Obituaries for Dec. 11, 2009

Rich Coller

Tina Coller

Rich Coller, 79, and his wife, Tina Coller, 75, of Baker City and Caldwell, Idaho, died in an automobile accident Dec. 6, 2009, near North Powder.

Their funeral was this morning at the First Church of the Nazarene in Baker City, with Pastor Dan Mielke of the Celebration Community Church in La Grande officiating. Vault interment was at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City.

Richard Lee Coller, Sr. was born Feb. 25, 1930, in Cozad, Neb., to Fred Adam Coller and Rebecka Stellman Coller. He attended school in Nebraska before moving to Oregon. He worked as a ranch hand at the Oxbow Ranch in Prairie City before entering the U.S. Army in 1948. After his active duty ended in 1951, he served in the Army National Guard until 1953, then the Army Reserves until 1955.

Rich and Tina Derrick were married Sept. 4, 1954, in Meridian, Idaho. They had two children, Richard Coller, Jr. (Dick), and Kevin.

Throughout his lifetime, Rich was a rancher, a mechanic at Baker Garage, a logger and truck driver.

Rich was a member of Teamsters Local 81, Baker City Elks and Baker City VFW.  He enjoyed wood working, golf, camping and bowling.

Ernestine Mae Errend was born Aug. 22, 1934, in Baker City to Ernest Errend and Elizabeth Rebecca Van Cleave Errend. She was raised in Baker City and graduated from Baker High School in 1952.  She married Andrew H. Derrick and they had a daughter, Judy.

Tina worked for Western Union, drove school bus, then became a rural mail carrier.  She retired from the mail route in 2004. She enjoyed playing bingo, camping and bowling and she was a member of the Ladies VFW Auxiliary in Baker City.

Together Rich and Tina’s greatest accomplishment was their family. They loved their family and they enjoyed gardening together. They celebrated 55 years of marriage in September.

Rich was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Rebecka Coller; his brothers, Don, Bob and Fred Coller, Jr. Tina was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Beth Errend; and her sisters, Juanita Kolb, Loretta Morrison and Vina Smolich.

The couple are survived by their children: Judy Henry and her husband, Karl, of Nampa, Idaho, Dick Coller, Jr. and his wife, Carolyn, of Spokane, and Kevin Coller and his wife, Sara, of Caldwell, Idaho; Rich’s sisters: Charlene Yanken of North Platte, Neb., and Loise Zehrung of Powell Butte; Rich’s brothers: Al Coller of Denver, and Loe Coller and his wife, Dot, of Baker City; Tina’s brothers: Ken Errend of Baker City and Gene Errend and his wife, Madeline, of Washougal, Wash.; 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren with another soon on the way.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Shriners Children’s Hospital or the Susan G. Komen Foundation through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.