June Freeman
Floyd Grogan
Dennis Lyle Huff
Lois McKeen
June Freeman
(April 14, 1916 - Oct. 20, 2008)
June Winette was born on April 14, 1916 in Plattsmouth, Neb. June was given up for adoption at birth and was raised by Guy and Lynn Closson. The family lived in Huntington and that was also where she attended school.
She was a quiet person with a quick wit, very kind, extremely generous. She had beautiful red hair, a sweet smile and always a special twinkle in her eye.
June and Woodie Bunch were married in September of 1938 and made their first home in Pocatello, Idaho. They had a daughter Velda and sometime there after an earthquake hit in the area and Woodie said he “wasn’t living there anymore.” The family moved to Huntington where Woodie went to work with the Union Pacific Railroad and it was there daughter Marion was born.
The family heard about a place for sale in Halfway and moved to a seven-acre ranch in 1948. June and her family, tore down three Cornucopia houses to get the lumber to build their new home, even pulling the nails to be reused again.
June was a true “homemaker.” Her early days were filled with canning, pumping water, outside plumbing, gardening (from the garden that Grandpa Bunch put in for her), hunting, fishing, mushrooming and her favorite of huckleberrying. Berry buckets were coffee cans and baling wire on belts. She was always up for a romp with a picnic basket and enjoying her dog Penny. On occasion she and Woodie would go dancing at the Grange or the 399 club. She sewed, gave the girls hair permanents, shopped catalogs for school shoes and winter coats. She darned socks, mended clothes, baked, cured hams and bacon. June followed the rules on the dish cloths, Monday you washed clothes, Tuesday you ironed, Wednesday you baked and so on.
Woodie and June decided to move to Ontario and both found work with Ore-Ida. After several years, they moved back to Halfway and Woodie went to work for the Co-op. Granddaughter Rhonda remember falling asleep in a cabin up at Cornucopia to the sound of voices saying “fifteen two, fifteen-four” as they played cribbage with friends in the lamplight.
June belonged to the Grange/Home Ec., Eastern Star and helped with all the Lions Crab Feeds and dinners.
On Sept. 2, 1975, her beloved Woodie passed away. June found work at the School with the hot lunch program and truly enjoyed all the kids. She worked there until her marriage to Jim Freeman. They were married on May 7, 1977, in the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church by Reverand Russ Booher and she remained a member of the church throughout her life.
As Jim and June started on the new adventure together, they began traveling as snowbirds to Arizona and lived in their “egg-shaped trailer.”
One of the fun things Jim and June enjoyed doing in Halfway was fishing at Fish Lake and also following the snow line to get those early mushrooms.
June felt blessed for all of her children, which included Jim’s. There was no “step” in her vocabulary. She loved each and every one with all of her heart.
June and Jim moved to Nampa to an assisted living facility when their health warranted it.
“We as a family were grateful that she was able to return to the area and spend her final months at Settlers Park in Baker City, Oregon. Her window allowed her to look over ‘her’ mountains. Thanks to all of you who made her final days memorable ones for her. She was ready to go home.” June died on Oct. 20, 2008, at Settler’s Park with her family at her side. At her request there will not be a formal funeral service.
June is survived by her children Velda Huff of Halfway, Ore.; Marion Derie and husband Lyle of Fruitland, Idaho; Susan Torres and husband Julian of Yakima, Wash.; Sandi Scheele and husband Greg of Meridian, Idaho; Nick Freeman of Stanley, Idaho. She was blessed with many grand, great grand and great great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her second husband Jim.
Those who would like to make a memorial donation in memory of June, may do so to Best Friends of Baker City (care of animals in need) through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Floyd Grogan
(Oct. 16, 1926 - Oct. 24, 2008)
Floyd "Harold" Grogan, 82, of North Powder, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2008, at the Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.
A celebration of life will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at Daniels-Knopp, Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh Street, La Grande.
Harold was born Oct. 16, 1926, in Burns to Floyd and Flora (Ford) Grogan. When he was about 2 weeks old the family moved to Emmett, Idaho, where Harold was raised and educated. He later moved to Longview, Wash., where he worked for the pulp mill until enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his honorable discharge he worked for Western Auto stores for a while before going to work for Singer Sewing Machines.
On June 4, 1949, he was married to Alberta Joyce Turner in Hood River. Together they operated the Singer Sewing Machine Store in Pendleton for several years. After they closed the store in Pendleton in about 1982, they moved to Wendover, Nev., where Harold worked as a slot shift supervisor for the Stateline Casino until retiring in 1992.
