Edna Harrell

Edna Elizabeth Rogers Harrell was born April 24, 1937, in Rye, New York, to Mildred Fay Stuchell Rogers and John Beresford Rogers. The first 14 months of her life were spent at Highland Hall in Rye while her father worked for National City Bank of New York. On July 4, 1938, the family returned to Baker City, Oregon, living with her grandparents until their family home was completed.

Edna attended Tiedemann Grade School, Baker Junior High School, and Baker High School. She was elected class secretary during her junior year, made the honor roll, and was active in Rainbow Girls and church activities, including playing piano for Sunday School. Family life included fishing trips to the Blue Mountains and the Oregon Coast. At age nine, Edna began horseback riding, caring for the family’s horses, Peanuts and Colonel, who were used for both riding and winter sleigh rides.

Edna’s roots in Baker Valley extended back four generations to her Oregon Trail pioneer great-grandparents who homesteaded in the area in 1870. Her family’s legacy in Baker County included gold mining, banking, and ranching. She was proud of her pioneer heritage and lived her entire life in Baker City.

Edna graduated from the University of Oregon in 1959 and married her Baker High School sweetheart, Bob Harrell. They spent six years in the United States Air Force, during which time their three children were born: Beth, Bob Jr., and Linda. In 1965, the family returned to Baker City, where Bob began flying for Pan American Airlines. In 1970, they purchased their first ranch property and established Harrell Hereford Ranch, sourcing their foundation cattle from TT Herefords in Connell, Washington, and the Stone Ranch Dispersal in Hermiston, Oregon.

As her children were growing up, Edna was deeply involved in youth and community activities, serving as a Girl Scout leader, 4-H leader, and Junior Hereford Association advisor. She was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, PEO Sisterhood Chapter AX, the Salvation Army Board, and the Baker Family YMCA Board. Her involvement in the cattle industry included membership in the Baker County Cattlewomen’s Association, the Oregon-Washington-North Idaho Hereford Association, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, and the American Hereford Association, where she served on the AHA Auxiliary Board of Directors. In 2009, Harrell Hereford Ranch was honored with the national Seedstock Producer of the Year Award, recognizing excellence across all cattle breeds.

After her divorce in 1987, Edna continued operating the ranch alongside her son Bob Jr. and daughter Beth Mackenzie. She remained closely involved in bull selection, breeding decisions, calving, herd health, and marketing. She was grateful for the dedication of her children and their spouses and took great pride in the family’s cattle and horse programs. The ranch’s annual bull sale, held the first Monday in March, was especially meaningful to her. She was often found greeting customers from the auctioneer’s booth or the stands, warmly welcoming friends old and new. The upcoming sale will mark the 47th annual event, and her presence will be deeply missed.

In later years, Edna focused her energy on her family and ranch. She enjoyed brandings, keeping the ranch books, tending her yard and garden, and delivering apples, pears, corn, honey, jams, and baked goods to friends, family, and neighbors. She delighted in attending every activity her grandchildren participated in—4-H, sports, rodeo, skiing, school events, and family trips to the coast. She loved touring the ranch in the side-by-side, huckleberry picking along the road, playing Skip-Bo, sharing jokes, and ensuring no visitor ever left her home without cookies or homemade bread.

Edna had a wicked sense of humor and demonstrated remarkable resilience following a stroke in 2012. She was admired for her strength, grace, and ability to face adversity without losing her love of life or devotion to others.

A loyal and generous citizen, Edna believed deeply in giving back to the community that had given so much to her family. Recognizing that many local children lacked resources to participate in sports, camps, and 4-H, she established the Edna Rogers Harrell Community Children’s Fund, formalizing her lifelong habit of quietly helping others. She often said it was her responsibility to repay what she and her family had received and expressed deep gratitude for being able to live in such a special community.

Edna Harrell was a devoted mother of three, a proud grandmother of five, a soon-to-be great-grandmother, and a generous benefactress to her community.

She passed away on January 14, 2026, at the age of 88.

She is survived by her children, daughter Beth Mackenzie (Wannie), son Bob Jr. (Becky), and Linda Anderson (Walt), and five grandchildren; Duncan Mackenzie (Logan), Lexie Harrell, Maggie Mackenzie Werner (Corwyn), and twins Matt and Marti Anderson, and special friend John Wagner.

Her memorial service will be held on January 31st, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.at the First Presbyterian Church at 1995 Fourth Street in Baker City, with a Reception to follow. There will be a time for sharing stories of Edna’s life.

A private ceremony for the family will be held after the service at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Baker City, with Pastor Cynthia Wunder of the First Presbyterian Church officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that remembrances be made to the:

• Edna Rogers Harrell Community Children’s Fund
• Baker County Livestock Producers Foundation
• Mildred F. Rogers Scholarship Fund, PEO Chapter AX

Memorial contributions may be sent to Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.