RECORDS AND MORE
Saturday, april 24, 2021
Community
Meetings
Sam H. Clack
1938-2021 • Formerly of union
• la GraNdE — the la Grande School
district updated its agenda for a spe-
cial board meeting and work session
at 7 p.m. Wednesday, april 28.
the meeting will in the Central Ele-
mentary School’s library, 701 H ave.,
and is open to the public online and
by phone. access instructions are
available at www.lagrandesd.org. to
access the updated agenda, the link to
the meeting or sign up to speak, con-
tact Gaye young at 541-663-3202 or
gaye.young@lagrandesd.org.
Briefs
Help kids cope with divorce,
separation
la GraNdE — learn how
divorce or separation impacts
your children and what you
can do to help them at a virtual
workshop Wednesday, May 5, from
6-9 p.m. the free workshop will
be via Zoom, facilitated by Mary
lu pierce and sponsored by the
union County Family law advisory
Committee. Class size is limited
and preregistration is required. to
sign up, email teala.sunderman@
ojd.state.or.us and include your
name, phone number and date of
the class you are attending. Call
teala at 541-962-9500, ext. 42, for
more information.
MedQuest camp application
deadline is May 17
la GraNdE — do you dream of
being a doctor, nurse, pharmacist,
dentist, physician assistant, radiol-
ogy tech, dental hygienist or other
health care provider?
MedQuest, an immersive four-
day camp designed to expose high
school students to the vast array
of career options in health care,
will be held virtually June 14-17.
the Northeast Oregon area Health
Education Center, la Grande, puts
on the event.
applicants must be Oregon
students in grades 9-12. the cost
for the week is $50; scholarships are
available. after registration, students
will receive supplies to engage with
the content of the virtual camp,
including stethoscope and splinting
materials.
the application deadline is March
14. to register or for more informa-
tion call 541-962-3422 or visit www.
neoahec.org/programs/medquest.
the website also provides access
to a promo video for this year’s
MedQuest.
Lottery
Sam Henry Clack, 82,
formerly of Union, died
April 16 in the Philippines.
A service was held April 21
in the Philippines.
Sam was
born May
15, 1938, in
Ontario, to
Orville and
Bluebell Clack.
He joined two
sisters and one
brother. Sam
graduated from
Union High
School and
then went on to
attend what is now Eastern
Oregon University, where
he played on the college
football team.
Sam served a tour of
duty in the U.S. Army. He
married Karen Miller of
Union, and they had a son,
Craig.
Sam was an excellent
cook. He owned and man-
aged restaurants in Oregon,
in Guam, where he lived
for many years, and then
in Saipan. In Saipan, he
met Margie, and they were
married July 17, 1993. He
gained a bonus daughter,
Hannah.
In his younger days, Sam
loved to fly fish. He attended
several class reunions and
maintained many friend-
ships with old schoolmates.
He will be missed by many.
Surviving relatives
include his wife, Margie;
son, Craig of Union;
daughter, Hannah; and two
grandsons.
He was preceded in
death by his parents and his
siblings.
Memorial donations may
be made to a charity of your
choice.
Sally M. (Bolster)
Staples
1941-2021 • la Grande
Megabucks: $1.7 million
1-4-10-22-37-44
Powerball: $90 million
21-25-32-63-67 — pB 6 x2
Mega Millions: $257 million
6-23-43-49-52 — MB 5 x3
Win for Life: April 21
39-60-64-69
Pick 4: April 22
• 1 p.m.: 5-1-4-7
• 4 p.m.: 1-4-1-3
• 7 p.m.: 9-9-1-0
• 10 p.m.: 2-7-8-1
Pick 4: April 21
• 1 p.m.: 6-6-9-3
• 4 p.m.: 8-3-4-3
• 7 p.m.: 4-0-4-2
• 10 p.m.: 2-6-3-8
DELIVERY ISSUES?
if you have any problems
receiving your Observer, call 541-
963-3161.
Sally Marie Staples, 79,
of La Grande, died April 21
at a local care facility. Per
her request there will not be
a service.
Sally was born Dec. 18,
1941, in Los Angeles, Cali-
fornia, to Keith and Dorothy
(Omar) Bolster. She resided
in California, Indiana, Japan
and Oregon. She graduated
from Palmdale High School.
On June 12, 1960, Sally
married William “Bill”
Staples.
