Obituaries for the day of December 31, 2008

Published 3:48 pm Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Schmidt, Atwood, Blaise

LOCAL FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS

Jan. 2 – Ronald Schmidt, services, 1 p.m., Church of the Nazarene

Jan. 2 – John Atwood, service, 11 a.m., Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center

Jan. 3 – John Atwood, viewing, 4 to 6 p.m., Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center

Phillip Blais, 94, of Meridian, Idaho, and formerly of Union County, died Dec. 28 at his home.

A funeral will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Gray’s West and Co. Pioneer Chapel in Baker City. Pastor Jon Privett of First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Burial will be at the North Powder cemetery. A reception will be held at the Wolf Creek Grange Hall.

Memorial contributions may be made to Wolf Creek Grange or any charity in care of Gray’s West and Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City 97814.

John Raymond Atwood, 82, of La Grande, died Dec. 28 at his home following a long illness.

A service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Daniels-Knopp, Funeral Cremation and Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande. Viewing hours will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at Daniels-Knopp.

John was born March 25, 1926, to Henry R. and Thelma Marie (Giem) Atwood in Ford, Wash. He lived in various Washington towns during his growing up years, including Chatteroy and Deer Park. Upon completion of his junior year of high school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and WWII, where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart medal.

On Sept. 26, 1945, John married Joan Rossiter in Deer Park. While living in Colville, Wash., John worked at the Draper sawmill. In 1957, the family moved to Yakima where he began work in construction. In 1964, the family moved from Arlington to La Grande, where John became a partner in Bailey Farm Equipment, the International dealership in Island City, which later became Agline. After a brief attempt at retirement, he went to work for Rob and Tish Beck, which he enjoyed as long as he was able.

The Atwoods attended Calvary Chapel in La Grande. John was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans and the

La Grande Eagles Aerie. He enjoyed building, repairing and refinishing clocks, building model airplanes and gardening. He was also an avid outdoorsman enjoying hunting, fishing and camping.

John is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joan Atwood, of La Grande; daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Bob Chappelle of La Grande; son and daughter-in-law, John D. and Gail Atwood of La Grande; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brothers and sisters, Jesse Atwood of Lincoln City, Calif., Ruth Regnier of

La Grande, Maxine Wise of Spokane, Laura McMinn of Edmonton, Canada, Henry Atwood of Rainier, and Sally Barrow of La Grande; and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Judy Olsen.

Memorial contributions may be made to the GRH Hospice.