FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local & Entertainment
Bebe’s word search
— Obituaries —
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 2
Milton entered the Army
in August of 1944 and took
basic training in Fort Bliss,
TX. He spent 17 seasick
days on the USS William
Wiegel’s first voyage with
5,000 other men, landing
in Europe.
He served as an anti-
aircraft gunner and mili-
tary police in Germany,
France, and Belgium. He
re-enlisted to get the extra
$300, but the war ended
and he was shipped home
in March 1946.
His sister Marge intro-
duced him to Norma Faye
Porter in 1946. After seven
dates, he presented her
with a $100 engagement
ring and they married on
April 21st in a small Easter
ceremony in Corvallis,
OR. That fall they moved
to Beaver Creek to run the
farm.
Life was hard for the city
girl who ran the house-
hold with no electricity,
a propane fridge, wood
cookstove, and an “up-
town” pitcher pump in the
kitchen—the “bath” was a
“path.” Their daughter,
Marlene Louise, was born
on 6/4/47 and son Roger
Kent was born 9/21/48.
They had two babies
under two, no phone, and
no near neighbors. Milt
worked nights at Baker
Mill and Grain for several
winters and always said,
“Farming was just a
hobby!” He had to work
for a living!
In the summer of 1953,
the Prowell family pur-
chased a house at 2222
Nevada, as Marlene was to
start first grade, and there
was still No bus service to
Beaver Creek.
Three years later, Cal-
Pac finally ran electricity
to the end of Beaver Creek
Road, and the remodel of
the farmhouse to accom-
modate modern plumbing
and electrical services,
meant that the family could
move back to the farm.
Milt rented and farmed
1,000 acres of dry land,
so summers were busy
with harvesting hay, grain,
irrigation, keeping the
machinery running, and
managing 100 head of
cattle.
Winters Milt spent work-
ing other jobs: delivering
oil for Chet Smith, work-
ing in the potato cellars
for Clyde Ward, logging
for Kenny Miles. He spent
several months recuperat-
ing from a logging ac-
cident in 1959 where a log
rolled over him and broke
his back.
By 1963, most of the
Hayes and Warnock land
he had been renting was
put into the Soil Bank, a
“gummint policy” where
farmers were paid not to
farm.
Two memorable family
vacations were in 1962 to
the Seattle World’s Fair
with Bob and Dorothy
Wooters, kids, Mike and
Patrick; and a trip to Dis-
neyland for Marlene’s 16th
birthday, because it was
too wet to plow.
Milt and Norma always
made time for fun as well.
They enjoyed the Crazy
8’s Square Dance Club
at the Rod & Gun Club,
the Pinochle Club with
potlucks with the Elms,
Pittmans, Georges, Crock-
etts and Doughterys, water
sports on hot summer days
at Brownlee with JoAnn
and Melvin Dunn, and
dances at various locations
with Warnocks, Perrines,
Dufrees, Hayes, Hansons,
Simpsons, and Gyllen-
bergs. Holidays means big
dinners with the Prowell
relatives, Christmas tree
gatherings with hay rides,
fire and food. Branding in
the Spring and 4-H func-
tions with the kids, and
visiting with friends was
always enjoyed.
In 1967, with both kids
gone from home (no more
free help) Milton and
Norma decided to put
the farm up for sale and
bought a house on East
Street in Baker.
In 1968 they bought a
beer distribution business
and named it P & E Dis-
tributing, with Blitz-Wein-
hard as the major product.
Milt was widely known for
his weekly cards (slightly
risque and funny) that he
shared while delivering
beer to accounts across the
county.
He bought a brand new
semi-truck and made
weekly trips to Portland
and California to pick up
beer and wine products.
He won several sales trips
and traveled to Germany
and Sweden, Hawaii, San
Francisco and Chicago.
In 1972 Milt and Norma
took a month-long trip to
Australia and New Zealand
to visit their son Roger and
his wife Susan.
In 1981, Milton and
Norma decided to retire
and sold the beer business.
Never one to sit around,
Milt had lots of “contracts”
he worked over the years.
He drove truck for Ben’s
Transfer, Gary Smith, Sno-
Cap, Farmterials, Wards,
Kearns, and logged 10,000
miles one year with com-
munity Dept. of Human
Resources driving clients
to medical appointments in
Boise, Ontario, La Grande,
and Portland.
In 1997 Milton married
Wynona Morrison. They
enjoyed playing cards,
gardening, volunteering,
and took their last cruise
together two years ago.
Always fond of travel-
ing, Milt visited all 50
states, driving up to Alaska
and across the US twice.
He also visited Denmark,
Germany, Canada, the Ca-
ribbean, Singapore, Aus-
tralia, Greece, Turkey, and
a “sibling trip” to Africa.
Milt also traveled to Wash-
ington, DC in 2010 on the
Oregon Honor Flight for
recognition of his military
service during WWII.
Thirty years of injuries
and accidents may have
slowed Milt down a bit,
including his ileostomy
in 1980, a broken neck in
1985, two broken feet from
a roof fall in 1987, a triple
bypass in 1997, three heart
attacks, two knee replace-
ments, hernia, skin cancer,
and a serious bout with
pancreatitis, the man never
stopped.
