Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 5, 1947 Adams County, Ritzville, WA ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ ==================================================================== This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Sue Gardner sueboo18@hotmail.com ==================================================================== Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 5, 1947 Kembel Infant Dies Suddenly Steven Leslie kembel, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kembel, died at St. Anthony's hospital Friday following an illness of two days. He is survived by his parents, one brother, Robert, his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Manual, Effingham, Ill., and Mr. and Mrs. George Kembel of Ritzville. Ex-Lind Resident Dies Saturday Otho Watkins, a former resident of Lind, died last Saturday at his home in Spokane. Funeral services were held at two in the Methodist church of Lind and burial was made in the Lind cemetery. Mr. Watkins is survived by his wife, Zoe, of Spokane, his two sons, Harold and Melvin, both of Spokane, two daughters, Mrs. Vivian Weston of Salem, Ore., and Mrs. Geneva Schafer of Ritzville, his mother, Mrs. Emma Watkins of Lind, four brothers, Wilber, Ellis and Paul Watkins, all of Tacoma and Everett Watkins of Spokane and two grandchildren. George Harder Dies At Work Sunday George M. Harder, Kahlotus sheep rancher, died of a heart attack Sunday while working near Leavenworth. Harder had one of the largest stock ranches in the state; his father, Hans and uncle Jacob held more than 100,000 acres of ranch land extending south from the vicinity of Sprague, at one time one of the largest ranches in the country. His brother of Lamont operates a large layout. Harder is survived by his wife, two children, William and Macey, and several cousins. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 10, 1947 Funeral For Father Held At Dillon, Mont. Frank Woodside and son Lauren returned home Tuesday from Dillon, Mont., where they attended the funeral of Woodside's father, Lewis Woodside, who passed away in Spokane last week. Funeral Thursday Honor Memory Of Prominent Stockman Funeral services for George M. Harder, 48, prominent Kahlotus stockman, were held Thursday at the Harder home at the head of Washtucna lake, with burial in the family plot nearby. The Rev. H. Mau of Toppenish officiated. Mr. Harder died suddenly June 30 while working with one of his sheep hand in the Cascade mountains near Leavenworth. Member of one of Eastern Washington's most widely known pioneer families, Mr. Harder was born in Walla Walla and raised at the family home near Kahlotus. During the past 24 years he has operated the large sheep business founded by his father, the late Hans Harder. His father came to the United States from Germany in 1883, joining with a brother, Jacob, in founding the largest wheat, cattle and sheep raising enterprises in the Pacific Northwest. Jacob, who died a few years ago, had the largest individually owned ranch in the state. The brothers began their operations along the Snake river, gradually expanding into the area around Kahlotus and northeast into Adams and Lincoln counties. At one time the area around Kahlotus was known as "Hardersburg." George Harder attended Washington State College and was married in 1924 to Constance Bischoff, who survives him. Other survivors include a son, William, and one daughter, Macey Ann, at the home, one sister, Mrs. Leo Peot and family of Washtucna, and two brothers, John and family of Portland, and Harry and family of Lamont. He also leaves two aunts, Mrs. Annine Harder of Ritzville, and Mrs. Mary Schlomer of Spokane and cousins who include Carl and John Harder of Ritzville, Max Harder of Sprague, Mrs. R. A. MacKenzie, Mrs. Edward Schmidt and Doctor Henry Schlomer of Spokane, and John Schlomer of Benge. Mr. Harder has been in apparent good health, having only recently returned from a trip down the Oregon coast with his family, but was overcome while shipping lambs from his summer range in the mountains. His untimely death is a loss which will be deeply felt by the many friends he had in this area. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 17, 1947 Mrs. J. Rosenoff Ritzville Pioneer Dies Sunday One of Ritzville's oldest pioneers, Mrs. J. F. Rosenoff, died late Sunday evening, following an illness of seven months. