Lewiston Normal School and the University of Idaho at Moscow.

He married Pauline Harryett Dent on July 2, 1938, and they both taught in one-room schoolhouses in rural parts of Idaho for three years. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was stationed in England and was the nose-gunner in a B-17 for 27 missions over Germany.

In December 1945, he was discharged from active duty and moved to Baker City to raise a family of three children with his wife, Pauline.

Between 1949 and 1977, he was a member of the Air Force Reserve and the Army National Guard. He worked for more than 30 years as a clerk for the Union Pacific Railroad. He enjoyed fishing, backpacking and was an enthusiastic fan of the Oregon State Beavers for many years.

He belonged to the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was an exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge, a past master of the Masonic Lodge and a member of the Shriners. After his retirement, he also volunteered at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Baker City.

In 1969, he married Dorothy Yockey of Weiser. In 1993, he moved to Ontario. While there he was an active member of the First Christian Church. He loved his family and was very proud of the accomplishments of his children, grandchildren and stepgrandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Maxwell; the mother of his children, Pauline Maxwell; his three children, Robert H. Maxwell, and his wife, Carol, of Fruitland, Idaho, Patricia Steiger and her husband, Jerry, of Corvallis, and Michael D. Maxwell of Altadena, Calif.; his grandchildren, Robert J. Maxwell, Jennifer Freeman, Charisse Maxwell, David Maxwell, Michael E. Maxwell, Tammie Andrews and Christina Steiger; his great-grandchild, Skyler Andrews; stepdaughter and her husband, Jane and Frank Rast; stepgrandchildren, Greg and Scott Rast; brother, William Bill, and his wife, Louise Maxwell; and sister, Doris, and her husband, George Lafferty.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother.

The family suggests memorial contributions to Friends of the Hospital for Home Health, 645 E. Fifth St., Weiser, ID 83672 or the Shriners Childrens Hospital, 3101 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97220.

C. Wayne Widman

C. Wayne Widman, 69, of Parkdale, and a former Baker City resident, died March 31, 2002, at the Hood River Memorial Hospital.

His funeral was at 11 a.m. today at the Hood River Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Burial was at the Upper Valley Cemetery.

Wayne was born April 7, 1932, at Baker City to Carl Henry and Dorothy Ellen Williams Widman. He was raised and educated in Baker City and was a 1950 Baker High School graduate. After high school, Wayne left Baker City to work in a sawmill at Joseph.

About a year later he returned to Baker City to work for a local hardware store in the sales department. On Dec. 7, 1951, Wayne married Jackie Weller in Baker City.

Shortly after this Wayne started working for Staggs and Weber Co. at Keating. A job with the Forest Service brought him back to Baker City where he worked for a while.

In the midst of all of this, Wayne and Jackie started their family of three sons and three daughters. After leaving his job with the Forest Service, Wayne went to work for Al Conforth Land and Livestock at John Day. His next job change brought about a move to Lebanon where he worked for Moty and Van Dyke selling industrial supplies for several years.

Wayne left Lebanon in 1982 after he and his wife were separated. From Lebanon, he moved to Parkdale to work on a ranch, where he met Kathryn C. Bergerson. They were married on June 30, 1984, at Logan, Utah.

Wayne and Kathryn lived at Parkdale where he continued to work on the ranch for a short time. He eventually left the ranch to work for Power Transmission in Portland. Even though he lived at Parkdale, Wayne worked for his Portland company for two years.

In 1986, Wayne went to work for a sawmill at Tygh Valley until about 1989. Due to health problems Wayne could not continue working full time, so he used his many talents and interests to keep himself busy with little jobs here and there.

Wayne was known for his great handyman work; he could fix just about anything. With his talents he served his community by helping others.

His family remembers him as someone who always had to keep busy and worked hard. Wayne loved horses and had a great interest in restoring old horse-drawn machinery. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served as a bishop.

He held several callings, including scoutmaster, bishop and high councilor. He also enjoyed photography, music and singing.

Survivors include his wife, Kathryn, of Parkdale; sons, Gregory Wayne Widman of Albany, Ga., and Paul Douglas Widman of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughters, Abby Lynn Widman of Salt Lake City, Karrie Ann Averett of Las Vegas, Nev., and Jacqueline Lizette of Wilsonville.