Sally earned a bach-
elor of science degree in
nursing from the Oregon
Institute of Technology
and was employed as a
nurse. She enjoyed playing
bingo, bowling, fishing,
Obituaries
camping and many other
outdoor activities. She
loved watching her favorite
baseball team, the Seattle
Mariners.
Surviving relatives
include her husband of 60
years, Bill Staples of La
Grande; son, Dan Staples of
Tennessee; daughter, Kandy
Staples of Junction City;
daughter and son-in-law,
Leigh and Kevin Bednar of
Wallowa; brothers, Mike
Bolster of Maryland and
Alan Bolster of Washington;
sister and brother-in-law,
Mickie and Mike Peavy of
Gulf Breeze, Florida; seven
grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren; and 12
nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in
death by her parents, Keith
and Dorothy Bolster;
brother, Pat Bolster; and
sister, Joan Bolster.
In lieu of flowers, memo-
rial contributions may be
made to St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital at www.
stjude.org/donate.
Online condolences
may be made to the family
at www.lovelandfuneral-
chapel.com.
Nancy L. (Wyrick)
Biechler
1932-2021 • la Grande
Nancy Lee Biechler, 88,
of La Grande, died April
20 at her home. At her
request there will not be a
public service. Arrange-
ments by Dan-
iels-Knopp
Funeral, Cre-
mation & Life
Celebration
Center, La
Grande.
Nancy was born June
13, 1932, in St. Joseph,
Missouri, to Paul and
Phoebe Pauline (Feurte)
Wyrick. She graduated
from Benton High School.
Later, she took training to
become a legal secretary.
On Nov. 14, 1953,
Nancy married Donald
John Biechler in St. Joseph.
They moved to Pendleton
from Missouri in August
1964, and in 1967 they
moved to Ontario, where
Nancy worked as a legal
secretary until her retire-
ment. She wrote a book for
aspiring legal secretaries.
After retiring, Nancy
worked with the Council for
the Aging and helped at the
local hospital. She served
on the Ontario City Council
for 10 years and was also
involved with the League of
Oregon Cities.
Nancy and Donald
enjoyed traveling in their
travel trailer. They spent
Public Safety Report
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
6:10 a.m. — A person
waved down a La Grande
police officer on the 2700
block of Bearco Loop to
report a suspicious person.
The officer determined the
person was a resident.
11:59 a.m. — La Grande
police received a complaint
about a theft on the 1100
block of Frontier Court.
12:08 p.m. — La Grande
police responded to the 800
block of Spring Avenue on
a report of a domestic dis-
turbance. Police arrested
Christina Marie Shelley, 32,
of La Grande, for domestic
violence assault.
3:48 p.m. — La Grande
police received a request
for assistance regarding
stalking.
4:53 p.m. — A caller
Union County Senior Center
takeout lunch menu
pick up 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at
1504 N. albany St., la Grande. For de-
livery, call 541-963-7532 before 10 a.m.
age 60+, $3 suggested donation; all
others, $5. public is welcome.
APRIL 26-30
Monday: bacon cheeseburger, fries,
fruit, brownie.
Tuesday: baked potato bar, salad
greens, chili, fresh fruit slices.
Wednesday: chicken pot pie, salad
greens, melon, sherbet.
Thursday: split-pea soup, salad
medley, bread, fruit, dessert.
Friday: reuben sandwich, potato
salad, fresh fruit, dill pickles, cookie.
Children’s free takeout breakfast
and lunch menu
Free breakfast and lunch for anyone
age 18 and younger, available on days
school is in session. pick up 11:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. at any la Grande elementary
school. Fresh vegetables, seasonal fruit
reported the theft of a
vehicle from the 1300
block of Cherry Street, La
Grande.
6:20 p.m. — A caller
reported someone threat-
ened an employee at the mill
in Elgin. A Union County
sheriff’s deputy arranged for
extra patrols.
THURSDAY, APRIL 22
10:29 a.m. — Emergency
services responded to the
1900 block of Y Avenue, La
Grande, for a traffic crash
with reports of an injury.
1 p.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Office on
the 2200 block of Island
Avenue, La Grande,
arrested Michael Lance
Bouska, 31, of La Grande,
on five Union County
warrants for failure to
Menus
and 1% milk are offered daily. to-go
meals are handed out at la Grande
schools to on-campus students.
