Raymond Gerald Baumeister

Raymond Gerald "Gary" Baumeister was born in Anoka, Nebraska, to Raymond and Mildred Baumeister. He was the second oldest in a family of four children—one girl and three boys. Gary shared a close bond with his brother Don, and together they often found themselves in childhood mischief. On one occasion, they built a makeshift raft on the bank of the Columbia River near Pasco, Washington. They would have floated away if they hadn’t managed to pull themselves back to shore. Another time, they attempted to ride double on a green-broke mustang their father owned—an effort that ended with both of them being bucked off.

Gary attended McEwen High School in Athena, Oregon, graduating in 1956. He played football, basketball, and baseball, and was also a member of the boxing club. After high school, he worked for Johns Smith and Beamer Feedlot in Athena, doctoring and marking bulls. He trained his palomino gelding, Scooter, for calf roping and competed in local rodeos, including the Pendleton Round-Up.

In 1959, Gary married Rowena Oliver. Together, they raised four children—Everett, Robin, Janet, and Kristy—on their ranch in Ironside and Unity. In addition to ranching and cowboying, Gary enjoyed playing guitar and singing in a country/western band for several years. He had a strong voice and a love for entertaining. Gary was also a talented leatherworker. He carved and tooled leather belts for his children, as well as guitar straps, gun slings, and purses. An avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting deer and elk on the ranch with his family and friends, and he taught his kids and grandkids how to hunt and fish. In the summers, he often found time to fish after work at Murray Reservoir.

After retiring from ranching, Gary moved to Unity and started a carpentry business. He loved working with wood and spent the next 20 years building and remodeling homes and other structures in the community. He took great pride in his craftsmanship and was known for saying, “Close is not good enough.”

Gary is survived by his brother Don Baumeister (Jeri) of Bend, his stepsister Cynthia Harmon of Kennewick, WA, and his children: Everett Baumeister (Donna) of Burns, OR; Robin Pugh (Bob) of Mt. Vernon, OR; Janet DeLong (Jim) of Ironside, OR; and Kristy Loverin (Lee) of Cottonwood, CA. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Zane Murray (Danielle), Garrett Murray (Alyssa), Dalton Murray (Delayna), Hardy DeLong, Ellie Wallace (Chris), Katie Marshall (JR), Casey Loverin, and Kristen Loverin; and by seven great-grandchildren: Grace Murray, Violetta Murray, Ray and Dayna Wallace, and Junior, Brayden, and Sonny Marshall. He leaves behind many nieces and nephews as well.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Baumeister and Mildred Snider; his stepmother, Maybelle Baumeister; his granddaughter, Deidra Baumeister of Ironside, OR; his sister, Elizabeth Gann of Oklahoma; and his brother, Dorn Baumeister of Athena, OR.