Adams County, Ritzville, WA ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Sue Gardner sueboo18@hotmail.com ==================================================================== Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 6, 1933, issue None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 13, 1933, issue Former Pioneer Dead Death this week claimed William H. Vent, 68, at his home in Spokane, where he had resided since retiring. Mr. Vent formerly ranched on Cow Creek in this county and will be remembered by many of the old timers. He is survived by his wife, Alpha; three brothers and five sisters. The funeral was held Wednesday. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 20, 1933, issue None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 27, 1933, issue None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 3, 1933, issue None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 10, 1933, issue Combine Fall Ends Fatally The funeral of Henry Horst, 76, Adams county pioneer, who died as a result of a combine runaway accident last week, was held Tuesday at Odessa, his pastor, the Rev. H. Neutzmann of Ritzville officiating. The Philadelphia church choir of this city sang several numbers. Mr. Horst, although well advanced in years, was hale and hearty and was taking his place driving the combine when the horses became frightened, ran away, and threw Mr. Horst to the ground. He received several fractured ribs and chest injuries, resulting in his death, which occurred at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Con Lenhart. Surviving members of the family consist of the widow, Katherine; two daughters, Mrs. Conrad Lenhart of Odessa, and Mrs. Ed Beck of Worley, Idaho; two sons, Henry of Pullman, and George of Odessa; eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Alfred Lewis Stager Alfred Lewis Stager, 66, father of A. G. Stager of this city, died Sunday at the home of his son, and the funeral was held from the Haight chapel Monday, with interment in the Ritzville cemetery. Mr. Stager was stricken last week while on a train en route from California and it was necessary to remove him to the hospital at Pasco. He was brought to Ritzville by his son and passed away four days later. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 17, 1933, issue High School Boy Accident Victim Victor Boos, 18, son of Henry Boos, and a sophomore last year in the Ritzville high school, was instantly killed Wednesday morning while working in the hay field at the ranch on Crab Creek. Death resulted from a broken neck, the result of attempting to halt a runaway team of horses. The boy and his father were working in the field hauling hay from the stack, when they stopped to scare away some cattle from the feed. The father started around the stack while Victor went in the opposite direction. The team standing nearby bolted and the boy must have tried to halt them. When the father reached the other side of the hay the boy was lying dead. It is presumed that he was knocked down and the wagon passed over his neck. A deep gash was also cut on his head. The team ran toward the house, passig through three open gates and came to a halt at the barnyard, the first intimation that the rest of the family had of the tragedy. The body was brought to the Haight mortuary here and the funeral will be held Sunday from the Zion Congregational church, with interment in the local cemetery. The accident is the second that the same team has figured in, the horses running away last year with Harry Herttemberger, a half brother of the dead boy, and breaking his ankle. The Boos family moved in 1932 to the J. I. Farrier ranch, where both runaways occurred. The surviving members of the family are the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Boos; two sisters, Mrs. Martha Elliot of Washtucna, and Beatrice and one brother, Calvin, the latter two at home; four half-brothers, Ben, Rudolph, Harry and Lawrence Werttemberger and one half-sister, Mrs. Fred Kechter. Griffith's Corner Pioneer Summoned Another pioneer of Adams county answered the final summons this week, when Mrs. Anna E. Griffith passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. E. Olson, at the age of 76 years. The funeral was held from the Methodist church Wednesday morning, the Rev. Henry Attenborough conducting the service, with the music arranged by Mrs. M. B. Reese. Interment was in the Ritzville cemetery. Mrs. Griffith, whose maiden name was Anna E. Wall, was born in Stockton, Cal., May 28, 1857, and she was married to W. C. Griffith May 19, 1878. They came to Adams county in 1887, settling on a homestead at what became prominently known as Griffith's Corners, about eight miles north of Ritzville. Here in the early days developed a community center, with a store and post office operated by Mr. Griffith, and many of the early settlers will recall the happy social gatherings that took place at Griffith Corners. A small cemetery, now abandoned, stands as a silent reminder of the early period