APRIL 26-30
Central and Island City
Elementary schools
Monday: BrEaKFaSt: toaster pas-
try, cheese stick, fresh fruit; luNCH: hot
dog, goldfish crackers, veggies, fruit.
Tuesday: BrEaKFaSt: French toast,
fruit; luNCH: popcorn chicken, roll,
veggies, fruit.
Wednesday: BrEaKFaSt: mini-cin-
nis, apple juice; luNCH: ham deli sand-
wich, broccoli salad, veggies, fruit.
Thursday: BrEaKFaSt: fruit-grano-
la yogurt parfait, canned fruit; luNCH:
chicken Caesar wrap, veggies, fruit.
Friday: BrEaKFaSt: cocoa cereal
bar, fruit; luNCH: taco, veggies, fruit.
Greenwood Elementary School
Monday: BrEaKFaSt: mini-cinnis,
veggies, fruit or juice; luNCH: ravioli with
meat sauce, breadstick, veggies, fruit.
Tuesday: BrEaKFaSt: bread, cheese
stick, fruit or juice; luNCH: fish and
cheese sandwich, coleslaw, veggies, fruit.
appear in cases including
misdemeanor theft and
trespass and felonies of
forgery.
4:19 p.m. — A caller
reported an attempted bur-
glary in progress at Wood-
ruff’s Custom Furniture &
Cabinetry, 2407 E. Q Ave.,
La Grande. Local law
enforcement responded,
but no suspect was at the
scene.
4:50 p.m. — The La
Grande Police Depart-
ment on the 2200 block of
Adams Avenue arrested
Levi Westley Albert Fine,
26, no fixed address, on
four warrants, including
hit-and-run, a proba-
tion violation stemming
from an assault charge,
aggravated assault with a
weapon and burglary.
Wednesday: BrEaKFaSt: French
toast, fruit or juice; luNCH: chicken
Caesar wrap, veggies, fruit.
Thursday: BrEaKFaSt: ham and
cheese bagel, fruit or juice; luNCH: beef
chili, cinnamon roll, veggies, fruit.
Friday: BrEaKFaSt: cocoa cereal
bar, cheese stick, fruit or juice; luNCH:
deli sandwich, veggies, fruit.
La Grande High and Middle schools
Monday: BrEaKFaSt: mini waffles,
fresh fruit; luNCH: popcorn chicken,
dinner roll, veggies, fruit.
Tuesday: BrEaKFaSt: pancake on
a stick, canned fruit; luNCH: turkey deli
sandwich, veggies, fruit.
Wednesday: BrEaKFaSt: breakfast
muffin, cheese stick, apple juice; luNCH:
BBQ meatball sub, broccoli salad,
veggies, fruit.
Thursday: BrEaKFaSt: mini donut,
cheese stick, canned fruit; luNCH: pizza,
veggies, fruit.
Friday: BrEaKFaSt: oatmeal
chocolate chip breakfast bar, fresh fruit;
luNCH: chicken Caesar salad, rip-stick
breadstick, veggies, fruit.
tHE OBSErVEr — 3A
Upcoming local services
time on the Oregon Coast
and at Phillips Reservoir
near Sumpter for many
years. Donald preceded
Nancy in death on June 3,
2017. After his death, Nancy
moved to La Grande to be
near family.
Nancy enjoyed working
crossword puzzles and
sketching. She loved it when
all of her family was able to
get together for holidays, or
for any reason.
Surviving relatives
include her sons and their
wives, Bradley and Sharon
Biechler of La Grande
and Scott and Melanie
Biechler of Baker City;
four grandchildren; and 13
great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in
death by her siblings,
Richard, Sonny, Carole and
Winnie (Roe).
Memorial contributions
may be made to the Blue
Mountain Humane Associ-
ation, 3212 Highway 30, La
Grande 97850, or a charity
of your choice.
Carole Halvorson
la Grande
Carole Halvorson, 77, of
La Grande, died April 23 at
her home. Arrangements are
by Daniels-Knopp Funeral,
Cremation & Life Celebra-
tion Center, La Grande.
Teresa L. DiFalco
la Grande
Teresa Lin (Bozarth)
DiFalco, 52, of La Grande,
died April 21 at Provi-
dence St. Vincent Hospital
in Portland. Arrangements
are by Loveland Funeral
Chapel and Crematory,
La Grande.
