Obituaries for the day of July 20, 2009

Obituaries for the day of July 20, 2009

Ruth Carter

La Grande

Ruth Carter, 89, of La Grande, died July 19 at her home. A full obituary will be available later. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Barbara R. McDaniel

La Grande

Barbara Rae McDaniel, 69, of La Grande, died July 17 at a local nursing center. A complete obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

David McLain

La Grande

David McLain, 81, of La Grande, died July 18 in La Grande. A full obituary will be available later. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Wanda Pointer

La Grande

Wanda Pointer, age unavailable, of La Grande, died July 18 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise. A full obituary will be available later. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Sharon Purcell

Elgin

Sharon Purcell, age unavailable, of Elgin, died July 18 in Elgin. A full obituary will be available later. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Cindy B. Schultz

La Grande

Cindy Brownton Schultz, 53, of La Grande, died July 18 at her home. A full obituary will be available later. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Opal I. Burford

Union

1919-2009

Opal Irene Burford, 90, of Union, died July 15 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A funeral will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center, not at Union United Methodist Church as previously announced. Burial will follow at the Union Cemetery. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center in La Grande is in charge of arrangements.

Opal was born March 25, 1919, to Ray and Minnie Mae (Simmons) Barnhart in Creston, Wash. The family moved to Union when she was in the fourth grade and she graduated from Union High School. She married Alvin William Burford Sept. 19, 1937, in Union.

She was a member of the Rock Hounds and enjoyed hunting arrowheads, antique collecting, painting, quilt making, gardening and canning her produce and making jams. She loved spending time with her grandchildren.

Survivors include her children, Larry Burford of Union, Sharon Calhoun of La Grande and Jan White of Union; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband; and a great-great-grandson, Dylan McCall-Hickman.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Union Fire Department and Ambulance in care of Daniels-Knopp, 1502 Seventh Street, La Grande 97850.

 Rose Gibson

La Grande

2006-2009

Elley Rose Gracie Gibson, 3, of La Grande, died July 12 at Grande Ronde Hospital. Services were held Saturday at Faith Center Church. Loveland Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

Elley was born Jan. 23, 2006, to Stacy and Dena (Compton) Gibson of La Grande. She had a deep love of music and all things entertaining. Those who knew Elley say she packed more life into her three years than most people have in a lifetime.

She is survived by her parents; sister, Cyera Gibson of La Grande; and grandparents. Jon and Leslie Courtney of Cove.

Virginia A. Neiditch

Imbler

1922-2009

Virginia Alene Rowe Depew Neiditch, 86, of Imbler, died July 16 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A celebration of life was held July 19 at the Summerville Church. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory was in charge of the arrangements.

Virginia was born Dec. 16, 1922, to Chester and Ruth Rowe in Salmon, Idaho. She attended school in Salmon until she graduated in 1940. She married George S. Depew Dec. 16, 1940. They lived in Southern Idaho where they raised five children: Charles, Gary, Georgia, Nancy and Sandra.

Virginia and George divorced in 1962. Virginia went on to pursue her interest in nursing and became an LPN working in Jerome, Idaho, and Kennewick, Wash. Those who knew Virginia say she loved to help people — she took care of others her whole life whether it was as a nurse, mother, wife or friend. She enjoyed gardening, reading and attending and socializing at her church functions both in Jerome and in Imbler, where she resided the last six years. She was a member of the Summerville Baptist Church.

Virginia was preceded in death by her eldest son, Charles; parents, Chester and Ruth; and brother, Bill.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Youth Mission Fund at the Summerville Baptist Church.

Leida ‘Ruth’ Slack

Formerly of Summerville

1919-2009

Leida “Ruth” Slack, 90 of Milton-Freewater and formerly of Summerville, died July 17 after a brief illness at Regency at the Park in College Place, Wash. A funeral service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home Chapel in Milton-Freewater. Burial will follow at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery.

Ruth was born May 19, 1919, to Brad and Addie (Leigh) Hopkins in Atlanta, Neb. She went to school in Atlanta and graduated as valedictorian of her class in 1937.

She went to beauty school and then moved to Denver to work. While in Denver she met Lyle Slack. They married in 1943 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Lyle was deployed to Ireland and she returned to Nebraska to live with her family. When he was discharged they moved to Summerville and farmed on his family’s farm until 1962. The couple later moved to Milton-Freewater and ran an upholstery shop until Lyle’s death in 1978. After his death, Ruth lived in their home in Milton-Freewater until the spring of 2006 when she moved into her daughter’s home, where she lived until her death.

She enjoyed crocheting, hanging out at the Sub Shop to wash dishes and socialize, Seattle Mariners baseball, and spending time with her family. 

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Kathy Bishop of Milton-Freewater; several grandchildren; brother, Robert Hopkins of Holdrege, Neb.; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lyle Slack; son, Mike Slack; and son-in-law, Don Bishop.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Milton-Freewater Youth Baseball in care of Munselle-Rhodes, 902 S. Main, Milton-Freewater 97862.