Obituaries for April 13, 2009

Carol Andrea McKim, 70, of Halfway died April 8, 2009, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center in Baker City.

A family gathering in honor of Carol will be held in July. The date and time will be announced later.

Carol was born April 5, 1939, in Halfway to George Theodore (Ted) Steele and Alma Effie (Hulse) Steele.

She spent her childhood in the company of five brothers and six sisters. She attended Halfway High School until her junior year, when she married Oklahoma-native Martin McKim on July 25, 1956. Her life was spent as a dedicated and loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and housewife. She enjoyed reading, writing letters, crossword puzzles, sewing, and chatting with friends and family on the telephone. Nearly every Christmas, those closest to her could expect a homemade calendar.

Most of Carol’s life was spent in Halfway except for a brief stay in La Grande. She resided in Baker City from 1965 to 1974, when Martin worked on construction of the Mason Dam, and Interstate I-84.

Carol’s children included Andrea, who was born in 1957, and married Fred Hesus in 1978. Richard was born in 1958, and married Kathy Sinnott in 1990. Ivan was born in 1959, and married Susan Moore in 1985. Harriet was born in 1963, and married Jeff Cable in 1982.

Carol had twelve grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Her children’s friends and grandchildren’s friends were always welcome in her home. They were never denied a warm meal, a kind word, or a cold soda.

Carol liked listening to country music. In recent years, she became a huge fan of music with a Gaelic flavor, such as Daniel O’Donnell, Celtic Woman, and Celtic Thunder. 

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Ted and Alma Steele, brothers Gene Steele and George Steele, sisters Marvel Savage and Shirley Marker, and daughter Andrea Hesus.      

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations go to help with final costs through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543 Halfway, OR.