Richard Nelson
la Grande
Richard Nelson, 63, of La
Grande, died April 20 at a
local care facility. Arrange-
ments are by Loveland
Funeral Chapel & Crema-
tory, La Grande.
Meri L. Olmstead
la Grande
Meri L. Olmstead, 75, of
La Grande, died March 7 at
her home. A memorial ser-
vice will be held June 27 at
1 p.m. in the Riverside Park
Pavilion, La Grande.
Please follow guide-
lines regarding face cov-
erings and social dis-
tancing at all services.
April 24 — IVY
READ: noon graveside
service, Grandview Cem-
etery, La Grande (join
livestream via Zoom at
https://us04web.zoom.us/
j/8403266406?pwd=em-
NOK111RTFncU1OYz-
B1R2ZHT09vUT09;
meeting ID is
8403266406); reception
follows at 1:30 p.m., Birnie
Park, La Grande.
April 24 —
RICHARD BIDWELL:
2 p.m. graveside service,
Elgin Cemetery.
April 24 — LARRY
KEFFER: 2 p.m. grave-
side service, Grandview
Cemetery, La Grande;
casual dress preferred.
April 24 — BECKY
ROBERSON: 2 p.m.
celebration of life, Elgin
Community Center.
April 29-30 —
ROBERT STALEY:
10 a.m. April 29 Rec-
itation of the Rosary
and 10:30 a.m. Mass of
Christian Burial, Our
Lady of the Valley Cath-
olic Church, La Grande;
2 p.m. April 30 graveside
service, Juniper Haven
Cemetery, Prineville.
May 1 —
MICHELLE SAN-
DOVAL: 10 a.m. cele-
bration of life, Riverside
Park Pavilion, La Grande.
May 17 — JERRY
BROOKSHIRE: 2 p.m.
graveside service, Union
Historic Cemetery; recep-
tion follows at Cath-
erine Creek Community
Center, Union.
June 26 — DAVID
COUNCIL: 1 p.m. cel-
ebration of life, North
Powder City Park.
June 27 — MERI
OLMSTEAD: 1 p.m.
memorial service, Riv-
erside Park Pavilion, La
Grande.
— calendar cour-
tesy of Loveland Funeral
Chapel, La Grande
Steven Noble Bloyed
September 11, 1947 - April 15, 2021
Steven Noble
Bloyed, 73, was
born Septem-
ber 11, 1947 in
Pacific Grove,
CA, to Dale
Eugene and
Dorothy Juanita
(Noble) Bloyed.
On April 15,
2021 we let him
go with love in
our hearts on to
his new peace-
ful journey. As
he prepared for that journey, he was surrounded by his
family in the loving, calming environment of his home.
Having lived in many places during his lifetime, he
considered La Grande his true home. He is survived by
Carolyn Bloyed, his wife of 45 years; daughter Tracey
Koehler and her family; Charlie, Lavendar, Salix and
Iris; son Morgan Bloyed of Portland, OR; sister Esther
Sheasly of Gresham, OR; and two brothers in Spokane,
WA. He was preceded in death by his parents and two
brothers. Following his wishes, there will be no service.
Steve was always quick to lend a helping hand so the
family requests that you do an act of kindness for
someone in his memory.
Robert James Staley
July 6, 1927 - April 10, 2021
Robert James Staley was born on
July 6, 1927, in the family home on
North Main Street in Prineville, Ore-
gon, to Ed and Josephine (Bastonero)
Staley. In 1932, they moved to their
house on the Ochoco where his fa-
ther owned a cinnabar mine.  Living
on the Ochoco was an idyllic time
for Robert and his siblings.  They had
freedom to roam the valley and hills
and had endless outdoor adventures.  
When his two older siblings
started attending the Howard School,
Robert, the oldest of the “little kids”,
hatched a plan to make a surprise
visit to Vern and Pearl, “the big kids,” at the Howard
School, over a mile away.   Robert, 5, and Ed Jr, 4,
holding Betty, age 2, between them walked over the hills
to the Howard School, not taking the road to avoid de-
tection.  They were surprised that they were not greeted
with fanfare but told to get back home.  They returned
by the road, deflated, their adventure over.  Vern recalls
always seeing these three tow-headed little kids playing
together on the Ochoco.
