Patricia Louisa Durgan
Norbert ‘Nibs’ Otto Hinzpeter
Gladys Teskey
Patricia Louisa Durgan
(Aug. 21, 1940—Oct. 19, 2009)
Patricia Louisa Durgan, 69, of Baker City died Oct. 19, 2009, at her residence. A funeral service was held 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, at the First Lutheran Church in Baker City with Pastor Mel Harris officiating. Vault interment was at Mt. Hope Cemetery with a reception following at the First Lutheran Church.
Patti was born Aug. 21, 1940, in DeLano, Calif. to Walter and Sarah “Oh” Hahn. She attended high school at Inglewood High, graduating in 1958. She worked as a computer operator for the Forest Service and retired in 1995. Patti married Albert Durgan in 1983 in Ontario, Ore. She enjoyed golf, quilting, cooking, reading, travelling, shopping fishing, flowers and volunteer work.
Patti was on the P.E.O. Election Board, the Altar Guild, Birthday clubs and the Hospital Auxiliary board.
Survivors include her husband Albert Durgan, mother Sarah Hansen, both of Baker City, a sister Joey Okura of Orange, Calif., son, Chris Neill of Boise, Idaho, Daughter, Julie Fuzi of Baker City, son Donn Durgan of Lewiston, Idaho, son Dan Durgan of Beaverton, Ore. and daughter, Lori Bernstein of Boise, Idaho. Also survived seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her father, Walter Hahn and one sister, Cheryl Fisher.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Lutheran Church or to the American Cancer Society through Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, Ore. 97814.
Norbert ‘Nibs’ Otto Hinzpeter
(Dec. 7, 1919—Oct. 22, 2009)
Norbert “Nibs” Otto Hinzpeter, 89, of Baker City, died of a heart attack on Oct. 22, 2009 at St. Elizabeth Health Services in Baker City. A celebration of his life will be held 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 at Community Connections / Baker Senior Center, 2810 Cedar Street, Baker City. Pastor Sally Wiens of the Haines United Methodist Church will officiate. Friends and family are invited to have a light meal at the Community Connections after Nib’s Celebration of Life Service.
Nibs was born Dec. 7, 1919 in St. Louis, Missouri to William A. and Ida E. (Harris) Hinzpeter. From birth to age 15, he lived in St. Louis, Missouri with his parents, siblings and extended family. He enjoyed visiting his relatives on their farms in Illinois, going to the family clubhouse on the Merrimac River to fish and have barbecues with family and friends, and going hunting and fishing with his family. He moved to Southern Calif. from St. Louis with his family during the depression.
He attended high school at Compton Union High School in California. He left school for a while during the depression and after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force, from 1942 to 1946, he returned to school and graduated in 1947 as an adult. During his term in the military, he gained training as an airplane mechanic, earning an Airplane Mechanics Diploma before being honorably discharged with the rank of Private First Class. He then went to Riverside City College in California for a while, where he took many college courses.
On February 14, 1940, Nibs married Ruth H. Carlson in Brea, California. They were faithful companions and worked side by side in everything that they did. They were happily married for 59 years.
From age 15 to age 62 he lived in Southern California. He worked at U.S. Porcelain and as an Air Conditioning Technician for Southern California Gas Company and retired from there in 1978 after 35 years of service. He loved his jobs and the opportunity to further his knowledge so that he could do his work better.
From age 62 to age 89 Norbert lived in Eastern Oregon. He retired to La Grande in 1978. He lived on the Igo Lane on acreage with his wife and daughter for 10 years. He enjoyed learning to farm and raise animals with the help of his neighbors and friends. He was always grateful to be welcomed and thought of as a friend by people of Eastern Oregon.
From 1989 to 1997, Norbert and his wife lived in Richland, Ore., where they spent time fishing and boating on the Brownlee and the Snake River. He and his wife made many good friends in Richland. Norbert joined the Lions Club while there. In 1997, Norbert and his wife moved to Baker City to live near their daughter. They spent the rest of their lives in Baker City. He cherished all of the family and friends he made in Baker City, and Haines. They helped make his life very good during his last years.
He enjoyed fishing and camping with his family in Yellowstone and fishing in Brownlee Reservoir in the Snake River. He also liked vegetable gardening and watching birds and other wild animals and being with his grand-dogs, Tootsie and Taffy and his niece’s dog Tucker.
