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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2021)
RECORDS TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021 PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT OBITUARIES Patricia J. (Miller) Spivey 1937-2021 La Grande Patricia “Pat” Spivey, tain air and the cold clear 84, of La Grande and for- water. Pat also loved vaca- merly of Baker City, died tions and built some of Aug. 17, 2021, at Wild- the best memories for her fl ower Lodge. At her children while camping request, there their way around will not be a Oregon. In later formal funeral years Pat and service. A pri- Clyde enjoyed vate family camping in their gathering will travel trailer at be held at an Phillips Lake appropriate Campground. time following Pat loved the COVID-19 Christmas and pandemic. was known Also known Spivey to keep her as Pat, she was Christmas born March 26, 1937, tree on display until late in Detroit, Michigan, to spring, at least once into Charles Dorington Miller July. She kept her age a and Maude Marie (Cary) great secret. It wasn’t until Miller. She was a long- dementia set in that she time resident of Baker admitted she wasn’t 26 (as City, after moving from she had been for at least the Ontario-Payette area 50+ years). during the late 1950s. Surviving relatives Pat married Clyde include her brother and Spivey, of Baker City, in sister-in-law, David 1960. They raised their and Lynn Oliver of family in Baker and Edmonds, Washington; remained together until children and their Clyde’s passing in 2011. spouses, Terry Mitchell When her children of Chesapeake Bay, Vir- were grown, Pat worked ginia, Robert “Bob” at a variety of jobs. Her and Shirley Mitchell of favorite was being the Cheney, Washington, librarian at South Baker Thomas Supan of Baker Elementary School, where City, Jeanne “Tammy” she worked for many Supan-Curry and hus- years until she retired. band, Butch Curry, of The one job that she Portland, and Deb Spiv- bragged about the most, ey-Koopman and hus- though, was when she band, Rod Koopman, of worked at the Hotel Baker La Grande; and 15 grand- and served room service children and numerous to John F. and Jackie Ken- great-grandchildren. nedy while they were on a She was preceded in political campaign. death by her parents, hus- After retirement Pat band, and brother, Dr. volunteered for the Red Charles D. Miller, DDS, Cross blood drives, at of The Dalles. Saint Elizabeth Hospital In lieu of fl owers, and at the senior center donations may be made serving meals. to Best Friends of Baker, Pat loved going, even your local food bank or though she was famous a charity of your choice for losing her car keys in care of Gray’s West & and being late. During Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 the summertime, when Dewey Ave., Baker City it was hot and the kids 97814. were young, you could To leave an online con- often fi nd the family at the dolence for the family, Marble Creek Picnic area, visit www.grayswestco. enjoying the cool moun- com. Stephen A. Cruikshank 1947-2021 La Grande Stephen Alan Cruik- volo in the Philippines. He shank, 73, of La Grande, served for 25 years in the died Aug. 10, 2021, at Navy before his honorable Grande Ronde Hospital. discharge as a chief petty A service with military offi cer in Jacksonville, honors will be held Aug. Florida. After returning 28 at 2 p.m. at to live in La Daniels-Knopp Grande in 1992, Funeral, Crema- he worked for tion & Life Cel- Walmart in main- ebration Center, tenance and later La Grande. in sporting goods Attendees will until he retired have their choice again. of indoor or portable out- Stephen enjoyed the door seating. outdoors, including Stephen was born Dec. hunting and fi shing. 27, 1947, in La Grande, Surviving relatives to Marion Glenn Cruik- include his wife, Susana shank and Hazel LaVelle of La Grande; sons, Ste- (Hallgarth) Cruikshank. phen Jr. of Jacksonville, The family moved to Florida, Daniel of La Grants Pass, and after Ste- Grande, and John of La phen graduated from high Grande; brother, David of school he entered the U.S. Vancouver, Washington; Navy and was trained as a and four grandchildren. jet engine mechanic. He was preceded in On July 21, 1972, Ste- death by his parents and phen married Susana Ser- an infant brother. DEATH NOTICE Leland R. Sams, 90, of La Grande, died Aug. 21, 2021, at his home. Arrange- ments are by Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crema- tory, La Grande. FRIDAY, AUG. 20 9:39 a.m. — A caller reported an assault on the 2200 block of Cove Avenue, La Grande. Police responded and separated the parties. 12:46 p.m. — La Grande police received a report of indecent exposure on the 1000 block of Jackson Avenue. Offi cers responded but did not fi nd the subject. 1:07 p.m. — A caller reported a suspicious person on the 1100 block of Cedar Street, La Grande. Offi cers responded and checked the subject’s welfare. The person just needed water. 