Elaine Caroline Cantrell

Elaine C. Cantrell, age 93, of La Grande, died March 5, 2013 at a local care facility. A viewing will be held on Friday from 4:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Daniels~Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 7th Street in La Grande. A private burial will be at the Hilgard Cemetery.

Mrs. Cantrell was born on September 5, 1919 in Butte, Montana to Gustave and Julienne (Mathieu) Tirre. Her parents were immigrants from Belgium and worked in mines in Butte. She grew up in mining towns of Kemmer and Diamondville, Wyoming where her mother owned boarding houses for miners. She had a brother, William, and a sister, Victoria. She married Howard Cantrell of Hilgard, Oregon in 1942 and lived with his parents on their Five Points Creek Ranch while her husband fought in the South Pacific in World War II. She was reunited with her husband in 1945. She moved around California, Nevada, Oregon and finally Washington with Howard, who worked in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She had three children, Carolyn and Rosalie, both of whom preceded her in death, and son, Howard, who lives on the Five Points Creek Ranch.

She graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle and started teaching school in 1961. She moved back to La Grande with Howard in 1966 when he retired to the Five Points Creek Ranch. She taught 4th grade in La Grande until she retired in 1984 to care for her ill husband who died in 1985. She moved to La Grande to a little house on Second Street where she lived until 2010.
Survivors include her son, Howard; six grandchildren; eight great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in her name to the Blue Mountain Humane Association in care of Daniels~Knopp.

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