A2 BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2022
Local
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
January 3, 1972
Although the deer are still not in the safe stage,
the recent break in the weather has improved their
chances with a possible thaw on the way to provide an
additional boost, according to district game biologist Dick
Humphreys.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
January 3, 1997
Highway 86 remained closed this morning between
Halfway and Oxbow, but with cooler, drier weather
replacing the downpours of the past few days, the worst of
Baker County’s fl ooding appears to be over.
Gov. John Kitzhaber on Thursday declared a state of
emergency in Baker County.
Crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation
and Baker County are working around the clock clearing
debris and repairing damaged sections of the highway.
There is no estimate for when the highway will reopen.
Residents of Oxbow and Homestead remain stranded,
because Idaho Highway 71, leading to Cambridge, Idaho,
still is closed.
Floodwaters from Pine Creek apparently destroyed one
home and damaged several others in a mobile home park
near Oxbow.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
January 4, 2012
A Baker School Board member is upset that classes
resumed Monday, which was a legal holiday since New
Year’s Day fell on a Sunday.
“We are in a pickle here,” Director Kyle Knight said. “We
never should have had school on this day.”
But Baker 5J Superintendent Walt Wegener said having
classes on Monday wasn’t a problem because the district’s
two employee unions approved the calendar that included
Monday as a regular school day.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
January 5, 2021
After working for several months treating people who
are recovering from bouts with COVID-19, Lori Brock now
uses a telephone to fi ght the virus.
Brock, a registered nurse, has lived in Baker City for
four years.
She was hired at the Baker County Health Department
in August and since then has done both case
investigations of COVID-19 infections as well as contact
tracing — talking to people who were potentially exposed to
the virus and advising them about quarantining.
But earlier in the pandemic, Brock was, as she puts it,
on the “front lines” of combating COVID-19.
She worked as a traveling nurse in Roseburg, Portland
and the Boise area. Her duties included treating people
who had been released from a hospital after being treated
for the virus and were recovering at home.
Brock said that her experience in home health nursing
showed her how the effects of the virus can linger.
“Many (patients) were on oxygen and still feeling pretty
weak,” she said. “It was really interesting.”
Brock said she was gratifi ed to have a chance to join
the Health Department staff.
“It’s nice to be home, based in Baker City,” she said.
“That’s where my heart is.”
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SENIOR MENUS
WEDNESDAY: Orange glazed chicken, rice, peas, rolls, green
salad, peach crisp
THURSDAY: Roasted turkey, stuffi ng with gravy, carrots, rolls,
cottage cheese with Jell-O, ice cream
FRIDAY: Chicken cordon bleu with hollandaise, mixed
vegetables, rolls, applesauce, cheesecake
MONDAY (Jan. 10): Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with
gravy, carrots, rolls, pea-and-onion salad, cookies
TUESDAY (Jan. 11): Herb baked chicken with gravy, rice pilaf,
rolls, carrot-raisin salad, brownies
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $5 donation (60 and older), $7.50
for those under 60.
CONTACT THE HERALD
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Fax: 541-833-6414
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.com
Jayson Jacoby, editor
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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 2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101
(P.O. Box 807), Baker City, OR 97814.
Subscription rates per month are $10.75
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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 © 2021
Obituaries
Georgia Wells
could tell you how every single episode
would end.
Georgia Bonita Wells,
In later years, he decided he would start
95, of Baker City, died
grilling. Robert mastered ribs, and made
Dec. 28, 2021, at her res-
the best chicken wings. He also played gui-
idence in Meadowbrook
tar, sang and had a band with friend Jerry
Place.
when living in Portland.
Her memorial service
Georgia Wells
Robert is survived by his wife, Say-
will take place at a later
onna George; his daughter, Amy George
date.
Hammond; his stepdaughters, Robin
Georgia was born on June 23, 1926, in
Cummings and Justin Loftis; his brother,
Copperfield, Oregon, to Frank and Ger-
William George; his grandchildren, Tyler
trude Howland. She married Morris Wells Bieker, Hunter Gandy and Amanda Lee;
Jr. on Nov. 10, 1944. They had one son,
and six great-grandchildren.
Larry Dean Wells.
He was preceded in death by his mother,
She enjoyed working as a volunteer at
Adelene Hanson; his father, Omer George;
the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, and
his son, Robert George Jr.; and his sister,
she was active at the Senior Center. Geor- Susan Schaan.
gia was also the weigh-in person at TOPS.
For those who would like to make a do-
Georgia is survived by three grand-
nation in Robert’s memory the family sug-
daughters, Brenda, Karen and Rhonda;
gests either Hope4paws or the Shop with a
great-grandchildren, Jesse Wale and Seirea Hero program through Tami’s Pine Valley
Wale; nieces and nephews, Deanna Clark, Funeral Home & Cremation Services, P.O.
