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Beatrice C. Jacobs
Sylvia Swanson
Beatrice C. Jacobs
(March 15, 1915—March 12, 2009)
Bea Jacobs, mother of Jake Jacobs and mother-in-law of Joan Jacobs of Baker City, died Thursday, March 12,
2009, in Portland, three days before her 94th birthday. Until the first of the year she was living a very active life at the home in Portland that she had shared with her daughter Judy Litchfield for many years. Beatrice visited Baker City in the summer of 2008, saw most of the local attractions and loved our community. Old age and congestive heart failure took its toll early 2009 and she quickly declined, moving to St. Vincent’s hospital then a hospice in the last week of her life. Following the sacrament of Last Rites by Fr. Tom Royce, SJ, she passed away surrounded by three generations of her loving family. We also thank Father Julian for his prayers. We
were blessed to have her with us for so long. Beatrice Catherine Lorang Jacobs was born in Spokane, Wash., on March 15, 1915. She lived through two World Wars and became very familiar with rationing, red cents and the frugal lifestyle required at the time. She moved to Portland, Ore., and graduated from Grant High School in 1933 before moving with her family to Lewiston, Idaho. There she met and married Richard Earl Jacobs in September 1938 and became a full-time mother as five children were born to them by 1951. Widowed at age 37 in 1952, she kept the family together and raised her five children: She sustained her family by taking in laundry and ironing, babysitting, establishing Bea’s Bakery and then cooking at the St. Stanislaus grade school for their hot lunch program. Bea was a renowned vocalist and gifted pianist whose voice and music served the community of Lewiston and St. Stanislaus Catholic church for many decades. In 1967, Bea moved, with her youngest daughter Susan, to Portland, Oregon. She worked as a retail clerk in downtown Portland department stores for many years and retired in May 1984 to enjoy her family and friends. She and her sister Kay traveled to such places as
Greece, Rome and Yellowstone Park. She flew with her son Jake on many exciting trips in his airplane. Bea was the ever present grandmother, always ready with a happy smile and a warm embrace. She became the atriarch of her extended family and lived life to its fullest. Bea kept a descriptive journal of her and her family’s life events. Her mind was sharp to the end. Bea was a lifelong Catholic and a mass of Christian Burial was said at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, in Portland, Ore., on Monday, March 16. On July 11, 2009, her ashes will be flown by her son and daughter to her father’s family ranch in Genesee, Ida. to be honored at a family reunion. She will then be flown to Lewiston, Idaho for a memorial service and then will be buried next to her loving husband Dick and son Lanny at Pioneer Cemetery. Bea was preceded in death by her mother and father, Blanche and Barney Lorang, husband Dick and son Lanny. She is survived by four children, Gale “Jake” Jacobs (Joan) of Baker City, Ore., Judy Litchfield of Portland, Ore., Karen Lauby (Gary) of Renton, Wash. and Susan Montgomery (Terry) of Anaconda, MT., eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her two sisters, Kathleen Conroy of Portland, Ore. and Bernice Bartel (Bill) of Ridgefield, Wash. and a large extended family.
www.BeatriceJacobs.com online memorial.
Sylvia Swanson
(April 6, 1911 - March 11, 2009)
Sylvia Ruth Garrett Swanson, 97, of North Powder passed away March 11, 2009, at Settlers Park Assisted Living Facility. Amemorial service was held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, March 14, with Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church officiating. Aprivate family graveside interment at the North Powder Cemetery preceded the memorial service. Mrs. Swanson was born April 6, 1911, in Tuxedo, Maryland to George W. and Jessica McCabe Swanson. She moved to Oregon with her parents and 5 of her siblings in 1917. After living in Lexington, Oregon for a short time, they moved to Hood River, Ore., where Ruth attended school and met the love of her life, Charles Royal Swanson. They were married in 1930 in Hood River. Royal and Ruth had an interesting and colorful life working together in logging camps, construction sites and ranches throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Ruth was especially fond of the time she and Royal spent working on a purebred charolais ranch in Molalla, Ore. They later returned to Eastern Oregon and enjoyed living and helping at their daughter and son-in-law’s ranch for almost 30 years. Ruth and Royal were active volunteers at the La Grande Senior Center and the Christian Church in Baker City. Ruth was a sports fan. She especially enjoyed baseball, having had 3 brothers play semi-pro ball. She also enjoyed playing the piano, doing needlework and tending plants and challenging Royal to a game of Yatzee or Cribbage. Ruth loved making a comfortable home and cooking for any family or friends that came to her door. Her family was the most important part of her life along with her faith in God. She is survived by her son George and his wife Belva of Turner, Ore., and her daughter Jessie Dodson and her husband Don of North Powder. Eight grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles and a son, James Swanson. Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker City Christian Church through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
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