Lila Shumway

Lila Leota (Umpleby) Shumway, 75, of Baker City, passed away on September 20, at The Bee Hive Homes in Baker City where she and her husband, Lynn Shumway, shared a room after short hospital stays.  Lynn held Lila's hand as she passed, Lynn passed away the next day, September 21.  A Memorial Service for Lynn and Lila will be held on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.at Calvary Baptist Church on the corner of 3rd  Street and Broadway in Baker City.  Friends are invited to join the family for a reception to be held immediately following the service at the church.

Cultural changes were many during Lila’s life. She was born to Harold and Edna Umpleby on November 26, 1941, at Anthony, Kansas, and moved with the family to the Junction City area of Oregon, in 1947. Lila started school a year early at the Riverview school near Junction City where each grade, 1-8, included three to five students.  Riding bicycles was the preferred method of travel on the lane between home and school, and bicycles filled many pastime hours of childhood. Metal “lunch boxes” carried sandwiches made at home the night before, homemade cookies, fruit in season, and usually a thermos of cold milk. Milking happened twice a day, and the milk went from the barn to the filter and the “separator” to the refrigerator to be chilled overnight. Lively softball games filled school lunch hour, with students of all ages included in the family-style game. The Riverview school consolidated with Junction City schools, so the bicycles were put away and the school bus became part of daily life. Lila attended fourth through eleventh grades in Junction City.

Everyone in the family worked on the farm by milking cows, taking care of calves, hoeing weeds, working with tractors to cultivate between the rows of beans, carrots, sweet corn, sileage corn, etc.  Lila’s parents felt it was important to play as a family, so they developed a standard size, packed dirt tennis court with a standard net and lines. Everyone became quite skilled at the game. There were always bales of hay with a target attached for archery practice, a hoop for basketball shooting practice and competitions, jump ropes, and favorite inside table games. Eventually a pool table replaced the dining room table.

In June of 1958, the Umpleby family moved to the Powder Valley of Eastern Oregon. Lila graduated as co-valedictorian from North Powder High School with the class of 1959. Her college years were spent at Seattle Pacific College where she earned her B.A. degree.

After a few years working as the assistant to the director of the Seattle Science Center, Lila chose to return Eastern Oregon. She was hired as a teacher at Burnt River High School where her duties included selling tickets at the ball games. She repeatedly told the story of Lynn standing at the gate and visiting with her rather than going in to watch the game.

Lynn and Lila were married July 29, 1967, and quietly celebrated their 50th anniversary in July. During those fifty years they built a home in which they lived and worked on the Shumway ranch near Bridgeport. Lila took courses to become a certified teacher and taught both elementary and high school levels. They adopted and raised two children, Karl and Kara Shumway, and later adopted Tony Shumway. Lila taught business courses at Baker High School for several years, and the family established a home in Baker so Lila would not have to drive over “Dooley” twice a day. However, it was always important to be at home in Bridgeport on weekends and to attend services at the Burnt River Community Church. Lila loved to decorate the church with different flowers and planned carefully for special decorations at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also, at times, played the piano to accompany the singing in the services. Lynn was frequently the “fill-in” pastor both in services and in calling upon people who needed encouragement. Both Lynn and Lila loved being in the mountains, and over the years, they built their own log cabin in a special spot.

When the family ranch sold, Lynn and Lila developed a beautifully landscaped new home in Baker City and planned to spend their retirement years enjoying their views of both the Elkhorn and Wallowa mountain ranges.  Lila especially loved artistically planning landscaping and growing both flowers and vegetables. Her artistic ability was not limited to landscaping. She took many art and painting lessons and consistently improved through the years. She became very accomplished in painting with acrylics, and recently studied the techniques of water colors.

Lila is survived by siblings Lyle and his wife Sharon Umpleby of North Powder, Linda Van Orden of Junction City, Lorna Tonack of Baker City, and several nieces and nephews.  

For those who would like to make a memorial gift in memory of  Lynn & Lila their wishes were to either the  Village Missions, or the Burnt River Community Church through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home  & Cremation Services PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon 97834.  On line condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com

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