Obituaries for the week of Sept. 12 to Sept. 16, 2005

Suzanne Heriza

Suzanne Mary Heriza, 43, a longtime resident of New York City who was born and raised at Denver, died Sept. 14, 2005, after a long fight with breast cancer at her family home in Denver surrounded by friends and family.

There will be a celebration of her life at 4 p.m. Friday in Washington Park.

She was born on May 3, 1962.

Survivors include her mother, Sharon Heriza; her father, Bob Heriza, and his wife, Judy; brothers, Brian and his wife, Kimberly, Jeff and his wife, Jacqueline, and Kristin and Robert, and Chris and his wife, Stacy; grandmother, Mary Heriza; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Metro Denver or Gilda's Club in New York City.

Cynthia Nice

Cynthia Faye Nice, 54, died Sept. 14, 2005, at St. Mary Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash., following a long illness.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Gray's West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Lennie Spooner of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate.

Friends are invited to join the family following the service for a reception at Gray's West.

Cynthia was born on Sept. 24, 1950, in Franklin, La., to Laura and Clifford Badeaux. She grew up and attended school in Franklin.

In 1978, Cynthia married Donald Nice of North Powder. She and Donald made their home for many years on Wolf Creek.

Cynthia was a homemaker. She enjoyed making beautiful handcrafted decorations that she generously shared with friends and family.

Survivors include her husband Donald of Baker City; daughter, Shantel Pellerin; son, Jason Pellerin and his wife, Nancy; granddaughter, Xenia; sister, Sandra Davis and her husband, Graylen; brother, Clifford Badeaux Jr., all of Louisiana, and many nieces, nephews and in-laws.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Herring House in Walla Walla, Wash., family housing for cancer treatment patients, in care of Gray's West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.

Emma Bodewig

Emma V. Bodewig, 95, a resident of Baker City, died Sept. 15, 2005, at her home.

Funeral services for Mrs. Bodewig will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Sister Kay Marie Duncan will officiate. Vault interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Visitations will be held Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the funeral home.

Emma was born in Perry to Charles and Nora Coalwell on July 14, 1910. She resided most of her life in Baker City. A widow since 1972, Emma was a 50-year member of VFW Auxiliary Post 3048, a charter member of AMVETS 1874, and a 41-year member and past president of the American Legion Auxiliary.

She worked hard all her life to help support her family as a housekeeper for many local families and at the Baker Hotel in the 1940s. Emma is well known for her work at the Baker City Golf Club, where she planned and prepared meals for 27 years. She was also employed at the Oregon Lumber Company and worked on the preparation of many banquets for the Masonic Lodge and VFW.

Emma enjoyed card parties, bingo, yard sales, traveling, family reunions, bus trips, yard work and holiday decorating. She stayed busy and active right to the end of her life and was a true example of a dedicated mother, grandmother and friend.

She was dearly loved and will be missed by the family and friends she leaves behind.

Survivors include daughters, Twila and Katherine; daughter-in-law, Vivian; son-in-law, Loren; stepchildren, Chris, Richard, Marvin, Marlyn and Mary Jo, and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by husbands Henry Rockenbrant and Jake Bodewig, sisters Aileen Swinyer and Alice Spencer and brothers Frank and Ronald Coalwell, as well as her son Robert and one great-grandson, Larry.

Donations in Emma's name may be directed to Pathway Hospice, 2192 Court St., Baker City, OR 97814.

Gerald Brown

Gerald Wilbur Brown, 88, of Baker City, died Sept. 12, 2005, at Settlers Park.

At his request, cremation was held with private interment in Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mr. Brown was born Nov. 23, 1916, in Vanada City, Mont. He was raised in Duluth, Minn., and received his education there. Mr. Brown married Ann Diebekis on Nov. 7, 1952, in Cloquet, Minn. The family came to Baker City in 1955 from Canyon City.

He enjoyed playing the accordion, harmonica and guitar. He was a member of Kingdom Hall, Jehovah's Witness.

He is survived by daughters Grace Schramm of Duluth, Minn. and Norma Axelson of Minnesota; stepsons, Frank, James, Gerald and Dan Trader; stepdaughter, Luci Myers-Sohler; 25 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Syneva Farliegh and Ruth Brown and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Ann, three brothers and one sister.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions in his memory may direct them to the Kingdom Hall, Jehovah's Witness. This may be done through the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.

