Thomas Franklin Pace

Thomas Franklin Pace, age 87, of La Grande, died Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at his home in La Grande. A celebration of life will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 13, 2004 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Committal and interment will follow at the Island City Cemetery.

Mr. Pace was born on December 4, 1916, the son of Thomas and Edna (Barby) Pace in Stella, Nebraska. He was educated in Nebraska and then went on to C.C. Camp and enlisted in the United States Army. On April 4, 1947 he married Doris June Jenkins in Lincoln, Nebraska. After his honorable discharge he worked in construction all over the state of Oregon, settling in La Grande in 1960. He worked on the highway construction crews that built the bridges spanning through Oregon to the Idaho border.

Mr. Pace was an active outdoorsman and master hunter. He enjoyed cutting his own wood for the winter months and had cut, split and stacked his wood for this winter before his death. He enjoyed wood crafting and making things.

Survivors include his daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy Lou and Bob Carlson of Hermiston and Janice Ann and Bill Bailie of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Holly Lambert, Stacy Schaefer, Adam Bailie and Amy Philips; eight grandchildren; sister, Delores Coates of Nebraska; and other relatives and friends. His wife preceded him in death.