8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
Local
— Obituaries —
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Elva Lou Ellen Guyer
Baker City, 1925-2017
They became engaged
in December, just before
he was sent to the South
Pacific.
When he returned, they
were married on Elva’s
19th birthday, November
10, 1944 in Fresno, Cali-
fornia. As a newly mar-
ried couple, they moved
to Sanford, Florida for a
year to complete Don’s
Marine service. After his
discharge, they returned
to Baker, Oregon where
Don began his career with
Eastern Oregon Savings
and Loan and Elva shared
her vocal talent with the
community. While in Cali-
fornia, at a Savings and
Loan Convention, she was
chosen to sing on the Art
Linkletter Radio Show.
Don was called back into
the Marine Corps in 1952.
They lived in Santa Ana,
California and Pensacola,
Florida. Upon returning
to Baker in 1953, Elva
worked at May’s Music
Store and sang for com-
munity events. She taught
ballet and tap for over 10
years, sang with the United
Methodist Church, and led
a junior choir.
In 1954, Elva won a
KBKR contest which
qualified her to open the
Oregon State Fair at Ted
Mack’s “Oregon Amateur
Hour.”
In 1959, Elva and Don
moved to La Grande with
the opening of the first
branch of Pioneer Federal
Savings and Loan. Mrs.
Guyer began working
in the tax department at
Union County Court House
where she continued for
almost 20 years. She sang
with the Eastern Oregon
Symphony Singers and
United Methodist Church
Choir.
Elva and Don returned
to Baker in 1980 when
Don became President of
Pioneer Federal. She loved
decorating for United
Methodist Church events.
Elva and her sister-in-law,
Shirley Guyer, started the
Methodist Church Bazaar
in an attempt to provide
the church with particular
needs. Elva gave Leo Adler
House tours and started
Christian Comfort Creators
that continues to meet
in the United Methodist
Church.
Mrs. Guyer was a sup-
portive spouse in Don’s
many organizations, a
member of Eastern Oregon
Star, and the United Meth-
odist Church. They had
many fun filled adventures
traveling with their travel
trailer and going to Yuma,
Arizona for the winters.
Elva is survived by her
daughter, Ellen Youngbluth
and her husband David
of Prineville, Oregon and
Buckeye, Arizona, as
well as their son Retired
Marine Major Steven
O’Connor and his wife,
Retired Navy Commander
Alda and their daughters,
Madeline and Kaylin; her
brother Guy McCoy and
his wife Sue; her nieces
and nephews Randy Guyer
and wife Mary Jane, Janet
Chandler and her husband
George, Donald G. Guyer
and his wife Rose, Vickie
Kirkwood, Dr. Robert
R. McCoy and his wife
Amy, Kathy Krob and her
husband Jeff, Sandra Mc
Coy, and Robert G. McCoy
as well as numerous great
nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Guyer was preceded
in death by her parents,
Austin Gribble and Lillian
(Gribble) McCoy, her
husband Donald Rudolph
Guyer, her brother Ray
Larkin McCoy, and her
uncle Russell Ward who
was like a brother.
In lieu of flowers, memo-
rial contributions in Elva
L. Guyer’s memory may
be made to the United
Methodist Church Memo-
rial Fund of Baker City
or the Shrine Hospital for
Children. This may be
done through Coles Tribute
Center, 1950 Place Street,
Baker City, Oregon 97814.
Ray E. Andrews
Unity, 1933-2017
August 24,
2017 I lost
my husband,
my lover, my
best friend
when the
Lord took
Ray
him home.
Andrews
We met in
1950 when
he was visiting his brother,
who worked for the Forest
Service in Unity. He told
me many times about the
first time he saw me. One
of my best friends and I
were riding our bikes down
the street. He said he knew
right then he had to meet
me. He arranged with my
friends brother to make it
happen. They came to my
house later. Ray, being ex-
tremely bashful, never said
more than three words. He
made up for that later.
This meeting, however,
was the start of a long
relationship as we were
married a year and half
later in my parent’s yard
on September 7, 1952.
Ray was barely 19 and I
barely 17 (and they said
it wouldn’t last) we were
three weeks short of our
65th anniversary when he
left us.
Our marriage produced
five beautiful children,
twelve wonderful grand-
children and 13 precious
great grandchildren. His
passing took such a large
part of all of our hearts
with him.
Most of our years to-
gether were spent in Unity.
It was the place he loved
so much. He said from
the first time he came there
he knew it was home and
he never wanted to leave.
Ray loved horses and
always had one or more,
from the time he bottle
fed one when he was
twelve. He especially
liked breeding mares and
watching their babies grow
up. When knee replace-
ments kept him from riding
he still liked having them
around to groom and look
at.