2:55 p.m. — A caller reported a domestic disturbance at a resi- dence on the 800 block of North 15th Avenue, Elgin. Union County sheriff ’s deputies responded and found the situation did not rise to the level of a mandatory arrest. 4:20 p.m. — A caller reported a theft on the 1100 block of Birch Street, Elgin. A Union County sheriff ’s deputy responded and took information. 11:39 p.m. — A caller reported a dog at large in the area of Hemlock Street and Jeff erson Avenue, La Grande. SATURDAY, AUG. 21 12:41 a.m. — A La Grande police offi cer found a female run- away on the 1500 block of Washington Avenue and returned her to her parent. 10:05 a.m. — A caller reported livestock on the loose in the area of 59800 Glass Hill Road, La Grande. 2:11 p.m. — La Grande police responded to the 1000 block of Jackson Avenue on a report of a juvenile disturbance. Offi cers sep- arated the parties. 7:43 p.m. — A caller reported a woman was rough with her child at Cinco De Mayo, 2102 Adams Ave., La Grande. An offi cer made contact and took information. 8:31 p.m. — Multiple callers reported illegal fi reworks in the area of West Jeff erson and Main streets, Union. A Union County sheriff ’s deputy responded but did not fi nd any fi reworks. 11:32 p.m. — A caller asked La Grande police to check on the welfare of a neighbor on the 2200 block of Cove Avenue. An offi - cer responded. The person was OK and quieted down for the night. SUNDAY, AUG. 22 4:10 a.m. — La Grande police received a report of a domestic disturbance at a residence on the 1900 block of H Avenue. 5:03 a.m. — La Grande police received a noise complaint from a residence on the 2200 block of Cove Avenue. Offi cers responded and counseled the subject. 12:23 p.m. — A caller made a complaint about criminal mis- chief on the 20 block of Highway 204, Elgin. A Union County sher- iff ’s deputy made contact and took a report. 1 p.m. — A caller reported a domestic disturbance on the 500 block of Columbus Street, Elgin. A Union County sheriff ’s deputy responded and separated the parties. 6:15 p.m. — A resident on the 500 block of F Avenue, La Grande, reported someone trespassed in a vehicle and left behind drugs. An offi cer responded and took a report. 8:39 p.m. — A caller reporting fi nding a horse on the 60700 block of Love Road, Cove. Law enforcement contacted the horse’s owner to make arrangements to get the animal. COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD MEETINGS BRIEFS 541-828-7010 or email fl oraschool@ tds.net. • LA GRANDE — The La Grande School Board will convene for a work session Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. in the library at Central Elementary School, 701 H Ave. During the work session Nancy Golden will talk about equity training and Superintendent George Mendoza will discuss Adams Avenue property. The work ses- sion will be followed by an executive session. The meeting will be accessible to the public in person, online and by phone. Go to https://www.lagrandesd. org/page/board-meetings for instruc- tions on how to join. No skills necessary for volunteers at Flora School work party Aug. 28 Wallowa Lake Lodge cancels indoor lecture series FLORA — The next work party at the Flora School, 80974 College Lane, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat- urday, Aug. 28. Volunteers are sought to work outside on the sign and inside on the library, books copier and more. Bring your skills or willingness to learn, tools, work clothes and a sack lunch. All ages welcome. Masks, gloves and sanitizer will be provided for those working inside. For more information Dan or Vanessa at WALLOWA LAKE LODGE — The indoor Thursday night lecture series at the Wallowa Lake Lodge has been canceled for the rest of the season. The lodge’s announcement stated, “Wallowa Lake Lodge feels responsible for protecting our com- munity and visitors by canceling our indoor speaker series.” The out- door music events will continue at the lodge. Masks are required indoors. — The Observer The rest of the story about the bank robbery By BILL BRADSHAW Wallowa County Chieftain JOSEPH — One of the more unique events during Chief Joseph Days was the reenactment of the infa- mous 1896 robbery of the First Bank of Joseph, per- formed during the CJD parade on Saturday, July 21. And, one of the more unique aspects of that was that one of the robbers was Dave Tucker, father of Harley Tucker, the man credited with starting the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo. To continue with the uniqueness, Tucker was caught, did his time and returned to Joseph to even- tually serve as a vice pres- ident of the bank he once robbed. The old bank building now houses the Wallowa County Museum, was built in 1887 and is believed to be the oldest building in Joseph, according to the county