Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2020)
2A — BAKER CITY HERALD MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020 O BITUARIES Betty Rouse Baker City, 1936-2020 B AKER C OUNTY C ALENDAR TUESDAY, JAN. 21 ■ Elkhorn Community Preparedness: 5:30 p.m. supper; 6:30 p.m. meeting; at the Sunridge Inn Restaurant, 1 Sunridge Lane. ■ Baker City Council: Special meeting to hear the Verizon appeal, 6 p.m.,Council Chambers at City Hall, 1655 First St. FRIDAY, JAN. 24 ■ Live Music by Keith Taylor: Ragtime piano, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, 2020 Auburn Ave.; no charge; continues most Fridays. TUESDAY, JAN. 28 ■ Baker City Council: 7 p.m., City Hall, 1655 First St. MONDAY, FEB. 3 ■ Haines Fire Protection District Board: 6 p.m. at the Haines Library. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5 ■ Baker County Board of Commissioners: 9 a.m., Courthouse, 1995 Third St. FRIDAY, FEB. 7 ■ First Friday Art Shows: Baker City art galleries are open late to showcase the month’s new artwork; opening times vary between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. T URNING B ACK THE P AGES 50 YEARS AGO from the Democrat-Herald January 20, 1970 NEW YORK — The sound of wedding bells will be heard more often in Baker County from now on. This is evident in the sharp increase in the number of young people who will be in the age bracket in which most marriages take place. 25 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald January 20, 1995 SUMPTER — The Elkhorn Crest Sled Dog Races are planned Saturday and Sunday. “Mushers” from throughout the West will compete in the event sponsored by the Sumpter Merchants Asso- ciation, Sumpter Valley Days Association and Sumpter Snowmobile Club. 10 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald January 20, 2010 State wildlife offi cials shot and killed an emaciated adult cougar earlier this month after the cougar killed a dog in the yard of a home near Durkee. The female cougar weighed 60 pounds. ONE YEAR AGO from the Baker City Herald January 21, 2019 The campaign to aid Baker County’s struggling sage grouse population has received a nearly $2 million boost. And that might just be the start of a multimillion-dollar effort to not only protect the chicken-size bird but also to improve the condition of rangeland, much of it privately owned, across the county. The $1.7 million award from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, approved last week, is the fi rst in- stallment in a planned $6.2 million from the Board, which receives its money from the Oregon Lottery, over the next six years. Local offi cials also hope to use the state money to lever- age federal grants and other sources that could make available several million dollars more to combat invasive weeds, deal with predators and do other work to aid sage grouse recovery, said Mark Bennett, a Baker County com- missioner and a member of the governor’s sage grouse council. O REGON L OTTERY MEGABUCKS, Jan. 18 11 — 17 — 34 — 39 — 42 — 46 Next jackpot: $1.8 million POWERBALL, Jan. 18 20 — 24 — 38 — 56 — 68 PB 18 Next jackpot: $343 million MEGA MILLIONS, Jan. 17 3 — 25 — 30 — 54 — 70 Mega 9 Next jackpot: $116 million WIN FOR LIFE, Jan. 18 11 — 48 — 55 — 62 PICK 4, Jan. 19 • 1 p.m.: 9 — 7 — 7 — 4 • 4 p.m.: 0 — 9 — 7 — 4 • 7 p.m.: 9 — 7 — 5 — 5 • 10 p.m.: 1 — 6 — 6 — 6 LUCKY LINES, Jan. 19 4-5-10-14-17-23-27-31 Next jackpot: $19,000 S ENIOR M ENUS ■ TUESDAY: Chicken-fried chicken, potatoes and gravy, mixed vegetables, biscuit, cottage cheese with fruit, brownie ■ WEDNESDAY: Pork fi let mignon, parslied red potatoes, succotash, roll, coleslaw, peach crisp Elizabeth Marian “Betty” Rouse, 83, of Baker City, died Jan. 16, 2020, at Settler’s Park Assisted Living Com- munity. A visitation will be Friday, Jan. 24, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Cha- Betty pel, 1500 Dewey Rouse Ave. Recitation of the rosary will be Friday at 6 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral. Father Suresh Kumar Telagani will offi ciate. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery after the service. Friends are invited to a reception in the Parish Hall at the church after the inter- ment. All are welcome. Betty was born on Aug. 17, 1936, at Baker, the second of three children to Lloyd and Elizabeth (Holland) Izatt. She, her older brother, Mariner, and younger sister, Eleanor “Ellie,” were raised on a ranch in the McE- wen Valley, near the ranch of Lloyd’s sister Ellen (Izatt) Defrees and her husband, Albert Defrees. She had many fond memories of riding horseback during World War II to the McEwen School and all over the ranch as a child. She also used to talk about all the practical jokes she and her siblings would play on the hired hands that worked on the ranch. Her father, Lloyd, died unexpectedly in 1942 and her mother ran the ranch through the end of the war. It was tough for a young widow with three little children, and a shortage of ranch