2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020
O BITUARIES
Garland Wright
years in the service, seeing
action in WWII and Korea,
Garland Earl Wright, 96, he finally decided it was
of Baker City, died on July
time to come home to Baker
29, 2020, at his home.
and settle down.
At his request, no services
Gar and his wife adopted a
will be held. A
boy, Larry, and a girl, Ginny.
private inurn-
The children were educated
ment in the
here in Baker. Gar worked
Veterans Sec-
for The Oregon Lumber Co.
tion at Mount
and then started working
Hope Cemetery
for the Post Offi ce as a mail
will take place
carrier. A Post Offi ce clerk
Garland
soon.
position came open, so he
Wright
Gar, as he
gave up the letter carrier
is known, was
position. He began in the old
born on May 25, 1924, at
Post Offi ce and then moved
home on Orchard Street in
over to the new Post Offi ce
Baker City to Earl and Julia in the federal building. Gar
Wright. Earl and Julia had
worked for the Post Offi ce for
moved from Ione to Baker;
23 years. He also worked for
Earl worked in the offi ce of
the Baker Fire Department.
the Sumpter Valley Railroad.
Gar lived in many places,
Gar remembers his father
including Irrigon, Klamath
and an uncle getting wood
Falls and Pendleton, but he
up at Tipton. They would
considers Baker City home.
bring it home and split and
Fishing was his passion,
stack it in the basement.
and the only thing that will
The only problem with
stop him from fishing is the
that was that come spring,
wind!
water would often flood that
Gar is proud of his four
basement, and the firewood grandchildren scattered
would end up getting soaked. from Nevada to Oregon and
Gar grew up in Baker,
Seattle — Todd Wright and
attending South Baker
his wife, Tiffany, Stepha-
Elementary and was in the nie Wright and her fiance,
second class to graduate
Philip, Jodi Hall and her
from the new Baker Middle husband, Jeremy, and Seth
School. He attended Baker
Bennett. He has numerous
High School, graduating in
great-grandchildren.
1942.
Gar is also survived by his
Soon, Gar received a let-
daughter, Ginny.
ter from “Uncle Sam.” He
Gar was preceded in death
decided that rather than
by his parents, Earl and
waiting to be called up, he
Julia Wright; his brothers,
would enlist in the Army.
Wendel, Guy and Kenneth;
Gar spent the next three
his son, Larry Dean Wright;
years serving all over the
and his great-granddaugh-
South Pacific, New Guinea, ter, Kendrick Wright.
Philippines, and Japan. He
A special thanks to Rich-
was in Tokyo Bay during
ard and Cheryl Gushman
the signing of the Japanese and Jeff Young for the love
Instrument of Surrender
and support for Dad.
on the USS Missouri. The
The family requests no
Missouri left the next day,
flowers or cards, but if you
but Gar and the remaining
want to donate, support
liberating forces stayed as a your local friends and family
part of the occupying forces. during this country’s current
One of their tasks was to
crisis.
clear the Bay and open it up
To light a candle in
for ship traffi c.
memory of Gar or to leave a
Gar was able to be home
condolence for his family, go
in Baker for Christmas in
to www.colestributecenter.
1946 and joined the Navy in com
April of 1947.
He was stationed in Asto- Matthew Coote
ria but then was able to sail La Grande, 1989-2020
Matthew Carter Coote, 31,
the world. He visited many
countries around the Medi- of La Grande, died on July
10, 2020.
terranean and the South
It is anticipated that a cel-
Pacific. Gar recalls the whole
ebration of life service will
ship being quarantined in
take place on April 10, 2021,
Gibraltar. They were close
at the Becker Family Sale
enough to Gibraltar that
Barn at the Eastern Oregon
he could see it was overrun
Livestock Show Grounds in
with monkeys. After eight
Baker City, 1924-2020
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
August 8, 1970
Work crews have been preparing classrooms at the
vacant St. Francis Academy this week for occupancy by
public school third grade students this fall.
J.R. Evans, 5-J School District superintendent, said
today he expects nearly 220 students to occupy the eight
classrooms being prepared.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
August 8, 1995
Monday morning’s rain storm cooled, but didn’t extin-
guish, the Crawfi sh prescribed natural fi re.
Fire experts expect the 295-acre fi re to be quiet for the
next week to 10 days, but say it could reawaken if hot, dry
weather returns this month and persists into September.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
August 9, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new mer-
cury emissions limits could force Ash Grove Cement Co.,
one of Baker County’s larger private employers, to close
the plant near Durkee that employs 116 people.
The EPA’s new rules, announced this morning, do not
include the subcategory that Ash Grove offi cials had
asked for.