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Philadelphia Congregational church with Rev. R. Kirschenmann officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville cemetery. Suzanna Kanzler Rosenoff was born Nov. 10, 1862, in Kolb, North Russia, and came to the United States with her family in 1878, settling for a short time about 35 miles from Hastings, Neb. She was married Feb. 12, 1881, at Culbertson, Neb., to J. Fredrick Rosenoff, who died Jan. 12, 1946. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rosenoff were born in the same community in Russia and their families settled near each other in Nebraska. Came By Wagon Train On May 20, 1882, the Rosenoff's oldest son, Henry, was born in Nebraska, and when the baby was only six weeks old, a covered wagon train, which included the Rosenoffs, Thiels, Bauers, Kanzlers, Kiehns, Dewalds, Amens, Kembels, Schafers, Oestreichs, Wagners, Henry Millers and Schoesslers started west. The party reached Baker City, Ore., on the 4th of July, 1882, and part of the company, including the Rosenoffs, moved on to Walla Walla in August of the same year. In April 1883, the Rosenoffs came to Ritzville and homesteaded on a farm a few miles west of Ritzville, where they lived until about 27 years ago, retiring to Ritzville. Mrs. Rosenoff was a life-long member of the Congregational church. She is survived by three sons, Henry of Seattle, John and Carl of Ritzville, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 24, 1947 Clara Egbers, Ritzville Pioneer Dies Wednesday Mrs. Clara L. Egbers, a pioneer woman of Ritzville died yesterday in a hospital in Seattle. Mrs. Egbers, 81, lived in Ritzville for 61 years. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Methodist church with Rev. Raymond F. Griffith officiating. Interment will be made in the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery. Mrs. Egbers had been in ill health for about four years. She had spent about 5 weeks in the Seattle hospital before her death, and three months in Sacred Heart and St. Luke's hospital in Spokane before going to Seattle. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Beulah Egbers Solonka of Seattle and Mrs. Alma Egbers Griffith of Farmington, one son, Guy B. Egbers of Spokane and two brothers, Henry F. Tanner and Stanley B. Tanner, both of Illinois. She had five grandchildren, three nieces and three nephews. Mrs. Egbers' husband, Wilbur Stephen Egbers, died Aug. 12, 1934. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, July 31, 1947 Funeral Services Held Sunday for Sackmann Martin Sackmann, resident of Adams county for the past 42 years died of a cerebral hemorrhage Thursday, July 24, at his home in Ritzville at the age of 63. Funeral services were held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Philadelphia Congregational church with the Rev. R. Kirschenmann officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Sackmann suffered a stroke in November 1946 and had been in ill health ever since. He was a prominent farmer in the vicinity of Odessa until 1943, when he retired and moved to Ritzville. Martin Sackmann was born March 9, 1884, in South Russia, coming to the United States in 1906 and settled on a farm near Odessa. In 1909 he married Miss Caroline Hille and the couple had six children, one of which preceded him in death. He is survived by three sons, Herbert of Odessa, Richard and Milton of Seattle, two daughters, Mrs. William Weis of Seattle, Mrs. Leslie Lee of Omak, seven brothers, Gottlieb and John of Sedro Wooley, Fred of Odessa, Andrew of Davenport, Adam of Sunnyside, Jake of Lind, Gust of Spokane, three sisters, Mrs. Mielke and Mrs. Ed Wahl of Lind, and Mrs. Conrad Schoessler, and five grandchildren. Mrs. N. Burkholz Pioneer Woman Buried At Warden Funeral services for Mrs. Maria Schultz Burkholz were held Thursday afternoon in the Warden Congregational church. Mrs. Burkholz died Sunday morning at her home in Warden. Rev. Henry Hoersch officated at the service, coming from South Dakota for the funeral. Pallbearers at the funeral were Vernon Gutschmidt, Ralph Burkholz, Richard Suko, Thomas Childs, Robert Gardner and Daniel Jeske. Mrs. Burkholz was born Sept. 30, 1879, at Semina, South Russia. She married Nathaniel Burkholz on Feb. 29, 1896. The couple had eight children, three of whom are now deceased. Surviving is her husband, five children, Mrs. Walter Suko of Warden, Mrs. Lowell Childs of Concrete, Dan Burkholz of Warden, Reinhold Burkholz of Bellevue, and Emil Gustschmidt of Warden. Mrs. Burkholz was a member of the Congregational church of Warden and the Ladies Aid Society. Mrs. R. Watkins Benge Woman Funeral Held Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Trinity Methodist church for Mrs. R. E. Watkins, 