hands, to keep the place running well. So in 1946 Elizabeth sold the ranch to Dan Warnock and moved everyone into Baker. Betty went through the rest of her schooling in Baker and graduated from Baker High School in 1953. She at- tended Eastern Oregon State College, now Eastern Oregon University, and graduated with an associate degree in business in 1955. She then went to work at Baker High School as a secretary in the offi ce for a couple of years. While attending Baker High School she met Michael Joseph Rouse. Michael and Betty were married on July 7, 1956, at the St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Baker. They went on to have three sons, Michael, Jeffery and Timothy, and a daughter, Michelle, which kept her very busy cooking, cleaning, and just being a mom. Her hus- band Michael died suddenly in April 1996, just a little over two months short of their 40th wedding anniversary. Betty worked for Pioneer Bank for close to 20 years until Sterling Bank bought it out in 2007, and she enjoyed working there. She always talked about how much she liked working there. “It was easy to go to work when you’re working with nice people,” she said. Betty always enjoyed gardening and especially her love of high quality registered roses. She would spend hours pruning and caring for her roses. Survivors include her children, Michael, Timothy, and Michelle Rouse-Lien; her father’s half-brother, Profes- sor Reed Izatt; her cousin, Lyle Defrees; her grandchil- dren, Melissa Rouse, Nick Lien, Chris Lien, Caitlin Rouse-Anderson, Ryan Rouse and Whitney Rouse, and her great-granddaughter, Evelyn St. Mars, all of Vancouver, Washington; her nieces, Kelly Charlton and Betsy Charlton- Powell of Sauvie Island; and her cousin, Ken Holland of Portland. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd and Elizabeth; her husband, Michael; her brother, Mariner; her sister, “Ellie” Charlton; her son, Jeffery; and her nephew, Paul Izatt. The family would like to thank Betty’s in-home care- givers, the staff at Settler’s Park and the doctors at Saint Alphonsus for their excep- tional dedication and help for Betty; also, longtime friends and neighbors, Bob and Mari- lyn Harrison; and the Defrees family for all they have done. The family suggests memo- rial contributions to the St. Francis de Sales Cathedral Boiler Fund through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. To light a candle for Betty or to leave a condolence for her family, go to www.grays westco.com Gary Lair Haines, 1954-2020 Gary Lair, 65, of Haines, died Jan. 17, 2020. A celebration of Gary’s life, and a potluck luncheon (meat to be provided) will take place Gary Lair Saturday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. at the Baker City Christian Church, 675 Highway 7. Gary was born on April 15, 1954, at Caldwell, Idaho. His parents, Cliff and Virginia, moved to Emmett, Idaho, where he grew up with broth- ers, Kenny and Lonnie, and sister, Judy. He spent his sum- mers back in Caldwell, help- ing his Uncle Lawrence on his ranch. Gary attended school, and graduated from Emmett High School in 1973. Fulfi lling a lifelong dream to cowboy, Gary then went to work for a ranch at Midvale, Idaho. It was on a trip home where he met Suzanne (Suzi) Johnson, the love of his life. They were married on Dec. 10, 1977, at Emmett. Gary spent a short time at the Boise Cascade mill. During this time, Gary and Suzi were blessed with a son, Shane. Gary loved the ranch- ing lifestyle, and wanting to raise Shane a’horseback surrounded by cattle and open range, they took their fi rst ranch job as a family at Bruneau, Idaho. From there, their life’s journey took them to Northern Nevada and back to Eastern Oregon. They fell in love with this area and have called it home ever since. Gary and Suzi spent many years working side by side. One of Gary’s favorite seasons was calving time, heifers especially. Of course, brand- ing time was also an annual highlight, as Gary enjoyed getting caught up with the other ranching families and soaking in the camaraderie, stories and laughter. Gary was a tease, known for his wide mustachioed grin, and you knew he took a liking to you if you were a target of his teasing. Gary was especially proud of Shane. Shane has a way with animals, and Gary loved to watch him show his cattle. Later, as Shane took on school and a career as a helicopter mechanic, Gary was fi lled with pride for the life his son had built. Gary loved his family. When Shane married, Erin became the daughter Gary al- ways wanted. He hardly ever spoke of her as a daughter-in- law, but as a daughter. Then his heart would never be the same when his fi rst grand- daughter, Audrey, joined the world. He thought his heart was full, but he was proven wrong when God blessed him with another granddaughter, Brooke. He loved to take them camping, watch them ride, and have them loud and busy around the house. Gary enjoyed packing into the mountains. He and Suzi would pack in to