i Record-Courier
THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015
Richard “Rick”
Leroy Whitmore
March 1959
- July 2015
Richard "Rick" Leroy
Whitmore, 56, died unex
pectedly July 7, 2015 in
Baker City. A Celebration of
Rick's life is being planned for Aug. 28, 2015 at the
Community Connections Center in Baker City
(time to be announced).
Rick was bom March 30,1959 in Baker City to
David and Maria Whitmore. He was raised in
Baker City. He received his education at Brooklyn
Elementary, Baker Middle School, and Baker High
School. As a child, Rick enjoyed sports, especially
wrestling and baseball. He lived most of his life in
Baker City.
In the late 1980s, Rick married. Although he
later divorced, he had one son, Richard Lee. The
day Richard Lee was bom was one of Rick’s most
memorable times in his life.
Rick worked in the lumber industry and as a log
ger. He also worked in the tire industry with his
Dad. Rick took joy in fishing with his paternal
grandfather Glenn as a child, and especially en
joyed the summer.
One of Rick’s favorite poems was "Footprints in
Ada Rosemary
Clark
Oct. 1925 - July 2015
Ada Rosemary Clark of
Baker City left to live with
our Lord and savior on July
7,2015 at the age of 89. Her
family was by her side when
she passed. A memorial was held Friday, July 10
at 10 a.m. at Grays West & Co. Pioneer Chapel.
Ada was born in Weston, Ore. on Oct. 9,1925 to
Agnes and Wesley Grover. She attended school in
the Athena-Weston school district and
graduated there.
She married Wesley Clark on Aug. 15,1953 in
Walla Walla, Wash. Ada and Wes had two chil
dren, Gary and Diane. Ada adored her children
and grandchildren. She was a bookkeeper by trade
and especially enjoyed working at Cascade Natural
Gas in Walla Walla and the Hermiston Suzuki
shop. Ada retired in 1977 and enjoyed spending
time with her family, fishing, crocheting, cooking,
William Wayne “Bill” Owen
May 1950 - July 2015
William Wayne “Bill” Owen, 65, of Baker City
died July 7,2015 at his residence. A private memo
rial service will be held at a later date.
Bill was bom on May 21,1950 in Winnemucca,
Nev. to Dave Edward Owen and Iris Ellen Noble.
After graduating from High School, Bill joined the
National Guard and served six years. He then
went into construction. Bill loved to follow the
rodeo and was a bull rider. He also loved to hunt
Frederick
Cranston
Schmidt, Jr.
Jan. 1964
- July 2015
Frederick Cranston
Schmidt, Jr., 51, of Park-'
dale, Ore., passed away Sunday, July 5, 2015, in a
tragic car accident.
Fred was born Jan. 24,1964, in Baker City, to
Frederick and Jayne Schmidt. He was raised in
Baker and his father taught him to appreciate ac
tivities commonly associated with life in a small
town.
He loved bird hunting, fishing, and camping.
During many summers, he and his sister Jackie en
joyed attending a camp located in Cove, Ore.
After losing his father during middle school,
Coach Tom Doud took Fred under his wing.
Through Tom’s guidance, Fred excelled as an all-
around athlete; but his passion was football. Fred
was a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan and he
spent Sundays glued to the TV watching them play.
He was offered a football scholarship to Oregon
State; however, after he graduated in 1982, he was
in a terrible car accident in Hood River, Ore. and
was told he would never be able to play football
again. But his innate and natural tenacity and zeal
helped him overcome this infirmity. During the
following year, while attending Western Oregon
College, Fred joined 12 other Baker City boys play
ing the game he loved.
He married Tammy Peters in 1987 and was
blessed with a son, Tyler Dylan, in 1989. He had a
successful career at Oregon Steel Mill. Eventually
he left the mill and pursued yet another career that
enabled him to travel the world.
Fred was noted as a pioneer in thermal remedia
tion services and utilized his expertise on six of the
seven continents of the world, working in a mini
mum of 35 countries. Fred was an expert at taking
waste materials - contaminated sand, soil, and
marshlands - and creating beneficial products.
Everywhere Fred worked he left a positive im
pression on those with whom he came in contact.
Although he met many people of notoriety he al
ways remained humble.
No matter where or with whom he worked, Fred’s
greatest pleasure at the end of the day was con
necting with his son Tyler. Tyler had several op
portunities to work abroad with his father. Fred
loved his family and made every effort to come
the Sand", part of which reads: "Lord, you said
that once I decided-to follow you, You would walk
with me all the way; But I have noticed that during
the most troublesome times in my life, There is
only one set of footprints. I don't understand why
in times when I needed you the most, you should
leave me. The Lord replied, ‘My precious, precious
child. I love you, and I would never, never leave
you during your times of trial and suffering. When
you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that
I carried you.’ ”
Rick’s most memorable tim^s in his life included
not only the birth of his son as mentioned earlier,
but ajso his grandchildren. He relished Thanks
giving dinner, Christmas, and birthdays. Rick will
always be remembered for his kind heart.
