OBITUARIES FOR OCTOBER 14 – 19, 2002

Published 12:00 am Friday, November 8, 2002

Forrest Weber

A service for Forrest Erle Arthur Weber of Union and formerly of Grover City, Calif., will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sainats in Union.

Mr. Weber, 84, died Oct. 10 at home.

Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Dorothy Hicks

La Grande and formerly of Union

1917-2002

Dorothy Jean Hicks, 85, of La Grande and formerly of Union died Oct. 12 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A graveside service will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Union Cemetery. Daniels Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hicks was born March 17, 1917, to Pont and Anna Shannon Moulton in Weiser, Idaho. After high school she moved to Union where she worked as a waitress for many years. She attended a business school in Baker City and worked as a receptionist for several doctors including Dr. Kubler and Dr. Lumsden. In 1964 she married Robert Hicks and the couple made their home in La Grande.

She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and was known for her positive attitude toward life and her sense of humor. Her optimism was astounding.

Survivors include her son, Lee Spray of Pasadena, Calif.; five grandchildren and other relatives. Her husband and 12 brothers and sisters all died earlier.

An expanded obituary can be found on-line at www.danielschapel.com.

Nancy San Filippo

Cove

1931-2002

Nancy San Filippo, 70, of Cove died Oct. 12 at her home. A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., with Pastor Don Camp officiating. A private burial will be at Cove Cemetery.

Mrs. San Filippo was born Dec. 30, 1931, to William and Geraldine Woodruff Steimer in Chicago.

She graduated from El Segundo High School in Southern California in 1950. She married Edward San Filippo and the family moved to Cove in 1978. Her husband died in 1984. She worked at the Cove School library for 13 years and was known for her dedication to schools and students. She worked at the Ascension School, was a member of the Cove Booster Club and was involved with the Union County Home Extension Service.

Survivors include her children and their spouses, Gary San Filippo of Cove, Linda and Jim Grilli of San Jose, Calif., Sherri and Robert Fumo of Fremont, Calif., Denise and Paul Stoaks, and Marlene San Filippo, all of Round Rock, Texas, Ron and Karen San Filippo of Kent, Wash.; seven grandchildren; her brothers, Richard Steimer of Las Vegas, Nev., and Jack Steimer of Springfield. Three brothers, Skip, Bobby and Roy, died earlier.

Memorials may be made to Cove School or the Cove Public Library in care of Daniels Chapel. An expanded obituary can be found online at www.danielschapel.com.

Oran Thomas

La Grande

1942-2002

Oran Cecil Thomas, 59, of La Grande died Oct. 11 at Grande Ronde Hospital. The funeral will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the New Life Center, 10700 Walton Road in Island City, with Pastor Brian Mercer officiating. Burial will follow at Grandview Cemetery. Viewing will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St.

Mr. Thomas was born Dec. 24, 1942, to Harry and Violet Forester Thomas in McMinnville. His mother died when he was 8 days old and he grew up with an aunt and uncle, Dorothy and Frank Thomas, in Hermiston. He graduated from La Grande High School in 1961 and on April 28, 1962, he married Patricia Alexander in La Grande. He worked for the Pendleton Woolen Mills and Standard Office Equipment before going to work in 1963 as an office clerk for Union Pacific Railroad. He worked there for 28 years and then worked for New Day Enterprises for 10 years.

He was a member of the New Life Center and enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting, gardening and yard sales.

Survivors include his wife of La Grande, children and their spouses, Brenda and Greg Winkler of La Grande, Kim and Ted McBride of Cove and Donna and Scott Gorham of Kennewick, Wash., nine grandchildren, brothers and sisters, Clifford Thomas of Hermiston, Robert Thomas of Redmond, Doreen Norris of Pendleton, Gordon Thomas of Newberg, Ralph Thomas of Spokane, Junior Thomas of Portland, Orville Thomas of Cumberland, Md., Lucille Carney and Roy Thomas, both of Hamilton, Mont., Shirley Iverson of Missoula, Mont., and Gerald Thomas of Vancouver, Wash. Two sisters, Myrtle Visser and Faye Rosen, and a brother, Ray Thomas, died earlier.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association in care of Daniels Chapel. An expanded obituary is available on-line at: www.danielschapel.com.

