Obituaries for the week of Feb. 20 to Feb. 24

Published 12:00 am Friday, February 24, 2006

‘Rod’ McCullough

Rodney andquot;Rodandquot; McCullough, 85, a lifelong Baker County resident and well-known livestock auctioneer and cattle rancher, died Feb. 20, 2006, at Bend.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, February 27, at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. The Rev. Julian Cassar of St. Francis will celebrate the Mass. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mr. McCullough was born at Baker City on Jan. 22, 1921, to Charles and Elizabeth Whited McCullough. He was the family’s youngest child. He was a graduate of St. Francis Academy.

While enrolled at Oregon State College (now Oregon State University at Corvallis), World War II began. Rod saw service as a pilot in both the Naval and Army Air Corps. Flying later proved to be of benefit as Rod traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest as a cattle auctioneer.

In 1948, Rod married Nancy Gay Russell. Their marriage last until Nancy’s death in November 2003. Mr. McCullough enjoyed his extended family and numerous friends who were thought of as family. Nancy and Rod’s home was visited constantly. They always welcomed their sons’ friends. Many will remember Rod’s laughter.

His ability to utilize humor while imploring cattle buyers to pay more always made the auction fun. Many a frustrated cow buyer was later consoled at Nancy’s dinner table.

Together, she and Rod welcomed dozens of new friends yearly on sale days. Rod’s friends found a man whose loyalty transcended the good and difficult times. He was not without a temper. He could be irascible and stubborn. He also was known as a generous person for whom to work.

Rod will be remembered for civic involvement. He was past president of the Baker County Chamber of Commerce and a supporter of the East-West Shrine Game. He served as a Baker County commissioner and was a longtime member of the Airport Commission.

He had but one single avocation: the raising and efficient marketing of commercial beef cattle. His happiest days were spent at the Shook Ranch or behind the microphone.

His skill at cooking outdoors was noteworthy. Pounded round steak, fried potatoes with onions, thick dark gravy and homemade biscuits were a regular bill of fare and Rod’s favorite meal.

Rod McCullough always sat a good horse. He was skilled as a judge of horses and threw an excellent loop at a calf’s heels.

He was a 60-year member of the Baker Elks Lodge and a Roman Catholic. He was no ordinary man, his family said.

He was world class as a practical joker. His son’s dates encountered large onions substituted for a corsage. Some unwary teetotaler received whiskey shot glasses at Christmastime and traveling companions were sometimes known to double pay for gasoline.

Survivors include their children, James of Baker City, Mike and Christina of Powell Butte and Charles of Salem; granddaughters, Rachel and Megan McCullough of Powell Butte; and grandsons, Brian McCullough of Richmond, Va., and Joseph McCullough with the American Institute of Foreign Studies in the Czech Republic, while on leave from the University of South Carolina.

Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Baker City, OR 97814.

‘Norm’ Allen

Norman andquot;Normandquot; Allen, 86, of Baker City died Feb. 19, 2006, at Settler’s Park.

At his request, there will be no service. In the spring his family will gather privately to celebrate his life and to scatter his ashes with his beloved wife’s.

Norm was born on Jan. 26, 1920, at Smyrna Mills, Maine, to Thomas and Delia Allen. He was the 13th of 13 children.

He attended school at Smyrna Mills and after graduating from high school enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed in Idaho and Washington.

While in Idaho he met his life’s partner, Yvonne Love. They were married at Boise on June 21, 1942.

After World War II and completion of his enlistment, he and Yvonne lived for a short time at Cambridge, Idaho, where he partnered with Yvonne’s brother, Archie Love, and started the Cambridge Telephone Co. They later moved to Smyrna Mills, but both missed the West terribly and moved back, settling at Boise. Norm went to work for Garrett Freightlines where he was employed for 22 years.

Norm loved the mountains. He and Yvonne owned a cabin at Atlanta, Idaho, at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountains where, over the years, they spent many weekends and vacations. He loved hiking up to the high mountain streams and fishing with his family.

In the fall of 1968 they sold their home at Boise and bought the Log Cabin Caf at Sumpter. They found their heart’s andquot;homeandquot; at Sumpter. They ran the Log Cabin Caf for several years before retiring.

At that time they pursued their hobby of placer mining, having several different mining claims over the years.

For many years Norm was an HO gauge train enthusiast. He loved music and played the fiddle, guitar and keyboard. He and Yvonne and son, Mick, had a music combo and played for local dances at Sumpter. Dancing was his greatest pleasure and he and Yvonne went dancing at every opportunity.

He loved watching all sports on TV and was an avid reader.

