2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020
O BITUARIES
Gay Laverty
Baker City, 1929-2020
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
October 31, 1970
HALFWAY — Every time the Pine-Eagle Spartans got
their hands on the football in the fi rst quarter they scored
against the Prairie City Panthers at Halfway yesterday.
Pine-Eagle rolled over Prairie City 55-0.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
October 31, 1995
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative is offering a $5,000 re-
ward for information leading to the arrest and conviction
of the person or people who damaged power lines near
the Grey Eagle Mine Wednesday and cut power to about
450 customers.
The vandal or vandals shot insulators and sparked a fi re
on a pole on the main power line near the old sand pit at
the foot of Flagstaff Hill, according to OTEC.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
November 1, 2010
Baker City Police offi cers are asking the public to help
identify the vandals who spray-painted graffi ti on the
Baker High School building and track Thursday night.
School offi cials discovered the damage Friday morning,
Police Chief Wyn Lohner said today. There was no school
for students Friday, which was designated as a grading/
prep day for teachers.
“Most of the graffi ti and spray paint had to do with La
Grande High School and the La Grande Tigers,” Lohner
said.
The Bulldog football team and its fans traveled to La
Grande to play the Tigers in their homecoming game
Friday night.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
October 30, 2019
Luiz Rosales, his face shaded by the brim of a sombre-
ro, gave a shy smile and shook his head.
But soon the chant of “dance!” fi lled the gym at South
Baker Intermediate School and Rosales relented to the
request from his classmates.
Stomping across the fl oor, his spurs accenting each
step, Rosales demonstrated a traditional dance from
Mexico — and soon, in a riot of colorful dresses, he was
joined by Maripaz Gonzalez, Lupita Macias, Glendi Luna,
Maria Guadalupe Rodriguez, and Iriana Rosales.
This is how South Baker celebrates Hispanic Heritage
Month.
The sixth-grade classes have studied Hispanic culture
and traditions in October for several years. This year,
thanks to grants and a partnership with Crossroads
Carnegie Art Center, the school district’s ESL family liaison
Ma’lena Wirth could expand assemblies and end the study
with a community celebration.
That event happens Friday, Nov. 1, to observe Dia de
los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This holiday originated in
Mexico and Central America as a time to remember loved
ones who had passed away.
The Day of the Dead is marked with food, drink, music
and parties. According to National Geographic, “On Dia
de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community,
awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations
with their loved ones.”
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, Oct. 28
6 — 8 — 21 — 27 — 42 — 47
Next jackpot: $3.8 million
POWERBALL, Oct. 28
11 — 28 — 37 — 40 — 53 PB 13
Next jackpot: $127 million
MEGA MILLIONS, Oct. 27
6 — 13 — 34 — 46 — 62
Mega
1
Next jackpot: $118 million
WIN FOR LIFE, Oct. 28
4 — 31 — 41 — 72
PICK 4, Oct. 29
• 1 p.m.: 9 — 9 — 5 — 1
• 4 p.m.: 6 — 0 — 3 — 0
• 7 p.m.: 2 — 6 — 2 — 7
• 10 p.m.: 7 — 6 — 1 — 4
LUCKY LINES, Oct. 29
3-6-12-14-17-22-26-30
Next jackpot: $15,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY: Chicken broccoli Alfredo over fettuccine, mixed
vegetables, biscuit, green salad, cheesecake
■ TUESDAY: Meat lasagna, caulifl ower, breadsticks, carrot-
raisin salad, roll, peach crisp
■ WEDNESDAY: Orange-glazed chicken tender, fried rice,
Asian vegetables, bread, Asian salad, cookies
■ THURSDAY: Sausage gravy over a biscuit, ham, cheese
and egg frittata, hash browns, orange slices, cinnamon roll
■ FRIDAY: Beef pot roast, parslied red potatoes, carrots, roll,
fruit ambrosia, cake
Lunches 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
circ@bakercityherald.com
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:
Baker City (97814), $10.80; all others,
$12.50.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker
City, OR 97814.
Periodicals Postage Paid
at Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Copyright © 2020
Gay Foley Laverty, 91, died
on Oct. 20, 2020, at Settler’s
Park, a senior lifestyle com-
munity in Baker City.
A memorial service will
take place next
summer at
the Clarkston
United Method-
ist Church in
Washington
Gay
when it is safe
Laverty
for everyone to
be together.
Gay was born on June 6,
1929, at Pomeroy, Washing-
ton, to Wayne C. and Isabelle
(Freeburn) Foley.
