SCHLINGMAN, Herman Charles

‘Chuck’ Schlingman Baker City, 1924-2014 Herman Charles “Chuck” or “Doc” Schlingman, 90, of Baker City died Feb. 14, 2014, at his home. There will be a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. There will be a reception afterward. Chuck was born on Jan. 16, 1924, at Denver to Herman Frank Schlingman and Ruth Merle Nesbitt Schlingman. His incredible journey started in Denver where life took him to several cities before ending up at Gold Beach, when he was 5. Here, he unknowingly met the love of his life early on (she was 8) because he was friends with Virgene’s brothers. He was a 1942 graduate of Gold Beach High School. In December of 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was certified in single-engine aircraft as a pilot. He finished his active duty in 1945. He then went to college at the University of California at Davis where he attended undergrad and veterinary school. He graduated in 1954 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He married Virgene Wright on Jan. 29, 1950, at Redmond. He said it would be a cold day before he married and it was so cold that Virgene’s corsage froze while she was walking between the car and the church. After graduation from veterinary school, he moved to Baker to join a veterinarian practice with Dr. Ragle at the Animal Clinic of Baker on 10th Street. He practiced there for 30 years where he was loved and respected. During this time, he raised four children, Denice, Wyatt, Dyrk and Sherrie and belonged to numerous organizations. He loved to scuba dive, shoot, boat, hunt, fish and host the “great pumpkin” at Halloween. His greatest love was his wife and family. In his later years he loved to do Cowboy Action shooting, where he was known as “German Jack”. Chuck traveled extensively and lived life to the fullest as he did not want to miss anything in life, his family said. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Ruth; two sisters; and a daughter, Denice Jones. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Virgene; sons, Wyatt, and his wife, Anne Schlingman, of Delta Colo., and Dyrk Schlingman of Oregon City; daughter, Sherrie, and her husband, Joe White, of Beaverton; and seven wonderful grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Northeast Oregon Compassion Center, through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. bakercityherald.com 7 March 2014