in the history of that locality. Mr. and Mrs. Griffith left the farm in 1905 when they moved to Spokane and five years ago at Millwood they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mrs. Griffith had a large circle of friends. She was an ardent Christian, devoting much of her time when able to church work and community betterment. She was a member of the Corbin Park Congregational church in Spokane and of the Homemakers' club of Freeman. Owing to advanced age, Mrs. Griffith's health broke and she and her husband returned to Ritzville two years ago to reside with Mrs. Olson. She had been bedfast since May. Surviving members of the family consist of the husband, two daughters, Edith S. Olson of Ritzville and Bertha E. Thomas of Spokane; and two sons, George L. of Langhley Prairie, Canada, and Elmer M. of Rathdrum, Idaho, as well as 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Death Threat Told in Letter Upon returning from a business trip to Spokane on Thursday of last week, Percy Hunt, owner of the Brunswick news stand, was stunned to find awaiting him a letter from Trail, B.C., written by his brother, Sidney, 54, in which he stated that when the letter was received he would be dead. The threat of self-destruction was not an idle one, as the morning papers that day carried a dispatch stating that Hunt had shot himself after first killing a woman. She died instantly, and Hunt succumbed the following day. The shooting took place in a basement bedroom of the confectionery and toy shop at Trail, owned jointly by the brothers. Percy Hunt was formerly a resident and business man of British Columbia, before coming to Ritzville. He, with Mrs. Hunt, left immediately for Trail and he is still there taking care of his own and his brother's affairs. Sidney Hunt visited his brother here on several occasions. He leaves his divorced wife, residing in Vancouver, one daughter, Mrs. E. Turner of Trail, and three brothers. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 24, 1933, issue None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 31, 1933, issue Tokio Homesteader Dies Mrs. W. H. Landreth received word Tuesday telling of the death of a cousin, J. G. Baird, who passed away Monday at Long Beach, of a stroke. He had been an invalid for a number of years. Mr. Baird will be remembered by many Ritzville people as he homesteaded near Tokio when he first came to the state. The land is still in his name. He also owned and farmed the present Dan Scott ranch at the edge of town. Mr. Baird leaves his wife, one son and three daughters, two of the latter, May and Maude, having graduated from the Ritzville high school. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 7, 1933, issue Succumbs After Operation Mrs. Myrtle Dryden died at the Colfax hospital last Thursday, following an appendicitis operation two weeks before. Mrs. Dryden was apparently recovering from the operation and intended to leave the hospital in a few days when a clot formed on her lung and she died within two hours after the doctor had been summoned. The body was taken to Walla Walla where the funeral and interment was held Saturday. She is survived by two sons, Walter and Ardell; a sister, Mrs. Chris Michaels of Walla Walla, and two brothers, Harry Bender of Spokane and Fred Bender of Portland. Mrs. Dryden was born at Walla Walla on May 20, 1875. She operated the Dessert Hotel in Ritzville for eight years, moving to Colfax a few years ago where she and her son Ardell engaged in a similar business. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 14, 1933, issue Death Claims "Sid" Doolin WASHTUCNA - The Washtunca community lost one of its most beloved and valued citizens with the passing at a Portland hospital last week of S. A. Doolin, affectionately called "Sid" by his friends and neighbors. Mr. Doolin had been sufffering for three years with a stomach ailment from which he had some relief from an operation two years ago. The recurrence of his sympthoms brought on three hemorhages and the doctors were unable to build up his strength sufficiently to perform another operation in spite of repeated blood transfusions. The attending doctor performed an "exploration" last Wednesday and finding a perforated colon, felt that the case was hopeless. Mr. Doolin was born at St. Albans, Vermont, and would have been 58 years old on Sept. 29. He came to Washtucna 25 years ago and had been manager here for the Interior Warehouse company many years. He is survived by his widow here, a son, Jack, by a former marriage, who is making his home in Washtucna and a daughter, Marjorie, who lives in Walla Walla. Two brothers and a sister living in the east also survive him. The funeral services were held Monday afternoon at Walla Walla under the auspices of the Presbyterian church and with the Masonic commitment ritual at the grave. A large number of friends and lodge brothers made the journey to pay their last respects to a loyal friend and a cheerful companion. