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Wallowa County Obituaries

Conley ~ Conrad

     It is our sad duty to chronicle the passing of little Carol Conley, youngest child of Supt. and Mrs. Conley. Beloved by all who knew her it is impossible to realize the vigorous little life has come to so abrupt an end.
     The vicious malady which resulted in her death made its appearance a week ago Tuesday, July 22 and she battled bravely until Wednesday noon, July 30th. All that human skill and loving ministrations could do were unavailing. Had she lived until October 6 she would have been three years of age.
     The funeral will be held on the lawn at the home this afternoon at 4 p.m. No children.
     Held in affectionate esteem through out the county, Supt. And Mrs. Conley are extended the sorrowing sympathy of all Wallowa County.

     Mrs. D. D. Conley died at her home in Flora on Tuesday, March 16th after a long illness. The funeral was held yesterday in Flora and the remains interred in the Flora cemetery. She leaves a husband and son to mourn her loss. The sympathy of the community is extended to the bereaved ones.

     Grace V. Conley passed away Friday evening, July 5, 1974 at Wallowa Memorial Hospital following a short illness. She had lived at the Wallowa County Nursing Home for several years.
     She was born Aug. 8, 1875 near Danville, Penn., daughter of William C. and Rebecca Wilson. In October of 1805 she came with her family to Oregon where her parents homesteaded near Paradise. On Oct. 31, 1896 she was married at Paradise to J.C. Conley who died on June 29, 1939.
     She had been a member of the Methodist Church, later becoming a charter member of the Enterprise Community Church when the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches were united. She was one of the 28 charter members of Wallowa Valley Chapter 50, Order of Eastern Star, which was instituted on March 22,1897. She was a member of Neighbors of Woodcraft, and of the Grace Conley Circle of the Enterprise Community Church.
     Memorial services were conducted by the Bollman Funeral Home on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Enterprise Community Church with the Rev. Edward J. Morrison officiating. Gail Swart was organist and Clifford Collingsworth sang "How Great Thou Art." The congregation sang "Abide With Me."
     Casket bearers, all nephews, were Willard Wilson, Wayne Wilson, Kermit Wilson, M. Keith Wilson, Howard Wilson and Don Gaily. Interment was in the Enterprise Cemetery.

     It is with a special feeling of sorrow that we bid goodbye to Aunt Grace Conley. And in spite of the sorrow which the family and all her friends feel at her passing, we must admit to a feeling of awe that our lives crossed paths with Aunt Grace.
     Having lived for just about a month short of 99 years, Aunt Grace saw changes in the world during her lifetime that would stagger the imagination. When she came to Wallowa County 88 years ago it was in a wagon drawn by a team of horses. She was, of course, highly intrigued by the advent of the space age and travel to the moon. We happened to be on hand a few years back when she crossed the travel barriers between the 19th and 20th centuries to take a pleasure ride in a helicopter.
     But, during her lifetime Aunt Grace crossed many of the barriers of time. Her life as a youth in Wallowa County was spent in the Paradise Country north of Enterprise. Perhaps her lot was not unusual for the times, but early settlers endured a lot of circumstances as run-of-the-mill everyday happenings which the present day generation would not endure. She could weave a fascinating tale of her early life and the hardships of the early settlers but invariably concluded, "we really didn't have it so rough though."
     Seldom does one find a personality who has such complete endearment from the community as did Aunt Grace. When we first met Aunt Grace we found that nearly everyone in the community referred to her as Aunt Grace. At first it was confusing to untangle the web of those to whom she was actually an aunt and those who just referred to her as Aunt Grace. With the passage of time it became unimportant. Blood lines aside, she was everyone's Aunt Grace and her demise is a sorrowful occasion to all.
     But, sorrow aside, we are pleased that fate and God have seen fit to select this time and this place for our lives to cross paths. Throughout the eons of time we could not have purposely selected a finer person to know.

     Rebecca S. Hooper was born near Baltimore, Maryland, May 25th, 1828, and died at Dayton, Wash., April 10th, 1920, at the age of nearly 92 years.
     With her husband, Geo. W. Conley, she came to Joseph in 1888 where he died in 1907. During this period of nearly twenty years they contributed largely to the development of the county and added materially to the social life of this community. Following the death of Mr. Conley she resided with a daughter Mrs. W. T. Mahon until last summer when she went to Dayton to make her home with another daughter, Mrs. C.F. Austin.
     Of a family of eleven children seven survive her. They are Mrs. Mary Grisham, of Springfield, Missouri, J. M. Conley of Flora, Mrs. W. T. Mahon, of Joseph, Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler of Stanfield Oregon, J.C. Conley of Enterprise, G. F. Conley of Eugene Oregon and Mrs. C.F. Austin of Dayton, Wash.
     Mrs. Conley has been practically helpless following a fall three years ago.
     Interment was made at Dayton, Wash. Tuesday.