Peggy Albrect, Carol Mason, Debbie John- Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online con-
son and Howard Hopkins.
dolences can be made www.tamispineval-
She was preceded by death by her father, leyfuneralhome.com.
Frank Howland, and her mother, Gertrude
Brian Spencer
Howland; and her sisters, Mary Hopkins,
Betty Mason and Myrtle Hanson.
La Grande, 1938-2021
Memorial contributions can be made to
Brian Rodney Spen-
Community Connections through Gray’s cer, 83, of La Grande,
West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey
died Dec. 23, 2021.
Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
The Rosary will be
To leave an online condolence for Geor- said, with a Funeral Mass
gia’s family, go to www.grayswestco.com.
immediately following at Brian Spencer
1 p.m. on Jan. 6 at Our
Robert George
Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in La
Baker City, 1944-2021
Grande. Burial will be on Friday, Jan. 7 at
Robert George, 77, of
1 p.m. at the Burns Cemetery in Burns.
Baker City, died Dec. 16,
Brian was born on Sept. 19, 1938, in
2021, at his home, sur-
Baker City to Warren and Thelma Spen-
rounded by family.
cer. He was the oldest of seven children.
A celebration of his
He married Catherine Diane O’Toole
life for all family and
Robert George Spencer on Sept. 2, 1989, and they were
friends will be an-
married for 32 years.
nounced this spring.
Brian attended St. Francis Academy in
Robert Franklin George was born on
Baker City; Gonzaga University in Spo-
May 26, 1944, in Tacoma, Washington. He kane, Washington; and Marquette Uni-
was raised in Baker and attended Tiede-
versity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he
mann, South Baker Grade School, Baker
received his Doctorate of Dentistry. After
Middle School, and graduated from Baker graduating from Marquette, he enlisted
High School. Following high school he
in the Navy and became a proud member
joined the armed service with the Marines of the Sea Bees and served in Vietnam. At
serving from 1961-1965 where he special- the conclusion of his service in the Navy
ized in Communication Electronics. This he moved to La Grande and established a
was one of his proudest accomplishments. dental practice that he operated until his
Robert was married three times. First to retirement in 2012.
Bonnie Halm from 1965-1972, together
Brian was an active member of the Cath-
they had two children. He then was mar-
olic Church and a strong supporter of his
ried to Rose Miano from 1972-1991. In
community, belonging to many commu-
1993 he had found the one he would spend nity organizations and he especially en-
his life with, Sayonna Ragsdale.
joyed supporting area youth at the Eastern
In his early years, Robert worked for
Oregon Livestock Show.
his father, Omer George, at his Harley
He was an avid outdoorsman and
motorcycle shop in Baker. While living
hunter, taking joy in the many hunting
in Portland he worked as a supervisor at
trips with his son, Brian. Spending time
Montgomery Wards and built trucks at
experiencing the natural beauty of the sur-
Freightliners. When he moved back to
rounding area was something that gave
Baker he was employed as a motorcycle
him both peace and joy. He was a gener-
mechanic at Cliff’s Saws and Cycles for
ous and kind man, always willing to help
several years.
with most any project or to those need-
Robert absolutely loved motorcycles.
ing a helping hand. He was a wonderful
During his younger years he enjoyed flat
husband, father, grandfather, and lifelong
track racing and won several first place
friend to many and enjoyed spending time
trophies. He loved riding dirt bikes with
with his family and friends truly looking
his brother, Bill George, best friends, Gary forward to any opportunity to spend time
Baxter, Ross Brinton, and several others.
with those he loved, creating much laugh-
He rode his dirt bike into every mountain ter as the prankster of the party. In retire-
lake around Baker Valley including street
ment, he turned his talents to jewelry mak-
bike riding with wife Sayonna. He also en- ing, creating beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces
joyed snowmobile riding.
for family and friends.
Robert was into black powder shooting
Brian is survived by his wife, Catherine
and leather making, he made his clothes,
(Katy); six children, Brian of Washington,
and gear for muzzleloading rendezvous.
Kathleen, Molly and Bridget of Oregon,
He adored reading, loved The History
and Laura and Michelle of Idaho; his sis-
Channel and watching Perry Mason, he
ters, Suzy, Cheryl, Jan, Celeste and Kim;
Baker City, 1926-2021
eight grandchildren and two great-grand-
children.
He was preceded in death by his parents
and his brother, Gregory.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that
remembrances be made in the form of a
donation to Our Lady of the Valley Cath-
olic Church, 1002 L Ave., La Grande, OR
97850 and The Eastern Oregon Livestock
Foundation, P.O. Box 3230, La Grande, OR
97850.
Online condolences can be made to the
family at www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com.