In the spring of 2000, due to failing health, he moved into Settler’s Park Assisted Living Facility. No one was a stranger to Norm. He made many friends, not only at Settler’s Park, but everywhere he went.

He enjoyed playing his keyboard for the residents at Settler’s Park.

Norm was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, his parents and 11 of his siblings.

Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Mick and Karna Allen of Sumpter; daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Ray Barzee of Baker City; son, Tom Allen of Mountain Home, Idaho; daughter and son-in-law, Dee and Chuck DeVall of Carson City, Nev.; sister, Ida Stevens of Veazie, Pa., seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and some very special friends at Settler’s Park.

Marion Lord

Marion K. Lord, 65, of Goldendale, Wash., died Feb. 21, 2006, at his home.

A family service will be scheduled later.

He was born on Aug. 19, 1941, at Sebring, Fla. He attended schools at Florida and was married to Ellen Stull on Dec. 31, 1976, at North Pole, Alaska.

Marion served five tours in Vietnam, was a military policeman for 18 years and was a member of the Florida Highway Patrol. He served as a deputy for the Collier County, Fla., Sheriff’s Department, worked as a policeman for the Seminole Indians and was a U.N. Peacekeeper in Bosnia.

He and his wife retired to Goldendale in 1998. He enjoyed reading, genealogy and scuba diving.

Survivors include his wife, Ellen; son, Mark; and daughter, Mary Ellen, all of Goldendale.

Erdman Funeral Home and Cremation Service was in charge of arrangements.

‘Mike’ Schmidt

Marvin Michael andquot;Mikeandquot; Schmidt, 56, died Feb. 18, 2006.

There will be no funeral.

Mike was born on Sept. 4, 1949, at Grants Pass. He was a 1968 Baker High School graduate. He served four years in the U.S. Navy. He married Theda Green on Nov. 25, 1972. They lived at Tigard where he worked for Tektronics Inc.

Later he moved to Idaho and worked as a welder. Most recently he tended honeybees in Oregon and California. CB radio was his favorite hobby.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Aletha.

Survivors include his two sons, Andrew and Johnathan of Spokane, Wash.; his father and mother, Marvin and Bettie Schmidt of Baker City; his sister, Larrissa Thompson of Ontario; his nephew, Miles Thompson of Boise; and numerous cousins, including Jim and Brenda Holly of Baker City and Ross Sprenger of Shed; and his beloved Boston terrier, Willie.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

Robert Sylvester

Celia Sylvester

Robert Benjamin Sylvester, 86, and Celia Ann Sylvester, 79, both of Halfway, died Feb. 15, 2006, in Arizona as the result of a motor vehicle accident.

Their memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Neighborhood Church in Modesto, Calif. The Rev. John Blakeley and the Rev. Paul Hale, ordained ministers with the Assemblies of God Church will officiate. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson, Calif.

Mr. Sylvester was a farmer in the Halfway area for 32 years. Mrs. Sylvester was a homemaker.

Survivors include their three sons, Daniel Sylvester of Modesto, Calif., the Rev. Dennis Sylvester of Medera, Calif., and Timothy Sylvester of Ceres, Calif.; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The Palm Memorial Worden Chapel of Chowchilla, Calif., is in charge of arrangements.

Edgar Scheloske

Edgar Albert Scheloske, 79, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 22, 2006, at Ontario.

His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser, Idaho. Interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in Weiser, Idaho.

He was born on Jan. 20, 1927, at Weiser, Idaho, to Albert Antone and Addie Rose Glascock Scheloske. He was their fourth child, born after three older sisters: Helen, Georganna, and Maxine.

He was known as andquot;Busterandquot; to his family. He was raised on a farm at Weiser and at the family sawmill on Stacy/Manns Creek above Weiser.

He attended Sunnyside grade school and was a 1945 Weiser High School graduate. His nickname at Weiser High was andquot;Pook.andquot; During his high school years he was active in sports and student government.

In his freshman year the football team went undefeated and he lettered in three sports. His senior year he was captain of the football team, outstanding player of the year and named all-state quarterback. He lettered in baseball one year and then the sport was dropped because of the war.

He lettered in track three years, was the basketball manager two years and lettered one year. He also boxed. Albert was junior class president. In his senior year he was student body president and lettermen’s club president.

While farming with his father and uncle, he officiated in Class A and B football, basketball, semi-pro basketball and lots of softball. As a young man, he learned to work with wood and was a master at making furniture. He designed and personally built three homes for his family after he married.

He was offered an athletic scholarship to the University of Idaho at Moscow, but was drafted into the U.S. Army the week after he graduated. He served his country for three years in Alaska.