Survivors include his son Richard Lee Whitmore;
mother Mary Clark; sister Anna and brother-in-
law Michael Clark; grandchildren Erika and
Logan; nephews Dex and Alex; nieces Brezzy and
Kanee; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Rick was preceded in death by his father David;
sisters Debbie and Sue; grandparents Glenn and
Edna Whitmore, and Effen Moreno.
Those who wish to make a memorial donation in
memory of Rick may do so to help defray expenses
incurred at time of death through Tami's Pine Vai-
ley Funeral Home & Cremation Services, P.O. Box
543, Halfway, Ore. 97834. Online condolences
may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneral-
home.com.
and sewing.
In 1991, Ada moved with Diane to Baker. City
where she resided for her remaining years.
Ada was loved immensely by her family and
friends and will be greatly missed. Family and
friends were Ada's passion and delight. Ada was
known and admired for her warm and welcoming
demeanor as well as her .cheerful attitude toward
life.
She was preceded in death by her husband Wes
Clark and brother Virgil Grover.
Survivors include a son Gary Clark and his wife
Adele of Damascus, Ore.; daughter Diane Aichele
of Baker City; granddaughter Amber Arritola and
her husband Martin of Haines; grandson Cody
Aichele of Happy Valley, Ore.; a grandson Jeff
Clark of Durango, Colo.; a sister-in-law Dulcina
Grover of Canby, Ore.; two sisters, Darlene
Cravens and Charlene Pitcher of the Seattle, Wash,
area; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the
Bread of Life Food Bank in Baker City through
Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey
Ave., Baker City, Ore. 97814.
and enjoyed the outdoors.
Bill is suryiyed by his three daughters. Kortni En-
gerson of La Grande, Rebecca Owen of Pennsylva
nia, and Rachel Owen of New Jersey; sister Dawn
Reynolds of Las Vegas, Nev.; and half brother Dave
Noble of Baker City.
He is preceded in death by parents Ed and Iris
Owen; sisters Jewel Owen Anderson, Sandra Owen
Black, and Rita Owen; and son Kristofer Owen.
Those wishing to make memorial contributions
in memory of Bill may make them to the Northeast ‘
Oregon Compassion Center through Gray's West
& Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.,
Baker City, Ore. 97814.
home for the holidays.
Eventually, Fred decided to leave his work abroad
and to enjoy his favorite part of the world, Hood
River, Ore., where he could spend more time with
his family. He was very happy with his last two
jobs, working at NCS Orchard and at Valley Ag in
Parkdale, Ore. He mentioned more than once that
it was God’s country, with the beautiful view every
morning of Mount Hood.
It was here in Hood River that he reconnected
with a childhood friend, Jani Creighton, of Pasco,
Wash., on Facebook, and fell in love. He enjoyed
spending as much time as he could with her. It was
through her and her involvement with Camp Pa
triot that he signed up and did a virtual run of 5K
as a fundraiser on July 4.
Fred’s love for the outdoors included crabbing at
the Oregon Coast, kayaking, golfing, camping, and
jumping off the bridge at Laurence Lake. He spent
his evenings reading and listening to the world
news on the radio. Fred had a passion for sturgeon
fishing with family and friends and the never-end
ing quest of catching a keeper!
Fred is survived by his son, Tyler; siblings Kip
Taylor of Kentucky, and Kim Cantrell (Tim) and
Jackie Heck (Dave) of Hood River; nephews Zach
Cantrell (Rana) of Post Falls, Idaho and Chuck
Cantrell (Karrie) of Parkdale, Ore.; nieces Sarah
Muenzer (Chad) of Parkdale, Ore., Nicole Taylor
of Douglas, Wyo., Ashley Murillo (Fernando), An
drea Heck, and Mindy Greco (Tommy) of Rock
Hill, S.C., and Katie Taylor of Bend, Ore.; great
nephews Danny McKaig, Cody Cantrell, Chad
Muenzer, Jr., Mitchell and Caden Hatfield, and
Aiden and Chaz Greco; and great-nieces Natasha
and Sierra Muenzer, Kyli Cantrell, Chloe and Bri-
ana Cantrell, and Hailee Heck.
He was preceded in death by his father Frederick
Cranston Schmidt; mother Jayne Christjansen;
stepfather John Christjansen; grandmothers
Maude Cranston Ellis, Nell Colton Grant, and
Geraldine McCracken; and grandfather Thomas
Grant.
A Celebration of Life was held at 3 p.m. Sunday,
July 12, 2015 at Hood River Valley Christian
Church, 975 Indian Creek Road, Hood River, Ore.
with a reception following.
Donations in his memory may be made to Ander
son’s Tribute Center to assist family with funeral
expenses.
