Obituaries for February 20, 2009

‘Bud’ Cox

Robert “Bud” Cox, 85, of North Powder, died Feb. 17, 2009, at his home.

At his request, his body was cremated. There will be a graveside service in the spring. The date and time will be announced later.

Bud was born on Oct. 15, 1923, at Winter, Wis., to James Cox and Florence VanAlstine Cox. 

In 1936, the Cox family moved to the Klamath Falls area. In 1942, Bud enlisted in the Marines during World War II and was a marksman and mortar crewman. He was wounded on July 3, 1944 in Saipan and was awarded the Purple Heart and received an honorable discharge April 17, 1945.

Bud’s occupation was operating heavy equipment. He was a member of the Local 701 Operating Engineers and worked all over the state. He came to North Powder in 1971 during construction of the interstate highway and decided to make his home there. He met and fell in love with Marilyn Montgomery and they were blessed to be together for 36 years.

Bud was an “outdoorsy” kind of guy and loved camping, fishing, hunting or just getting out for a leisurely drive along the countryside or in the mountains to take in the scenery and wildlife. He also enjoyed playing country music on his guitar, reading the newspaper nightly and working on crossword puzzles.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Cox of North Powder; stepdaughter, Sherry Jensen-Rudolph and her husband, Tony, of Baker City; son Karl “Skip” Cox of Ketchikan, Alaska; daughter, Judy Larsen of Taylorsville, Utah; five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, four great-great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his two brothers and two sisters.

Memorial contributions may be made to the North Powder Grange or Pathway Hospice through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

Lyndon Johnson

Lyndon J. Johnson, 47, of Baker City, died Feb. 15, 2009, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

A memorial service will be scheduled later.

Lyndon was born on Nov. 19, 1961, at Hermiston to Herman J. and Mabel H. Grosha Johnson. He worked as a construction project superintendent, and enjoyed the outdoors, steelhead fishing, camping, and picking mushrooms and huckleberries.

After his mother’s death in 1962, Lyndon was raised by his great-aunt and great-uncle, Bernice and Harold Harding.

Survivors include his fiancee, Ferrel Gawith of Baker City; four sons, Aaron, Aric and Adam Johnson, all of Portland, and Alexander Johnson of La Grande; a daughter, Jessica Johnson of La Grande; and two sisters, Mary Sieders and Teri Simonis of La Grande.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two daughters, Ashley and Ariel Johnson and a great-aunt and -uncle, Bernice and Harold Harding.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814

Rachel Webb

Rachel Garnet Wunder Webb, 95, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 17, 2009, at her home in Nampa, Idaho.

Her funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Rev. Timothy Van Cleave, Rachel’s grandson, of the Assembly of God Christian Life Church will officiate.  Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Visitation hours will start at 10 o’clock the morning of the service.

Rachel Garnet Riley was born in Baker City on Jan. 21, 1914, to Herbert William & Ethel Llewelln (Baldock) Riley.  She attended school at the St. Francis Academy. 

Rachel not only was a homemaker and pastor’s wife, but also earned the Esther Award in Assembly of God Missionettes Program and received her license to preach in the 1950s.  She continued her service as a Sunday School teacher, choir director, taught Vacation Bible School and worked with the Visitation Outreach Program.

She loved to cook and bake, loved crafts, loved to fish, loved to play the piano and organ, loved to sing, loved to play cards (especially Skip-Bo,) loved to do for others, and loved to laugh!

 She married Herman Webb Sept. 15, 2001, in Pilot Rock. They were married almost six years before Herman passed in 2007.

Rachel is survived by her children: daughter Dolores McGill and her husband David of Pilot Rock, daughter Linda Wall and her husband Wayne of Baker City, and son Ray Wunder and his wife Gwen of Nampa, Idaho; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Ethel Riley, sister Lora Jensen, brother Billie Riley, and husbands Alva Wunder, R.J. Beagley, and Herman Webb.