Obituaries for the day of May 13, 2008

March, Easley, Glenn, Richardson

Nellie March, 85, of La Grande and formerly of Eugene, died May 10 at a local care home. A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church in La Grande. A viewing will run from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Loveland Funeral Chapel. A complete obituary will be available later. 

Carlos Eugene Easley, 91, of La Grande, died May 10 at his home. A funeral service will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the First Christian Church. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Carlos was born April 7, 1917, the sixth of eight children, to George Woodson and Della Jeanette (Whitton) Easley in Chillicothe, Texas. He spent his early years in Texas, and then the family moved to Southern California where he attended schools in Baldwin Park and West Covina. One of his earliest memories is of a house fire that burned the family home. Everything was lost.

He attended college at Fort Lewis, Colo., and graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

On July 6, 1940, he married Wilma C. Thomas. He taught physics at Boulder High School for a year before coming to Oregon in 1943 with his wife and newborn daughter, Elizabeth. He was hired to teach pre-flight training classes as part of the war training program to Naval and Army cadets, intending to stay a year. The following year he taught in Pendleton where his second daughter, Carol, was born. In 1945 he was offered a position at Eastern Oregon College teaching radio-electronics in La Grande, where son, Tom, was born.

Carlos received his master’s degree in 1948 from the University of Colorado in Boulder and his doctorate in education in 1952 from Washington State University in Pullman. He went on to become director of education at Eastern Oregon College in the early 1960s and taught many Extension classes.

He served on the Teacher’s Credentialing and Professional Standards Committee for O.E.A. In 1965, he became dean of instruction at Eastern Oregon State College and in 1973 served as interim president during a presidential search. Carlos retired from the college in 1977 after 34 years.

Throughout his professional academic life he remained very active in the community, volunteering and remodeling houses. He was a 60-plus-year member of the local Lions Club, serving as president in 1949. He was active in all its fundraising endeavors and loved to lead the singing. He served as a member of the Salvation Army Board and the Grande Ronde Hospital Foundation Board and was president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1970.

In 1972 he spearheaded the fundraising drive for replacing the antiquated Second Street Viaduct over the railroad tracks. He helped create the baseball fields in Pioneer Park and was instrumental in helping the Lions Club create the George S. Birnie Lions Memorial Park on C Avenue in La Grande.

In 1973 he chaired the FOLKS (Friends of La Grande Kids) committee to pass a school bond levy. In 1977, Carlos and Wilma were named Man and Woman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. He served more than 30 years on the board of the DeWuhs-Keckritz Educational Trust Fund. In 1980 he co-hosted the United Way Drive and during the 1980s he chaired the city’s Fair Tax Base Campaign and helped organize funding for the new sewage treatment plant.

Carlos was part owner of a Cove cherry orchard. He created People’s Savings and Loan, serving as president and chairman of the board. During that time two buildings were erected in town now housing the Baker-Union-Wallowa Credit Union and Eastern Oregon Title.

Family was important and he took pride in his children and grandchildren and their schooling, projects, jobs and activities to the end. He was a past member of the La Grande Elks Club and a Mason. He was an active member of the La Grande First Christian Church where he sang in the choir, was superintendent of Sunday school, a deacon and an elder. He celebrated 67 years of marriage to Wilma, who kept a man with big dreams tethered to reality. He enjoyed remodeling houses, hiking, fishing, politics, barbershop singing, genealogy, poker, classical music and playing the organ.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Elizabeth and Elburn Cooper of La Grande, Carol and Richard Haddock of La Grande and Tom and Mona Easley of Corvallis; several grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; siblings, Marjorie Bennett of Reno and Ruby Heflin of 19 Palms, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Wilma, on June 9, 2007; and siblings, Grady Easley, Ora Ridgeway, Lena Atkisson, Cliett Easley and Lois Easley.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation, La Grande Public Library or the First Christian Church Memorial Fund.

Reola Estella Glenn, 75, of Summerville, died May 9 at her home. A celebration of life luncheon will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Summerville Odd Fellows Hall. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Reola was born March 29, 1933, to Ralph and Estella (Goller) White in La Grande. She lived in Union County all her life and graduated from La Grande High School in 1951. She was a member of the Union County Extension and enjoyed cattle, gardening, birds and quilting, hard work, hunting and fishing, picking huckelberrys, mushrooming and her grandchildren.

She is survived by her children and their spouses, Judy and Randy Turner of Dayton, Wash., Randy and Pam Glenn of Summerville and Teri Burgess of Moscow, Idaho; siblings, Lucille Higginbotham of Portland, Virginia Fenn of La Grande, Lawrence White of Eureka, Calif., and Clyde White of La Gande; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband, Buddy K. Glenn.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Grande Ronde Hospice, Summerville Cemetery or the St. Mary’s Cancer Center.

Raymond Arlie Richardson, 73, a lifelong resident of Cove, died May 9 at a local care center. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at the Cove Cemetery. Viewing will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande.

Raymond was born July 2, 1934, to Arlie “Shorty” and Lena (Bristow) Richardson in Cove. He graduated from Cove High School and served 14 years in the Army, serving two tours in Vietnam. After his honorable discharge he worked as a cook for Denny’s Restaurant until retiring. He was a former member of the Promise Keepers and a longtime member of AA. He loved watching sports on TV.

Survivors include his sisters and their husbands, Gay and Joe Scott of Island City, Dottie and Bob Reed of Alberta, Canada, and Doreen and Melvin Depuy of Trail; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins as well as other relatives.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cove Baptist Church.