These are obituaries that Tom Childers has been nice enough to donate to the Union county site. My special thanks to him for allowing us to put these on the site.
If you have any obituaries you can donate, please drop a line to Janine M. Bork.Your information can help others.
Chas. H. Reynolds, prominent member of one of La Grande's pioneer families died Wednesday evening September 2nd at a local hospital. He was 78.
Mr. Reynolds was born on December 29, 1891 in La Grande, the son of James and Lulu Childers Reynolds. He was a star athlete at La Grande High, graduating with the class of 1909. He played on the Oregon State football team for four years as quarterback graduating in June of 1913. He returned as coach of La Grande until 1920. His football team of 1917 won the State Championship defeating Franklin of Portland 14-0 on the fairgrounds field which today is the site of the Boise Cascade Lumber Mill.
On January 1, 1914 he founded Reynolds Insurance Agency, which he operated with his sons Everett and Charles Jr. until suffering a stroke on January 11, 1969.
On June 25, 1914 he married Hazel Theisen, his childhood sweetheart. They enjoyed 56 years of married life, which ended on August 27, 1970 when Hazel preceded him in death.
Mr. Reynolds founded the Old Oregon Trail Highway Association and was it's president for 12 years. He was also president of the La Grande Chamber of Commerce and was fund chairman when the road was built to the top of Mt. Emily.
His experience on the Oregon Trail Association led to his being appointed by Governor Douglas McKay to serve on the Oregon State Highway Commission, a post he held for nine years, the last being it's chairman in 1958. During this term he was responsible for the Rooster Rock State Park plus erecting the Old Oregon Trail Highway on the Columbia River. Also the Emigrant Hill section was channeled to a modern highway during this time.
Besides a host of friends Mr. Reynolds leaves his sons, Everett J., La Grande, Charles A., Yakima, Wash., M. E. (Bud), Las Vegas, Nev., nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren; four brothers, Lee, La Grande; Jay, Corvallis, Earl, Auburn, Calif., and Joe, Honolulu, Hawaii; sister, Marjorie Christenson, Healdsburg, Calif.
Recitation of Rosary will be Friday, September 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Daniels Valley Funeral Chapel. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday September 5th at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church at 10 a.m. with Father Patrick Gaire officiating. Concluding services will follow at Grandview Mausoleum, Grandview Cemetery.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the St. Joseph Hospital Coronary Care Unit c-o Daniels Valley Chapel, P. O. Box 772, La Grande, or at the Chapel.
The Observer
La Grande, Oregon
Thursday, September 3, 1970
Front Page
Hazel M. Reynolds of 1507 First St. died Thursday August 27th at a local hospital. She was 78.
Mrs. Reynolds was born on May 19, 1892 in La Grande, the daughter of Peter and Mary Theisen. She was a lifetime resident of this city. She was the oldest member of the Our Lady of The Valley Catholic Church and was a member of the Catholic Alter Society.
She was married to Chas. H. Reynolds in La Grande on June 25, 1914.
Mrs. Reynolds is survived by her husband Chas. H. Reynolds of La Grande; sons, Everett J. Reynolds, La Grande; Charles A. Reynolds, Yakima, Washington; and M. E. (Bud) Reynolds, Las Vegas, Nevada; 4 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Recitation of Rosary will be Sunday, August 30th at 8 p.m. at Daniels Valley Funeral Chapel. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, August 31st at Our Lady of The Valley Catholic Church at 10 a.m. Father Patrick Gaire will officiate. Concluding services will follow at the La Grande Mausoleum.
Those who wish may make contribution to the St. Joseph Hospital Coronary Care Unit c-o Daniels Valley Chapel, P.O. Box 772 or c-o St. Joseph Hospital.
The Observer
La Grande, Oregon
Friday, August 28, 1970
Page 3
James Edward (Ed) Reynolds, 93, pioneer La Grande resident, died yesterday at a local hospital after a short illness. He had lived here for 80 years.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Daniels Funeral home, under the auspices of La Grande Lodge 41, AF & AM, with the Rev. Louis Samson officiating. Burial will be in City cemetery.
