Obituaries for the day of May 18, 2009

Gilchrist, Griggs, Blackman, Ingerson

Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

Lois D. Griggs, 84, of La Grande died May 15 at Grande Ronde Hospital.

A funeral service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center on Gekeler. A viewing will take place at 10 a.m. at the church prior to the services.

Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Ethel Margaret Blackman, 88, of Island City, died May 15 in the presence of her children. Family viewing will run from 4 to 6 p.m. today at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center. A Mass of Christian burial will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Island City Cemetery.

Ethel was born Sept. 8, 1920, to Thomas and Hazel (Wright) Murray in Dunseith, N.D. The family moved to La Grande in 1934 and she graduated from La Grande High School with the Class of 1938.

After graduation she worked at St. Joseph Hospital until her marriage to Thomas Houston Blackman on Aug. 31, 1939. During the war years she worked in the purchasing department for Boeing. In 1967 she began working as the order clerk for Western Equipment Caterpillar. She retired from the position in 1981.

Ethel was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church since 1934. She enjoyed boating, fishing, traveling and camping.

Survivors include her children and their spouses, Gregory and Nancy Blackman of La Grande, Scott and Louise Blackman of Louisville, Ky., Jan and Pat Callaghan of Milwaukie and Kristi and Joe Richter of Bend; siblings, Charles Murray of Linwood, Wash., Michael Murray of Redmond, Wash., Beva Gall of Seattle and Rosella White of Renton, Wash.; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband last year; a sister and her husband, Evelyn and Al Werran; and brothers, Frances Murray and John “Owen” Murray.

Memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in care of Daniels-Knopp, 1502 Seventh St. in La Grande.

Rebecca Suzanne Ingerson, 56, of La Grande, died May 14 at her home. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Rebecca was born April 15, 1953, to Bill and Veralee (Hoagland) Sykes in Klamath Falls. She moved to La Grande from Pendleton more than 20 years ago. She married Jerry Dale Ingerson in June 2008.

Her hobbies and interests mostly included her love for animals, gardening and her passion — flowers. She loved viewing wildlife “critters,” as she called them. Rebecca retired from Eastern Oregon University.

She is survived by her husband, Jerry of La Grande; sons, Kevin and his wife, Tina Ingerson, Steven Ingerson, and Kyle and his wife, Kylee Ingerson, all of La Grande.

She was preceded in death by her parents.