>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Dorothy Rae "Dot" Lathrop, 71, of Lostine died Nov. 13 at a local care center. The funeral will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday Nov. 17 at the Enterprise christian Church with David Bruce officiating. Burial will be at the Lostine Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Lostine Grange Hall.

Mrs. Lathrop was born Feb. 2, 1934, to Henry and Estella Huffman Bird at Marr Flat in Wallowa County. On Jan. 19, 1952, she married Quentin Dale Lathrop in Joseph. He died in 1993. She was a homemaker and a member of the Enterprise Christian Church.

Survivors include four sons, Kurt and Gary Lathrop, both of Elgin, Dan Lathrop of Roseburg and Rick Lathrop of Yuma, Ariz.; two sisters, Susie Dryden of Puyallup, Wash., and Nellie Lathrop of Joseph, and a brother, Hank Bird of Joseph; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Evergreen Vista Care Center in care of Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main St., Enterprise.

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Darlene Eakin, 67, of Bend and formerly of Union County died Nov. 11 at her home after a long illness. A celebration of life will begin at 4 p.m. Friday Nov. 18 at the Christian Church, 13720 S.W. Highway 126 in Powell Butte.

Mrs. Eakin was born Dec. 9, 1937, to Emil and Irene Peterson Johnson in Junction City. She graduated from Junction City High School in 1956, and from Oregon State University in 1960. She married Merle Eakin and later divorced. She taught at Crook County High School, and in 1975 she began teaching in Cove and La Grande and for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Japan and Korea.

She was a 4-H club leader and was president of the Leaders Association in Union county, coached volleyball and participated in every Hot Shot Memorial Run. She enjoyed skiing, running, walking, working out, playing golf, attending the Olympics, country dancing, scuba diving, skiing, gambling, traveling and mountain climbing.

She retired in 1999 and became a ski instructor at Mount Bachelor and participated in Volunteers in Medicine and the Adopt a Road program. She loved animals, especially her dog, Gypsy, and expected those around her to be the best they could be.

Survivors include her daughters and their husbands, Renae and Terry Weber of Vale, Heidi Lea of Prineville and Tonya and Mark Koopman of Bend; four grandchildren; a brother, Rod Johnson, and a sister, Doris Allison.

Memorials may be made to an athletic fund in her name at Bank of the Cascades, 103 N.W. Third St., Prineville 97754.

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Patricia Rambo, 70, of La Grande died Nov. 11 at Grande Ronde Hospital. Burial will be in Hermiston on Nov. 18. Loveland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Rambo was born Feb. 3, 1935, to Lester and Ada Hunt in Heppner. She graduated from Hermiston High School in 1953 and worked for the Hermiston Library and the Union Pacific Railroad.

On Aug. 28, 1957, she married Myrle "Bud" Rambo in Lewiston, Idaho. They moved to La Grande where she was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband and two children, Shannon and David Rambo. A brother, Kenneth Hunt, died earlier.

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Mark L. Bowen, 50, of La Grande died Nov. 10 after a long illness. A private family service will be held. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Bowen was born May 18, 1955, to Corwin Francis and Geraldine Edna Belcher Bown in Los Angeles, Calif. He served as an elder at the Roandoak of God Ministry in Morro Bay, Calif., and worked as a supervisor in the Department of Public Works in Eugene. He enjoyed deep-sea fishing, mechanics, blues music and playing drums.

Survivors include his companion, Nancy Pelphrey; children, Molly Woods, Christi Schoening and Marshall Pelphrey; his parents; siblings, Cherly Fountan, Trina Dickerson, Chris Bowen, Tim Bowen, Susan Taylor, Mickey Salians, Rodney Bowen, Robin Cardenas, Jeffery Bowen and Douglas Bowen; five grandchildren and other relatives.

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Frances Degree, 76, formerly of Camp Elkana, died Nov. 10 in Redmond. Autumn Funerals was in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Degree was born Feb. 25, 1929, to Earnest and Peggy Petty Bollinger in New Plymouth, Idaho. She graduated from high school in Redmond where she was a majorette. She married Kenneth Degree, and worked as a property manager in La Grande beginning about 1972. She moved to Camp Elkana where she lived for over 20 years. She loved tranquility and the outdoors. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Eagles, and enjoyed driving, water skiing, camping, organizing family potlucks and games, and being with her family. She was known as the life of the party.