Gay earned her high school
diploma from Greenleaf
Friends Academy in Idaho
in 1947, earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree at George Fox
College in Newberg in 1952,
and a Bachelor of Science
from Southern Oregon Col-
lege in Ashland in 1955. She
taught second or third grades
in Sherwood from 1957 to
1959, and then applied to
teach overseas with the Air
Force Dependents School on
Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli,
Libya. It was there she met
an airman, Michael Laverty,
who proposed marriage on
their fi rst date. They were
both transferred to Sembach
AFB in West Germany, where
they married in 1961. Their
children were born there,
Kevin in 1962 and Maura in
1965. Gay and Mike returned
to the U.S. in 1965, where
she taught at Klamath Falls
and at Rantoul, Illinois,
before becoming a substitute
teacher at Pope AFB in North
Carolina, and at Clarkston,
Washington.
Gay was raised in the
Friends Church as a Quaker
but later became a Methodist
in 1974, faithfully serving the
Clarkston United Methodist
Church as a Sunday School
teacher, SS Superintendent,
UM Women President, Circle
Chair, and on various com-
mittees.
Gay loved to travel, tak-
ing advantage of teaching
overseas to visit all of the
countries adjacent to where
she taught school, including
France and Italy, the Neth-
erlands, and after retiring
in Clarkston, traveled to
Canada, Ireland, England,
Wales, Japan, and especially
enjoyed the Alpine Europe
trip with George Fox Univer-
sity alumni to see the Passion
Play in Oberammergau,
Germany, in 2010. And of
course, she traveled all over
the United States.
Gay loved God, setting the
example to all how to live as
a Christian and telling the
other residents at Settler’s
Park in Memory Care that
God loved them, and so did
she.
Gay is survived by her
son, Kevin (Angela) of Apollo
Beach, Florida; her daughter,
Maura of Baker City, Oregon;
her sister, Jean Aitken of
Kamiah, Idaho; numerous
grandchildren, great-grand-
children, nieces, nephews,
and extended family mem-
bers.
She was preceded in death
by her husband Mike in
2015; her parents; and her
brothers, Dean, Michael, and
Jack.
In lieu of fl owers, donations
may be made to the charity of
one’s choice in Gay’s memory
through Gray’s West & Co.
Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey
Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Gay left us with this quote:
“It’s been a wonderful life
with opportunities of working
and traveling in a variety of
areas. Meeting interesting
people and making friends
from all walks of life has been
enriching. God has blessed
me with a wonderful family
and friends.”
To leave an online condo-
lence, go to www.grayswestco.
com
land, died on
Oct. 20, 2020, at
Saint Alphon-
sus Regional
Medical Center
in Boise, with
Jim
his family at his
Church
side.
James Clif-
ford Church was born on Oct.
7, 1939, at Baudette, Min-
nesota, to Clark and Zella
(Donnelly) Church. He was
raised and attended school
in Banks, Oregon. Jim joined
the Navy and served from
1956 to 1959.
He met Salina Lee Gilbert
while the two were working
at Vallecito Lake in Colo-
rado. They were married on
Aug. 16, 1964, and had four
children: Thomas, the twins
Linda and Victor, and Angela.
During their growing up
years, the kids would cringe
when they heard their Dad
say, “I’m ready to relax.”
What that really meant was
let’s go weed the garden or
get a load of wood!
Jim worked as a Honda
motorcycle mechanic in Boise
for several years. Then for the
next 36 years he made his
living as a brick mason. His
talent in brick work created
driveways, homes, fi replaces
and hearths.
Jim enjoyed woodworking
and he made amazing things.
He made all of the furni-
ture in their home, shelves,
cupboards, and he made
clocks for many. Out of a
block of wood he would make
candleholders. Jim made a
beautiful jewelry box for Sa-
lina with her name inlaid on
it and not a nail was used. He
was a genius when it came to
woodworking.
A special time in their
lives was when they pur-
chased their home in Rich-
land, next to Eagle Creek.
He and Salina enjoyed and
had a love of gardening. And
according to his boys, after
a hard day’s work, nothing
tasted better than a cold
Coors beer.
Jim’s favorites included
his dog, Princess Maggie, the
color blue, and the poem “The
Cremation of Sam McGee.”
And he loved to say “Keep
a wrinkle in it!” or “If your
hands are in your pockets
you can’t accomplish any-
thing.”
He was proudest of his
home and family, and for
always working hard. Jim
was known for his famous
fried potatoes and onions,
and while cooking would say
“Don’t touch my food.”