Frances Yaggie
Baker City, 1959-2021
Frances Yaggie, 62,
of Baker City, died Dec.
20, 2021, at her home,
surrounding by loving
friends after a coura-
geous battle against pan- Frances Yaggie
creatic cancer.
There are no services planned.
Frances was born on Oct. 13, 1959, in
Reykjavik, Iceland. She was adopted as an
infant by naval petty officer Jack Yaggie,
and Jack then brought her to the United
States. They remained as close father and
daughter throughout his life.
Friends of Frances describe her as hav-
ing been a very strong, resilient lady, capa-
ble of almost anything she set her mind to.
Her childhood was challenging and some
experiences even hard to imagine, but she
developed an awesome ability to take care
of herself and enjoy life. She seemed to be
an unusual combination of someone with
a strong will and self discipline, and then
also a sweet and gentle lover of people, an-
imals and nature. Frances loved to give to
others and she constantly proved that with
gifts of kindness and friendly visits to ev-
eryone she knew.
Frances was best known locally as a
self-employed and highly successful paint-
ing contractor, and she enjoyed the arts,
drawing, painting and crafts. In sharing
how she felt about painting she said in her
words of experience, “don’t be afraid of
color.” She loved planting flowers and gar-
dening. Her favorite color was yellow and
her favorite plant was Million Bells. She
wanted to be remembered for her laugh,
her smile and sense of humor.
Frances was a member of the Elks Club,
and in the recent past she had purchased
a motorcycle and was learning to ride. Ev-
erything amazed Frances and she was al-
ways up for something new and fun.
She especially loved cats and they were
always a part of her life — whether they
were hers or belonged to someone else. She
was very knowledgeable about animals
and their needs and friends found her very
helpful when they had pet problems.
Frances is survived by her brother, Mi-
chael Yaggie; her sister, Dale Laskowitz,
and brother-in-law, Gary Laskowitz; her
nephews, Sean and Eric Laskowitz; she
leaves three very special cats and many,
many friends, some of whom cared for her
tenderly in her last months and who will
miss her deeply and never forget her.
Frances was preceded in death by her
parents, Jack Yaggie and Margaret Mc-
Laughlin; her stepsister, Debbie Summers,
and brother-in-law, Gordon Summers.
For those who would like to make a
donation in memory of Frances, she sug-
gested Best Friends of Baker (animal shel-
ter and rescue) through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services, P.O.
Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online con-
dolences can be shared at www.tamispine-
valleyfuneralhome.com.
News of Record
DEATHS
Dora Fisher: 99, of Baker City, died
Dec. 31, 2021, at Settler’s Park. Services
are under the direction of Coles Tribute
Center, 1950 Place St. in Baker City. To
light a candle in memvory of Dora, go
to www.colestributecenter.com.
Janice Gyllenberg: 88, a longtime
Baker City resident, died Dec. 31,
2021, at Meadowbrook Place in Baker
City. A service will be held, with the
time and date to be announced.
Arrangements are under the direction
of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home
& Cremation Services. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
James Young Sr.: 89, formerly of
Halfway, died Jan. 1, 2022, at La
Grande Post-Acute Rehab in La
Grande. Arrangements are under the
direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Mary Henry: 83, of Baker City died Jan.
2, 2022, at her home with her family at
her side. Arrangements are under the
direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
James Bacon: 73, of Baker City, died
Jan. 2, 2022, surrounded by his family.
A service will take place later, with the
date, time and place to be announced.
Arrangements are under the direction
of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home
& Cremation Services. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Lena Chetwood: 88, a longtime
Halfway resident, died Dec. 28, 2021,
at her home. Her graveside service will
take place on Friday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.
at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.
For those who would like to make a
memorial donation in honor of Lena,
the family suggests the Pine Valley
Museum or Community Connection
(to provide Meals on Wheels) through
Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O.
Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Rhonda Culley: 65, of Baker City died
Dec. 31, 2021, at her home, surrounded
by her family. A celebration of life will
be held, with the date, time and place
to be announced. Arrangements are
under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services.
Online condolences can be shared at
www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.
com.
Michael Speelman: 77, formerly
of Baker City, died Dec. 26, 2021, at
Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in
Portland. Arrangements are under the
direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Ellen McBroom: 85, of Baker City died
Dec. 30, 2021, at Memory Lane Assisted
Living in Baker City. Arrangements are
under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services.
Online condolences can be shared at
www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.
com.
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
MENACING: Christina Rae Martell-
Lundy, 38, Baker City, 8:38 a.m. Sunday,
Jan. 2 in the 3600 block of Cedar Street;
jailed.
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
INTOXICANTS: Alex Ryan Hammans, 20,
Baker City, 12:53 a.m. Friday, Dec. 31 in
the 1500 block of Campbell Street; cited
and released.
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