the Eagle Caps for a week or more. He loved the mountains and fi shing in the high mountain lakes. After a few years, they purchased a camp trailer and started camping and fi shing in a new way. These trips took them to the Oregon Coast, and the Deschutes and Wilson rivers. The trailer also regularly held two precious granddaughters on many adventures. Shane and Erin, along with Logan Kerns, blessed him with a trip to Alaska in 2018. He enjoyed deep sea fi shing for halibut, and salmon fi shing the rivers. Most of all, he loved paus- ing to take in the majestic landscape of a state he always dreamed of exploring, with some of his favorite people. Gary loved Eastern Oregon, the country and the people. He considered so many in the valley part of his family, and he cherished time spent with each. John Wooden said that “the truest test of a man’s character is what he does when no one ISSN-8756-6419 Serving Baker County since 1870 Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays except Christmas Day by the Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media Group, at 1668 Resort St. (P.O. Box 807), Baker City, OR 97814. Subscription rates per month are: $10.80; by mail $12.50. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker City, OR 97814. Periodicals Postage Paid at Baker City, Oregon 97814 Richland 1924-2020 Walt Forsea, 95, a longtime Eagle Valley resident, died Jan. 16, 2020, at his home. A graveside service with military honors will take place on Friday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. at the Eagle Val- ley Cemetery Walt in Richland. Forsea Friends are invited to join the family for a reception at the Eagle Valley Grange after the interment. On Sunday, June 28, 2020, “Walt’s Birthday” — a celebration of Walt’s life, will take place at the Eagle Valley Grange Park. More details will be announced as the date draws near. Walter John Forsea was born on June 28, 1924, at Home, Oregon, on the Snake River to Blanche and Dan Forsea Sr. and delivered by “Mom” Basche. He was raised in a family of fi ve siblings: Harold, Bob, Margaret, Walt and Pearl. Walt attended the Park Creek School, a one-room school on the Snake River, for grades 1-8. At age 6 or 7 he rode to school on a horse. His teacher drove a Model A and often stayed with the family while teaching. At one point he was the only student his age at the school. For high school Walt came to Richland and stayed with a family to attend school, which is now the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Walt graduated in 1941 at age 16, a class of 15 students. He also lettered in football. See Obituaries/Page 3A 225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com Baker Dental Group would like to welcome Dr. Brandon Snow to their General Dental practice. Dr. Tod Chandler will be retiring in February and 1668 Resort St. Open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone: 541-523-3673 Copyright © 2020 Fax: 541-833-6414 Regional publisher Christopher Rush crush@eomediagroup.com Publisher Karrine Brogoitti kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver. com Jayson Jacoby, editor jjacoby@bakercityherald.com Advertising email ads@bakercityherald.com Classifi ed email classified@bakercityherald.com Circulation email circ@bakercityherald.com Walt Forsea “Youʼll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $4.50 donation (60 and older), $6.75 for those under 60. C ONTACT THE H ERALD is watching.” Everyone who knew him would tell you that Gary embodied genuine and solid character. There are also many stories to tell when people were watching, so immediately following the celebration of his life, there will be an opportunity to do something he enjoyed most of all: share stories and a meal with his family and friends. Not one for “goodbyes,” he told Suzi, “see you later,” and he “would have a horse waiting for you in Heaven!” Survivors include his wife, Suzi; his son, Shane (Erin); his granddaughters, Audrey and Brooke; his mother, Virginia; his brothers, Kenny (Gloria) and Lonnie; and his sister, Judy Eisenbarth (Corey). He was preceded in death by his dad, Cliff Lair. The family suggests memo- rial contributions to either Heart ’N Home Hospice (Opal Foundation), Rachel Center, or MSTI in Fruitland, Idaho, (Cancer Institute) through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Ser- vices, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online condo- lences may be made at www. tamispinevalleyfuneralhome. com Brandon was born and raised in Boulder City, Nevada, a small town outside University where he met and married Jill Richards of Baker City. The couple University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine in 2016. For the past 3 1/2 years they have been in Fruitland, Idaho while Brandon has worked for Valley Family Health Care in Ontario and Nyssa. They are excited to be moving to Baker City with their family to a community that they love. News of Record on Page 3A