The subcategory, which Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore.,
had also endorsed, acknowledges that the limestone Ash
Grove processes at the Durkee factory contains higher-
than-average amounts of mercury.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
August 9, 2019
Firefi ghters had an assist from the weather Thursday as
they battled four lightning-sparked blazes in Baker City’s
watershed.
The coolest temperatures in more than two weeks,
along with higher humidities and occasional rain, helped
crews stifl e fi res in the section of the Elkhorn Mountains,
about 10 miles west of town, where the city obtains its
drinking water.
A potent lightning storm Wednesday night ignited the
fi res. The largest, in the headwaters of Elk Creek near the
southern boundary of the 10,000-acre watershed, burned
about 5 acres.
The three other fi res were all about one-tenth of an
acre. Two started near Marble Point, at the watershed’s
western edge, and the third was near the eastern bound-
ary of the watershed above Washington Gulch.
Firefi ghters were assisted Thursday by helicopters that
dropped water on the Elk Creek fi re, said Michelle Owen,
the city’s public works director.
“The Forest Service responded with resources and got
on it right away,” Owen said. “It’s a little bit scary, but they
spent a lot of hours on it. And yes, the weather cooper-
ated. We couldn’t have had better weather.”
City offi cials have for decades feared that a major fi re
in the watershed would foul the streams and springs with
ash and mud, forcing the city to build a fi ltration plant that
likely would cost more than $10 million.
The city adds chlorine to disinfect its water, and since
2014, the year after cryptosporidium in the water sickened
hundreds of people, the city has also bombarded the wa-
ter with UV light to inactivate the microscopic parasite.
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, Aug. 5
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POWERBALL, Aug. 5
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MEGA MILLIONS, Aug. 4
2 — 22 — 30 — 42 — 62
Mega
20
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WIN FOR LIFE, Aug. 5
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PICK 4, Aug. 6
• 1 p.m.: 4 — 6 — 1 — 6
• 4 p.m.: 7 — 2 — 4 — 8
• 7 p.m.: 4 — 5 — 7 — 7
• 10 p.m.: 0 — 2 — 4 — 8
LUCKY LINES, Aug. 6
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Next jackpot: $31,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY (Aug. 10): Beef pot roast, parslied red potatoes,
carrots, biscuit, pea-and-onion salad, peach crisp
■ TUESDAY (Aug. 11): Swedish meatballs over fettuccine,
mixed vegetables, bread, gelatin with fruit, bread pudding
■ WEDNESDAY ( Aug. 12): Boneless chicken breast with
cream gravy, rice pilaf, green beans, bread, carrot-raisin
salad, cinnamon rolls
■ THURSDAY (Aug. 13): Meatloaf, potatoes and gravy,
broccoli-blend vegetables, roll, fruit ambrosia, sherbet
■ FRIDAY (AUG. 14): Baked cod, cup of clam chowder, roll,
coleslaw, lemon bar
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, under
60. Meals must be picked up; there is no dining on site.
C ONTACT THE H ERALD
1668 Resort St.
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
Fax: 541-833-6414
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
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ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays 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:
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$12.50.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker
City, OR 97814.
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Copyright © 2020
Union to allow
Matthew’s
friends and
family to all
share memories
and celebrate
Matthew
his life.
Coote
Matthew was
born on March
17, 1989, at La Grande. A
native of the Grande Ronde
Valley, Matthew lived all of
his short but full life in the
same home. From the day
he was brought home from
the hospital by his parents,
John Edward Coote and
Anne C. (Verbout) Coote, he
was blessed to be raised in a
place he truly loved. Wheth-
er it was pursuing his pas-
sion of farming or playing in
the hills and streams that
bountifully surround us,
Matthew loved the Eastern
Oregon way of life.
All who knew Matthew
at any stage of his life were
met with a kindhearted,
gentle soul. Even as a
youngster at Island City
Elementary, Matthew was
always considerate of and
a good friend to others. As
a youth he participated in
all types of sports. Matthew
enjoyed the camaraderie
sports provided. He cher-
ished his friendships.
His early years found
him developing a love for
animals. In addition to
owning many different pets
throughout his life, Matthew
enjoyed raising sheep and
Registered Angus cattle. He
excelled in preparing his
animals for 4-H competi-
tions at the Eastern Oregon
Livestock Show and Union
County Fair, as well as other
junior show competitions.
Whether it was friends or
animals, Matthew always
put the needs of others
ahead of himself. He was a
loyal and loving young man.
Matthew embraced his
new blended family at the
age of 11 when his father
married his second mother,
Joni Lequerica. Matthew
felt blessed to have two
new siblings, Cale and Cali
Wetstein. Matthew relished
the opportunities to share
life with new friends. He
was reared in love by all of
his family.