He was a devoted father to his daughter, Susan. She enjoyed his help in learning to ride her bike, as well as the time they spent together farming, gardening, swimming, camping and fishing in Yellowstone, boating and water skiing on Lake Havasu, Ariz. and attending school functions. He always encouraged Susan to get a good education and enabled to her to graduate from college and become a teacher. He was always proud of her accomplishments. He was a perfect father.
Norbert enjoyed spending time with his family and friends at holiday dinners, barbecues, picnics, duck hunting trips with his brother and brother-in-laws, vacationing in Yellowstone Park and boating and water skiing at Lake Havasu, Ariz.
Nibs attended the Baker City First Presbyterian Church, volunteered serving food at Baker City Senior Center with the Trial Tenders and the Presbyterian Church and was a Trail Tender Volunteer at the National Historic Oregon trail Interpretive Center. He also volunteered as a SMART reader in Baker City schools. He earned many awards for his volunteer services with the Trail Tenders and SMART reading program. He was also a member of the Lion’s Club of Richland, Ore. and the Rod and Gun Club in Southern California.
Nibs was one of the best husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles and friends one could ask for. He is survived by his daughter, Susan C. Hinzpeter of Baker City, his nieces, Brenda Bartkus and her husband Howard of Baker City and Cynthia Grogan and her husband Rick of Woodland Hills, Calif., and Janette Gialenes of Laguna Woods, CA. Also by two sisters-in-law, Velma Carlson of Cortez, Colo. and Mildred Russell and her husband Jack of Brea, Calif. Numerous nieces and nephews and a special daughter, Willora George of Baker City.
He was preceded in death by his parents William and Ida, his wife Ruth in 2000, sisters Dorothy Dorcheus and Virginia Anners and a brother, Lester Hinzpeter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, Ore. 97814.
Gladys Teskey
(Sept. 27, 1915—Oct. 19, 2009)
Gladys Teskey, 94, passed away Oct. 19, 2009, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. A viewing was held at Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel Monday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon followed by a celebration of life at 2 p.m. Officiating was Pastor Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church.
Gladys Esther Teskey was born September 27, 1915 on a farm in Millston, Wisc. to Albert Charles Jeska and Amelia Ernestine (Linder) Jeska. She was one of 13 children born to the Jeskas.
At the age of 17, she moved to Milwaukee, Wisc. where she worked until she met and married Gilbert Teskey on Nov. 18, 1936. They had five children together. They moved to Salinas, Calif. in 1943 where Gladys’ parents were living. They later lived in Brawley, then moved to Monterey, Calif. in 1947 where Gladys worked at Montgomery Wards Credit Office. They lived in Oroville, Calif. from 1953 to 1962 when they bought a rooming house in Ashland, Ore. which Gladys managed.
Gladys moved to Baker City in 1995 to be by her son. She resided at Elkhorn Village until recently when health issues took her to St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
Gladys loved fishing and hunting. Earlier trips elk hunting with Gilbert brought her to the Sumpter area and she enjoyed fishing the 205 Pond and the Powder River. She enjoyed quilting and made quilts for most of her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed sewing, gardening and playing card games.
Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Marlow; her grandson, Randy; her brothers: Charles, Alfred, John, Russell, Paul, Roger, Robert and Delmar; her sisters: Helen and Suzanne; and son-in-law, Lyle Graham.
She is survived by her brother, Marvin Jeska and sister, Betty Schoradt; her children: Rodney Teskey and wife, Peg from Glendale, Ariz.; Suzanne Graham from Lodi, Calif.; Dennis Teskey and wife, Darlene, from Baker City; Sandi Burcio and husband, Dennis, from Brightwood, Ore.; grandchildren: Jay and Lisa Teskey, Jeff and Kelli Teskey, Jackie Teskey, Josh Teskey, Blake Graham, Matt and Lynette Graham, Nikki Lynch and Greg, Colby Lynch, Jerrod Brucio, Season Teskey, Troy Hanson, Angie Moore, Tori Lynn Jones, Dean and Tammi Teskey, and Lisa Teskey; 26 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to Heart-N-Home Hospice c/o Gray’s West & Company, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, Ore. 97814.
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