Reynolds was born in Iowa on Dec. 23, 1862 and came to La Grande with his parents at the age of 13, making the trip by train, boat and stage coach. His first home was in what is now known as "old town."
He attended local schools and the then recently established Blue Mountain University. Always intensely interested in schools and education he was quite proud of having more direct descendants who attended Oregon State College than any other parent.
He was for a short time county superintendent of schools and for many years a member of the La Grande school board. High school band and athletics were given much of his interest and he was primarily responsible for the purchase and early development of the present athletic field.
He was a timer for football and track for many years until failing eyesight made it necessary to discontinue. A life time pass to high school athletic contests was his proud possession.
Most of his life was spent in farming and stock raising, but in early times he drove freight wagon over the Northwest area. He was for may years a member of the Oregon state Fair Board and took particular interest in livestock raising and exhibiting pure bred horses at the county and state fairs.
He was also interested in various enterprises in Grande Ronde valley and for many years was a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and was one of its early day presidents.
Politics always was of interest to Reynolds, a staunch Republican. He voted in 17 presidential elections and was looking forward with interest to the coming one.
He was a member of long standing in the various orders of the Masonic Lodge including the Shrine and Eastern Star. Other organizations were the Union County Pioneer Association and the Historical Society, the Elks and Rotary Club. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include six sons, Ralph E. of Portland, Jay M. of Corvallis, Charles H. and Lee E. of La Grande, Earl C. of Boise and Joe A. of Honolulu; a daughter, Marjorie Christenson Berkeley, California; nine grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
La Grande Evening Observer
Tuesday, February 28, 1956
Front Page
Lee Reynolds, of 1310 Ninth St., died Saturday, Jan. 3, at his home. He was 87.
Mr. Reynolds was born Oct. 16, 1893 near La Grande, the son of James Edward and Lulu Adeline (Childers) Reynolds. He attended La Grande schools graduating from La Grande High School in 1912 and from Oregon Agricultural College in 1915. On Dec. 25, 1916 he was married to Lillian Evans. She preceded her husband in death on Sept. 12, 1963.
Mr. Reynolds had been a member of the First United Presbyterian Church since 1911. He was a member of the board of trustees for 45 years, an elder for four years and Sunday school superintendent for 13 years.
He was widely known for his work with youth. He
began starting track meets in 1916, kept time for football games since
1928 and also started local swim meets.
He began Scouting in 1929 and was a Scoutmaster for many years. He farmed and ran the Island City Store, was Union County assessor for 12 years and was manager of the La Grande Cemetery District for many years.
Survivors include his daughter, Dorothy Lee Bloomer of
Selah, Wash.; brothers, Earl of Auburn, Calif.; Joe of Honolulu, Hawaii;
sister, Marjorie Christenson of Healdsburg, Calif.; grandsons, Lee Hurley;
Dennis, Gregory, Kim, Chris and Scott Bloomer; granddaughter, Jolene Weber;
10 great-grandchildren and other relatives. He was preceded in death
by two
brothers, Jay and Charley.
Graveside services are scheduled Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery. Memorial funeral services are scheduled Tuesday at 2 p.m. at First United Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Barry Heath officiating.
Friends may call at Daniels Valley Funeral Chapel today until 8 p.m. and Tuesday until noon. Those who wish may make contributions in memory of Lee Reynolds to the Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, Salvation army, or the Boy Scouts of America in care of Daniels Chapel, P.O. Box 722, La Grande.
The Observer
Monday January 5, 1981
Page 2
Photograph accompanies the obituary
Mrs. Lillian Reynolds, 1508 Second St., housewife and music teacher, died at her home today from an extended illness.
Born in Michigan, she had been a resident of La Grande for 47 years. She was a member of the First Presbyterian church.
Survivors include her husband, Lee Reynolds, La Grande; one daughter Mrs. Dorothy Lee Bloomer, Yakima, Wash.; two brothers, Robert and Howard Evans, La Grande; seven grandchildren and other relatives.
Services will be held at Daniels Funeral Home, Monday at 2 p.m. Rev. Louis Samson will officiate. Interment will follow at Hillcrest cemetery.
Observer
La Grande, Oregon
Thursday September 12, 1963
Page 2
At her home in the valley this afternoon at three o'clock, Mrs. J. E. Reynolds, of heart failure. The attack was a sudden one.
