Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 1, 1948 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, January 1, 1948 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 8, 1948 Richardson Rites Held Here Friday Funeral services for James L. Richardson, 57, of Moses Lake, who died Dec. 27 in Seattle, were held Friday, Jan. 2, at Trinity Methodist church in Ritzville with Dr. H. A. Van Winkle of Spokane officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Anna Deking of Ritzville, and Mrs. Irene Lacy of Seattle; four sons, Ray, Ralph and Howard of Malden, and Harold of Seattle; four brothers and two sisters. Duncan-Haight Funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Ondracek Funeral Is Held At Church Funeral services for Josephn Ondracek, who died here Dec. 31, were held Saturday, Jan. 3, at Tinity Methodist church with the Rev. Clifford Knight officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mr. Ondracek had lived in the United States about 60 years, most of the time in this area. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Emma Nauditt of Prosser, and two sons, Edward of Ritzville and Joseph Jr., of Seattle. Duncan-Haight Funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 15, 1948 Former School Head, John D. Meyer Dies Funeral services for John D. Meyer, who spent his early life in Lind and formerly was Adams county superintendent of schools, were held Saturday in Spokane. Mr. Meyer taught school in Lind and served as county superintendent during 1918-19. He also taught in Harrington before going to Spokane where he had been principal of John Rogers high school for the past 15 years. He died following a heart attack Thursday. Funeral Held For Gerald Telecky Funeral services for Gerald Telecky, little son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Telecky, were held in the chapel of the Duncan-Haight Funeral home at 2 p.m. Friday with the Rev. P. Ruder officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Gerald was 11 months old. He was born Feb. 7, 1947, and passed away in Wenatchee Jan. 11, 1948. He is survived by his parents and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Telecky of Reardan, and Mr. and Mrs. Herman Heimbigner of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Telecky live on a farm near Sprague. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 22, 1948 Andreas Blum Rites Are Held Funeral services for Andreas Blum, 83, were held in the Philadelphia Congregational church at 2 p.m. Sunday with the Rev. R. Kirschenmann officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Arrangments were in charge of the Duncan-Haight Funeral home. Mr. Blum was born in Eigenhelm, Russia. He came to the United States 63 years ago and has been in this area 54 years. He died Friday. He is survived by his wife, Kathrina; two daughters, Mrs. Bertha Fickle of Spokane and Mrs. Thresa Wood of Colville; 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 29, 1948 Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Pfaff Funeral services for Elizabeth Pfaff were held at the Evangelical Lutheran church in Ruff Saturday, Jan. 24, with the Rev. Hunsberger of Soap Lake officiating. Burial was in the Ruff cemetery. Duncan-Haight Funeral home of Ritzville was in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Pfaff was 69. Born in Russia, she came to the United States in 1899 and has lived since then on Route 1, near Ritzville. She is survived by her husband, John; four sons, John Jr., and Fred of Tacoma, Wiliam of Ruff, and Bennie of Ritzville; one daughter, Mrs. Katie Baker of Tacoma and five grandchildren. Former Farmer, Preacher Here Dies In Idaho A preacher-farmer who traveled by horse-and-buggy to conduct services in Adams county for 19 years has been buried in the Ritzville cemetery. Joseph O. Couch died in Coeur d'Alene Jan. 20. Funeral services were held Jan. 23 at the Jaeger Funeral home in Spokane and interment was at Ritzville. Mr. Couch and his family moved from Minnesota in 1887 to settle on a homestead nine miles north and one mile west of Ritzville. For the next 19 years he farmed there and served as minister in many communities in Adams and Lincoln counties and Blaine county in Idaho. He had been ordained in the Christian church as a young man. He moved to Blaine county in 1906, to Long Beach, Calif., in 1917, to Richland, Wash., in 1932 and to Benton City, Wash., when the atomic bomb project was launched. Mr. Couch was married in March 1881 to Emma J. Smith. Ten of their 11 children are still living: Rollin, Chester and John of Benton City; Otto of Bakersfield, Calif.; Mrs. Ina Griffith of Plummer, Idaho; Mrs. Clara Grimm of Portland; and Mrs. Elvira Rider, Mrs. Marie Henry and Mrs. Mabel Kendall, of