Gayle Dorothy Greenawalt Beck, of Enterprise, was born Jan. 10, 1929, in Dubuque, Iowa, and died June 27, 2015, in Albany, Ore. She was the second of four children born to Harry Ward Greenawalt and Dorothy Vivian Field Greenawalt.

Gayle grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, attending Lincoln Elementary School, Washington Jr. High School and graduating from Dubuque Senior High School. As a child she had a great interest in spots and played very competitive baseball with her brothers. Following her high school graduation Gayle worked as a typist at WC Brown publishing company, then attended Rockford College.

She married John W. Beck on Nov. 19, 1954, in Maquoketa, Iowa. Following their marriage they lived on and operated a farm near Central City, Iowa, and operated Beck’s Sporting Goods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 1961 they had an urge for adventure so they purchased and moved to a ranch on Chesnimnus Creek about 40 miles northwest of Enterprise. They raised cattle for several years, then sold the ranch and moved to a ranch on Fence Creek where they managed three ranches. After two or three years they moved to a place on Crow Creek. John worked with the County on Economic Development while Gayle gardened, canned prodigious amounts of fruits and vegetables and kept the wood stove and wood furnace going through the winter when temperatures dropped to 20 degrees below zero. Together they raised and raced Appaloosa and Thoroughbred horses, winning several times at Portland Meadows, Salem and other area race tracks. With Mule Days and the pack trips for hunters and campers making mules more valuable, they switched from raising Thoroughbreds to mules until John died in 1995.

Gayle then moved into Enterprise. She was an avid bowler and golfer and served several years on the board of governors of the Alpine Meadows Golf Course. She was an enthusiastic sports fan. She played Fantasy Football with ladies in Enterprise. She was a loyal follower of the Seattle Seahawks, the Portland Trailblazers, the Seattle Mariners and all Oregon State University sports.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John W. Beck, her son Charles Everly Beck and her brother Monte Ward Greenawalt. She is survived by her brother Tom Greenawalt of Dubuque, Iowa, a sister Saralee Clausen of Racine, Wis., her stepson William Beck and his wife Nan, four grandchildren, Sheryl Branigan, Robert Beck, Kathryn Trocinski, Adam Beck and seven great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held July 29, 11 a.m. at the Enterprise Christian Church, 207 E. Main St. in Enterprise. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Wallowa County Food Bank or Community Connection of Enterprise in Gayle’s memory. Bollman Funeral Home, Enterprise, is in charge of arrangements.