La Grande Evening Observer
Thursday, June 22, 1905
Page 2
***********************
Funeral Sunday
This city and vicinity was greatly shocked last evening upon reading of the sudden death of Mrs. J. E. Reynolds which occurred yesterday afternoon at the family home a few miles southeast of the city. The funeral will take place Sunday at 11 o'clock from the Christian church under the auspices of the Order of the Eastern Star of which Mrs. Reynolds was an active member. The deceased was a native daughter of Grande Ronde valley. The parents were Mr. and Mrs. John A. Childers early pioneers, who have proceeded her to the other shore. She was loved and respected by a very large acquaintance.
She always had that happy greeting which is only possible for those whose bosom beats with that generous love for mankind and who was ever willing to lend the helping hand. She leaves a husband J. E. Reynolds one of the substantial, sturdy and respected farmers and businessmen of the county, and six sons who have the deepest sympathy of all in their terrible grief. The once happy home is broken. The vacancy cannot be filled on this earth but the bereaved can rejoice that their belief and faith is such that they know there will be another meeting and the family will be reunited, never again to be parted.
La Grande Evening Observer
Friday, June 23, 1905
Front Page
Mrs. Mary A. Reynolds Died
This Morning
Another of La Grande's Pioneer Ladies Answers Call
of Death With Her Passing On
Mrs. Mary A. Reynolds aged 81, passed away this morning at 10:45 o'clock at the Grande Ronde hospital at the conclusion of a two months' illness. Her demise came as a sad shock to a host of friends in Eastern Oregon who sincerely mourn the death of one of La Grande's most respected and admired pioneer ladies. Funeral services will be held from the Christian church tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock under the auspices of the Order of the Eastern Star, of which Mrs. Reynolds was a member. The remains are at the Snodgrass and Zimmerman funeral service parlors.
The deceased was a devout Christian lady and was a member of the Christian church always having been prominent in social and religious circles in this city.
Mary A. Wheeler was born in Missouri February 16, 1842, and was married to Merritt A. Reynolds February 8, 1861 in Oakland, Iowa. To this union was born two children, James E. Reynolds, of La Grande and Henry M. Reynolds, deceased. She is survived by her son, ten grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Mr. Reynolds passed away in La Grande in July 1920.
Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds came west in 1875, locating first in Sacramento, California, but moving to the Grande Ronde valley in 1876 where they have since made their home at their farm three miles east and one half mile south of La Grande.
La Grande Evening Observer
Monday, February 26, 1923
Front Page
M. M. Reynolds Passes Away
Has Been Ill For The Past Several Months
Was One of Early Pioneers of This County, Coming Here
in 1876, Retired 15 Years Ago
Merritt M. Reynolds, one of the early settlers in Grande Ronde valley, passed away last evening at his home, 1607 Adams avenue, following an extended illness lasting for the past year.
Born in Chautauqua county, New York, Mr. Reynolds later went to Indiana with his family and then later to Des Moines, Iowa. On February 8, 1861, he was married to Miss Mary A. Wheeler. To this union, two sons were born, James Edward or this city, and Henry M., deceased.
In the fall of 1875, Mr. Reynolds moved to Sacramento, California, but only remained there for a few months, when he came to La Grande where he has reside ever since. Linked up with the history of those early days, the first work of Mr. Reynolds in reaching the Grande Ronde valley in March 1876, was for the late Joseph Palmer, at the saw mill. Later, Mr. Reynolds began farming, owning one of the fine ranches of the valley located just a few miles southeast of La Grande. He remained on the farm until about 15 years ago, when Mrs. And Mrs. Reynolds retired and move to their Adams avenue home where they have since lived.
Mr. Reynolds was one of he oldest of the Masonic members in La Grande and was himself a charter member of the local chapter of Eastern Star, Hope Chapter No. 13.
He leaves to mourn his loss, his wife, Mrs. Mary Reynolds, a brother, James W., and a son, James E., all of this city.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from the Christian church. The Masons will have charge of the funeral services.
La Grande Evening Observer
Thursday, July 22, 1920
Front Page