His dog, Skeeter, was
also much loved. Anytime
Ray went down the road
in a truck, Skeeter was
there taking his rightful
place in the passenger seat.
When Skeeter got sick and
couldn’t recover the vet
had to put him to sleep.
This was very hard on Ray
and he decided Skeeter
was his last dog.
Ray was a hardworking
man. He believed you
gave an honest day’s work
and were honest in your
dealings. He had several
different jobs throughout
his life but most of the
years were spent logging.
He fell trees for many
years and also ran almost
any kind of machinery. I
think here was where his
love of heavy equipment
was born. He had his
own small logging outfit
for a while. But he really
wanted to do something
where he could have and
operate all those “beauti-
ful” machines. This is
when the idea of Andrews
Excavating started emerg-
ing.
He had so much talent
and ability operating any
machine. Once when he
was putting the finishing
touches on a pond, the
man standing next to me
said, “You know, he is just
an artist with that Cat”. I
had never thought of it
that way, but as I turned to
watch my husband again
I knew what he said was
true.
I talked to Ray often
about getting a hobby and
not working so hard. He
answered me with, “Work-
ing is my hobby.”
He also said that he
didn’t know Labor Day
was a holiday. He thought
you just worked harder.
He said too, that the best
working times were work-
ing with his sons. They
helped him often, especial-
ly sawing lumber on their
portable sawmill. But the
very best and most special
and memorable times spent
with his boys were when
they went hunting. He re-
peated those stories often.
My husband wasn’t a
real social person, espe-
cially in a crowd, mostly
because of a hearing loss,
but let me tell you, he
loved his morning cof-
fee hour (or two) with the
guys at the Burnt River
Market. He would become
very agitated if something
kept him from getting
there right at opening time.
Visiting with friends and
meeting new people who
stopped by was a source of
much enjoyment.
Like most people Ray
loved his family with all of
his heart and was so proud
of them all. His traits
of hard work, honesty,
compassion, love, caring,
loyalty, and generosity
were passed on to his fam-
ily because they possess all
of those same values.
He gave to this earth five
children: Keena Rhaye,
Carrie Ree, Danna Lee,
Bradley Ray and Corwin
Glenn. Twelve grand-
children: Jacob DeLong,
Megan LaTortue, Kristin,
Brianne, Erin, Ashlee,
Lindsey, and Cameron
Browning, Tanna Fjardo,
Tara Micka, Torie, and
Caleb Andrews: Thirteen
great- grandchildren; Evyn
And Kaeden Delong,
Adalyn and Rhys LaTor-
tue, Payten, Madden, and
Kinley Browning, Kobe,
Kristin, and Max Cantrell,
Hayven Browning, Leo
and Oliver Fjardo.
Ray was born in Mul-
len, Nebraska August 15,
1933, to parents Fred and
Birdeen Andrews.
The family moved to
Willow Creek, OR when
he was eight years old. He
had eight siblings. He is
survived by three brothers
and one sister: Robert Car-
rier and wife Eileen, Doug
Andrews and wife Dianne,
Dennis Andrews and Wife
Ellen, and Audrey Fisher
and husband John.
My husband passed away
at home surround by his
loving family. A devoted
husband, dad, grandpa,
and great grandpa will be
so deeply missed by all of
us and by spouses: Brad’s
wife Lorrie, Corey’s wife
Shauna, Jake’s wife Jen-
nifer, Megan’s husband
Kwami, Tanna’s husband
Gabe, Tara’s husband Andy
and me, his wife. I will
miss him every minute for
the rest of my earthly life.
He was my husband, my
lover, my best friend. He
was the one on whom I
could always depend. He
was my rock you see.
If I was sad he empa-
thized with me.
If I was happy he
laughed with me. If I was
angry he sympathized with
me. He was my rock you
see. If I cried he held me
close. If I was depressed
he turned on all the lights
for me.
f I was just forlorn he
went for a ride with me. If
I was scared he held me
tightly so I would feel safe
again. On him I could
always depend. He was
my husband, my lover, my
best friend. He was my
rock you see.
We will love him forever,
his wife Barbara and all of
his family.
As per his request there
will be no services. For
those who would like
to make a donation in
memory of Ray the family
suggests Young Life (a
youth outreach program)
through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home and Crema-
tion Services PO Box 543
Halfway, Oregon 97834.
Online condolences may
be shared at www.tamispi-
nevalleyfuneralhome.com.