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 21, 1933, issue Benge Pioneer Helped Build N. P. William B. Stephenson was born in Monroe county, Missouri, Jan. 10, 1859. In 1880 he started west, coming as far as Denver where he engaged in construction work for about a year. He came by train from Denver to San Francisco, the trip taking a week at that time. From San Francisco he continued by boat to Portland, remaining there two weeks. He landed at Ainsworth, Sept. 29, 1881, and immediately commenced work as a carpenter with the N. P. railway, then under construction. He worked between Pasco and Clarks Fork, building bridges and depots. In 1891 he returned east and married Miss Ella Laura Mason of Bedford, Penn. To this union were born five sons, three of whom survive him. He is also survived by his widow and nine grandchildren. Mr. Stephenson and his brother took up a couple of sections of land near Colfax where they operated as Stephenson Brothers until the partnership was dissolved. W. B. and Dr. Wilson Johnston, then of Colfax, later formed a partnership and went into the livestock business, operating under the name of the Mud Springs Land & Livestock Co. This company purchased the last of the railroad land at Benge. In 1915 they divided their holdings and Mr. Stephenson continued farming until 1927 when he retired in favor of his sons. Although totally blind since 1914 he continued to lead a very active life until the last two years when he became a helpless invalid. In spite of his many afflictions he was cheerful and much beloved by his family and friends. He passed away at the family home at Benge Sept. 16, 1933. Funeral services were held in Colfax Sept. 18, with interment in the Colfax cemetery. Active pallbearers were W. O. Lloyd, Chas. Kent, Chas. Clinesmith, A. D. Scott, F. Mitchell, Fletcher Butts of Benge. The honorary pallbearers consisted of Tom Sanders, Ed Taylor, John O'Neil, Simon Driefus, Arthur Cox, John Whalen, Pete Stravens of Colfax. Louis Hohenstein The funeral of Louis Hohenstein, 45, was held Wednesday in Portland, with interment in the Rose City Cemetery. Mr. Hohenstein was the husband of the former Lydia Frank of Ritzville. Jacob Henry Koch Jacob Henry Koch, Ritzville pioneer, died at his home in this city Monday and the funeral was held today from the Lutheran church, of which he was a member, the Rev. H. Mau of Endicott conducted the service. Interment was in the Lutheran cemetery. Mr. Koch, who had been an invalid for seven years, was born at Kolb, Russia, in 1859 and came to America while a young man. He and Mrs. Meyer (Koch?) celebrated their golden wedding last year. Surviving members of the family consist of the widow, Marjory; two sons, Henry of Wenatchee and Jacob K. of Ritzville, two daughters, Mrs. Ella Hancock of Warrenton, Ore., and Mrs. Alex Miller of Ritzville, as well as one brother, Michael, of Ritzville; 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Washtucna Man Loses Father WASHTUCNA - The Rev. Francis Wrigley of Sylvan, Washington, the father of P. C. Wrigley of Washtucna, died at Puyallup on Sept. 12. The funeral services were held in Puyallup and the burial was in Tacoma where Rev. Wrigley's wife was buried five years ago. The Rev. Francis Wrigley was born in Manchester, England, in 1850. He was a graduate of the medical school of Oxford university in England and at the age of 23 entered the Montreal Theological school in Canada where he earned his divinity degree. His excellent educational advantages and his high social connections brought him a number of offers from rich and fashionable churches but he preferred to heed the call for church workers in the less favored places and came to the United States as a misssionary. He was naturalized in Minnesota. During his 60 years as a missionary he held pastorates in Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington. At the time of his recent illness he was pastor of the Congregational church at Sylvan, where he preached his last sermon Aug. 27. Rev. Wrigley was survived by four daughters and two sons. Percy Wrigley, Jr. is the only grandson bearing the family name. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 28, 1933, Mrs. Mary Stratton Mrs. Mary Stratton, 80, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Verne Foshey, at Walla Walla, and the funeral was held in Ritzville Wednesday, Rev. Gordon of Washtucna officiating. Interment was in the Bemis cemetery at Ralston. Funeral arrangements were made by Forrest Haight, Ritzville mortician. Deceased was married to Nelson Stratton in Michigan in 1871, coming to Ritzville in 1905, residing here two years, later moving to Ralston where they farmed for a number of years. They then moved into Ralston and then to Walla Walla until the death of her husband a number of years ago. Mrs. Stratton was a member of the Methodist church. She is survived by two sons, Glenn of Greenacres and Ernest of Otis Orchards; two daughters, Mrs. Winnie Foshey of Walla Walla and Mrs. Bessie Snyder of Washtucna, as well as 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.