Harold loved the outdoors and all that could be done there: hunting, fishing, camping, driving in the mountains, gardening and yard work. He loved his gun collection and his truck was stocked with enough supplies to survive for weeks. He would rather dance than eat and he loved country music, especially Hank Williams. He was a family man and enjoyed all activities most when spent with family. Harold was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Elks Lodge.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Alberta, of North Powder; children, Gary and Donna of Pendleton, Tom and Shirley of Aloha, Linda and Ron Doud of North Powder, Kathy and Brad Brewer of Hubbard; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; a brother Don of Sacramento, Calif.; sister, Sharon Tatum of Merced, Calif., and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, several siblings and other family.
Friends who wish may make contributions in memory of Harold Grogan to a charity of their choice and they may be sent in care of Daniels-Knopp, 1502 Seventh Street, La Grande, Ore. 97850.
Dennis Lyle Huff
(Oct. 8, 1955 - Oct. 19, 2008)
Dennis Lyle Huff, died on Oct. 19, 2008, in Halfway, Ore. A Celebration of Dennis' Life Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. in San Jose, Calif. A graveside memorial will be held in Halfway August of 2009 where Dennis will be interred at Pine Haven Cemetery next to his grandparents Ruth and Claire Huff.
Dennis was born on Oct. 8, 1955, to Barry and Janada (Patterson) Huff at the Great Lakes Navel Hospital in Chicago. He was raised and educated in southern California. Dennis served as a Marine from 1974 to 1980. Dennis had the gift of marketing, he worked internationally for several network marketing companies.
Dennis is survived by his children, Alicia (18), Alexander (11), Janaya (9), and Aaron (6) Huff; his parents: Barry and Mary Huff of San Jose, Calif., Janada and Bill Colfelt of Marysville, Wash.; his siblings: brother Brady and wife Marcy Huff of San Jose, Calif., sister Michelle Davis of Mesa, Ariz. and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Arrangements under the direction of Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home.
Lois McKeen
(Jan. 7, 1931, 1926 - Oct. 26, 2008)
Lois McKeen, 77, of Baker City passed away Oct. 26, 2008 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, Idaho.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 30, 2008 at Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel. Pastor Jon Privett and Pastor Elwain McKeen Jr. will officiate.
Lois Evangeline McKeen, beloved wife and mother, was born Jan. 7, 1931, in a home her parents Mary Amanda and Raphael Verland Morgan were watching for friends. That was one of many adventures that they would embark on as a family. At the age of twelve Lois was baptized at the Lake Of The Woods, and by fourteen she was serving our Lord by teaching Sunday School.
When she met Elwain McKeen in high school, she went home and told her mother, “That is the boy I would want to marry if only he were a Christian.” It wasn’t too long after that, that under the influence of Lois and her family Elwain accepted Christ as his Savior. After getting married Aug. 17, 1947, at the age of 16, she finished high school and went on to graduate from Seattle Pacific with a teaching certificate.
Lois had a great love for children, her own and all others. She felt the pain of other, and had the need to ease or fix them. That is probably why for much of her 30 years as a teacher she worked with special needs children.
She was always involved with her various church activities and outreach programs until her health would no longer permit her doing so. But she knew what to do if your name was added to her list of prayer requests, for she spent a lot of time communication with Him to whom she had dedicated her life, never stopping until she knew of a positive outcome even though it might be 10 years down the road, and she might have moved twice. She knew that God put you on her list for a reason, and she loved with agape love!
Lois had a full and wonderful life. She was married to her sweetheart for 61 years, and together they were able to serve our Lord Jesus as missionaries in Liberia, West Africa, and as Pastor and wife they served in various churches throughout the United States, and in later life as chaplains for our own Baker City Sheriff‚s Office and Jail, holding weekly church services for the inmates, and counseling many.
So, in closing, as you take this time to remember Lois, smile! For right now she has embarked on a whole new adventure in Heaven where she has been received by her Lord Jesus as one of His own!
She is survived by her husband Elwain; three sisters: Genevieve Miller, Marilyn Marchant, Aletha Samperi and their spouses; three children: Elwain E. McKeen Jr., Raphael M. McKeen, and Eunice A. Johnson; nine grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and many precious nephews, nieces, and in-laws, all of whom were loved greatly by her.
Also, to all those who have been friends, Christian brothers and sisters, her love was large enough to include you all. Oh yes, she will be greatly missed, but we also rejoice for we know that we will one day see her again.
Memorial contributions can be made to your own local churches, or to World Missions in care of Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
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