Survivors include her companion, Ted W. Hooey of Starkey; children, Cheri Little of Portland, Linda Bailey and Scott Degree, both of Redmond; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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Michael Logan Irish, 65, of Vancouver, Wash., and formerly of La Grande died Nov. 13 in Portland after a long struggle with prostate cancer.

A memorial Mass will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Vancouver.

Mr. Irish was born Nov. 12, 1940, to Paul and Helen Irish in Seattle.

He served as the director of facilities at Eastern Oregon University from 1995 to 1999.

Survivors include his wife Margaret of Vancouver; children, Herb, David and Judy Irish, Mark Courtney and Manda Kunze; siblings and their spouses, Paul and Arlene Irish, Pat and Ruth Ann Irish, Jim and Candi Irish, and Judy and Paul Rascon; and eight grandchildren.

Contributions may be made to the Michael Irish Creativity Award, Portland State University Foundation, P.O. Box 243, Portland 97207, or the American Cancer Society in care of Evergreen Memorial Garden Funeral Chapel, 1101 N.E. 112th Ave., Vancouver 98684-4950.

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Charles Fredrick Barnett, 70, of Union died Nov. 4 at his home. A memorial service was held Monday at the Calvary Baptist Church in Cove. Daniels Chapel of the Valley was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Barnett was born Nov. 7, 1934, to Leonard and Lela Land Barnett in Elgin. The family moved to Pumpkin Ridge and then to Cove. He graduated from Cove High School in 1952, and worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. He served in the Army for three years, and continued working for the railroad. He retired after 46 years. In 1970, he settled in Union and lived there for the rest of his days.

On July 23, 1960, he married Heilda Jeanne Carter. After a divorce he married Ida Mae Parish. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, his dog Pacco and visiting family and friends.

Survivors include his wife of Union; sisters Rosetta Fulk, Betty Blaylock and Mary Doramus; brothers, Walter, Jim, Joe and John Barnett; and children, Edward, Robert and Leah Barnett, Leila Mattox, Michelle Verbout and Tennille Parish.

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Virginia Lauraine "Bo" Karren, 81, of Beaverton and formery of Union died Nov. 8 at her home. Burial was in a family plot at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mrs. Karren was born March 27, 1924, to John M. "Jack" and Emma Hiscky Childers in Blackfoot, Idaho. The family lived in Pondosa, Union and Baker City. She graduated from Baker High School in 1942, and on Dec. 23, 1944, she married Lester Baum Karren, making her a third-generation member of the Elsyness Sylvester and Mary Eva White Baum Family Association.

Survivors inlucude a brother, Bill Childers; a sister-in-law, Sharon LaRue Karren Welsh of Suisun, Calif.; a niece, Vicki Fite of Baker City, and other relatives. A brother, Bob Childers, and a sister, Elgin Childers, died earlier.

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Paul Norven Carman, 78 of Union, died Nov. 15 at Grande Ronde Hospital. Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St. A celebration of life will begin there at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. Burial will follow at the Union Cemetery with a potluck reception at the Hut in Union.

Mr. Carman was born Oct. 3, 1927, to Elvin and Virginia Davenport Carman in Hood River. He attended schools in La Grande and served in the Army during World War II. In 1948 he married Dennis "Denny" Allred. They lived in Boise for a short time before returning to La Grande. After a divorce he married Beverly Gipson in 1974 in Weiser, Idaho.

He owned a service station in La Grande and later worked for La Grande Lumber, Copland Lumber Company in Portland and La Grande Builders Supply. He retired in 1992.

He was an accomplished pilot and loved to fly. He enjoyed square dancing, hunting, target shooting, motorcycles, guns, repairing bicycles for children, and most of all, being with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife of Union; children and their spouses, Paul and Brenda Carman Jr., and Sandy and Ron Droke, all of Union, Elvin and Carolyn Carman of Columbia Falls, Mont., and Rod Carman of La Grande; step-children and their spouses, Tom and Jeannie Collins of Elgin and Blanche and Emery Leonard of La Grande; 15 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; brothers, Ronald, Gary and Donald Carman; sisters, Beverly Carman, Shirley Kleng, Connie Heller, Joyce Smith and Kathleen Gilbert, and other relatives. Two brothers, Elvin and Keith Carman, and a sister, Sharon Shenfield, all died earlier.

Memorials may be made to any charity of choice in care of Daniels Chapel.