Helen Sutter

La Grande and

formerly of Wallowa

1918-2002

Helen Levica Sutter, 84, of La Grande died Oct. 14 at a local care center. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at Grandview Cemetery. Viewing will be from 1 to 5 p.m. today at Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth St.

Mrs. Sutter was born Feb. 9, 1918, to Alvin and Virginia Hardman Ambrose in Parma, Idaho. She lived in Wallowa until 1955 when she moved to Union County. She enjoyed yard work, gardening, embroidery, furniture restoration and crossword puzzles.

Survivors include children and their spouses, LoRay and Don Clark of Island City, Helen and Jon Folsom of Cove, James and Karen Allen of Klamath Falls, and Teresa and Roger Sable of Stockton, Calif; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Two grandchildren died earlier.

Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to the Blue Mountain Humane Association, 3212 Highway 30, La Grande 97850.

Ellen Baxter

Formerly of Union

1943-2002

Ellen Baxter, 59, of Ashton, Idaho, and formerly of Union died Oct. 14 following an automobile accident. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at the Ashton LDS Stake Center with Bishop Dennis Fransen officiating. Visitation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the church.

Burial will be at the Rexburg (Idaho) Cem-etery. Valley Mortuary of Ashton and Flamm Fun-eral Homes are in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Bax-ter was born June 29, 1943, to Edwin and Jesse Smith Flamm in Rexburg. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 1965 and married William Baxter on Oct. 7, 1966, in Idaho Falls. The couple lived in Union for 15 years before moving to Ashton in 1982. She was an administrator and teacher at Benjamin Franklin Academy in Rexburg and served as chair of the Fremont County Republican Central Committee, president of the Fremont County Republican Women and as a den mother in the Cub Scouts. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the John Birch Society, the Idaho Home School Association and the Relief Society.

Survivors include her husband of Ashton, children and their spouses, Bruce and Debbie Baxter of Rexburg, Jenifer and Ken Johnson of Sandy, Utah, Cameron and Leslie Baxter of Enoch, Utah, Eric and SaraLyn Baxter of Silver Spring, Md., Marc Baxter of Logan, Utah, Stevan and Joelle Baxter and MaurLo Baxter, all of Provo, Utah, and Caleb and Joseph Baxter of Ashton; 15 grandchildren; her father of Rexburg; two brothers, Garth Flamm of Rexburg, and Bert Flamm of St. Anthony, Idaho; and four sisters, Carole West of West Weber, Utah, Linda Drake of Bisbee, Ariz., Jill Flamm of Ogden, Utah, and Rita Harris of Salem. Her mother and a daughter, Leisl Baxter died earlier.

Cleo Booth

Formerly of Elgin

1909-2002

Cleo Henry Booth, 93, of Kennewick, Wash., and formerly of Elgin died Oct. 13 at a care center. A graveside service will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday at Desert Lawn Cemetery in Kennewick. Viewing will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Muellers Tri City Funeral Home, Kennewick.

Mr. Booth was born Feb. 21, 1909, in Corning, Kan. He married Florabelle Hoyt on Feb. 12, 1929, and the couple lived in Arizona before settling in the Grande Ronde Valley in 1935 where he worked for the railroad and had a dry-land farm. They moved to Elgin in 1964 to start an upholstery business, then moved to Hermiston where he retired from the railroad and finally to Kennewick.

The couple were sealed in 1981 in the Seattle Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He enjoyed politics, Volkswagens, railroad lore, Kansas, corn shucking and practical jokes.

He was proud that his wife made every shirt he owned and that there was never store-bought bread in his home. He was a man of few words who closed every visit with a hug.

Survivors include his wife of Kennewick; children and their spouses, Dixie and Shannon McDaniel of Kennewick and Richard and Eiko Booth of Sacramento, Calif.; five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson; two brothers, Clayton Booth of Quincy, Wash., and Guy Booth of Portland; and a sister, Ledora Spears of Portland.

Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to Tri City Hospice Services.

