John Hardwick

John Hardwick, 82, a longtime Baker City resident, died April 3, 2018, at Ashley Manor in Baker City, Oregon. Per his request, there will be no funeral service.

John was born to parents James and Edna Hardwick November 11, 1935 in Baker, Oregon. He graduated from Baker High School in 1953. He never married, and lived most of his life in Baker City.

 John went to work for Western Union right out of high school, taking two years out to serve our Country in the Army Signal Corps from 1958 - 1960. When he returned to Western Union he was a Relief Manager and retired in 1985.

 John traveled a lot with his job, but was always happy to return to his home in Baker.

 John loved the out of doors, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and picking huckleberries.

At Christmas time he enjoyed making caramels and delivering them to his friends and family. Another hobby was working in his woodshop. He made small heart boxes, desks, tables and jewelry boxes. Many of the small heart boxes were donated to the Baker Heritage Museum for fund raising.

 Roses were John's favorite flowers - he had many bushes around his home.

John was a 55 year member of the Baker Elks Lodge 338, a Life member of the Baker Heritage Museum and was a member of the Friends of the Museum Board in 2012. John also loved to support the Easter Egg Hunt, for many years he donated anonymously to benefit children of his community. His hard work, dedication and love for his community earned him the Legacy Man of the Year award in 2016.

 John was a very generous and loving man. If he knew you needed something he would try his best to get it for you. We will all miss him very much!

 Some thoughts from John's nephew Vince:
 "My greatest memories were all the hunting and fishing trips he took me on. The fun and trouble I would get into when eating more huckleberries than I picked. A lot of memories around the holidays, candy making at Christmas and lighting all sorts of fireworks on the 4th of July that he had collected on some of his business trips. John was so incredibly thoughtful and generous, words cannot explain. So grateful for all the memories the kids got to have with him; fishing and late night story telling in the living room about the past and when he was growing up. We all will never forget him!"

 John had many nieces and nephews that I am sure would have said many of the same things as Vince. Our family was truly blessed to have John as long as we did.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Wandel and Edna Mae Hardwick; three brothers, Joe, Buck and Rocky and one sister Johanna Paddock.

John is survived by his sister Sally Welter and her husband Roger of Gresham, OR; sisters-in-law Pamela Hardwick of La Grande, OR and Helen Hardwick of Burns, OR and many nieces and nephews and their families.

 For those who would like to make a memorial donation in honor of John the family suggests the Baker Heritage Museum through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Services, PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon, 97834. Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com