Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, April 7, 1949 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, April 7, 1949 Funeral Rites Conducted For Mrs. Schoessler Funeral services for Mrs. Henrietta Schoessler, 67, wife of Mr. Jacob Schoessler, were held in the Zion Congregational church Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock with the Rev. P. Ruder officiating. Interment was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery with Newman-Danekas in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Schoessler was born in Franck, Russia, May 20, 1882, and died in a Spokane hospital April 2 following a brief illness. She is survived by her husband at the home, one son, Elmer, of Ritzville and two grandsons, James and Gerald, and two sisters, Mrs. Henry Gies and Mrs. George Grenning, both of Odessa. She was a member of the Zion Congregational church and the Zion club. She had been a resident of this community since 1903, having lived most of the time time on a farm from which she retired about three years ago. Funeral Rites Conducted for Otha Laing, 62 WASHTUCNA - Funeral services for Otha H. Laing, 62, Washtucna, who died at a Colfax hospital Friday, were held at the Rogg-Watson chapel Monday afternoon with burial in the Dayton cemetery. Born in Dayton, he lived most of his life in Spokane and vicinity before moving to Washtucna five years ago. Surviving are the widow, Helen; a son, Harold, Missoula, Mont.; six daughters, Maryln, Washtucna; Mrs. Gladys Coyle, Mrs. Rita Binns, Mrs. Beulah Hemphill, Mrs. Pauline Blair and Mrs. Mildred Geiss, Spokane; two brothers, Carl, Pomeroy, and Roy, Moscow, Idaho; and a sister, Mrs. Vivian Sherel, Pomeroy. Funeral Held for Lind Woman at Church Here Funeral services for Mrs. Ida Eden, 74, of Lind, were held in the Assembly of God church at two o'clock Wednesday afternoon with the Rev. Archie Burch officiating. Burial was in the Lind cemetery with the Newman-Danekas Funeral home in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Eden was born in Kansas, Sept. 17, 1875, and died in the Ritzville General hospital about noon Sunday following a lingering illness. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Ralph McCorkle of Tacoma, and Mrs. Edward Fritchle of Lind; three sons, Waldo and Lowell of Lind, and Wilford of Valleyford; two brothers, Will and Elver Huse of Lind; ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, April 14, 1949 Frank Leach, 85, Michigan Native, Dies In Othello OTHELLO - Mr. Frank M. Leach, 85, died after a short illness April 8. He was born in Alpena, Mich., Dec. 3, 1864, where he lived until he was 34. In 1898, he moved to Clarkston, Wash., where he resided for 10 years. In 1908, he moved to Lewiston, Ida., where he worked as a salesman for the Potlatch Lumber company. In 1910, he moved to Alberta, Canada, and in 1934 he returned to the states, settling at Plaza, Wash. Later he lived in Spokane and Kalispell, Mont., where he resided until Sept. 8, 1944, when he moved to Othello and made his home with his daughter, Miss Jenny Leach, who had purchased the grocery store operated by W. F. Oppliger. Mr. Leach married Hattie Jane Blinn on April 30, 1890, and if he had lived until April 30, they would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. To this union two daughters were born, Miss Jennie of Othello and Mrs. Laura Clapper of Grand Forks, British Columbia. He leaves his widow, his two daugthers, one half-sister, Mrs. Maude Bates of Alpena, Mich.; three grandchildren, Clayton Clapper of Grand Forks, B.C., Mrs. Dora May Johnson of Gladsby, Alberta; and William L. Clapper of Vancouver, B.C. He was a lifelong member of the Oddfellows lodge and had earned his past grand collar. Services were held at the Presbyterian church at 2 p.m. Monday with the Rev. Don Fitzsimmons of the Christian church officiating. Members of the Oddfellows lodge of Othello, Lind and Ritzville were pallbearers and had charge of the graveside services. Arrangements were in charge of the Newman-Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, April 21, 1949 Funeral Set for Pioneer, 91, of Roxboro Region Funeral services for William S. Knottingham, 91, of Roxboro, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Lind Methodist church with the Rev. William Ritchey officiating. Burial will be in the Lind cemetery with the Duncan-Haight Funeral home of Ritzville in charge of arrangements. Mr. Knottingham was one of the oldest pioneers of the community having homesteaded 52 years ago on the farm where he has resided ever since. Survivors include three daughters, Mattie, Eva and Mrs. Susie Burgeson, all at the home; two sons, Claude of Roxboro, and O. E. of Encinitas, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Melinda Huston and a brother, Chris, both of Lamer, Colo.; ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, April 29, 1949 Joseph Charrier Funeral Is Held WALLA WALLA - Funeral services for Joseph Charrier, 84, a former resident of the Washtucna community where he had farmed for 21 years, were held in St. Patrick's church in Walla Walla Saturday morning at 10 o'clock. Burial was in the Walla Walla cemetery. Mr. Charrier was born in Levi, Canada, on March 19, 1865, and came to the Walla Walla valley with his parents in 1879, settling at Frenchtown. For 21 years, Charrier farmed