Meleese Cook

The funeral service for Meleese Cook, 74, of Enterprise, who died Tuesday at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, will begin at 1 p.m. today at the Enterprise First Baptist Church.

Burial will be 11 a.m. Saturday at the Enterprise Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church in care of Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main St. in Enterprise.

Alice MacPherson

Alice MacPherson, 82, of La Grande and formerly of Baker City died Tuesday at a care center in La Grande. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. A full obituary will be published later.

Myrtle Blakeway

Baker City

1929-2002

Myrtle L. Blakeway, 73, of Baker City and formerly of Union and Wallowa counties, died Oct. 12 at her daughter’s home in Baker City.

A private family service will be conducted later. Coles Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Blakeway was born April 21, 1929, in Homedale, Idaho, to Lloyd O. and Eva Mae Hurst Birge. In 1947, she married Roderick A. Frazier. In the 1960s, the couple lived in Union and Wallowa counties and in Bates. After his death in 1977 she married Claude Blakeway.

She moved to Baker City in August of this year to be near family. She was a member of the Eagles and enjoyed traveling, fishing, country and western music concerts and crossword puzzles. She was an excellent cook, family members said.

Survivors include her children and their spouses, Georgia and Jack Shaffer, and Debbie and Rick Duckett, all of Elgin, Loretta Martinez of Baker City, and Rick and Tammie Frazier of Portland, 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, her sisters, Mary Wynn of Spokane and Emma Hall of Boise. Her husband, a son-in-law, Rudy Martinez and a grandson all died earlier.

Memorials may be made to any charity in care of Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City 97814.

Wayne Helfer

Hermiston

1928-2002

Wayne Otis Helfer,74, of Hermiston died Oct. 13 at Good Shepherd Community Hospital. A private family service will be planned at a later date. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Helfer was born Aug. 26, 1928, to William and Ruth Moore Crawford in Vennison, Wash. He married Marlene Welch on Dec. 29, 1977. He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad in the bridges and buildings department and retired in 1973. He lived in Walla Walla for 50 years and was a member of the National Rifle Association. He was a good cook and had an amazing ability to stretch a dollar. He enjoyed working in his garden and could growing anything.

Survivors include six children, two brothers, two sisters, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. His wife died earlier.

Lloyd ‘Bill’ Robinson

Bill Robinson, 79, died this morning at his home in La Grande.

Arrangements will be announced later by Daniels Chapel of the Valley.

Marie Walsh

Elgin

1916-2002

Marie Genevieve Walsh, 86, of Elgin died Oct. 15 at her home. A recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Santos-Robinson Mortuary in San Leandro, Calif. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and burial will follow at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward, Calif. Daniels Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Walsh was born July 26, 1916, to Pete and Saddie Dodds King in Wergeland Township, Minn. On Oct. 7, 1936, she married John D. Walsh in Minnesota. The couple moved

to California, and she lived in San Lorenzo for 40 years. She recently moved to Elgin to be near family.

Mrs. Walsh was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church and of the San Lorenzo Moose Lodge. She and her husband loved to dance. He died in 1984.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, James and Joan Walsh of Elgin, four grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, a sister, Bernice Donovan of Rochester, Minn., and other relatives.

Three brothers and two sisters died earlier.

‘Bill’ Robinson

La Grande

1923-2002

Lloyd William "Bill" Robinson, 79, of La Grande died Friday at his home. At his request there will be no public service.

Mr. Robinson was born July 11, 1923, to Lloyd Byron and Ellen Mabel Overbay Robinson in Wichita, Kan. He attended school in Weed, Calif., and served in the Army during World War II, spending three years in Europe. He worked as a truck driver for various companies until his retirement and lived in Springfield for 14 years before moving to La Grande in 1977.

He was a member of the Grande Ronde Community Church and the VFW. In his early years he was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. He enjoyed music and loved to cook. He was known as a loving and caring man, family members said.

Survivors include his children, Brenda Sue Barber of Portland, Lloyd Robinson II of Redmond and Byron Robinson of Prineville, 16 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and other relatives. Two sisters died earlier.

Contributions may be made in his memory to the World War II Memorial in care of Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh Street.

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