KING, Doris Jean

Doris Jean King passed away on June 23, 2014 at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Baker City, Ore. Doris was born March 16, 1935 in Astoria, Oregon to Ray and Alice Myers. Doris was the second- oldest child of six Myers children. Her strong spirit was developed through a combination of fierce sibling rivalry with her older brother Ralph and growing up in various mining camps. In high school, Doris met the love of her life, Wilbur Cecil King. They were married and hitched their teams together on May 31, 1952. Doris graduated from Baker High School in 1953 and it is known that after sixty two years later, their love was still going strong. Doris and Wilbur lived in a few different places, making life-long friends along the way. Her thoughts were always in the mountains so they returned to Baker City to circle up their wagon with their families. In 1963 their home was built in Baker a block from her parents, and it remains the Kings’ residence. Doris took the motherhood trail in 1964 with the birth of her only child Doni Jean. She was famous in the classroom for bringing extraordinary treats, led girl scout troops, cheered loudly at sporting events and always had room for "one more "at the dinner table, even when "one more" equaled a half- dozen. Doris was the bookkeeper at Phillips Long Ford for many years. She was very good at keeping accounting records and people on the straight and narrow way. Weekends were spent at a mining cabin near Greenhorn. She had many friends "in town" and would ride her bike down old roads to visit. To help cabin guests get the full mountain experience, she added reflectors for eyes to a log that looked like a bear in the beam of her flashlight. The beauty of the mountains, the rocks, trees, and streams were all appreciated. Doris had a passion for wildflower identification and could discuss the topic with the professionals. On one family vacation, she proudly announced that a certain plant was one of 47 varieties of larkspur. With help from Wilbur and Doni, by the end of that trip the total ended up at over 150 varieties of larkspur. Doris was busy after retirement. Her time was devoted to volunteering at the Baker County Library and the Oregon Trail Interpretative Center. Thousands of hours were gladly given to these groups. Dutch oven cobblers were her specialty. She especially enjoyed making blackberry cobbler so visitors’ teeth would turn blue. Doris was an avid outdoors woman. She hunted for deer and the always elusive elk, enjoyed fishing and could out pick anyone in the huckleberry and mushroom patch. Doris was a great photographer and had no qualms about shouting, "Stop, stop; photo op!" as the family drove down the road. She would often be on her hands and knees crawling around for that perfect flower to photograph. She loved going out camping with Wilbur and took her grandchildren, Ben and Alice whenever she could. When her trail became rutted, Doris continued to show her strength. A massive stroke stole her voice and mobility but it never took her smile. Doris is survived by her husband and soul mate, Wilbur, daughter Doni and husband Craig, grandchildren Ben Clair and his wife Nancy, Alice Clair great grand daughter, Caroline Clair, sisters Hazel Benintendi and Edie Nelson and many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. She is preceded by her parents, Ray and Alice Myers, brothers Ralph, Glenn and Hugh (Butch) Myers, parent-in-laws William and Beatrice King and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins from both sides of the family. Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements are being handled by Gray's West & Company, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR. 97814. therconline.com 3 July 2014