66, a long-time resident of Benge. Mrs. Watkins died Saturday in a Spokane hospital. The Rev. Lobeck of the Ralston Community church officiated at the services. Burial was made in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Olive Belle Watkins was born June 26, 1881, in Kansas. She was a member of the Presbyterian church and the Benge Grange. She is survived by her husband, Ralph E. Watkins of Benge; three daughters, Mrs. A. D. Scott of Benge, Mrs. J. R. Harmon of Pasco, Mrs. E. M. Kuhn of Spokane; a son, Ronald E. of Benge, three brothers, W. J. Estep and M. H. Estep of Seattle, Harry D. Estep of Wisconsin, three sisters, Mrs. W. J. Krause of Malden, Mrs. F. A. Lockhart and Mrs. Lora Waters of Seattle, eight grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 7, 1947 Mrs. S. Neace Dies on July 26 Funeral services were held last Thursday at a funeral home in Colfax for Mrs. Stanley Neace, 43, of Winona. Rev. Walter Lobeck of Ralston officated at the funeral and burial which was performed at the Colfax cemetery. Mrs. Neace had been ill for nearly a year. She died on July 28 at the Colfax hospital some six week after she had been admitted. Pallbearers at the funeral were Roy Scott, Ernest Norris, Cleo Honn, Keith Honn, all of Benge, C. V. Kuehl of Winona and Curtis Parish of Grandview. Elsie Evanson Neace was born at Pomeroy on Sept. 28, 1903. She lived most of her life near Winona and on June 10, 1924, was married to Stanley Neace at Port Angeles. The couple had two daughters, Phillis of Winona and Helen Hodgson of St. Maries, Idaho, and one son, Stanley, Jr. She is survived by her children, two grandchildren, her mother, Mrs. Bessie Evanson of Sequim, two brothers, Delbert of Sequim and Roy of Endicott, two sisters, Lillie Erickson of Benge and Mabel Felton of Downey, California. Funeral Services For Mrs. Kiehn Held On Tuesday Christina Priesz Kiehn, 74, an early resident of Ritzville was buried Tuesday afternoon in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Funeral services were held at the Philadelphia Congregational church, Rev. Nuetzmann officiating. Mrs. Kiehn became ill last winter and underwent an operation. She never fully recovered and died last Saturday. Mrs. Kiehn was born in Kolb, South Russia, on Sept. 28, 1872. She came to America in 1893 and settled in Ritzville. In the same year she married John Kieson and the couple made their home near Ritzville. After 20 years, they moved to Spokane and in 1917, her husband died. She came back to Ritzville after his death and in 1918 married Jacob Kiehn. Mr. Kiehn died in 1942. She is survived by one daughter, Ida Ives of Oakland, Calif., two sons, John Kieson of Ritzville and Toefel Kieson of Ralston, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her one living sister, Karoline, lives in Germany. Mrs. Kiehn was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church from the time she came to Ritzville. Former Resident Dies Sunday Mrs. Ida S. Hughes, 80, formerly of Lind, died Aug. 3 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. A. D. Crow in Snohomish, Wash. Funeral services were held at the Grange, Wednesday, Aug. 6th at 2 p.m. Mrs. Hughes, early pioneer of the state, came to Bridgeport in Douglas county in 1889. After the death of her husband, Oliver, Mrs. Hughes moved to Adams county in 1908 where she made her home with her brother, W. W. Yeisley, near Lind. Mrs. Hughes was a member of the Grange, Eastern Star and the Baptist church. She is survived by her brother here, eight children, Verner Hughes, Taber Alta Virginia Hughes, Seattle, Mrs. Crow, Snohomish, Mrs. Xema Fearn, Bozeman, Mont., Mrs. Nancy Aumack, Spokane, C. S. Hughes, Kennewick, Clark Hughes, Tacoma and Mrs. Leona Morrison, Auburn. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 14, 1947 Leonard Jantz Buried Monday Funeral services were held Monday afternoon for Leonard Jantz, 38, who farmed five miles west of Ritzville. Rev. P. D. Unruh of Colfax officiated at the services in the Menno Mennonite church near Lind. Mr. Jantz died Aug. 8 in the Deaconess hospital in Spokane of a heart attack. While sitting on the lawn of his home three weeks ago, he was bitten by an insect. The bite apparently became infected and on Aug. 6 he was taken to the hospital in Spokane. Pallbearers at the funeral were Henry Precht, Alvie Schrag, Leslie Schrag, Clarence Schrag, Donald Robinson and Clinton Claasen. Leonard Jantz was born at Ruff on Dec. 20, 1908. He was reared on his father's farm and attended the rural schools near Odessa. He was graduated from the Odessa high school in 1928, and