Obituaries for Jan. 27, 2010

‘Bill’ Morris, ‘Tommy’ Pierce Jr., Lynda Williams

‘Bill’ Morris

William R. “Bill” Morris, 84, died Dec. 31, 2009, at the University Retirement Community in Davis, Calif.

Interment will be later at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Bill was born June 19, 1925, in Baker City to Samuel and Oradelia Morris. He graduated from Baker High School in 1943, and that spring he was elected president of the Oregon State Future Farmers of America.

He attended Oregon State University at Corvallis, and later enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in the 261st Infantry Division. After World War II ended, he met his brother, Julius, in Linz, Austria.

He married Laura Morgan in 1950. In 1970, the family moved to Davis, Calif. He worked with the vocational education section in the community college chancellor’s office in Sacramento.

After retiring, Bill joined the Davis Early Birds Lions and the Marigold Society of America. He also researched the Morris family genealogy.

Survivors include his wife, Laura, of Davis, Calif.; a son, Donald, and his wife, Kathy, of Corvallis; a daughter, Ann, of California; a sister, Alice Bacon, of Baker City; two grandsons, William and Sam; two great-grandchildren; a niece, Mary McTavish, and her husband, Alec, and their children, Lindsay and Hayden McTavish.

‘Tommy’ Pierce Jr.

Thomas Samuel “Tommy” Pierce Jr., 49, of Baker City, died Jan. 19, 2010.

His body will be cremated. There will be a celebration of his life in the summer of 2010.

Tommy Jr. was born on Aug. 1, 1960, at Baker City to Thomas and Beverly Pierce. He was a lifelong Baker City resident. Tommy Jr. loved to fish, hunt, pick mushrooms and barbeque.

His favorite hobby was to have a family member take him to a “special” mountain, family members said. He would climb to the top of it, stay for days and then someone would go back to the mountain to pick him up.

Tommy was part Cherokee Indian and very proud of his Indian heritage. He lived by the “Indian ways” faithfully. Although he had no children of his own, his dog, Brisco, meant everything to Tommy Jr. and he considered him his son.

Tommy Jr. was married to Helen Star Pierce. He had a very special relationship with his niece, Kaycee Noel. In his later stages of his disease, Kaycee was there to play cards and make “Uncle” smile!

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Pierce and Beverly DeRoest; his wife, Helen Star Pierce; brothers, Sherman and Steven; and both sets of  grandparents.

Survivors include his great friends and caregivers, Jack and Cheryl; siblings, Richard and Meridan Pierce of Washington, James and Vicki Wallette of Spokane, Wash., Leslie and Sherry Pierce of Grants Pass, Tanya Milanez of Boise, Shane and Tangie Colton of Emmett, Idaho, Ted and DJ Riley of Baker City, and Kimmy K. Suitter of Baker City; numerous nieces and nephews; and his loving dog, Brisco.

Memorial contributions may be made to Thomas’s family to assist with expenses. They my be sent to Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

Lynda Williams

Lynda L. Williams, 82, of Salem, a former Baker City resident, died Jan. 24, 2010, after suffering a serious illness.

Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 4 at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Salem. Private interment will be at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

Lynda was born on June 29, 1927, to Ralph and Norma Livengood. She followed her father as he served in the U.S. Coast Guard at Charleston, Winchester Bay and in California.

After graduating from Coquille High School, she attended classes to become a bookkeeper, working at Coquille until her marriage to John Williams. She then helped him with his career with the Oregon State Police.

Because of her beauty and graceful appearance, she reigned as queen on several occasions, her family said, including riding the Miller Department Store float as the court’s queen in the Cherry City Parade in the early 1950s.

Lynda dearly loved animals, especially kittens, and she loved to grow flower gardens in the cities of Coquille, Astoria, Baker City and Salem.

As a member of the Illahae Country Club at Salem, she enjoyed golfing with many friends. Lynda took oil painting lessons for several years and produced several seascapes and snow-covered mountain scenes. She taught church classes as a member of St. Paul Episcopal Church before converting to Roman Catholicism in 1992.

“Her loving smile and kind nature will be sorely missed,” her family said.

Survivors include her husband, John; son, Jon, and his wife, Judy; special grandson, Erik, and his wife, Heather; and other cousins and relatives; and friends, Jackie Hanson and Joyce Miller.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Willamette Humane Society, 548 High Street N.E., Salem, OR 97301.

Howell-Edwards-Doerksen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.