Olen Ragsdale

Olen Ragsdale, 86, of Baker City, died at Settler's Park Assisted Living Facility in Baker City on Sunday, September 2, 2018.  A Memorial Service will be held Friday, September 28th~2pm at Baker United Methodist Church in Baker City, Oregon.  Interment will follow the service at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception to be held immediately following at the Baker Elks Lodge. 

     Olen Dinkle Ragsdale was born in Elk Falls, Kansas on November 8, 1931 to Richard and Hazel Ragsdale.   He came to Oregon in 1938 with his parents and grandfather Dinkle. They lived in the Lime and Rye Valley area as his father was an electrician at Oregon Portland Cement Co.  He went to schools in Lime and Huntington before moving to Baker City his senior year.  He played football in Huntington and lettered in both baseball and football.  His football career ended quickly at Baker High due to an injury.  He graduated from high school in 1950.  Except for a few years on the Oregon coast, he lived most of his life in Baker City.

     In 1949 he met his wife to be, Adele Bacon, thru her brother Leonard.  They were married July 19, 1953 and had 2 children, Michael, a self-employed Baker City business man and Deanna, a registered dietitian of Franklin, TN.

     Olen  received a recommendation from the shop teacher, “Boss” Wolf, to the Carpenters Apprentice program and worked at carpentry until 1952 when he had an opportunity to work for Consoladated Freightways in Baker.  Thus began his career in transportation which continued until his retirement in 1984.  In 1960 he was promoted to terminal manager which continued even though the company changed to  Eastern Oregon Freight and then to Garrett Freightlines.  He was manager at Baker and La Grande.  Eventually a terminal opened in Pendleton and he chose to drive heavy duty from Pendleton to La Grande daily.

     Olen was an active member in the Baker community.  He was a member of Elks Lodge 338 for 37 years, a volunteer firefighter for 31 and a member of the National Guard for 8 years.

     He always had a project or two going, be it automotive, plumbing, carpentry or fixing small items.  The projects took a back seat after the cabin was in at the river.  The family spent many summers at their cabin on the Brownlee skiing, fishing and hunting with family and friends.

     Olen and Adele loved to travel in their motor home and visited many local places that they always wanted to see.  Through their travels they met some great friends and continued those friendships over the years.  They spent the winter months in Yuma, AZ, visiting Mexico from there.

     He is preceded in death by his parents Richard, Hazel and step father Walter Robinson           

     Olen  is survived by his wife Adele, son Mike (Diana Pawelek), daughter Deanna Ragsdale Lawlor (Steve Lawlor); six grandchildren: Samantha and Eric (Mike) and Erin, Scott, Jami and Kindra (Deanna and Steve).  In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Methodist Church, Best Friends of Baker, Inc, FAFA (Forest Access For All) or Ehlers Danlos Syndrome research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 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