Obituaries for the day of October 19, 2009

Obituaries for the day of October 19, 2009

Elizabeth Fields

Formerly of La Grande

Elizabeth Fields, 93, formerly of La Grande, died Oct. 18 at a care center in Kennewick.  Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Helen Frizzell

La Grande

Helen Frizzell, 93, of La Grande, died Oct. 18 at a local care center. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is in charge of arrangements.

Kenneth ‘Ken’ Smith

Formerly of La Grande

1943-2009

Ken Smith, 66, of Salem and formerly of La Grande, died Oct. 12. A private family ceremony will be held in Portland in November.

Ken was born Aug. 27, 1943, to G. LaVerne and Dorothy Smith in Chicago. He married his wife, Connie, in 1966. They had two children, Julie and Marc, and moved to La Grande in 1981.

Ken taught in the education department at Eastern Oregon University until his retirement. His family said that many of Ken’s most treasured memories came from this time in his life.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, Ken’s family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Eastern Oregon University Foundation in memory of Ken Smith.

Timothy J. Wood

La Grande

1951-2009

Timothy Joel Wood, 57, of La Grande, died Oct. 10 at Evergreen Health and Rehab Center of a fast-growing brain tumor. Services will begin at

1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Christ with Minister Doug Edmonds officiating. Viewing will be one hour before the service. Burial will be later in Phoenix at the Hillcrest Cemetery at 11 a.m. Oct. 26. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Timothy was born Oct. 21, 1951, to Ralph and Charlotte Wood in Abilene, Texas. The family moved back to Oregon in 1953, and they moved to Ashland in March1954. He attended schools in Ashland, and graduated in May 1970.

He worked at numerous and varied jobs before going into the Navy where he was stationed on the USS Nathaniel Greene Nuclear Submarine. After being discharged, he worked on farms; as a taxi driver; a carnival driver; a telephone lineman in Montana; a tow truck driver; a big rig cross country driver; a Harley mechanic; a Medford Mail Tribune carrier; and at a truck wash.

Then in fall 1997, he moved to La Grande where he logged for Ken McCoy, and worked at the Blue Mountain Animal Shelter before he had a back injury and was forced to retire.

He was actively involved with the Union County Search and Rescue. He became a Man Tracker in the unit. Those who knew Timothy say he had a real passion for his Jeep and rock crawling with it. He was also involved with the American Legion.

He is survived by his mother, Charlotte Wood of La Grande; brothers, John and his wife, Diana Wood, of Dayton, Ohio, Dr. James and his wife, Maritza Wood, of Uvalde, Texas, and Thomas and Malinda Wood of Ashland; sister, Charity and her husband, Richard Henry, of

La Grande; and many other family members. He was preceded in death by his father.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Union County Search and Rescue or Irondyke Family Camp.