Obituaries for the day of September 22, 2009

Laurence, Shaffer, Berry, Gillespie, Fleming, Larsen, Nelson

LOCAL FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS

Sept. 23 — Raema Laurence, funeral service, 11 a.m., Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center

Sept. 26 — Betty Shaffer, memorial service, 2 p.m., IOOF Hall, Summerville

Glendon Berry, 71, of La Grande, died Sept. 21 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A complete obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

George Richard Gillespie II, 72, of Elgin, died Sept. 21 at his home. A complete obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

Elma Ruth Fleming, 85, of Enterprise, died Sept. 19 after a seven-year battle with cancer. A service was held this morning with Gerald Raedeke officiating. Bollman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Ruth was born June 10, 1924, to David LeRoy Read Sr. and Elma S. Miller Read in Enterprise. She graduated from Enterprise High School in 1942.

Ruth married LeRoy N. Fleming Sept. 21, 1942, in Weiser, Idaho. He preceded her in death in 1977.

Ruth worked as a homemaker and rancher. She worked at the Sears catalog store for 15 years. She was a member of VFW Auxiliary and Alpine Twirlers Square Dance Club and was earlier in the Eastern Star and Emblem Club along with the Cowbelles.

She is survived by her daughter, Dana and her husband, Everett Roberts, of Enterprise; sons, Dave and his wife, Marla Fleming, of Nampa, Idaho, and Dwight and his wife, Jackie Fleming, of Enterprise; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and two nieces and one nephew.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Lella Mae Miller; and brother, David LeRoy “Bud” Read Jr.

Memorial contributions may be made to the VFW Auxiliary Cancer Fund.

Roger K. Larsen, 66, formerly of La Grande, died Sept. 16. A viewing will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Jenkins-Soffe South Valley at 1007 W. So. Jordan Pkwy. (10600 S.), So. Jordan, Utah 84095. The funeral will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the LDS chapel at 10194 S. 1000 W. in South Jordan. Online condolences can be made at www.jenkins-soffe.com.

Roger was born July 23, 1943, to Glen and Roberta Larsen in La Grande. He lived in Oregon, Idaho and Utah.

He was a dental technologist and also served a mission to Denmark for the LDS church.

He is survived by his wife, Marie; and children, Kent, Tiffany, Holly, Cory, Brandon and Sonnet.

Faye D. Nelson, 86, of La Grande, died Sept. 14 at a local care center. Faye was cremated. The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Faye was born March 8, 1923, to Alfred and Josie Marker Fincher in Severe, Utah. She was raised on the family farm near Vale. She married Samuel E. Nelson Feb. 18, 1943, and together they raised five children.

A large part of the years that she and Sam were raising their children was spent in logging camps moving quite often where the work took them. They settled permanently in Eastern Oregon in 1964. Sam died in January 1969. Faye remained in La Grande until she died.

She was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

She loved to do crafts and spent many hours on her hobbies. She loved music and getting together with her family to play music and sing. She loved her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her remaining children, Carl and JoJean Nelson of La Grande, Sally and Tom Lawry of Las Vegas and Joe-Ann and Bert McMichael of Jordon Valley; daughter-in-law, Clara Nelson of Hesperia, Calif.; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; four sisters; and two brothers. She was preceded in death by her sons, Billy Joe Nelson of Camas, Wash., in 1972 and Everett Nelson of Hesperia, Calif., in November of 2005. Her granddaughter, Bobbi Jo Tuck, daughter of Joe-Ann McMichael, died suddenly four days before Faye.