Wheeler County Obits
Obituaries
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EASTERN OREGON PIONEER PASSES AWAY
Mrs. Sarah A. Brown, one of the earliest settlers in Eastern Oregon, died
Thursday, February 15th, 1923 at the home of her son-in-law-, Judge
G.O.Butler, near Richmond, Wheeler County, Oregon.
She was born in Giles County, Tennessee, on January 4, 1834 and crossed the
plains with her husband, Johnathan P. Brown, and two children in 1854.
They were located at and near The Dalles, Oregon, from 1854 to 1868. In
1868 they located on Girds creek in which is now Wheeler County. They had
several narrow escapes from the Indians, who were bad at that time.
She joined the Methodist church soon after coming to Oregon and was active
in church work the remainder of her life.
She was the mother of thirteen children, eight of whom are dead. The five
children who survive her are: Mrs. C.C. Vanliue, Fresno, Cal.; Mrs.
Clarence Johnson, Eureka, Nevada; Mrs. James Keyes, Mitchell, Ore.; Mrs.
J.B.Butler, Centralia, Wash.; Mrs. G.O.Butler, Richmond, Ore.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to thank our many friends for their kind sympathy and assistance,
during our bereavement in the death of our beloved mother.
The Family
SAD DEATH OF OLGA KEYES, 1911
Sad indeed was the tidings brought to Fossil by the telephone last Friday
evening, August 18th [1911], that Olga Keyes was dead. she was operated
on in St. Vincent's Hospital, Portland, the previous ..... was little
hope of her recovery from the start, and she gradually sank until the end
came. The immediate cause of death was strangulation of the bowels. Ten
days before she died she was in almost perfect health, and her untimely
demise in the flower of her young womanhood has cast a great gloom over the
entire county.
Olga Keyes was the daughter of James and Ellen Keyes of Mitchell, and was
born on the family ranch in this county 25 years ago. Her father died a
few years ago, and her mother, five sisters and four brothers survive
her. She was a beautiful young lady, and a capable house worker, with a
very large number of friends -- in fact, all who knew her esteemed and
loved her for her sunny disposition and many graces of character. For the
six weeks prior to her illness she was assisting Cora B. Morgan with the
management of the Fossil Hotel, and the bond of friendship between the two
was very strong, they being really more like sisters than mere
friends. With the guests, she was a universal favorite, and all of them
feel that they have lost a good and true friend by her passing away.
The remains were brought to Fossil last Saturday night by the sorrowing
mother, who had accompanied her daughter from here to the hospital on the
Tuesday before, and early Sunday morning the funeral cortege started to
Mitchell, which was reached late last night. On Monday she was laid to
rest beside her father in the old cemetery of Mitchell, in presence of a
large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends. Prior to the
interment an affecting funeral sermon was preached in the town church by
Rev. James Mansfield, and the services at the grave were conducted by the
order of the Rebekahs, of which Order the deceased was an honored member.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to return our heartfelt thanks to the many generous friends who
stood by us, with such unwearying kindness, during the time our beloved
daughter and sister, Olga Keyes, was called upon to suffer before entering
upon the "rest prepared for the children of God," and crossed to the
"beautiful home over there." Seldom have any in need of sympathy and the
most devoted friendship received so full a measure of the best fruits of
the human heart. From first to last it was one unceasing routine of
kindness and attention, and the gloom of death was softened by the warm
radiance of the love bestowed upon our dear one, who has gone before. All
that human power could do to alleviate her suffering and ......
[Note: The remainder of the Card of Thanks was destroyed in my copy. If anyone has the complete text , please feel free to add the remaining text. Joan Hill]
*****Surnames: Davis, Pitts, Phelps, Appleman
Orlena Mary Davis, 77, died at her Tygh Valley Ranch home on Monday, February 10, 2003.
She was born on July 23, 1925, in Portland. She was the youngest of five children born to Walter Gray and Emma (Pitts) Phelps and grew up in the Willamette Valley.
She married her high school sweetheart, Irl Davis, Jr. on September 3, 1942, in Kelso, Washington. Together they ranched and farmed on Tygh Ridge (Oregon).
In 1969, they founded Pine Hollow Development and created the community of Pine Hollow in Wamic (Oregon).
She is survived by her husband of 60 years; her two brother, Walt "Bud" Phelps, Milwaukie (Oregon); James "Jim" Philps, Lincoln City (Oregon); her daughter Sharon Ann Appleman and her husband Wayne, Portland; her son, Irl Michael Davis, Gig Harbor, Washington; her four grandchildren, John Woodford Appleman, Mary Borgne Appleman, Dea Nicole Davis all of Portland and Molly Ann Davis, Seattle (Washington).
She was a loving mother, homemaker and rancher's wife extraordinaire. She could professionally tailor a suit and with equal ease drive a truck load of wheat.
She was a charter member of the Wasco County Cowbells, a long term member of the Wasco County Home Extension, a leader of numerous Wasco County 4-H clubs and was an active member of the Tygh Valley School Board during the 1960s.
She was founder of the WapinRock Newspaper and the Pine Hollow Library. She also financed and founded the first Pine Hollow First Aid Service which later became known as The Pine Hollow First Responders. She received numerous accolades from the community including Wasco County Livestock Family of the Year (1979).
She was, also, an avid golfer, world traveler and loved wildlife and nature.
A family memorial service was held at the Tygh Valley Ranch. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.
Remembrances may be made to the Pine Hollow First Responders.
The Dalles Chronicle February 24, 2003.
Written permission to reprint given by The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles,
Oregon
Copied and submitted by Earline Wasser