after graduation assisted his father in the management of the farm. On Sept. 16, 1933, he married Iva Schrag at the bride's home near Menno. The couple moved onto a farm of their own near Ruff and lived there until 1941, when they moved to Ritzville. Jantz is survived by his wife, one daughter, Joy Bell, and two sons, Roger Dean and Gary Marshall, his father, Andrew Jantz of Ritzville, his brother, Walter of Ritzville, and four sisters, Mrs. Henry Precht of Omak, Mrs. Donald Robinson of Belton, Mont., Mrs. Clinton Claasen of Ruff and Miss Melinda Jantz of Ritzville. John Waltner Dies Thursday John Waltner, 84-year-old resident of Adams county, died Thursday evening in Dallas, Ore., after an illness of two years. Funeral services were held Sunday from the Menno Mennonite church, with the Rev. P. D. Unruh of Colfax officiating. Burial was in the Menno cemetery. Waltner was born Feb. 27, 1863, in Wolhynien, Prussia. At the age of eleven he came with his parents to South Dakota during the great Mennonite immigration. Nine years later he moved to Dallas, Ore. On Oct. 9, 1889, he married Maria Schrag of Burrton, Kansas, and returned to Oregon for 11 years. In 1900 they moved to Washington with other Mennonite pioneers, settling 18 miles west of Ritzville in Adams county, where he lived the remainder of his life. His wife preceded him in death 25 years ago, having died May 16, 1922. He is survived by two sons, Carl Waltner of Dallas, Ore., and Walter Waltner of Ritzville, five daughters, Mrs. Ben Wedel of Lindsay, Calif., Mrs. Henry Dyck of Colfax, Mrs. Leon Gering of Ritzville, Mrs. Ralph Gering of Ritzville, and Mrs. Joe Jantz of Marlin, nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister, Mrs. Fannie Graber of Freeman, South Dakota, one brother, Joseph Waltner of Freeman, South Dakota, seven half sisters, and three half brothers. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 21, 1947 Mrs. Varnes' Brother Dies Funeral services were held Tuesday from the Forkner Chapel in the University of Washington district for L. J. Esslinger of Seattle, who died of a sudden heart attack Saturday at his home. Burial was in a Seattle cemetery. Esslinger is the brother of Mrs. A.H. Varnes of Ritzville, and was employed with the bank department of the state. His is survived by his wife, one daughter, Helen, two sisters, Mrs. A. H. Varnes of Ritzville, and Mrs. William Richardson of Burmingham, Alabama, two brothers, Horace Esslinger of Huntsville, Ala., and Fennell Esslinger of Florence, Ala. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, August 28, 1947 Oscar Gaskill, 63, Dies Sunday After Long Illness Oscar Gaskill, resident of Adams county for the past 53 years, died at 4:30 Sunday afternoon at his home in Ritzville at the age of 63. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday from the Emanuel Lutheran church with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery, Duncan-Haight Funeral home in charge. Gaskill underwent a major operation at the Sacred Heart hospital, Spokane, June 3, and had been in ill health for the past several months. He was a well-known painter and decorator in Ritzville, and a member of the Ritzville Gun club. Oscar Lewis Gaskill was born Oct. 29, 1884, in Coffeyville, Kansas, and moved to Adams county with his family 10 years later, homesteading near Ralston. On July 9, 1905, he married Miss Minnie Wellsandt and they farmed in the Carico Hills for approximately 10 years before moving to Ritzville. He is survived by his wife, Minnie, a sister, Mrs. Mary E. Moon of Prosser, an aunt, Mrs. Nellie Gollohuer of Veradale, a cousin, Mrs. Bessie Young of Veradale and nine nieces and nephews. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 4, 1947 Death Of Brother J. W. Kendrick, brother of A. M. Kendrick of this city, died at his home in Spokane Saturday evening following a heart attack. He had been troubled by a heart condition for several months but is was not thought to be dangerous. He is survived by his brother, his wife, one daughter and a granddaughter. Funeral services were held in Spokane and interment was in that city also. He was 49 years old. Odessa Youth Dies Samuel Homberg, Jr., 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Homberg of Odessa, died Aug. 24 at the Ritzville General hospital of a concussion and hemmorrhage of the brain after one and a half days of unconsciousness. Homberg had been herding cattle at their ranch near Odessa when the horse which he was riding stepped into a badger hole, causing him to fall. The accident happened Friday morning, Aug. 22. