Obituaries for Jan. 22, 2010

Reuben Amunrud

Reuben Amunrud, 84, of Baker City, died Dec. 22, 2009, at his home, as was his wish.

His memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 975 S. Bridge St. There will be a reception afterward.

Reuben was born on March 31, 1925, near Bagley, Minn., on the family farm, to Christian and Caroline Amunrud. He was a blue-eyed Norwegian born into a family of 10 children in the hard times leading up to the Great Depression.

His parents became Jehovah’s Witnesses when Reuben was young, and so, as he grew older he was very sincere in his worship of Jehovah God, our Creator, and in following his biblical commandments, his family said. To that end, the volunteer ministry was his main joy and thrust in life.

For secular work he did trucking, worked in the timber in Wyoming and Minnesota and built silos in the great farmland of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

After a move out West to Longview, Wash., around 1951, he worked with the Longview Fiber Co., until a serious back injury forced him to seek other employment. In 1957 he attended a school for the training of telegraphers for railroads in Seattle. In late 1957, he began work for the Great Northern Railroad Co. as a telegrapher. This railroad later merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad.

He worked at various railroad depots in Montana, Washington and Madras where he later retired, after some 28fi years on the railroad. At this time he took an early buy-off from the railroad so that he would be in a position to be more fully used in the home missionary work, which was so important to him. Reuben and his wife, Bille, then moved to other places in Oregon where more help in the ministry was needed.

At Madras, while still working with the railroad, his main interest and joy was always the Bible educational work, giving people in this world a real hope to look forward to, that this would bring peace to this earth, his family said. He and Bille rejoiced in working together with the Latinos and with the people on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation near Madras, as well as all the local residents.

As always, Reuben especially loved working with the young ones, no matter what culture, and they loved him. During this time, he attended more schooling in the ministry various times for further instruction about how to be more useful and helpful to his fellow humans.

Reuben had additional interests he enjoyed. He loved to travel with his wife, and deeply appreciated this beautiful earth and the animals our Creator gave mankind to enjoy, his family said.

He especially loved birds and their songs. He was full of rhythm and loved to dance to lively old country songs, especially the polka, in his younger years. His interests also included photography and rock hounding.

He and Bille met in 1970.  They were married at Caldwell, Idaho, and had been married nearly 40 years. From Caldwell, they moved to Spokane, Wash., where Reuben was employed by the railroad until they were moved to Madras with Burlington Northern Railroad in late 1972.

Reuben and Bille moved to beautiful Baker City in 1996 to settle down as they grew older still teaching in the Bible educational work. Reuben had the grand hope which Jesus taught of being brought back to life, or resurrected, with perfect health and strength and happiness on a peaceful paradisaic earth, his family said.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Christian and Caroline Amunrud of Bagley, Minn.; his first wife, Lura-Marie; three sisters, Karma Amunrud, Gladys Bergeron and Nellie Kinn; four brothers, Selmer Amunrud, age 3, and Woodrow, William and Mervin Amunrud.

Survivors include his wife, Bille; his two children from his first marriage, Dale Amunrud, and his wife, Dianne, and their two sons, Dallas and Dustin, of Madras, and Rita Clark Amunrud and her son, Elliot Clark, of Spokane, Wash., and her daughter, Dawn Bar-Shai and her husband, Asaf, and their three children, Devin, Charlise and Magnus of Phoenix, Ariz.; two brothers, Kenneth Amunrud and his wife, Hazel, and Leo Amunrud and his wife, Gloria, of Spokane, Wash., and their daughter, Wendy Bromley of Seattle, Wash.

Keith Holmes

Keith L. “Pee Wee” Holmes, 80, formerly of Heyburn, Idaho, died Jan 20, 2010, at his home in Baker City.

 A memorial service will be scheduled later.

He was born on Aug. 13, 1929, at Burley, Idaho, to Claire Knudsen Holmes and Dell Holmes.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Harold Holmes, Ralph Holmes and Don Holmes; and his sister, Karen Holmes Rehn.

Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Kay Charles Holmes; seven children, Laura Huggins and her husband, Ed, of Baker City, Sheryl Farmer, Kelly Kriner, and Randy Holmes, all of Pocatello, Idaho, Andra Catmull and Julie Christensen and her husband, Kevin, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Cathy Davis and her husband, Rod, of Henderson, Nev.; 17 grandchildren, Lukas, Matea and Gracie Huggins of Baker City, Aaron Greenwell, Melanie Mortensen, Whitney Greenwell, Isaac Percy, all of Pocatello, Idaho, Alicia Catmull, Isiac Catmull, Bret Davis, all of Las Vegas, Nev., Ryan Christensen and Shawn Davis of St. George, Utah, Jamie Preston of Woods Cross, Utah, Hollie Davis of Lehi, Utah, McKenzie Christensen of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Burgandy Holmes; numerous great- grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Phyllis Schmidt

Phyllis E. Schmidt, 73, of Baker City, died Jan. 20, 2010, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

Her memorial service will be scheduled later.

She was born on May 12, 1936, at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the oldest child of Evan and Phyllis Hughes.  She lived at Chester, Pa., until 1949, when she moved to Arizona.

She graduated from Scottsdale High School and attended the Arizona College of Bible receiving a two-year degree in Bible. She married Donald E. Schmidt on Nov. 5, 1982.

In 1998, after living in Arizona for 49 years, Phyllis moved to Baker City, a town she really loved.

She was an active member of Calvary Baptist Church where she had many friends.

Survivors include her husband, Don, of Baker City; two brothers, Daniel Hughes and his wife, Jennifer, and James Hughes and his wife, Karen, of Albany; two sisters, Elaine Hughes and Nancy Sechrest of Tempe, Ariz.; three stepchildren,  Donald D. Schmidt of Chandler, Ariz., John Schmidt and his wife, Sherry, of Nampa, Idaho, and David Schmidt and his wife, Nancy, of Goodyear, Ariz.; eight stepgrandchildren, Chet Schmidt and Joya Tuberville of Prescott, Ariz., John R. Schmidt and Christie Anderson of Phoenix, Ariz., Jeanna Hernandez of Wichita Falls, Texas, Jessica Prentice of High Springs, Fla., and Calle and Deidre Zobal of Nampa, Idaho; and 12 stepgreat-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Evan and Phyllis Hughes; and a brother, Evan “Bud” Hughes.

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