Arrangements are under the direction of Ander
son’s Tribute Center, 401 Belmont Ave., Hood
River, Ore. 97031; 541-386-1000. Please visit an-
dersonstributecenter.com to leave a note of condo
lence for the family.
Death & Service Notices
Donald "Pat" Paterson, Sr., 84, of Richland/New Bridge,
Ore., died on July 8,2015 while visiting at his son's home in
Keizer, Ore.. A Memorial Service with military honors will
be held on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the New
Bridge Nazarene Church in New Bridge, Ore. Friends are in
vited to join the family for a potluck reception to be held im
mediately following the service at the New Bridge Grange.
Those who wish to make a memorial donation in memory
of Pat may do so to the Eagle Valley EMT Training fund
through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation
Services, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, Ore. 97834. Online con
dolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneral-
home.com.
Alton "Tom" Dennis, 81, former Richland resident, later of
Baker City died at his home on July 9, 2015. A Memorial
Service with military honors will be held on Friday, July 24,
2015 at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Club, 2005 Valley
in Baker City, Ore. Those who wish to make a donation in
memory of Tom may do so to Halfway POST #7847 through
Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services,
P.O. Box 543, Halfway, Ore. 97834. Online condolences
may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
soccer,
baseball,
and soft
ball.
He
loved tak
ing
the
boys hunt
ing, fish
ing, and
riding the
Honda
Alfred L.
“Pete” Srack
Aug. 1932 — July 2015
Retired 1st. Sgt. Alfred L. "Pete"
Srack, 82, of Baker City was
called home July 9, 2015 in
Boise, Idaho. A memorial service
will be held at 2 p.m., Friday,
July 17, 2015 at the National
Guard Armory in Baker City.
Pastor Lennie Spooner of the
First Church Of The Nazarene
will officiate.
Pete was bom Aug. 6,1932 to
Lee and Minnie Estes Srack in
Baker City. He was a 1950 grad
uate of Baker High School. He
was involved with football and
basketball in his high school
years. He was ASB president his
senior year.
In 1951, after high school, Pete
enlisted in the service, serving
for nine years. After regular
service, he enlisted into the Ore
gon Army National Guard for 30
years, retiring as a 1st Sergeant.
Pete worked for the Oregon
Lumber Company then moved
on to the Baker City Fire Depart
ment. Later he went to work for
Baker City Public Works as water
foreman and sexton at the ceme
tery until his retirement.
Pete was a very gracious per
son, never met a stranger, and
always greeted you with a polite
handshake. He had the upmost
respect for his fellow soldiers
and people in general.
Pete was president of the Little
League/Babe Ruth Association.
He loved to umpire the baseball
and softball games. Not always
did the coaches, players, and
parents agree with his calls but
he called them for both teams
the same way. Very seldom did
anyone question his calls.
Pete met his wife Carol at a
bowling tournament.
They
started dating and later married
on the June 3, 1983 in Reno,
Nev. They had a son, Joshua Lee
"Josh" Srack. Pete and Carol cel
ebrated 32 years of marriage this
last June.
Pete loved spending time
watching old movies and talking
about old times with his sister
and other people. Pete tried to be
active in the activities of his boys
and grandchildren. He loved
watching high school football,
basketball, and boys’ and girls’
90s.
Pete, Carol, and Josh loved to
camp in places that Pete had
never been to: places like
Imanha, Cove Pallasides (Lake
Billie Chinook), and the Oregon
Coast.
Pete, Carol, and his mother-
and father-in-law traveled to
several bowling tournaments
that Pete had never been to, in
places like Clarkston, Wash., Las
Vegas and Reno, Nev., Portland,
Ore., and several other locations.
Pete, Carol and Josh had one of
the most awesome fishing trips
when they went sturgeon fishing
for the first time.
Pete received several awards
from the Oregon Army National
Guard along with the Family ’
Readiness Program and ESGR.
There was a little side joke with
his granddaughter MacKenize,
mailing his false teeth to her
once she graduated from dental
school. So once she moved to
start her new job, she sent her
grandpa Pete her address so he
could mail his teeth to her.
Pete is survived by his wife,
Carol; oldest son Dan and his
wife Kim; granddaughter MacK
enize; grandson Kyle, his middle
son Doug, and wife Denise Plaza;
grandson Erik Plaza; grandson
Andrew Srack, his youngest son
Josh, and his fiancée Michelle
(to be married July 25); in-laws;
sisters- and bothers-in-law;
nieces; nephews; cousins; class
mates of 1950; and many close
friends.
He is preceded in death by his
parents; grandparents; two sis
ters; a nephew; and other rela
tives.
Memorial Contributions may
be made to the Baker High
School Baseball program, Baker
High School Basketball program
or to Coles Tribute Center to as
sist with funeral expenses. All
contributions may be made
through Coles Tribute Center,
1950 Place Street, Baker City,
Ore. 97814.
HER EYES
WILL BLUR
ITABOR
JEWELERS
1913 Main St. • Baker City • 541-524-1999