After an honorable discharge, he came home to Weiser and worked with this father and uncle farming and moving buildings. He joined the Elks Lodge in 1948.

He married Marjorie Clare Steffens at Weiser on Nov. 19, 1950. Albert worked in Oregon on the McNary Dam for two years and for Union Pacific Railroad for four years in Washington.

The couple’s first daughter, Terry, was born in 1953. They moved to Baker City in 1956 and Albert went to work for the Chemical Lime Plant. Their second daughter, Debra, was born in 1956.

He worked for the lime plant until it closed in 1980. He then went to work for Baker County. He ran the rock crusher, grader, snowplow and various heavy equipment until he retired in 1989.

He then worked part time at Ingrams Farm at Haines, a job he loved. When he fully retired, he and Marge moved to Fruitland, Idaho, and then later to Ontario.

Albert loved his family and extended family and he had many friends. He loved to travel. He and Marge spent many happy weeks over the years touring the United States, visiting family and friends and seeing new places.

Albert loved life. He was very caring and compassionate to all he met.

Albert was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Helen Martin, Georganna Allen, and Maxine Carpenter.

Survivors include his wife, Marjorie, of Ontario; daughters and their spouses, Terry and Doug Stoddard of Boise, and Debra and Dan Griffith of Pocatello, Idaho; six grandchildren and their spouses, Emily and Brendon Hill, Brent and Kelly Stoddard, Mark and Tarah Stoddard, Brian and Lori Stoddard, Melissa and Jeremy Moore and Paul Griffith; great grandchildren, Nathan and David Moore, Hailey Stoddard and Paige Hill.

‘Betty’ Lindsay

Elizabeth andquot;Bettyandquot; Lindsay, 74, died at her daughter Tracey’s home in Gillette, Wyo., on Feb. 19, 2005.

There will be a private family service later this summer at Oxbow.

She was born on Nov. 23, 1931, as Elizabeth Burlingame at McCann, Calif., to Bruce and Laurel Burlingame. Betty had two older sisters, Pat and Jean, and a younger brother, Bob.

She lived at McCann until the age of 13. She then moved in with her grandparents, Glenn and Addie Perkins of Fortuna, Calif., to attend high school, because there wasn’t one in McCann. Betty was a 1949 graduate of Fortuna Grant High School.

In 1956, Betty married Lawrence Lindsay. They had four children: Mark, Scott, Brian, and Tracey. Betty and Lawrence lived at many places, but it was the Hells Canyon area that felt like home to the both of them.

Survivors include her children, Mark and his wife, Pam, of Gillette, Wyo., Brian and his wife, Tricia, of Oxbow, and Tracey and her husband, Rod Dieter, of Gillette, Wyo.; five grandchildren, Mark’s daughter, Shannon Lindsay, and Brian’s children, Brian Jr., Kassandra, Bradly, and Brady Lindsay; and her sister, Pat Banducci.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bruce Burlingame and Laurel Armstrong; her husband, Lawrence Lindsay; a son, Scott Lindsay; a sister, Jean Leane; and a brother, Bob Burlingame.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.

‘Lew’ Bradford

Lewis Everett andquot;Lewandquot; Bradford, 77, of Baker City, died Feb. 17, 2005, at his home from a massive heart attack.

His funeral was at 1 o’clock today at the Baker Elks Lodge, 1896 Second St. Members of the Elks Lodge and Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church officiated. There was a reception afterward at the Elks Lodge.

Lew was born on Nov. 28, 1928, at Salem to Elbert and Velma Bradford. He attended grade school at Salem and was a 1946 Eugene High School graduate. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1947, serving his country for six years, including time in the Korean conflict. He served on various aircraft carriers, including the USS Leyte as an aircraft mechanic.

Upon discharge, Lew’s 31-year career with General Motors began in California. He was transferred to Portland where he continued to work until his retirement in 1988.

He then found a new and fulfilling career as a house painter. He also enjoyed golf, tennis, fishing, camping and hunting.

In 1977, Lew and his wife, Carol, relocated to Baker City. Through new friends, he came to enjoy ice fishing and riding all-terrain vehicles. He continued his love of fishing, hunting and camping.

Lew and Carol became volunteers with the Trail Tenders and the Baker Elks Lodge and its hide committee, annual Bronc and Bull Riding Blow-out and other community projects.

