Jesse "Bud" Holden Jr.

Jesse D. “Bud” Holden Jr. of Hermiston, Oregon, was born on November 6, 1926 in Baker City, Oregon to parents, Jesse and Ida Bales Holden who were both born in Baker City in the 1890's. He died on September 7, 2021 in Hermiston, Oregon at the age of 94 years. Bud married Ann Walker in 1946, and they had two daughters, Pamela and Betty Sue. Ann died in 1970. In 1971, Bud married Minnie “Peggy” Brunick and gained a stepson, Robert “Bob” Brunick.
Bud was always interested in Oregon pioneer history, his grandmother Bales had been born in Oregon City in 1865. Some of her family had traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1840's.
As an infant his family lived in old Malheur City, where his parents had a store and his father had the Baker City-Malheur Stageline. They then built a home and service station on Dooley Mountain. Bud went through the first four grades of school at Bridgeport, Oregon in a one room school, with a total of twelve students in all eight grades. The family moved to Baker City, where at the age of twelve, Bud first experienced living in a house with electricity and indoor plumbing. He finished the eighth grade in Baker City. In 1942 the family moved to Hermiston, Oregon.Bud quit school in his freshman year and went to work at the Umatilla Ordnance Depot in the electrical shop, when he was sixteen. At the age of seventeen he went to Portland and worked in the shipyards as a Marine Wireman. But worked at many things in his life, he drove truck for Consolidated Freight for several years and worked for Montgomery Ward. He operated a Chevron Service station on 1st and Main in Hermiston. Bud also worked at the Umatilla school District for over eight years as a custodian and bus driver. He had a Carnation milk route for several years. Bud was an electrical supervisor at Oregon Potato in Boardman, an electrical foreman at Hanford and worked on a project in Libya. He served on the Umatilla Volunteer Fire Department for thirteen years. Bud retired in 1988 as an electro mechanic at JM in Umatilla. After retiring he and his wife Peggy spent twelve winters in Arizona. They also traveled in all the states except Alaska and Hawaii, including two provinces in Canada and two states in Mexico. He always said he traveled a long way from that one room schoolhouse.

Bud is survived by his daughters Pamala Gordon of Hermiston, OR and Betty (Alex) Pedroza of Stanfield, OR, brother Alfred (Delores) Holden of Troutdale, OR, 6 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

He was proceeded in death by his wives Ann and Peggy, his parents, a sister: Gladys, brother: Robert “Bob” and stepson Robert “Bob” Brunick.

A visitation time for family and friends was held.

At Bud’s request there will be no service.

Those who wish may make contributions in Bud’s memory to Vange John Memorial Hospice Education Fund c/o Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, P.O. Box 289, Hermiston, OR 97838.
 
Please share memories of Bud with his family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon is in care of arrangements.

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