website. After serving as a bank until 1917, it became a doctor’s offi ce, a city events center, library and city hall. Vacated in 1973, it was renovated and, in 1978, listed on the National Register of His- toric Places and became the Wallowa County Museum. Darlene Turner, daughter of Harley Tucker and grand- daughter of Dave, said her granddad never discussed his wilder days. “He lived with us for four or fi ve years,” she said Monday, Aug. 2. “I didn’t know about it until I was in high school. That was never talked about at our house.” She said that given the robbery is both local and family history, she’s researched it a lot. “I’ve read lots of stories about it,” she said. Robbery Dave Tucker was about 25 when he got caught up in the robbery plot. He’d been working in the county herding sheep and two men who were experi- enced stickup “artists” — James Brown and Cyrus Fitzhugh — came to work with Tucker shearing sheep, according to the recollec- tions of J. D. McCully, who worked as a cashier at the bank, on www.oregonpio- neers.com. They got Tucker involved, as well as at least one more local, outside man Ben Ownby. Ironically, the locals were the only ones to do time for the crime. The robbers were expecting to fi nd about $8,000 in the bank, but came away with only about $2,000, according to www. oregonpioneers.com. The website also said Tucker wanted the money so he could aff ord to marry his sweetheart, Minnie Proebstel. As it turned out, she came to visit him in jail after the robbery and told him if he’d man up and do his time, she’d wait for him. She did, and they did. After the plan went side- ways, McCully recalled, Brown lay dead in the street of gunshots, Tucker and Ownby were captured and Fitzhugh got away with the loot. As McCully recalled, “As (the) robbers (were) attempting escape, some one called out ‘Look,’ and pointed toward the brow of the hill which makes the west embankment of Wal- lowa Lake, a mile away, and there silhouetted against the blue sky line sped a lone horseman. He was observed until he disappeared into the timbered fastness of the Wallowa mountains, and the last time to ever know- ingly seen by a Wallowa County citizen.” ‘Redeemed’ Turner said she has a letter from the state prison in Salem to show her grand- father was received there May 1, 1897, and discharged Sept. 28, 1901. She said he was released a year and a half early for good behavior. After being released, Tucker decided to go straight, Turner said. He fi rst tried unsuccessfully to get work in Lewiston, Idaho, but then decided to come home. “He thought, ‘I lost my reputation in Joseph and I want to go back there and redeem myself,’” Turner said. So Tucker went to work “redeeming” himself, Turner said. He spent much of his time tending sheep. Turner said Jay Dobbin was one of the fi rst to hire him. Later, while working for Peter Beaudoin, he and a French sheepherder together UPCOMING LOCAL SERVICES Leland R. Sams La Grande THE OBSERVER — A3 Aug. 27 — HER- SHELL PARKER: 10 a.m. graveside service, Cove Cemetery (casual dress preferred). Aug. 28 — RODNEY PAYANT: noon to 3 p.m. celebration of life, Pend- leton Eagles Lodge. Aug. 28 — SHIRLEY KUNKEL: 1:30 p.m. cel- ebration of life, La Grande Seventh-day Adventist Church. Aug. 28 — STEPHEN CRUIKSHANK: 2 p.m. service with military honors, Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, La Grande. Sept. 18 — DEBRA DAVIS: 2 p.m. celebra- tion of life, Riverside Park Pavilion, La Grande. Sept. 18 — JAMES YOST: 2 p.m. celebration of life, Cloverleaf Hall, Enerprise. — calendar courtesy of Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande rescued about 25,000 sheep during a massive early winter snowstorm. Turner said she’s not sure how her granddad transi- tioned to banking, but she knows he managed to buy and build his own sheep ranch, was a director of the local ditch company to help farmers with irriga- tion, became a school board member, took out stock in the bank and was gener- ally active in the Joseph community. “He was a pretty big businessman by that time,” she said. “He owned quite a few acres.” Tucker lived until Jan- uary 1953, having helped — at least fi nancially — his son start the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo. Reenactment Turner said it’s been a few years since the last reenactment of the robbery, and previous incarnations did a better job of telling the story her grandfather was involved in. “In the beginning it was done very well,” she said, adding that they used to have a narrator on the street and music to accompany it. “They told the whole story of how it happened.” She’s hoping that now that the reenactment has returned, its presentation will improve, such as by adding a narrator. “The moral of the story was he made good and did lot for the community while he was here,” she said. La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS
