Ida Hicks

Dec. 14, 1926 – Sept. 23, 2018

Ida Grace Hicks, 91, of Baker City died on Sept. 23, 2018, at her home. A memorial service will be held at the Missouri Flat Grange on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m., with Pastor John Goodyear officiating. The family asks that those attending contribute desserts and side dishes to a potluck celebration in Grace’s honor.

Grace was born Dec. 14, 1926, in Denlow, Missouri, to Adolphus and Luella Smith and was one of 10 children. She married Raymond Hicks on June 22, 1946. They were married for 64 years until his death in 2010.

The two started their marriage in Missouri, eventually heading west to John Day and Unity and then settled in Baker City. The couple had four children, Lynn, Patricia, David and Douglas, which brought four grandchildren, Gene, Annelle, William and Amanda, followed by three great-grandchildren, Tyler, Austin and Stella Grace.

Grace was truly a unique woman, well known for her spunk and sass. Also, Grace was a well-respected quilter with a keen eye for color and design. She enjoyed shopping for fabric at Quilts Plus in Halfway, Oregon. She played a major role in the Baker City Quilt Club, winning many awards and volunteering her time at the annual Miner’s Jubilee Quilt Show. Grace was key in coordinating the making and distribution of quilts for service members overseas. She worked at Cut Rate Market and The Merc for numerous years, always making customers feel welcome.

Grace’s husband, Raymond, and son Lynn predeceased her. She is survived by her children, Patricia, David and Douglas; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and her closest friend, Joanne Thomson.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Missouri Flat Grange through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Services, PO Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online condolences may be shared at tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.

March 21, 1935 – Sept. 13, 2018

Thomas Ray Bessler, 83, of Seneca passed away Thursday, Sept. 13, of acute leukemia.

A proud fourth-generation Oregonian, he was born March 21, 1935, in Portland, to Thomas Daniel Bessler and Fairy Lillian Bessler nee Harris. Tom lived in Seneca for 19 years after raising a family in Portland, Oregon, and Frankfurt, Germany.

Tom served honorably in the U.S. Army as a translator in Germany during the Korean Conflict. He worked as a photographer for Photo Art and OHSU in Portland, and also for the Goethe Institute and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, both in Frankfurt, Germany. Tom most recently worked for Yamamoto Manufacturing in Portland, before moving to his beloved Oregon Outback.

Instead of retiring, as most might, Tom worked for the city of Seneca, used his ham radio skills for the benefit of the Oregon Emergency Broadcast Network, as well as serving for 12 years with the Grant County Sheriff’s Posse, Search And Rescue and also for 10 years for Grant County Air Search.

He is survived by his brother, Felix Harris Bessler of Portland and Seneca; daughters, Joann Bessler of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, Jacki Bessler of Yamhill, Oregon, and Micki Bessler of San Carlos, California; and four beloved grandchildren.

The family will host a dessert and coffee wake at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at Seneca City Hall, 106 A Ave., Seneca, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tom’s memory to one’s own favorite charity.

Doreen F. Livermore of Deary, Idaho, and a former area resident, died Monday, Oct. 1, in Pullman, Washington. Services are pending and will be announced by Short’s Funeral Chapel, Moscow, Idaho.

Charles C London Jr., 76, of Keizer, formerly of Prairie City, died unexpectedly Sept. 16 in Keizer. An interment, with full military honors, is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. A casual reception will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at Ringo’s Tavern, 4170 River Road N., Keizer. All are welcome to attend.

John Michael Peila Jr., better known as Jack, 93, passed away Sept. 23. He was born Sept. 28, 1924, at the family ranch near Meeker, Colorado, and moved to Harney County in the spring of 1959. Recitation of the holy rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, and Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6. Both will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Burns. A lunch and sharing of memories will immediately follow at the Burns Elks Lodge. A private family burial will take place on the ranch.

Delta May Rude, 98, of Ontario, formerly of Prairie City, passed away Friday, Sept. 28, at her residence. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory will be handling the arrangements.

Leo Stratton, 50, of Portland, formerly of John Day, passed away Sept. 12. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Grant County Fairgrounds. Stratton was a 1986 graduate of Grant Union High School.