Wasco-Sherman-Gilliam County OR Archives Obituaries.....Byrd, Robert Wells September 22, 2005
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 11, 2006, 1:59 pm

The Dalles Chronicle, September 27, 2005
     Robert Wells Byrd, 89, died on Sept. 22.
     He was born April 29, 1916 in Vermontville, Mich., to Abraham and Nellie 
Mae Byrd (Bale). His family moved to Oregon where he attended school in the 
Neskowin/Nestucca area, later attended Arlington High School and Oregon State 
University.
     His father, Abraham, died in 1918 and his mother later married Clarence 
Witchey.
     As a young man he worked for area ranchers in Gilliam and Sherman 
counties (Roy Phillipi and others) and became familiar with dry-land wheat 
farming, plowing, planting and harvesting with large horse teams. He was 
taught to train horses for farm work by his stepfather.
     He married Ina Marie Jones at Goldendale on Aug. 1, 1940. After marriage 
they lived in Rufus.
     During World War II he worked in the shipyards in Portland. After the war 
they moved to New Plymouth, Idaho, where they operated a dairy.
     They then moved back to Rufus where he worked for the railroad, the 
Maryhill ferry and for Kerr Gifford Grain Co. (now Cargill) in Arlington.
     He started Arlington Feed & Supply and owned the Ford dealership in 
Arlington for several years. They relocated the feed and grain business to 
Condon with the filling of the John Day Dam Reservoir in 1968. He operated the 
Condon Feed and Seed until retirement at age 85.
     He enjoyed going to county and state fairs and visiting farms and 
ranches. His main interest was in animal husbandry and custom mixing of 
mineral supplements for animal feed. He had his own brand of mineral 
supplements (Meadow Lac) which were marketed in Oregon, Idaho and Washington.
     He is survived by his son, Bob Jr., Irrigon; two daughters, Linda Brege 
and Janice Strand, Rufus; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
     He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather, a brother Russell 
and sister Eva, his wife, a son Loren, a grandson Brian, and a son-in-law 
Steve Strand.
     A Masonic graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 
29, at Wasco Cemetery in Wasco.
     Memorials may be made to the Rufus Community Center, P.O. Box 27, Rufus, 
OR 97050.
     Sweeney Mortuary of Condon is in care of arrangements. 


Additional Comments:
Written permission to reprint given by The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, 
Oregon, Dan Spatz, Editor (e-mail dated 3/7/2006).


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