Fredric "Fred" Talbott, 90, of Union, passed away on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at Grande Ronde Hospital. A memorial service will be held later in the spring. Fred was born on August 12, 1926, in a small house on Getta Creek, Idaho to Platt and Alberta (Holbrook) Talbott. His mother, later that next spring, packed him and his brother Everett in apple crates on the back of a mule to the Snake River then loaded them up in a pickup and drove to Grangeville, Idaho for birth certificates. Fred grew up in the canyons of the Snake and Imnaha. Fred graduated from Joseph High School and joined the US Army during WWII and served in the Pacific. On June 9, 1948, he married Vera Warnock and they had two daughters. He later married Saonni Witty and gained four step sons. His life had taken many turns from a cow hand to working with the US Forest Service for 23 years always with the help of a horse, mule or a dog. At the age of 12, he learned to shoe horses and did so until the age of 80. There was never a horse or mule in three counties that Fred did not know. With the Forest Service, he would ride the Wallowa Mountains checking the grass allotments and in the winter, he would travel and put on Packing Demonstrations for everybody. He loved people and was always the first to help whenever he could. Everyone that knew Fred has a story to tell. Fred is survived by his wife, Saonni; daughters, Debra Brown (Steve) of Union, OR , Lorri Dinger (Craig) of Eureka, KS; step-sons, Brett Witty of Enterprise, OR, Kim Witty (Deb) of Ellensburg, WA, Richard Witty of New Mexico; sisters, Irene Duckett of Prineville, OR, and Marjorie Tripp of Texas; brother, Bob Talbott of Cottonwood, ID; 5 grandchildren Cinda Rodgers and partner Len Walters, Ramus Rodgers and partner Erika Boldrin, Jessica Hulse, Cheyanna Slack and Ryan Witty, and nine great grand children. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to a charity of your choice. Funeral Home: Loveland Funeral Chapel 1508 4th Street La Grande, OR US 97850