County to sell property within Deer rescued
old Tasty Bake Building
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held its
second, regular session of
the month, on Wednesday,
September 20, 2017, 9
a.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, which
included departmental
updates, a Sumpter Dredge
tailings mining discussion,
and an approval of the sale
of County-seized personal
property within the former
Tasty Bake building.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Bruce Nichols,
and Executive Assistant
Heidi Martin. Attendance
also included Baker Coun-
ty District Attorney Matt
Shirtcliff, Baker County
Juvenile Department Court
Supervisor Staci Erickson,
baker County Planning
Director Holly Kerns,
Baker Heritage Museum
and Adler House Museum
Director Carly Annable,
Baker Heritage Museum
Board member Steve
Bogart, Baker County IT
Director Bill Lee, John
Creighton, and Art Sap-
pington.
Harvey called the session
to order, and provided
the Invocation, and led in
recitation of the Pledge of
Allegiance. The agenda
was adopted, with no noted
changes, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Citizen Participation
included Sappington, Co-
ordinating Officer for the
Jefferson Mining District
(JMD), who spoke about
a presentation provided
to the U.S. Forest Service
(USFS) by the JMD, on
September 7, 2017, regard-
ing locatable mining law,
using the Grant County-
based Buffalo Mine as
a specific example of an
issue with USFS staff cut-
ting a lock to a gate located
on an access road there.
Sappington said that the in-
formation presented to the
USFS included evidence
that the mine is patented,
and the road is a County
road.
The minutes from the
Wednesday, August 30,
2017, and the Wednesday,
September 6, 2017 regular
sessions were approved,
with noted corrections for
the September 6, 2017
minutes, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Erickson provided a
departmental update,
which included, among
other details, an increase
in referrals to her depart-
ment, of 13-15 year old
males, for property crimes
and substance abuse
(specifically, an increase in
methamphetamine use in
juveniles).
Since January, the depart-
ment has provided, through
the juveniles, over 430
hours of community ser-
vice, however, she said, the
requirement that offenders
send letters of apology to
their victims has more of
an impact on the juveniles,
since it’s more personal.
Erickson also spoke
about providing an op-
portunity for juveniles to
have structure early on, to
acquire soft skills, and to
pursue learning opportuni-
ties, such as through Baker
Technical Institute (BTI).
Shirtcliff provided a
departmental update,
which included, among
other details, a new com-
puter system installed last
year, which has improved
greatly the information and
data Shirtcliff has avail-
able, and can provide.
Staff-wise, the depart-
ment hired Nicki John-
ston as the new Victims’
Assistance representative
within the last couple of
months, and Shirtcliff said
she’s doing a good job; and
Shirtcliff is excited that the
Oregon State Police (OSP)
hired Clay Stevens, who is
based in Baker City, as an
eastern Oregon drug case
investigator.
Annable provided a de-
partmental update, which
included, among other de-
tails, an increase in Baker
Heritage Museum gift shop
sales of 9% over last year,
as well as an increase in
admission sales of 5% over
the same period. She said
there’s an increase in visi-
tor numbers by 8% over
last year, and the Total
Solar Eclipse helped boost
those numbers, though the
museum was already on
track to have a successful
year.
Annable said that 302
kids attended the 2nd Sum-
mer Academy program,
and volunteers helped
make that program suc-
cessful, as well. This year,
she said, the central gallery
exhibit at the museum will
be changed to commemo-
rate the 50th anniversary
of the filming of the movie
“Paint Your Wagon,” in
Baker County.
SEE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS PAGE 9
Photo courtesy of Quail Ridge Golf Course.
ODFW employees work to free the deer.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
When Ratliff sat on the edge of the hole, the deer
jumped vertically between his legs and he was able to
catch her between his thighs.
“It was a perfect accident,” said Ratliff.
Phillip Perrine, District Wildlife Technician, grabbed
the deer’s front legs and Ratliff held onto her back legs
and lifted her out of the hole.
Once they were sure the deer’s legs were not broken or
hurt, they let her go and she ran off just fine.
Ratliff advises people who find animals in similar situ-
ations to call the appropriate people to come take care of
the animal. It is important not to stress the animal, as they
would try jumping and hurting themselves.
“The best thing is to assess the situation, step back, and
call,” explained Ratliff.
He also advises people to put the covers of manholes
back on so the animals won’t jump and hurt themselves
falling.
No one is sure why the manhole the deer fell into was
open at the time, including Public Works Director Mi-
chelle Owen. Owen said she would look into the matter,
but no statement was available before print.
Mike Brooks at the Quail Ridge Golf Course explained
that weeds were growing around the manhole and they
hid the opening from the workers, who were there sand-
ing the greens.