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 11, 1947 Burns Prove Fatal For L. Oestreich Funeral Services Today At the Nazarene Church The community was shocked and saddened Monday afternoon when Leroy E. Oestreich, 36, died in the Ritzville hospital as the result of burns received in an accident last Wednesday evening. There were no witnesses to the accident which claimed the life of this Ritzville young father, but evidence found at the scene of the tragedy give a fair description of what happened. He was fatally burned the evening of Sept. 10 at the Rocky Ford school building 14 miles from Ritzville when he attempted to put gasoline into a lantern. Mr. Oestreich was employed by the local school district as a bus driver and was accustomed to remain at the end of his school route each evening after delivering his bus load of students. The night of the accident he lighted his gas light and started to prepare his evening meal. Evidently the lantern went out for lack of fuel and he started to fill it when there was an explosion which saturated his clothing with burning gasoline. He began to run for the garage several hundred feet away where a fire extinguisher was found laying and as he ran, he tore clothes from his body and rolled to extinguish the flames. Stark evidence of the struggle lay strewn from the school house to the garage. Suffering from terrible burns which covered approximately 75 per cent of his body, he managed to dress himself in other clothes and drove the school bus 14 miles to the Ritzville hospital. He told a nurse that his gas lantern had exploded and asked that help go out to put out the fire. His third degree burns were so serious that doctors saw little hope for recovery, but did everything possible to ease his suffering. Leroy had lived his entire life in the vicinity of Ritzvlle since his birth in 1911. At the age of 24 he married Erma Schneider and to this union three children were born. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Erma Oestreich; a son, Darold and a daughter Darlene; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Oestreich, one brother and one sister. Funeral services were conducted from the local Church of the Nazarene Thursday, Sept. 11, at 1:30 p.m. with Rev. Raymond Griffith officiating. burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Pall bearers at the services were Fred Jingling, Ivan Schafer, Oscar Anderson, Paul Fickle, Otto Anderson and Rudy Koch. Services Honor Accident Victim Raymond Flint WASHTUCNA - Funeral services for Raymond Flint, 24, late of Kahlotus were held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Washtucna Community church with the Rev. A. K. Walborn officiating. The church was packed to capacity with sorrowing friends and the excessively large number of floral pieces bore mute testimony to the esteem in which the young man was held. Vocal duo numbers were given by Mrs. Don Miles of Seattle and Mrs. F. R. West, Jr., with Mrs. John S. Gray at the organ. Honorary pallbearers were Dennis Herron, Joseph Robbins, Dale Beckner, Robert Rehn, Wayne Campbell and Pat Bahr. Active pallbearers were Ted Beckner, Dwayne Blankenship, Roderick Ross, Kent Herron, Robert Herron and Henry Schafer. Burial was in Ritzville. Mr. Flint met accidental death Wednesday, Sept. 3, in a gravel pit cave-in near Pasco. Raymond Flint was born Aug. 14, 1923, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Flint, who made their home in the Hooper area. He graduated from the Kahlotus high school in June 1942. He entered the service of his country on March 17, 1943, and served faithfully in Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland and in central Europe. He returned home Dec. 26, 1945. On Aug. 18, 1946, he was united in marriage to Nellie A. Burgess, who with their infant son, Leonard Lewis, survive him. In addition to his parents, other survivors include a sister, Mrs. Betty Barr of Washtucna, his grandmother, Mrs. Rosa B. Flint of Colville, his great- grandmother, Mrs. Bonnet of Lacrosse and a host of neighbors and warm friends. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 18, 1947 Services Friday For Mrs. Hancock Funeral services for Mrs. Ella Koch Hancock of Astoria, Ore., will be held Friday at 2 o'clock from the Lutheran church with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Burial will be in the Lutheran cemetery. Mrs. Hancock, 53, is survived by her husband, Jesse Hancock, a brother, Jacob Koch, and a sister, Mrs. Alex Miller. The Duncan-Haight Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, September 25, 1947 None