Dorthy Thora (Miles) Wooters Obituary (1928

Dorthy Thora Miles Wooters, age 91, a long-time resident of Baker City, died in Portland on September 29, 2019, at her more recent home in Portland, Oregon. A Celebration of Dorthy's life will be held in Baker City at Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel on Friday, October 11 at 11 a.m.; a reception will follow at the LDS Church multi-purpose room, 2625 Hughes Lane, Baker City, Oregon. Dorthy was born to Reese Hansen Miles and Thora Ettie Byington Miles near Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, on January 18, 1928, the third child in a family of six children. At eight years old, the family of eight moved into the Idaho wilderness into a "rustic" one-room cabin, where she and her five siblings sometimes attended school, sometimes not. At age 12, they moved to Salmon, Idaho where she graduated second in her class from high school in 1946. Any money from various jobs went to family survival. Before graduation, Dorthy was smitten by Navy veteran, Robert (Bob) Ralph Wooters and married November 2, 1947. They settled in Cobalt, Idaho, a small frontier mining town. Their sons, Michael and Patrick, were born during their time in Cobalt. While they enjoyed this outback life, times were changing, and raising a family here was not optimum. Baker, Oregon was the chosen next move where they established Wooters' Tire Service. Dorthy immersed herself in family, business, community, church and her sons' school activities. She became an avid student herself through extension courses and later commuted to Eastern Oregon College where she graduated summa cum laude with a teaching degree in 1972. Over 30 years, she enjoyed her career teaching elementary classes and later all ages through the ESD. She remained active in community affairs, especially helping with the skate park, the Baker Heritage Museum, and the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, among many others. Dorthy and Bob enjoyed traveling both abroad and throughout the United States, usually towing their fifth-wheel trailer, touching all 50 states, some many times. For years, they wintered in Arizona, where they appreciated desert life. Dorthy was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, her parents, and four siblings. She is survived by sons, Michael (Linda) and Patrick (Susan); grandchildren Brandon (Tara), Tyson (Brooke), Bryon (Agnieszka), and Jennifer (Bob); great-grandchildren Athena, Alexis, Timothy, Caroline, and Kylea; her sister, Maydene Baxter and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the City of Baker City - Skate Park Fund or a charity of choice through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.