After graduating from La
Grande High School in 2007,
Matthew worked the land
he loved making hay and
planting crops. He started
with Tony Hamann at a
young age and worked most
of his adult life at Hamann
Farms. His passion to farm
embodied many of the
things that brought him joy.
He loved the outdoors and
the satisfaction of nurturing
the growth of crops. He was
skilled at welding and had
a good working knowledge
of mechanics. He could fi x
anything at any time.
When work gave way for
a moment to play, Matthew
could be found enjoying
another passion his father
had introduced him to in
fi shing. He became skilled
at fl y-fi shing with encour-
agement from his mother.
Along with friends and his
dogs Murphy or Boss by his
side, he would hit the riv-
ers, streams and lakes that
are abundant in our area.
He enjoyed cooking — par-
ticularly ribs, brisket and
anything that required grill-
ing and smoking. Matthew’s
good nature was always fun
to be around or with.
Matthew will be remem-
bered as always smiling.
He always put others at
ease with his caring and
compassionate nature. At
every stage of life he demon-
strated an innate ability to
connect with others and be
a friend.
Matthew is survived
by his parents: his father,
John Edward Coote and
stepmother, Joni Lequerica
of La Grande; his mother,
Anne (Verbout) Coote of La
Grande; his stepsiblings,
Cale Wetstein of Orlando,
Florida, and Cali Wetstein
of Vancouver, Washington;
his grandmother, Marilyn
Friedrich of Portland; and
several aunts, uncles and
cousins.
He was preceded in death
by his three grandparents,
Edward and Francis Coote
and Alphonso Verbout.
The Coote family would
welcome and appreciate
any memories or re-telling
of Matthew’s stories. Those
may be posted online at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.
com.
Additionally, the family is
pursuing the establishment
of a memorial scholarship
fund through the Union 4-H
association. In lieu of fl ow-
ers, tax-deductible memorial
donations can be made to
Union County 4-H Associa-
tion, Memo: Matthew Coote
Memorial, 10507 N. McAli-
ster Road, La Grande, OR
97850.
N EWS OF R ECORD
FUNERALS PENDING
Walt Saunders: There will be
traditional funeral, with military
honors, at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug.
10, at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in
Richland. Memorial contributions
may be made to the Hilary Bonn
Benevolent Fund through Tami’s
Pine Valley Funeral Home and
Cremation Services, P.O. Box 543,
Halfway, OR 97834. Online con-
dolences may be made at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com
Mary Morin: There will be a
graveside service/dedication at
11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at Mount
Hope Cemetery in Baker City.
Arrangements are under the direc-
tion of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services. On-
line condolences may be shared at
www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome
.com
Ken Grafham Sr.: His memo-
rial service initially scheduled for
August has been canceled due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. In place
of a memorial service, family and
friends may watch a video memo-
rial service by going to www.
grayswestco.com
Raelene Florene Maddox:
Her memorial service will take
place Sept. 5 at 11 a.m. at Gray’s
West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500
Dewey Ave., with Pastor Lennie
Spooner of the Baker City Naza-
rene Church offi ciating. To light a
candle for Raelene, or to leave a
condolence for her family, go to
www.grayswestco.com
Baker City Police
AGGRAVATED FIRST-DEGREE
THEFT, SECOND-DEGREE BUR-
GLARY (three counts), SECOND-
DEGREE CRIMINAL MISCHIEF
and POSSESSION OF BURGLARY
TOOLS: Christopher Alan Griffi th,
27, of Baker City, 2:24 p.m.
Wednesday, at jailed.
SECOND-DEGREE DISOR-
DERLY CONDUCT: Loren Dean
Alexander Prevo, 27, of Baker City,
10:38 p.m. Wednesday, at East
Street and Auburn Avenue; cited
and released.
SECOND-DEGREE CRIMINAL
TRESPASSING: Matthew Wayne
Frost, 33, of Baker City, 2:32 a.m.
Thursday, on Campbell Street;
cited and released.
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Baker
County Justice Court warrant and
out-of-county warrant): Andrew
Jay Culley, 30, of Baker City, 12:17
p.m. Tuesday, on Cedar Street;
cited and released.
Baker County Sheriff
SECOND-DEGREE CRIMINAL
TRESPASSING (Baker County
Justice Court warrant): Adam Troy
Shelton, 47, of 2609 14th St., 11:30
a.m. Wednesday, at 14th and A
streets; cited and released.
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POLICE LOG
Joan Bates
#90
From your family
Josie and Frank Hermann,
Frank and Riza Bates, Erin and
Dan Justus and Bill Hermann.