Lew was devoted to his family.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 48 years, Carol of Baker City; his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Lillian Bradford of Pinehurst, Idaho; daughters and sons-in-law, Sue and Ed Malo of Fox Lake, Ill., and Nancy and Neal Thibodeaux of Woodland, Wash.; son and daughter-in-law, James and Dana Bradford of Gresham; granddaughter, Devon Malo; five stepgrandchildren, Robin and Ryan Malo, Neal Jr. and Nissa Thibodeaux and Jessica Drogo; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Sheila McGarvey

Sheila Tucker McGarvey, 74, of Salem, died Feb. 8, 2006, at Salem.

Rest Lawn Funeral Home of Salem was in charge of arrangements.

Sheila was born on Dec. 30, 1931. She was a 1949 Salem High School graduate.

She married Richard McGarvey on March 1, 1949. They built their home at Salem. Sheila retired from Tektronics in 1975.

Survivors include her husband, Richard McGarvey; daughters, Richell Kekelis of Baker City and Sheila Fountain of Sequim, Wash.; grandchildren, Linnette Peach of Union, Charlotte McDaniel of Salem, and Adam Califf of Klamath Falls; great-grandchildren, Aimee Elverud of Gaston, Monica, Colby, Cora and Eshee Peach of Union, and Justin McClurg of Salem.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sherman and Blanch Blum Tucker; and two great-grandchildren, Samial McClurg and Katalina Peach.

‘Bud’ Woods

George andquot;Budandquot; Woods, 67, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 8, 2006, at Oregon Health andamp; Science University at Portland from complications of leukemia treatment.

His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. March 18 at the Portola Station Baptist Church in Portola, Calif. Private interment will be at Likely Cemetery in Likely, Calif.

Bud was born on Feb. 9, 1938, at Likely, Calif., to George and Lita Zollig Woods. His parents were originating partners in the Gibson Stage Line to Reno, Nev., and Veteran Service officers.

Bud attended school at Woodland, Calif., from 1943 to 1953. The family then moved to Lodi, Calif., where he graduated from Lodi High School in 1956.

Bud spent his summers from 1952 to 1956 working on his Uncle Elmer Williams’ ranch at Termo in Lassen County, Calif. After high school, he joined the U.S. Army in February 1957. He served at Fort Carson, Colo., Fort Gordon, Ga., and Fort Lewis, Wash.

While serving at Fort Lewis, he was a member of the Fort Lewis Pistol Marksmanship Team. On a return trip from Southern California, he met his future wife, Anne M. Otter of Roseville, Calif. They were married at Roseville on May 1, 1960.

While living at Sacramento, Bud went to work for PGandamp;E. In 1961 he went to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a trapper for Quincy and Mariposa, Calif.

He returned to Quincy in 1963 to become a deputy for the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office. He founded the Plumas County Search and Rescue Jeep Posse and continued as a reserve deputy for the sheriff’s office.

In 1964, he signed on for a permanent position with the U.S. Forest Service at Quincy and began his long career as an engineering equipment operator. He served in the Plumas National Forest at Quincy from 1964 to 1974; the Clearwater Forest at Orofino, Idaho, from 1974 to 1978; Olympic National Forest at Port Charles, Wash., from 1978 to 1982; and he retired from the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest at Baker City in 1989 after spending seven years here.

While working in the Clearwater area, he became a reserve deputy for the county sheriff’s office and helped found the search and rescue unit there. While working at Orofino, he joined the Idaho National Guard and competed nationally on the rifle marksmanship team.

After retirement, he and Anne became andquot;full timersandquot; (full-time RV’ers). They found new and fulfilling careers as volunteers for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge System.

They served thousands of hours on numerous refuges, including the Bosque Del Apache in New Mexico, Corn Creek and Pahranaget on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge system in Nevada, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge at Vernal, Utah, and the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Oregon.

They spent seven years as volunteers at Hart Mountain before Bud came out of retirement in 2003 to work full time and help found the andquot;Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refugeandquot; organization.

Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Anne, of Lakeview; daughter and son-in-law, Chris and John Pellissier of Klamath Falls; son, Joseph Woods of Klamath Falls; son and daughter-in-law, George and Kim Woods of Boise; brothers and sisters-in-law, William and Karin Woods of Charlotte, N.C., and Robert and Wanda Woods of Gridley, Calif.; three grandsons, Jacob Woods of Boise, Brandon Woods of Roseburg and Raimey Schaan of Roseburg; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, John and Elda Otter of Carmichael, Calif.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, 9320 S.W. Barbur Blvd., Suite 140, Portland, OR 97219 or to the Jefferson State Friends of the National Rifle Association, P.O. Box 7465, Klamath Falls, OR 97602.

Alternative Burial andamp; Cremation of Oregon at Sherwood is in charge of arrangements.