>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Olga Brooks, 97, of Baker City and formerly of Richland, died May 21 at St. Elizabeth Health Services in Baker City.

A graveside service was held Friday at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland with Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church officiating. A reception followed at the New Bridge Grange.

Olga LaRue was born Jan. 24, 1910, to George Walter and Ida (Thompson) Miller in Halfway. Her father was a forest ranger. He began his career working out of Wallowa County and transferred to Baker County, where the family lived in Halfway and he worked out of Pine Valley.

Olga had two brothers, Dalton and Rupert Miller, and three sisters, Constance Weatherspoon, Chris Bennehoff and Audrey Witham. Olga attended first grade in Halfway then completed the rest of her education in Richland.

Her folks also owned and operated a hotel and restaurant in Richland.

She met her future husband, Paul Brooks, while attending high school in Richland. She and her sister, Audrey, helped her mother run the hotel and restaurant. The hotel burned down and her folks moved back to Halfway where they owned a grocery store and flour mill.

On May 14, 1927, Olga married Paul Loren Brooks at the Baker County Courthouse. They made their first home in Richland and raised three boys, Stanley, Dwight and Charles. They worked hard during their married life, running a cattle ranch and also milked cows. Olga raised a big garden, did the milking and was an excellent cook — especially her bread and buns.

Paul changed vocations in the 1940s. They went into a partnership with Tiny Jones in a truck line and service station. Later, they sold their share and went back to cattle ranching. Their house burned down in the early 1950s. They lost everything and then moved to town. They operated the ranch from there. The ranch (1,700 acres) was sold in the 1970s and they retired. They took two trips to Hawaii and also went south for the winter several times.

During her life, she worked in a grocery store and enjoyed reading and crocheting. She was involved with her church and taught Sunday school. She also enjoyed playing cards and was a member of the Pinochle Club and Bridge Club.

In May 1994 she moved to Meadowbrook Place Retirement Home.

Olga is survived by her sons and their wives, Stanley and LaRue Brooks of Richland, and Dwight and Donna Brooks of Union; daughter-in-law Mary Lee Brooks of Baker City; 11 grandchildren; numerous great and great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, in 1989; son Charles in 2005; and great-grandsons Matt Halley and Rory Huff.

The family suggests memorials to the Richland EMTs or the Shriners Children's Hospital through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543 Halfway 97834.

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Edna Fay Long, 76, of Louisville, Ky., and formerly of Union County, died May 28 at Hospice of Louisville. A memorial service took place May 29 in Kentucky.

Known as Fay, she was born to Albert L. and Opal M. Quebbeman in Miles City, Mont. In 1937 she moved with her family from Montana to the Grande Ronde Valley. She attended first grade at Dry Creek Schoolhouse. Thereafter she attended school in Summerville as well as Imbler, graduating from Imbler High School in 1949.

After moving back to Kentucky and while raising her family, Fay learned china painting and became proficient to the point of teaching it.

Fay was very loving and generous. Her grandchildren were very special and important to her, and she centered her life around them.

Survivors include her husband, Ronald Long of Louisville; sons and daughters-in-law, Tony and Lisa and Terry and Angela, all of Louisville; four grandchildren; and a brother, A. Hurshel Quebbeman of La Grande. She was preceded in death by her parents.

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A graveside service for Gerald "Gene" Evans will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Union Cemetery.

Mr. Evans, 73, a lifetime resident of Union County, died Feb. 17 at Grande Ronde Retirement Residence in La Grande.

To view the entire obituary, which was published previously, go to www.danielschapel.com.

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Harry Robert McCraw, 80, died May 20 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise.

A graveside service was held May 26 at the Island City Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Loveland Funeral Chapel.

Mr. McCraw was born May 24, 1926, to W.W. and Mabel (Harvill) McCraw in New Plymouth, Idaho. He attended school in New Plymouth.

He married Marillyn Vestal on Feb. 22, 1946, in Reno, Nev. They moved to La Grande from Ontario in 1954 and enjoyed 61 years of marriage.

Harry was employed at La Grande Fruit for 22 years, then went to work in life insurance marketing, retiring in 2002. In his younger years he enjoyed hunting and fishing and working as a ranch hand rounding up cattle. He was a member of the Eagles for more than 25 years.

Survivors include his wife, Marillyn of Island City; children and their spouses, Larry McCraw of Florida, Michael and Sally McCraw of La Grande, David McCraw of La Grande and Steve and Sharon McCraw of Elgin; eight grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and eight stepgreat-grandchildren; and two stepgreat-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Walter McCraw, George McCraw and Bernice Watkins; and infant son, Robert Allen McCraw.

Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.

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Kathryn Jean Langford, 55, died May 27 at her home in

La Grande. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Grande Ronde Community Church, 401 Fir St., La Grande, with Pastor Vernon Slippy

officiating.

