Harry "Junior" Smith

Harry "Junior" Smith, 76, of Island City died Jan. 14 at St. Mary's Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash., due to complications from cancer.

A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday Jan. 20 at Loveland Funeral Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

Junior, as he was known, was born Nov. 25, 1930, to Richard and Edna Minch Smith near Emerson, Mo., at his grandparents' farmhouse.

He was raised and educated in La Grande. While in school he took care of his mother who was ill while his brothers were in the military. He also worked for Perkins Motor Company and Blue Mountain Creamery. After high school he worked for Durbin Brothers Construction, helping with the construction of Interstate 84 through La Grande, and was the bookkeeper for Union County Grange Supply.

Junior later started a painting contracting company and painted many of our local schools, Boise Cascade, the college, barns and several other large projects. He subsequently purchased a rock crusher and some property on Shaw Mountain. He then built Island Mobile Park in Island City, which is still owned by his wife, Anita Tuck Smith, whom he married march 10, 1955.

Junior greatly enjoyed mechanics, hunting, fishing and camping. He had a great talent for music and could pick up any instrument and start playing.

The absolute joy of his life was his grandchildren. They all grew up with Grandpa.

Survivors include his wife, Anita of Island City; daughters and their spouses, Lisa and Jeff Moore and Carol and Joe Partney, all of La Grande; grandchildren, Cade Weston, Kiley Lyn, Kelly John (Moore), Rochel Marie Bailey, Ryan Ray Hill and Chelsie Shay Partney; and great-grandchildren, Aaron Robert and Ashleigh Marie. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Vern, Russ and Joe; and sons Richard Aaron and Stanley Earl.