Jim is survived by his wife
of 56 years, Salina; his sons,
Thomas Church and his wife,
Kenna, of Boise, and Victor
Church and his wife, Rhonda,
of Cascade, Idaho; seven
grandchildren; seven great-
grandchildren; several nieces
and nephews; and Princess
Maggie.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; his children,
James Clifford Church
Jr., Linda Garret and An-
gela Church; his brother, Jack
Church; and his sister Betty
McCormick.
For those who would like to
make a donation in memory
of Jim, the family suggests
the Hilary Bonn Benevolence
Fund through Tami’s Pine Val-
ley Funeral Home & Crema-
tion Services, P.O. Box 543,
Halfway, OR 97834. Online
condolences may be made at
www.tamispinevalleyfuneral
home.com
Tom Eaton
Baker City, 1954-2020
Tom Eaton, 66, of Baker
City, died Sept. 14, 2020, at his
home.
A family service with a scat-
tering of ashes will take place
at a future date in Richland.
Tom was born to Bud and
Juanita Eaton on May 3, 1954,
at Susanville, California.
He grew up in Eugene,
graduating from Sheldon
High School. He moved to
Baker City in 1999.
He was a heavy equipment
operator until his retirement
in 2016. During his life, he
enjoyed spending time with
family and friends, competi-
tive pool, and refurbishing old
furniture.
Tom was preceded in death
by his parents.
He is survived by his
sister, Maureen Sinniger; his
brother, Steve (Judy) Eaton;
nephew, Jason (Deonna)
Sinniger; and niece, Rachel
Sinniger.
1935, at Hitch-
cock, South
Dakota, to Eric
Anderson and
Elsie (Namma-
ny) Anderson.
Marie
She married
Joe Kowalski on Kowalski
Dec. 17, 1951,
at San Diego while he was
stationed in the Navy. They
raised four children on a
farm in Boring, Oregon,
where she became a 4-H
horse club leader and a
member of the Elks Lodge.
They retired to Hun-
tington, and summered in
nearby Durkee, where they
operated a small gold mine.
Marie Kowalski
Their growing extended fam-
Huntington, 1935-2020
ily and friends often visited
Marie Carol Kowalski, 85, them in both places to enjoy
of Huntington, died peacefully time together fi shing, hunt-
Oct. 24, 2020, at the home of
ing, and enjoying Marie’s
her granddaughter in Haines, cooking including her “Fa-
surrounded by family who
mous Homemade Buttermilk
loved her dearly.
Pancakes.” Marie and Joe
There will be a celebration were married for 64 years,
of life service for Marie’s fam- until his death in 2016.
ily later this year.
See Obituaries/Page 3A
Marie was born on March 24,
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Eila Joanne Allen
May 20, 1941 - August 12, 2020
Eila Joanne Allen,
79, of Baker City,
passed away on
August 12, 2020,
in Baker City. A
memorial service is
scheduled for May
22, 2021, the loca-
tion and time will be
announced at a later
date.
Joanne was
born on May 20,
1941, in Caldwell,
Idaho, to Orange
and Eila Hopkins;
she was the oldest
of seven children.
She attended
Franklin High
School, graduat-
ing in 1959. Joanne had a full life in many places and
made friends wherever she was. She loved to talk to
people. Joanne worked as a dental assistant learning
what to do from many dentists over several years, later
taking the state exam.
Joanne had been married three times; for the last 13
years, Jim Chenowith was her companion; they lived
happily together in Baker City. She tried to find joy in
life through music, gardening, yard sales, fishing, and
looking for wildlife. Joanne also enjoyed square-danc-
ing with her club, the Tualatin Twirlers.
She was very determined when she put her mind to
something. Joanne loved her children, grandchildren,
and great-grandchildren very much. Her family loved
her with all their hearts, and they will miss her very
much. May she be at peace.
Joanne is survived by her sons, James Allen of Gas-
ton, Oregon, and Eric Berg; daughter Tammy Hilger of
Buxton, Oregon, sisters Donna Coble (Jerry) of Baker
City, Oregon, Rosanne Van Patten (Gary) of Baker
City, Oregon, Kaye Flemming (Walt) Naples, Florida;
brother Chet Hopkins (Jeannette) of Post Falls, Idaho.
She is also survived by eleven grandchildren and six
great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her father, Orange Hop-
kins, mother Eila Lewis, brother, Richard Hopkins,
and sister Linda Peters.
In lieu of flowers, you may honor Joanne by planting
a tree or flowers in the spring.
To light a candle in memory of Joanne or offer con-
dolences for the family, please visit www.graywestco.
com.
“You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR
Jim Church
Richland, 1939-2020
Jim Church, 81, of Rich-
225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com