Ms. Langford, known as Kathy, was born March 29, 1952, to Harry and Lenore (Lewis) Bigler in Salem and was raised in Portland. In 1977 she moved to La Grande, where she finished raising her three children and graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She worked at Rise, Inc., as a caregiver.

The joys of Kathy's life included her grandchildren, country music and dancing, arts and crafts, ceramic painting and giving to those whom she cared for.

Survivors include her daughters, Susan Newman of La Grande, Stephanie Converse of Griffin, Ga., and Sarah Langford of Portland; parents, Harry and Lenore Bigler of La Grande; brother, Lloyd Bigler of North Powder; and four grandchildren.

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Eleanor E. Starr, 94, of La Grande, died May 30 at the Grande Ronde Hospital. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Private burial will be at the Summerville Cemetery.

Eleanor was born June 11, 1912, to Archer and Carrie (Mahler) Squire in Kettle Falls, Wash. She graduated from Kettle Falls High School in 1930 and from Washington State University in 1934. She worked for the Resettlement Administration in Pullman, Wash., which moved to Portland in the fall of 1935 and became the Farm Security Administration, where she met her future husband.

On June 26, 1937, she married Lawrence Starr in Kettle Falls. They moved to the Grande Ronde Valley in 1943 from Portland and farmed in Summerville.

Mrs. Starr was a member of the Blue Mountain Chapter O.E.S. in Elgin, receiving her 50-year jewel in 1996, and of the Jewel Rebekah Lodge 96 in Summerville for more than 50 years, where she served as Noble Grand for two terms and held several offices. She was also a member of the Pleasant Grove Grange. Eleanor was active in the Imbler PTA and served as president for two terms. She enjoyed fishing, yard work and flower gardening.

Survivors include her children, Bev and Larry Knouse of

La Grande and Don and Karen Starr of Summerville; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Starr, in 1999.

Memorials may be made to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in care of Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande 97850.

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Stephen James Cavallaro, 60, died May 31 at his home in Enterprise. A Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Sunday, and a Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, both at St. Katherine Catholic Church in Enterprise. Burial will follow at the Enterprise Cemetery.

Known as Steve, he was born Sept. 16, 1946, to Paul James and Patricia (VanBilliard) Cavallaro in Houston. He grew up in San Francisco and Reno. He graduated from Reno High School in 1964 and completed a five-year electrician's

apprenticeship.

In 1967 he married Janis Muler in Reno. Later he and his family moved to Enterprise, where he did electrical work at Eagle Cap Electric until he became ill.

Steve was a member of AA for 29 years. He was an avid muleskinner and was active in the Rotary, Elks, Wallowa County Sheriff's Posse, Back Country Horseman and the Hells Canyon Mule Days board.

He was a member of St. Katherine Catholic Church in Enterprise and St. Theresa Little Flower Catholic Church in Reno. He was a supporter of the right-to-life movement.

Survivors include his wife, Karen, of Reno; children and their spouses, Steve of Reno and Tiffany and Don of Pendleton; sister and brother-in-law, Caran and Larry Hamilton of Pendleton; seven grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorials may be made to the Right-to-Life Fund in care of Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main St., Enterprise 97828.

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Yvonne Susan Mahood, 87, died June 1 in La Grande at her son's home. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Valley Fellowship. Committal, with burial will follow at the Grandview Cemetery.

Yvonne was born Aug. 28, 1919, to Euphenia and Thomas Croft at Ballynafiegh, Northern Ireland. In 1920 she sailed with her parents to Fall River, Mass.; her father was an international football player. Returning to Northern Ireland she attended Park Parade School in Belfast.

After graduating she enlisted in the military nursing service. She was involved in the Army Choral society in London and took care of hospital patients during World War II.

In 1942 she married James Mahood in Belfast. She had injuries to both legs at the time so after the wedding had to return to the hospital as a patient.

After the birth of her two sons, she returned to the army until 1957, when she and her family sailed to the United States. They lived in Union until 1995. She was employed a portion of that time by the doctors at Hot Lake.

She was a life member of the order of the Eastern Star, serving as Grand Chaplain in 1980, representative twice on cancer committees and representative to Oklahoma. She was past Lady of the Keys at Nydia Temple Daughters of the Nile and past Chaplain at Ulster Green Memorial Lodge, Banbridge, Northern Ireland, as well as past Monitor of the Presbyterian Women's Association, Eastern Oregon.

Survivors include her sons and their spouses, Raymond and Beth Mahood of Milwaukie and Dennis and La Veda Mahood of La Grande; four grandchildren; siblings, Harvey, David and Margaret; nieces, Yvonne and Ann; brother-in-law, Harry Barratt; and many great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband.

Memorials may be made to the Oregon Cancer Society or the Shriners Hospital for Children in care of Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande 97850.