Long Beach. Other survivors include two sisters, 19 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. Former Resident Dies Mrs. Marie Johnson of Jerome, Idaho, died in that city following a brief illness. She was 66. Born at Walla Walla, Mrs. Johnson moved to this locality with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Bauer, sr., when she was a child. She received all her schooling here. On Feb. 14, 1898, she was married to J. W. Johnson and for several years they made their home in Ritzville, building the house now occupied by the John Stehrs. About 1910 they moved to Jerome and lived there until the death of her husband in 1931. Among her survivors are a son, Donald, of Reno, Nev.; two daughters, Mrs. Dean McDonald of Tacoma and Mrs. Harold Sherman of Spokane; two granddaughters, two brothers, Peter Bauer and Henry Bauer, both of this city; one sister, Mrs. W. F. Taylor of Spokane. Burial was beside her husband in the Jerome cemetery. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 5, 1948 Numrich Dies After Two Cars Hit Field Two speeding automobiles hooked bumpers on the Ritzville-Lind highway Friday night and 12 hours later a passenger in one of them died in the Ritzville General hospital. It was the first time since 1936 that a local resident had been fatally injured in an automobile accident within Adams county. The victim was Harry Numrich, 46, of 837 West First Avenue, Ritzville. Funeral services were held Monday a the Duncan-Haight Funeral home with burial in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. The accident occurred at 11:30 p.m. Friday near the Bill Scheel ranch about 3-1/2 miles from the Ritzville city limits. One car, a 1942 Chevrolet was being driven by Harry Kulm, 42, of Ritzville. He carried two passengers, George Everett, 38, telephone lineman at Lind, and Arnold Franz of Schragg. The second car was a 1935 Ford driven by Herman Steinmetz, 31, of Ritzville. His passenger was Harry Numrich. Both cars were returning from Lind after the Ritzville-Lind high school basketball game Friday evening. According to State Highway Patrolman Donald Drake, the Kulm car was traveling about 50 miles per hour when Steinmetz pulled out to pass. As the Steinmetz car cut back into the right hand lane, Drake said, bumpers on the two cars became entangled. The locked automobiles skidded approximately 200 feet before they left the highway and plunged 170 feet into a stubble field on the right hand side of the road. Numrich and Steinmetz both smashed through the top of the Ford. Numrich flew slightly more than 50 feet through the air before he hit the ground and lay unconscious. The Ritzville man died about 11:30 a.m. Saturday without recovering consciousness. Steinmetz escaped with bruises and Franz was only shaken up. Kulm suffered cuts on the hands and face and a leg injury, and Everett received cuts on the right knee and forehead injuries. None were retained at the hospital. Joseph Harry Numrich was born Oct. 13, 1901, in Minnesota and spent much of his life in the restaurant business. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph M. Ward of Spokane, and a son, Harry, Jr., of Seattle, and a two-month-old granddaughter, Ann Katherine, of Seattle. He was a veteran of World War II and a member of the American Legion. The Rev. Clifford Knight officiated at the funeral. Graveside services were conducted by the American Legion. Ex-Resident Dies Henry Ellis, who formerly lived in Ritzville died in Spokane recently and was buried at Colfax. His survivors include his son, Argle Ellis of Lind. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 12, 1948 Funeral Rites Are Held Here Funeral services for James Towers, 85, were held in the chapel of the Duncan-Haight Funeral home at 1 p.m. Monday with the Rev. Clifford Knight officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mr. Towers was born in Arkansas Feb. 13, 1863, and had lived in this area for the past 40 years. He died at a Spokane hospital Friday. He is survived by one son, Andrew M. of Ritzville and two daughters, Mrs. Leona Johnson, South Gate, Calif., and Mrs. Bessie Markovich of Wellsville, Mo.; eight grandchildren and five great- grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 19, 1948 Deking Funeral Set For Today Funeral services for Ted Deking, who died at his home Monday evening, will be held at the Emanuel Lutheran church at 2 p.m. Thursday with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Services at the grave will be conducted by the American Legion. Arrangements are in charge of the Duncan-Haight Funeral home. Mr. Deking was born Aug. 13, 1911, at Ritzville. He was graduated from the local high school in 1931, was married Oct. 11, 1937, to Hilda Miller of St. John, and entered the armed services March 9, 1943. From Dec. 28, 1943, until Dec. 14, 1945, he saw service in the European theater of operations. He received an honorary discharge at Ft. Lewis Dec. 22, 1945. He had been employed at the Standard Tire shop since the late '20s. He is survived by his wife, Hilda; his mother, Mrs. Minnie Deking; one brother, Ernest of Ritzville; and two sisters, Mrs. Leonard Swedo of Ritzville and Mrs. Danny Haight of Walla Walla and one niece. Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Kechter Funeral services for Mrs. Katherine Elizabeth Kechter, 69, who died at her home Sunday evening following a lingering illness, were held at the Emanuel Lutheran church Wednesday afternoon with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Burial was in the Lutheran cemetery and arrangements were in charge of the Duncan-Haight Funeral home. Mrs. Kechter was born in Kolb, Russia, in 1879 and came to the United States 40 years ago, settling in Ritzville where she had lived ever since. She is survived by her husband, Jacob, at the home; four sons, Fred of Wheeler, Victor and Edward of Tacoma and Carl of Ritzville; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Christel of Tacoma and Mrs. Bertha Klemmer of Longview; one sister, Mrs. Mary Henkel of Tacoma and three grandchildren. She was a member of the Emanuel Lutheran church. Buscher Rites Held Wednesday Funeral services for Ernest W. Buscher, who died Sunday following major surgery, were held in the Thornhill-Valley funeral home Wednesday afternoon with the Rev. John Groschoff officiating. Burial was in the The Pines cemetery near Opportunity. Mr. Buscher was born in Germany March 17, 1883, and came to Ritzville with his parents in 1894. He farmed near Tokio until 1921 when he moved to Spokane and worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad, retiring last March. In 1906 he was married to Wilhelmina Anna Brockling. He was a member of the Lutheran church. His survivors include his widow at the home; two sons, John and Lester of Spokane, one daughter, Ramona Hochstatter of Moses Lake, and four grandchildren. Funeral Is Held For Month-Old Baby At Church Funeral services for David Ernest von Olnhausen, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest von Olnhausen, Jr., who died at his home Sunday night following a brief illness, were held at the Emanuel Lutheran church last Wednesday. The Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiated at the services. Burial was in the Lutheran cemetery, with funeral arrangements in charge of the Duncan-Haight Funeral home. David was the first baby born in Adams county in 1948. He was one month, 14 days old. He is survived by his parents, grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest von Olnhausen, Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. Clark Martin; and one sister, Sandra Lou. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 26, 1948 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 4, 1948 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 11, 1948 Funeral Services Held For First Ritzville Mayor Funeral services for Richard j. Neergaard, first mayor of the city of Ritzville, took place this week at Colfax. Neergaard was one of the early settlers of the community and during his eleven years residence here, was prominent in public affairs. He came here in 1883 from Tennessee and settled in Ritzville. About the middle of February, 1885, he succeeded J.A. Hewitt as teacher in the Ritzville school at an advance of salary. He was a member of the first examining board to issue teachers' certificates. He was Adams county auditor from 1887 to 1891. In 1885 he married Miss Marietta Johnson of Ritzville and he was a member of the second state legislature being elected from Adams county. He moved to Oakesdale in 1894 where he practiced law. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 18, 1948 Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Wiffin Funeral services for Mrs. Bessie LaMarr Wiffin, who died at Zenith March 11 after a lingering illness, were held in the chapel of the Newman-Danekas funeral home at 3 p.m. Sunday with Canon Haney of Spokane officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery beside her husband. Mrs. Wiffin was born in Germantown, Ohio, Dec. 9, 1866, and came here in 1906 with her husband from Chicago, Ill., to take over the Weiand jewelry business with C. W. Myers. For the past several years she made her home at Zenith. She is survived by one son, Owen, of Ritzville; two daughters, Mrs. Harold Peckenpaugh of Seattle and Mrs. Margaret Dangerfield of Spokane; one granddaughter and two great-grandsons. A son preceded her in death. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 25, 1948 None