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Wallowa County Obituaries

Beecher ~ Beldon ~ Bilings Obituaries

Our Thanks to all the people who have transcribed the obituaries and provided Wallowa county pages with the information. If there is no contributor at the end of the obituary, it has been transcribed by Janine M. Bork  If there is a name but no link, it is one that a person has contributed but they have no further information on that person. Please take time to give the contributor a thank-you so they know that their information is helpful to others and so they will feel like continuing to contribute. If you have any obituaries you can contribute, please drop a line to Judy Wallis White. Your information can help others.

     Moved to Adair Co., MO when he was 8. At 15 he enlisted in Co. A, 39th Missouri Volunteers and served until 19 July 1865. Saw many battles and skirmishes. In 1867 he accompanied Gen. Marcia, chief inspector of US troops to New Mexico, and encountered several Indian raids. About 1872 with infant son, he and wife started for far West. First to San Francisco, then Portland, OR by boat. After short stop in Willamette Valley went by team and wagon to Eastern OR landing in the Grande Ronde Valley in 1875, then in 1876 came to Wallowa Valley (then called Indian Valley) and took up a pre-emption on Alder Slope. There were few families then at Alder, and he kept the first post office. Active in GAR (John F. Reynolds post), served as commander for two years. [editors note: another article list the "facts" a little different]

      Mrs. Lawson Beecher died early Saturday morning in the Enterprise hospital where she had been a patient several weeks. She had been ill for six months and went to the hospital for treatment after her condition had become serious. For four days before the end came she had resigned herself to it and said she was ready to go. Many of her friends called to see her and she discussed her condition with them very calmly, retaining her self possession better than any of her visitors. In fact she never broke down until, shortly before he passed away and Mr. and Mrs. George W. Mitchell brought their baby, Mrs. Beecher's nephew and always a favorite with her.
     The funeral was Sunday afternoon in the Federated church and was very largely attended. It was conducted by Rev. A. J. Adams. Members of the Rebekah and I.O.O.F lodges attended in a body. The Rebekah ceremonial was given at the grave, in accord with the wishes of Mrs. Beecher who was a loyal member of the order.
     Mrs. Beecher was born, Mary Bertha Mitchell, in Cherokee county, Kansas, December 22, 1879, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Mitchell. The family came directly to Wallowa county in 1889, arriving February 18. She was married, May 16, 1906, to Mr. Beecher and they moved to the Imnaha and went into the cattle business.
     [ed. note: the home was down river from the PO] They remained on the river until two years ago, enjoying much prosperity. Then Mr. Beecher sold his ranch and stock and moved to Enterprise where he bought property and went into business.
     Mrs. Beecher's parents are still living in Pine Valley. Her father is 89 years old and has been back in Wallowa county several times since he moved to Pine valley. Two brothers of Mrs. Beecher survive her, George W. Mitchell of Enterprise and Willis Mitchell of Halfway, Pine Valley. The latter was here for a week during his sister's last illness, but was called back to Halfway by illness in his own family. Mr. and Mrs. Beecher had no children. Mrs. Beecher had been a member of the Christian church since her early womanhood.

Belden Obituaries

     Augustus A. Belden, veteran of the Civil war, died at the home of his daughter at 6210 58 Ave., S.E. Portland, Oregon, Sept. 5, 1921. He suffered from a stroke of paralysis over a year ago. Increasing weakness for four weeks caused from a fall resulted in capillary pneumonia, which was the immediate cause of his death.
     Mr. Belden came from a long line of English pioneers. His first ancestry traceable being Sir Francis Belden who landed in England with William the Conqueror and was knight by him for bravery. The first family in this country were surveyors, laying out the town of Weatherfield, Conn., soon after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The immediate ancestor of Augustus Belden, also a surveyor, later laid out the town of Canaan, Conn., and his family was given the portion of the town adjoining Belden street. Here Augustus Belden was born in 1837, the sixth child of Captain Harry Belden and Sarah Beebe Belden.
     In 1861 he enlisted with the Second Michigan cavalry and was in active service for four years, making out the payroll when the last of his company were mustered out in 1865. Surveying with the Union Pacific, employed on the first train which came over the new road, visiting our cities when they were little more than diagrams in the wilderness-always a pioneer.
     In 1874 he married Susan C. Adams of Illinois. Four children were born to them - Mrs. Pearl Chadwick, Union, Ore.; Harry I. Belden, Wallowa, Ore.; Kathryn B. Swift, and Miles B. Belden, of Portland.
     Funeral services were conducted by Dr. Stanfield, assisted by George Wright Post at the Finley chapel, and burial was in Riverview cemetery by the side of his wife who died February 22, 1915.
     Mr. Belden lived in Cove, Union county, for a number of years and was a member of Preston Post, Union. - Union Republican.

Word has been received of the death of Fred M. Billings, father of E.M. Billings of this place and Lou Billings of Portland. The father's death occurred in Montana last Friday of the influenza. A sister of the brothers died the first of last week with the dreaded disease and before the funeral was held a telegram was received announcing the death of the father and the double funeral was held in Portland on Tuesday of this week.

Word was received Saturday by C.M Billings that his sister, Ida, had died of pneumonia at Deer Lodge, Montana, and was to be taken to Portland for burial. Mr. and Mrs. Billings and baby left on the afternoon train for Portland. Miss Billings visited her brother's home here during the summer and will be remembered by many who will regret to hear of her untimely death.

Obituary Index

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