Elizabeth Houser

Elizabeth Houser, 74, of Wasilla, Alaska, a former Huntington resident, died March 28, 2002, at Mary Conrad Center in Anchorage, Alaska.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. The Rev. Hank Albrecht will officiate. Interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in La Grande. Visitations will be until 7 oclock tonight at the funeral chapel.

Mrs. Houser was born to Elbert Herman and Prudence Conrad Olsen on May 7, 1927, at Caldwell, Idaho. She also had lived at Caldwell and La Grande.

She was married to Donald Leon Houser in September of 1948 at Weiser, Idaho. They shared 40 years together and she will be put to rest beside him. He died on Nov. 7, 1989.

Mrs. Houser was a lifetime international member of Beta Sigma Phi. As a barber, she was a longtime business leader. She had lived at Anchorage, Alaska, for 12 years.

Survivors include her daughters and their husbands, Tena Houser and Richard Weber of Las Vegas, Nev., and Rena and Ben Harrell of Wasilla, Alaska; foster son, Rick Willard; two sisters, Ann Shaw of Hermiston and Millie Cress of Coos Bay; six grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; and many friends.

Cecil Dye

Cecil N. Dye, 76, a longtime Baker City resident, died March 25, 2002, at Boise.

His funeral will be Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m. MST at Northview Family Worship Center in Boise under the direction of Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel. There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. PST at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Visitations will be Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. MST at Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel in Boise.

Cecil was born May 28, 1925, at Shawnee, Wyo., to Francis C. Dye and Zara A. Harkins. He was a graduate of Natrona High School in Casper, Wyo., and Eugene Bible College, where he met his wife to be, Jessilee Kelly, whom he married on May 28, 1947.

Cecil was a longtime resident of Baker City, where they raised four children. Cecil and Jessilee ran their own janitorial business in Baker City for so many years that they had cleaned most of the businesses in town, including regular contracts with the post office, U.S. Bank, light company and Baker Clinic. He also steam-cleaned carpets throughout the valley for many years. He was a member of the Lions Club and a longtime active member of Baker Valley Christian Assembly, where he served on the board, taught Sunday school and was in charge of missions, which was a special passion. Due to health reasons he moved to Boise in 1997 to live with his daughter.

Cecil was an ordained minister, and although he preached from the pulpit only a few years he was always spreading the gospel of Christ one on one. His contagious laughter and sense of humor brightened many a day for hundreds of people even after he had serious health problems including several strokes.

The family gives a special thank you to the caring staff at Lifecare of Treasure Valley.

Cecil is survived by his children: Dan Dye of Germany, Fran and her husband, Mark Gerla of Boise, David Dye of Baker City, and Jonathan and wife, Marianne Dye of Corvallis; his sisters, Cony Mae Eldridge of Gillette, Wyo., and Betty Estes of Tacoma, Wash.; a brother, Richard Dye, of Tacoma; grandchildren, Jackie Cox, Tracy Lynn Briggs, Craig Gerla, Jason and Jeremy Dye; and great-grandchildren, Corbin and Jenevive Briggs.

Cecil was preceded in death by his wife, Jessilee; his mother and father; and a grandson, Jeff.

Eric Wright

Eric S. Wright, 58, a longtime Baker City resident, died March 29, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

A private family service will be scheduled later.

Eric was born June 18, 1943, in Ontario to James and Opal (McClellan) Wright. The family moved to Baker City when he was a year old. Eric attended schools in Baker City and graduated from Baker High School. After graduation he attended Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, where he received his teaching certificate. He taught school at the Warm Springs Indian Reservation for a year before returning to Baker City.

He went to work for Basche-Sage Hardware Store. This is where he met his future wife, Christine Hansen. They were married in Baker City on April 16, 1977. He remained working at the hardware store until 1979, when he went to work for his father-in-law, Stephen Hansen, at the Liquor Store on Main Street. He then went to work as a manager at the Texaco Food Mart on Campbell Street, where he worked for 12 years.

Eric loved the outdoors, enjoyed fishing and was active in the 4-H program. He also served as a Scout leader, and he enjoyed the Oregon Coast.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Wright of Baker City; a daughter, Jessica Wright of La Grande; a son, Stephen Wright of Baker City; brother and sister-in-law, Rodrick and Susan Wright of Tucson, Ariz.; a sister-in-law, Erma Wright of Baker City; his mother-in-law, Elsie Hansen of Baker City; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Eric was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, James; a sister, Hannah Jo; and his father-in-law, Stephen Hansen.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of ones choice through the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.