Obituaries for March 17, 2010

Eva Cook

No funeral is planned.

Eva was born on Sept. 13, 1925, at Mitchell, Scottsbluff County, Neb., to Lawson and Mae Rager Wallace. Eva moved with her family to Baker Valley when she was 15 and lived on the Powder River near Keating. She was the oldest child and the only sister of four boys.

Eva met Morris Cook on the bus ride from Keating to Baker schools. He was born at Keating on March 21, 1924. Soon, she was saving a seat on the bus for him.

They were married on Aug. 7, 1943, at Baker City. They had been married for 63 years when Morris died on Nov. 10, 2006.

They lived all their married life on the Cook Ranch where Morris was born, and they were the parents of four children: three girls and a boy.

Eva was a great gardener and always had a beautiful garden and canned all the produce. She loved music and singing. She could always be heard singing wherever she was and whatever she was doing.

She loved sewing and needlework. She could do almost anything on the ranch. They raised cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and their beloved horses.

They enjoyed many trips to the Eagle Mountains and the lakes. Eva and Morris were always together.

Survivors include two daughters, Caren Stephens, and her husband, Bob, of Haines and Diana Woods of Baker City; two brothers, Gordon Wallace, and his wife, Alice, and Timothy Wallace of Olympia, Wash.; an uncle, Lyle Rager, and his wife, Dot, of Baker City; a sister-in-law, Myrtle Colvard, of Baker City; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Ruth Cook Scipper; a son, Roger Cook; her husband, Morris; her parents and two brothers, Ted and Chuck Lawson.

Memorial contributions may be made to Heart ‘n’ Home Hospice through Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

James Virtue

James William Virtue, 62, of Baker City, died March 11, 2010, at his home.

His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. March 27, 2010, at the Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witnesses, 975 S. Bridge St.

Mr. Virtue was born on Aug.t 1, 1947, in Mona County, Iowa, to John Alferd and Bernice Josephine Bollig Virtue. He was the fourth of 12 children and received his education in Iowa. He suffered his entire life from polio.

He was very artistic and loved to garden and raise flowers but his biggest love was restoring vintage John Deere lawn mowers and garden tractors. He was a man of many hobbies, including his collection of vintage depression glass and chicken ceramics that he collected over the years. He was also very artistic with his charcoal drawings.  And he raised rabbits, sheep and chickens.

He married Lois Tracey on Jan. 6, 2003, at Steinhatchee, Fla. They lived in various locations before moving to Baker City from Galt, Calif., on June 1, 2009, to be close to family.  Mr. Virtue had been a practicing Jehovah’s Witness since 1975.

Survivors include his wife, Lois Virtue of Baker City; daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Ralph Hillman of Baker City; sons and daughters-in-law, Jamey and Stacey Virtue and Jermey and Becky Virtue, Sparta, Tenn.; daughter and son-in-law, Rebecka and Syson Hall of Gainsville, Fla.; 23 grandchildren and two great-granddaughters; three stepsons; brothers and sisters, Jerry Virtue, Shirley Barbera, Jack Virtue, Sandra Shumway, Randy Virtue and Kent Virtue, all of Sacramento, Calif., and Steve Virtue, Patty Virtue, Tom Virtue and Lori Austin, all of Baker City; and many nieces and nephews, living in Florida, California and Baker City.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Watchtower Bible & Track Society through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.