‘Rod' Dickison

Charles Rodney "Rod" Dickison, 77, of Baker City, died Sept. 10, 2005, at his home.

There will be a Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Agape Christian Center, 650 Highway 7. Pastor Aaron Oglesbee of the church officiate. There was a private family graveside service at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Rod was born at McEwen on March 24, 1928, to Marcus and Olive Dickison. He was the fifth of seven children, and the third of five generations in Baker County.

He was raised in Sumpter Valley until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1945 to 1949. He was called back into service during the Korean War until 1951.

In between his military service, Rod worked on the Sumpter Dredge and then went to Barber College at Portland. He returned to Baker City and went into partnership with Kenneth Kofford. They operated the Kofford/Dickison Barbershop.

Rod continued his barber business for 55 years and volunteered his barbering services at no charge to the Baker County Jail and for the homebound elderly and ill.

On Feb. 8, 1953, he married Deloros E. Shoemaker. They had three children: James H. Dickison, Ronald C. Dickison, and Eutonna M. Dickison Lee. His grandchildren include Amos J. Lee, Shelby J. Lee, Eli R. Dickison, Michelle R. Dickison, Kyle M. Dickison, Cambry Bracken/Dickison and Alyssa Bracken/Dickison. Great-grandchildren are Aspyn R. Lee, Indigo K. Lee and Isaac I. Lee.

Rod was one of the community leaders to bring the Full Gospel Businessmen's International into Baker County. He was a member of the Methodist Church for 26 years, and then became one of the founding elders and leaders of the Agape Christian Center, which he has been a member of for the past 25 years.

Rod was a volunteer fireman for 25 years and a Boy Scout leader for 10 years. He was involved in many other community service activities that reflected his love of God and the people of this community.

Rod loved hunting, camping, fishing, family gatherings, his studies and teaching of the Bible, and bettering the lives of others through his community volunteer activities. He was known for his dedication to his faith; by his family he was know for his love and his service to God.

Rod was preceded in death by his sister, Carrie Hudspeth, and her husband, Ernest; and his brothers, Norman James Dickison and Wilson M. Dickison.

Survivors include his brothers, Andrew J. Dickison and his wife, Jo, Dean Dickison, Wesley Dickison and his wife, Kathy, and Paul Dickison and his wife, Nancy; his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; other family members, Brenda Dickison, Dell Dickison, Duane Lee, Tailee Lee, Kim Lee, Donna Case, Don Dickison, Tom Dickison, Barbra Saunders; nephews and nieces too numerous to list; and longtime family friends, including Phyllis Badgley, Bob and Catherine Ott, Lew Robbins, Bob and Gail Stanton and Arron and Betty Ogelsbee.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Agape Christian Center, Pathway Hospice or St. Jude Children's Hospital through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.

Darren Bradford

Darren Roland Bradford, 34, of Heppner, a former Unity resident, died Sept. 10, 2005, at Pilot Rock.

His funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Burnt River High School in Unity. Interment will be at the Unity Cemetery.

Visitations will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Burns Mortuary of Pendleton.

Darren was born on Jan. 14, 1971, at Seattle, Wash., to Gail and Lea Clevenger Bradford. At the age of 6 weeks, he moved with his family to Baker City where he lived until he was 9 months old.

From Baker City, the family moved to Unity where Darren grew up. He was a 1989 Burnt River High School graduate. He attended Blue Mountain Community College at Pendleton and moved to Pilot Rock in 1990. He worked for Louisiana-Pacific from 1990 to 1994.

In 1994, Darren moved back to Unity, where he lived until 1998. He met his wife, Belinda Harrison, in 1998, and they were married on July 17, 1999.

Darren later worked for Fleetwood Travel Trailers of Oregon for 2 years and then for Kinzua at Pilot Rock. In 2001, Darren and Belinda moved to Heppner where he joined the Heppner Volunteer Fire Department, a job that he was very proud of. He owned and operated Heppner Auto Service.