He was a lifetime
member of the Elks Club
and was named Elk of
the Year in 1978. He was
also a charter member of
the Eagles, the VFW, and
attended the Christian
Church for more than 50
years.
Milt kept 360 acres on
upper Beaver Creek and al-
ways enjoyed hunting deer
and elk with his son and
other family and friends.
He last killed on elk on this
property at the age of 81.
Milt never met a
stranger, and could talk
to anyone, always make
a lasting connection. He
was well known for being
kind, generous, honest, and
trustworthy. He was a true
gentleman who loved to
dance (never missed a New
Year’s Eve) and party.
He was preceded in death
by Norma, his first wife of
50 years, in 1996 and his
son Roger in 2014.
He is survived by his
brother Wallace (wife
Roberta) of Beaverton,
daughter Marlene Prowell
of Baker City, grandsons
Erik Prowell and Brett
Prowell (and his wife
Lindsay) of Portland,
daughter in law Susan
Prowell of Bend, former
wife Wynona, several
cousins and many nieces
and nephews (and spe-
cial friends Vic and Judy
Endicott).
The family wishes to
acknowledge the lov-
ing care Milton received
from the staff at Mead-
owbrook Place and the
faithful friends who visited
regularly in the past six
months. Also the caring
ways of the staff at Heart
‘n Home Hospice care.
Memorial contributions
may be made to your
favorite Charity or to the
Elks Meadowood
Speech Camp through
Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.,
Baker City OR 97814.
To light a candle in
memory of Milton or
leave a condolence for the
family, please visit: www.
grayswestco.com.
DMV warns of scam
Oregon residents have
reported telephone calls
from someone claiming to
be collecting DMV fees
owed and insisting upon
immediate payment.
The scammers may
ask for payment by wire
transfer or prepaid debit/
credit. Or they may ask
for personally identifiable
information, such as Social
Security number, bank ac-
count number, debit/credit
card number or other infor-
mation that could be used
to steal money, commit
fraud or perpetrate identity
theft. Some callers threaten
arrest, lawsuits and/or
criminal prosecution.
In addition to telephone
calls and robo-call ma-
chines, these scammers
often use email, social me-
dia and texting. Scammers
have found ways to fool
caller ID and appear to be
calling from a real DMV
phone number, so custom-
ers who try to call back
reach the real DMV call
centers. Remember that:
DMV never calls cus-
tomers to request unpaid
vehicle or driver-related
fees. DMV sends corre-
spondence by mail.
DMV is not able to ac-
cept payments by phone,
wire transfer or prepaid
card. DMV asks for pay-
ment by check mailed to
Oregon DMV or by our
online Vehicle Registration
Renewal at OregonDMV.
com.
DMV never calls and
asks for debit/credit or
other account numbers or
Social Security Number by
phone.
DMV never threatens
arrest or lawsuits for alleg-
edly unpaid DMV fees.
DMV does not collect
state or federal income
taxes. There is no connec-
tion between income taxes
and vehicle registration
fees.
The Littles’ crossword puzzle
Across
1- Riyadh resident;
5- Songs for two;
10- McNally’s partner;
14- Gaucho’s weapon;
15- Take pleasure in;
16- Controversial or-
chard spray;
17- Fashionable;
18- Mental lapse;
20- Looks for;
22- Swelling reducer;
23- Au contraire!;
24- Bias;
26- ___-cone;
27- Bonelike;
30- Explorer;
34- Spread out;
35- Tyne of “Judging
Amy”;
36- French friend;
37- Layer of paint;
38- Mr. Magoo, for one;
40- Singer Redding;
41- Jackie’s second;
42- Dynamic intro;
43- Cash register key;
45- Comes back;
47- Disperse;
48- Fido’s appointment;
49- Twice, a comforting
comment;
50- Boatswain;
53- Nectar collector;
54- Femme fatale;
58- Having three sides;
61- Up ___ good;
62- Sicilian resort;
63- African language
group;
64- Are you ___ out?;
65- ___-do-well;
66- Japanese dish;
67- Room in a casa;
Down
1- Basics;
2- Architect Mies van
der ___;
3- I cannot tell ___;
4- Inferior position;
5- Narc’s employer;
6- Unfasten;
7- Bounce;
8- Got ripped;
9- Isr. neighbor;
10- Shoot from the root
of a plant;
11- Touched down;
12- Greek temple;
13- Bond classic;
19- Harass;
21- Gradual;
25- Illness;
26- Absence of sound;
27- Movie award;
28- Future fungus;
29- Characteristic;
30- Baby food;
31- Really bother;
32- Author Zola;
33- Stair part;
35- Scooby-___;
39- Decade divs.;
40- Inflammation of
bone;
42- Concert venue;
44- Long objects used
to row a boat;
46- Type of consonant;
47- Close-fitting dress;
49- Slender gulls;
50- Bingo call;
51- Writer Sarah ___
Jewett;
52- Trig function;
53- Boyfriend;
55- Barrett of gossip;
56- Hydroxyl com-
pound; 57- Writer
Ephron;
59- Atlanta-based cable
channel;
60- Him, to Henri;