Herman Ryder Dopp

Herman R. Dopp, 88, passed away on January 12, 2017 at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Ontario, Oregon after hip surgery. He resided at Settler's Park Nursing Home in Baker City, Oregon for the past year due to his advanced Dementia Alzheimer's condition. At Herman's request there will be no services, his family will honor him privately.

Herman Ryder was born to Herman Claussen & Irene Arabelle (Ryder) Dopp on September 6, 1928 at Auburn Park Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He was baptized October 7, 1928 at Drexal Park Church in Chicago, Illinois.

When his grandfather, John C. Dopp died in 1937, his father moved the family back to the farm at Ettrick, Wisconsin to manage the dairy farm. His outstanding memory of living in Chicago was watching the baseball games with his father and seeing Babe Ruth point his bat and hit home runs. Because of his love of baseball at an early age, when his son Wayne was old enough to play ball he volunteered as a coach throughout his entire school years. His favorite team was the Atlanta Braves and of course his favorite football team was the Green Bay Packers.

Herman grew up in the Ettrick area and later attended high school in Galesville, Wisconsin. After high school he went to Chicago and worked for a while, then returned to Wisconsin and he accepted a position of Assistant Engineer for the Wisconsin Highway Department. In 1948, when working in the Black River Falls area, he met his future wife Eleanor Kuenzel. They were engaged in November of 1948 and married on March 5, 1949 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

After marriage he accepted a position as a Dairy Farm Manager on the Dopp family farm near Ettrick, Wisconsin. Herman and Eleanor lived there for one year, and then he chose to go on to construction work. He was a heavy equipment operator on dam site construction in Montana, Missouri, Arkansas and Idaho. His wife and two daughters joined him after his time spent in Montana, moving until the ended up in Redmond, Oregon when he was between jobs. He accepted a job with the US Department of Soil Conservation in 1952 and transferred to Baker City, Oregon.

On February 17, 1956, two fliers from Kennewick, Washington were rescued in the Blue Mountains with an experimental snow tractor, a Frandee "Snoshu" assigned to the Burnt River Soil Conservation District driven by Herman Dopp. The headline in the newspaper said "Deep Snow no Obstacle for "Snoshu" Tractor Driven by Dopp of Baker". The day before Herman drove "Snoshu" to the rescue, five men attempted to reach the stranded fliers but were unsuccessful.

When the Northwest/EIPasco natural gas pipeline came through Baker, he went to work as a shift engineer at the local plant for a few years before returning to work for the federal government at the US Forest Service, retiring September 8, 1990 with more than 30 years of federal service.

While working in the engineering department, he was selected to design and survey the Union Creek campground at Phillips Lake, as well as the Whitney-Tipton Highway. Later he transferred to the soils department and then to the road crew, where he built the large rock monuments that hold the Wallowa Whitman National Forest entrance and Headquarters signs.

Herman was an avid fisherman and hunter, who thought life ended when he was unable to hunt or fish anymore. He tied his own flies and some of his fishing lures. Herman also reloaded all ammunition for his shotguns, rifles, and pistols. His favorite time of year was when he would camp out and hunt or fish.

He was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, Oregon Shooters Association and the Baker Trap Club. He was also a longtime member of the Powder River Sportsman's club. He and B. Brooks created the original survey for the Virtue Flat shooting range.

Herman was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and brother in-laws; Carol (Dopp) and Vince Oliver, Joyce (Dopp) and Harold Server. He was also preceded in death by his nephew Rick Server.

He leaves behind his wife Eleanor of 67 years; his daughters Eileen Hiedeman (Don) Rohus, Monica Brown (John) Collins and son Wayne (Melody) Dopp; brothers John F. Dopp of Ettrick, Wisconsin and Richard L. Dopp of Canby, Oregon. He also leaves behind his grandchildren; Crystal (Hiedeman) Rhodes, Brian Brown, Julie (Brown) Gholson, Gina (Collins) Levin, Cory Dopp, Matthew Dopp and Kury Rohus, eight great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Should friends and family desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Powder River Sportsman's Club, National Rifle Association, or to a charity of your choice through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.