     Mrs. Eda Frances Conrad, of Joseph, passed away Monday, May 9, 1966 at the Wallowa Memorial hospital. She had been a hospital patient for the past three months and had been in failing health for two years.
     She was born in Germany on June 13, 1876, daughter of Rudolph and Bertha Bork, and came to Wallowa County 75 years ago. On May 18, 1894, she was married at Flora to William Robert Conrad who passed away May 27, 1930. She was a member of the Methodist Church and of Silver Lake Rebekah Lodge 121.
     Survivors include three sons, Earl E. Conrad, of Joseph, Victor P. Conrad, of The Dalles, and Vern E. Conrad, of Enterprise; one daughter, Mrs. Edward (Gladys) Payne, of Hermiston; three brothers, Rudolph Bork, of Lostine, William Bork, of Walla Walla and Ira bork, of Baker; two sisters, Mrs. Lesla Evans, of Enterprise and Mrs. Lillie Evans, of La Grande; 14 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
     Memorial services are being held today (Thursday) at 11 a.m. at the Bollman Chapel with rev. LeRoy Brownell officiating. Rev. and Mrs. Douglas T. Field will sing "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."
     Casket bearers will be : William Morris, Deane E. Morris, David Payne, Burton Paine, Roy Varney, and Milo Puderbaugh. Vault entombment will be in the Enterprise cemetery with committal services by Silver Lake Rebekah Lodge 121.

     Edna L. Conrad of Enterprise who had been in ill health for several years, passed away Thursday, Sept. 11, 1975, at Wallowa Memorial Hospital. Memorial services were Monday at 2 p.m. at the Bollman Chapel. Wayne Pickens, pastor of the First Baptist Church officiated, and Wanda Sorweide was organist. Catherine DeBole sang: "In the Garden" and "Beautiful Garden of Prayer."
     Casket bearers were: Emerson Reece, Jerry Simpson, Ron Wheeler, Don Kooch, Kenneth Kooch and Wayne Cook; and vault interment was in the Enterprise Cemetery.
     Mrs. Conrad was born April 25, 1900 in Buffalo County, Neb., daughter of Charlie and Sarah Holmes. On Sept. 4, 1937 she was married at Pasco, Wash., to Vernie (Bus) Conrad, and the couple had lived in Wallowa County since then.
     Survivors include her husband, Vernie (Bus) of the Enterprise home; one son, Deane E. Morris of Athena; two sisters, Mrs. Clive (Martha) Wilson of Walla Walla and Mrs. Frank (Mary) Love of San Bernardino, Cal.; one brother, Everett Holmes of La Grande; and three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A son, Bill Morris, preceded her in death.

     The Pioneers are going one by one and slowly we are all moving toward that realm from which no traveler ever returns to the scenes of earth.
     Jerail W. Cook, the subject of this sketch passed away at his home just south of Lostine, January 8th, 1918, after several weeks illness. He was born January 14, 1851, thus being 66 years, 11 months and 14 days of age at the time of death.
     In 1845 his parents came from Cass county, Illinois, his birth place, and settled in Polk county, Oregon. In 1879 he came to Wallowa county, having spent the winter of 1878-79 in Palouse, Washington. His father, mother and brother also came to Wallowa county about that time and have all since resided here.
     His father and mother and two brothers are buried under the sod of Wallowa valley. Thus the family is to be numbered among those sturdy pioneers whose determination and strong right arm have counted in the building of the state.
     He leaves four brothers, several nephews and nieces to mourn his going. His brothers are William, T. R., G. B. and N.J. Cook all living up the canyon south of Lostine.
     As a young man he identified himself with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Polk county and has since been faithful in his endeavors to inoculate those great principles of Oddfellowship into the structure of his character and to be ever found faithful in the performance of his duties as an Odd Fellow. For nearly 45 years he wore the emblem of the order.
     A pioneer, a true and upright man, an honored and highly respected citizen and a good Odd Fellow is cherished in the memories of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Funeral services were conducted from the church in Lostine, Rev. Bogue preaching the funeral discourse. The Odd Fellows of Lostine Lodge No. 155 attended in a body and escorted the body to the cemetery and laid him to rest using the impressive I.O.O.F. Committal service.

     Lester Cook passed away at Fort Lyons near Las Animas, Colorado, Aug. 30th, 1920, at the age of twenty-one years and eight months. He enlisted in the U.S. Marines, December 1, 1916, and saw services in the Pacific, being sent home from the Philippines about one year ago following an attack of flu. He has since been in the hospital at Fort Lyon.
      He is survived by his father, Fred Cook, and sister, Mrs. Elwood Robinson of Enterprise.
     The body was taken to Wassau, Wisconsin, for burial.

     Riley Cook passed away at his home above Lostine Tuesday morning January 8th at 3:00 o'clock. He has been quite ill for some days with heart trouble. He is widely known as one of the pioneers of Wallowa county. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday at 2:00 o'clock from the Christian Hall by Rev. Jasper Bogue. The Odd Fellows will attend in a body and officiate at the grave.

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