Milton Baum
Dr. Milton R. Baum, age 80, passed away Aug. 9, 2003, at Santiam Hospital. He died of complications suffered from a head injury that occurred while jogging on vacation in Arizona in 1998. He and his wife Marjorie have been living at Marion Estates in Sublimity for the past year.
Milt, as his friends liked to call him, was born March 15, 1923, in Urbana, Kan. His mother, Thelma Delores Smith, died March 27, 2001, at the age of 99. He had an older brother Glenn, and a younger sister, Mary Jo, both deceased.
He attended high school in Camas, Wash. During his high school years he worked at a local dairy. He also worked for Crown-Zellerbach in the paper mill.
He enlisted in the Marine Corp on Jan. 5, 1942. He proudly served as a bombadier-navigator on B-25’s during WWII in the South Pacific. He was a member of VMB 611 and VMB-413. He was a strong athletic man that was often asked to play basketball and baseball for various military teams. His brother Glenn served in the Navy and was aboard the Yorktown when it was fatally hit by enemy fire and he was forced to abandon ship. Ironically, Glenn and Milt ended up in the same military hospital in the states. They discovered each other there only after the Red Cross attempted to contact them regarding the poor health of their father. Milt felt very lucky to be alive in that very few members of his Marine air comrades survived the War.
After being discharged from military service on Jan. 25, 1946, he was offered a chance to attend Notre Dame on a full scholarship, but he declined saying he just completed four years in the company of “men-only” and wanted to try something different. He returned to Oregon where he got his BA in 1949 from Willamette University. While attending Willamette University he met his bride-to-be, Marjorie Louise Lundahl. They were married June 10, 1951, the same day that he received his masters degree and Marjorie got her BA from Willamette University.
While working toward his masters degree, Milt was also teaching and coaching at Silverton High School. This was the beginning of his long and dedicated 42 year career in education. His life as a family man began in 1952, with the birth of his first of three children, Mary Louise. Next came Rebecca Lee in 1954, and then John Christopher in 1959.
In 1960, Milt got his doctorate degree in education from Oregon State University. The family moved to Hood River in 1963. Milt was appointed county superintendent of Hood River schools. In 1965 the family moved once again to Salem, where Milt was hired as research director for the Oregon State Department of Education. He worked for the department of education for 26 years as an educational specialist, and a director, and then at the time of his retirement in 1991, he held the position of associate-superintendent for the State Department of Education. It has been said that during Milt’s 26 years with the Department, he served as a walking encyclopedia of Oregon education and school improvement, being recognized as an expert in school finance, curriculum, personnel, school law, and small schools. He also taught educational law at the University of Oregon.
He will be fondly remembered for his kind, and careful listening skills. This trait served him well during his time as a Federal Arbitrator. He enjoyed traveling around the country during his various assignments. He was also an avid sportsman and enjoyed taking frequent walks. He and his wife Marjorie took many trips and especially liked to skin and scuba dive. They recorded many of their adventures on film, both below and above water. His love for the ocean and water sports got passed on to his children as the family spent numerous summer vacations at a small, remote resort on Hood Canal, Washington.
In 1977 Milt’s only son, John, was tragically taken away by cancer at age 17.
Milt is survived by his wife Marjorie, his eldest daughter Mary Lou and her husband Steven K. Love, and his daughter Rebecca Lee Liszewski and husband Ron. Milt enjoyed frequent visits with his grandchildren Ashley, 14 and Katie 5 and twin brother Matt Liszewski. A private grave site service was held for family members on Aug. 23. A memorial service and remembrance celebration for the public will be held September 6 at 11 a.m. at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in South Salem. Call 503-364-7202 for directions. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that contributions be made to the Cancer Foundation or The American Diabetes Assoc.
Walter Schmid
Lifelong Trout Lake, Wash., resident Walter Schmid passed away in Hood River, Ore., on Aug. 20, 2003. He was 87 years old.
Walter was born in Trout Lake on Dec. 2, 1915, to Elizabeth (Aerni) and Jacob Schmid. He served in the Army Infantry from April 3, 1942, to Nov. 22, 1945. In December of 1942 he went overseas and joined the famed 32nd Red Arrow Division in the Philippine Islands. Walter was awarded the Driver’s Badge for achieving a perfect driving record under the difficult and hazardous conditions in action against the enemy. He also received the Combat Infantryman Badge. He received a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement while in the Philippines. Other decorations and citations he received were the Asiatic/Pacific Area Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, Bronze Service Star, Good Conduct Medal and Victory Medal.
After serving his country, Walter began logging. He worked for Hollenbeck Logging Company and then S.D.S. Logging Company. He lived all his life in Trout Lake except for his time in the service and the last few months, when he and his wife lived in Hood River.
Surviving Mr. Schmid are his wife, Minnie E. Schmid; daughters Wannetta S. Fleming and Barbara C. Fleming; sisters Esther Jennings and Elizabeth Keizer; six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held on Sunday, Aug. 24, at the Presbyterian Church in Trout Lake with interment at the Trout Lake Cemetery. Gardner Funeral Home of White Salmon handled arrangements.
Janice Mae Sterling
Janice Mae Sterling, 69, a resident of The Dalles, died at the local hospital on Aug. 24, 2003.
She was born July 13, 1934, in Lima, Ohio, the youngest of 13 children with her twin sister to James Rodney and Gladys M. (Shepherd) Lewis. She grew up in Lima and married Charles Lee Sterling on Aug. 31, 1952, in Auburn, Ind. In 1956, she married Oliver Robert Straub in Buffalo, N.Y., and they moved to the Los Angeles, Calif., area and then to Parkdale, Ore., in 1967.
Janice worked at Diamond Fruit in Parkdale for many years. She also worked at Hood River Care Center until poor health led to early retirement. After her retirement, she lived with her son Chuck and his family in Dee, Ore. In the late 1990s, she moved to Akron, Ind., to be near her son, Marion, and his family and in 2001, moved to The Dalles to be near her daughter, Jacqueline, and her family.
She enjoyed crocheting, computers, God and especially her family.
Janice is survived by her children, Chuck and Sharon Sterling and their children, Chris, Samantha and Cody of Bonanza, Ore.; Marion and Gaby Sterling and their son, Patrick Graham, of Akron, Ind.; Jacqueline Jones and Guillermo Pacheco and Jacqueline’s sons, Jay and Adam and one great-grandchild, Isaac Jones, of The Dalles.
At her request, there will be no services held. Private cremation was held at The Dalles Win-quatt Crematory with Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to American Lung Association, 7420 SW Bridgeport Rd #200, Tualatin, OR 97224-7711.
Maria Farwig
Hood River resident Maria Antonia Farwig died Sunday, Aug. 24, 2003, at the Hood River Care Center. She was 98 years old. A funeral for Mrs. Farwig will be held Thursday, Aug. 27, at Anderson’s Tribute Center at 11 a.m.
A full obituary will appear in the next edition of the Hood River News.
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