Darren loved sturgeon fishing and any other kind of fishing. He enjoyed hunting and is remembered as being a workaholic. He also enjoyed collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia.

He was a jokester and loved to laugh and to make others laugh. Most of all, he loved his children and spending time with them and his family.

He was a member of the Heppner Fire Department, the Heppner Ambulance team, the Heppner Christian Church and the Unity Volunteer Fire Department.

Survivors include his wife, Belinda Bradford of Heppner; his parents, Joe and Lea Greenwood of Unity and Shirley and Wayne Liles of Pilot Rock; his grandmother, Evelyn Kirk of Toledo, Wash.; stepgrandmother, Dorothy Lorene Bradford of Unity; a son, Logan Bradford of Heppner; daughters, Amanda Bradford of Pilot Rock and Samantha Robbins of Pendleton; brothers, Jeffrey Bradford and his wife, Debbie, of Sweet Water, Tenn., Shawn Greenwood of Huntington and Michael Liles of Pilot Rock, Rob Bradford and Brian Bradford and his wife, Cheryl, all of Unity, Rod Bradford and his wife, Kathy, of Vale, Loyd Harrison and Burt Harrison and his wife, Barb, all of Pilot Rock; sisters, Alice Bradford of New Jersey, Virginia Christian of Baker City and Chessica Liles of Pilot Rock; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Clifford Clevenger and Roland Bradford; his father, Gail Bradford; and brothers, Mitch and Steve Bradford.

Memorial contributions may be sent directly to Belinda Bradford, P.O. Box 667, Heppner, OR 97836 or to the Heppner Fire Department Darren Bradford Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 743, Heppner, OR 97836.

Olive Bieber

Olive D. Bieber, 82, of Port Angeles, Wash., a former resident of the Medical Springs-Pondosa area, died Sept. 7, 2005, at the Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Wash.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mrs. Bieber was born on Sept. 7, 1923, at Montpelier, Idaho, to William and Daisy Grunig. She attended Union High School.

She was a farmer's wife and worked as a school bus driver, a bookkeeper for Tide Water Oil at Mossyrock, Wash., and retired after working for 25 years as a clerk at Johnson & Bork Paint Store at Port Angles, Wash.

She was a 45-year member of the Elks Lodge and was a member of the Medical Springs Grange, the Home Economics Club and 4-H.

She enjoyed gardening with her yard and flowers, reading, crossword puzzles, taking cruises and trips with her husband and loving her family.

She was cared for by her husband and granddaughter, DeAnna, for the past five years.

"Olive was a very special little lady and she will live in our hearts forever as we were all in hers," her family said.

Survivors include her husband, Orman W. Bieber of Port Angeles, Wash.; her son, James W. Bieber of Montana; her daughter, Sandra L. Cross of Seattle, Wash.; four granddaughters; a sister-in-law, Eloise Colton of Baker City; and a brother-in-law, George Bieber.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Virginia Mason Foundation, Mail-Stop D1-MF, P.O. Box 1930, Seattle, Wash. 98111.

‘Tom' Blaylock

Thomas Reed "Tom" Blaylock, 79, died Sept. 8, 2005, at St. Charles Hospital in Bend.

His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the McEwen Bible Fellowship. Pastor Bill Cox will officiate. Interment will be at the Sumpter Cemetery. Military rites will be accorded by Baker City AMVETS, Post No. 1874.

Visitations will be until 7 o'clock tonight at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.

Tom was born on Aug. 8, 1926, at Seattle, Wash. He came to Oregon in 1945. He rode a horse to Arlington to work on a ranch. He graduated from school at Arlington.

He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps for a short time during World War II. He was honorably discharged when the war ended and he returned to Oregon and worked on ranches in Eastern Oregon.

He rodeoed in 1947. He met his wife to be at this time, Colleen Moore. They were married February 22, 1948.

In 1993, Tom and Colleen retired at Sumpter. He was an artist and painted murals and made welcome signs in Sumpter.

Tom and Colleen had four children: Carol Ann, Robert, Rita Marie and James.

Survivors include his wife, Colleen; his children; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Lois Edward of Spokane, Wash., and Katherine Wilkerson of Beaverton; and several nieces and nephews.

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

Memorial contributions may be made to the McEwen Bible Fellowship.