Robert attended the Howard School where one
of his teachers recognized and encouraged his artistic
talents.  At an early age he showed great interest in ma-
chines, especially cars.  He always identified friends and
acquaintances with the make, model, year and color of
their cars.  In 1938, the family moved back to the family
home in Prineville. Robert’s maternal grandparents, Fred
and Catherine Bastonero, homesteaded near Bear Creek
Buttes.  Visits to their homestead were epic journeys
which involved driving cross country over rugged
terrain of lava rock, dodging sage brush and juniper
trees, kids getting car sick, and Father Ed changing flat
tires.  Grandpa Bastonero roasted peanuts for the kids
and they made ice cream.  Grandma Catherine made
chicken dinners and ravioli.  Ed Staley then had to make
the wild drive back to town in time to milk the cow.
Robert completed grade school in Prineville and
then graduated from Crook County High School in
1945.  He entered the Navy in July 1945 and served on
a ship in the Pacific which ran supplies to Japan and the
Philippines.  Later, he stationed at Treasure Island and
became well acquainted with the Bay Area as he was
the boss’s driver.  After the Navy, he returned home to
Prineville and worked as the power plant operator at
the Alexander-Yawkey mill.  He married Beverly Violet
DeSelm on June 30, 1951 in Prineville.  
Robert and Beverly lived next door to both sets
of in-laws in Prineville. To this union were born 4
sons; Steven, Ryan, Paul and Bruce.  Beverly died from
post-partum complications on Nov 12, 1958.   Ed and
Josephine raised Bruce for the first year, while Beverly’s
mother, Eva Swonger, helped care for the 3 older boys.
Robert then married Janet Ruth Reimer on Decem-
ber 4, 1959 in Redmond, Oregon. She had one daughter
Sandra, who lost her father in an accident. After
marrying Janet, Robert had the opportunity to move to
La Grande and to be the Service Manager at Hand Ford
car dealership. In May of 1961 they
had a daughter, named Donna to
finish out their family. In 1963 they
opened the new Shell Oil gas station
on Adams Avenue. He ran the sta-
tion for 14 years before selling and
going to work for Blue Mountain
Auto Parts running the automotive
machine shop. He retired in 1990 so
he would have time to work on his
street rods and hunt elk. He and his
cars were featured in “Street Rod”
and “Hot Rod” magazines several
times. Over the years he won many
awards for his cars in multiple car
shows and loved to participate in parades.
When Janet retired the two started traveling. They
visited Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Thailand, China,
England, Ireland, Scotland, London, Wales and Turkey.
They had many stories to tell from their travels.
Robert also enjoyed big game hunting and shot
many trophy elk that were displayed for years at Blue
Mountain Auto Parts. He hunted with his daughter
Donna in the Minam Wilderness area. The two also par-
ticipated in Jeep racing and belonged to the Forest Rov-
ers Jeep club. Robert quit racing when Donna moved to
Colorado but continued to hunt elk in Idaho for many
years with his beloved Barbie horse and his mules.
When his family was young, he was a 4-H leader
for an automotive club. He passed down his passion for
restoring and building street rods and many of those
boys have continued to enjoy his passion throughout
their lives.
Robert had two silent heart attacks in September
2019. He wasn’t expected to live at first. When he was
discharged to home, they said they hoped he could
possibly live a month. Robert was not done with his cars
and continued to work limited time on cars and partici-
pated in some local parades in his street rods. In the last
hours of his life he was dreaming of working on cars and
spoke in his sleep of carburetors and manifolds when
he passed peacefully away at his residence on Buchanan
Lane where he had lived and raised his family for 61
years. Although we fully expect him to come home if he
can’t find the Republican party where he ends up.
Survivors include his brother Vernon; sister Betty;
children; Steve, Ryan and Rose, Paul and Kathleen,
Sandra and Jim, Bruce and Tammy, Donna and Kim; 6
grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; and his good
friend Ben whom he thought of like a son.
He was preceded in death by his Father John “Ed”;
Mother Josephine; baby sister Josephine; sister Pearl and
brother Edward.
Services open to the public April 29, 2021 at 10:00
AM at the Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church,
1002 L Avenue, La Grande, Oregon 97850. Please send
no flowers. Donations in Robert’s name can be made
to the Blue Mt. Humane Society. Graveside services in
Prineville Cemetery April 30, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
Online condolences may be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com.