near Washtucna retiring in 1937 when he moved to Walla Walla. In 1900 he was married to Angeline Noel, who survives him. Other survivors are one son, Frederick of Portland, Ore.; two daughters, Mrs. Wilbur (Juliette) Robinette of Klammath Falls, Ore.; and Mrs. Nicholas (Lillian) Korunych of Riverside, Calif.; two grandchildren and a brother, D. J. Charrier of Seattle. He belonged to St. Patrick's Catholic church and was affiliated with Walla Walla Lodge No. 287, B.P.O.E. having joined that organization in 1916. Werttemberger Funeral Is Held Funeral services for Norman Werttemberger, 43, who died in a Spokane hospital following surgery, were held in the chapel of the Newman-Danekas Funeral home Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock with the Rev. R. Kirschenmann of the Philadelphia Congregational church officiating. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mr. Werttemberger was born in Ritzville Feb. 22, 1906, and had lived here all his life. He was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church. He is survived by three brothers, John and William of Ritzville, and Richard of Seattle, one sister, Alma, at the home. His father died in late January of this year. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, May 5, 1949 Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Katie Melcher Monday Funeral services for Katie Elizabeth Melcher, 71, who had lived in the Ritzville area for 48 years before her death April 27, were held Monday afternoon at the Emanuel Lutheran church with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery with the Duncan- Haight funeral home in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Melcher was born in Russia and came to the Ritzville area in 1901. She and her husband retired to Ritzville about 11 years ago. Mr. Melcher died eight years ago. Survivors include nine daughters, Mrs. Alvina Haase and Mrs. Elanore Schell of Ritzville; Mrs. Pauline Linger of Yakima; Mrs. Helen Mohler of Marlin; Mrs. Esther Reihs of Irby; Mrs. Eva Kapple of Hartline; Mrs. Clara Beker of Sprague; Mrs. Alma Keller of Wilbur, and Mrs. Mary Dobson of Denver, Colo. Also surviving are three sons, Jake and Carl Melcher, both of Odessa, and Henry of Ritzville; a sister, Mrs. Henry Bauer of Nebraska; 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mrs. Melcher was a member of Emanuel Lutheran Ladies' Aid society. She died at her home at 207 S. Adams. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, May 12, 1949 Peter Cree, 58, Mill Worker, Dies Monday Funeral services for Peter Cree, 58, an employee of Centennial Mills in Ritzville for the past 22 years, were held Wednesday afternoon in the Newman-Danekas Funeral home parlor with the Rev. Raymond F. Griffith officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mr. Cree, who was warehouse foreman at the mill, died at his home Monday. Survivors include his wife, Nevas; two daughters, Viola Cady and Mrs. Mabel Wagner, both of Ritzville; two sons, Ishan of Ritzville and Melvin of Spokane; a sister, Mrs. Jeanne Standerfer of Spokane and three grandchildren. Funeral Set for Mrs. Swarts, 66 LIND - Funeral services for Mrs. Lila Swarts, 66, who died Tuesday at her home in Lind, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Lind Methodist church with the Rev. W. H. Ritchey officiating. Burial will be in the Lind cemetery. Duncan-Haight funeral home is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Swarts, who has lived in this area 62 years, is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Bertha Weber of Odessa and Miss Hazel Swarts at the home, and two sons, Irvin G. and Kenneth C., both of Lind. Survivors also include six grandchildren: Guyla Swarts at the home, Myran Wayne and Lois Weber of Odessa, and Beverly and Shirley Griffith of Lind. Mrs. Swarts was a member of the Christian church. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, May 19, 1949 Rites Held for Thomas Beck, 66 WARDEN - Funeral services were held at the Warden Congregational church on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. for Mr. Thomas Beck, who passed away on Monday afternoon at the Columbia Basin hospital in Ephrata. Mr. Beck was 66 years old. Burial was held in the Warden cemetery with Plotts funeral home in charge of arrangements. Born Oct. 6, 1882, in Stotts City, Mo., he came west in 1900 and homesteaded at Totten. For a time he worked for the railroad in Ellensburg. In 1922 he came to Warden. Most of the time he has been engaged in garage and service station work. Survivors are two daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Beck Crosby, Warden and Peggy Jean Beck, Seattle; one son, Alvin Beck, of Warden; one brother, Paul Beck, of Stotts City, Mo.; four sisters, Mrs. Gertrude Bowker, Spokane, Mrs. J. O. Underwood, Webb City, Mo.; Mrs. Lawrence Wuellner, Miller, Mo.; Mrs. Bess Zinn of Webb City, Mo.; and three grandchildren. Murray, Ex-Resident of Lind, Is Buried LIND - Word has been received here of the death of E. J. (Slim) Murray, former Lind resident, on May 2 in Lampoc, Calif. Mr. Murray died after a three week's illness and was buried May 5 in the Evergreen cemetery with the Lompoc Eagles lodge in charge. Mr. Murray was born at Salem, Ore., on April 6, 1881. He is survived by his wife, Martha, and three daughters. George Koch of Lind was a brother-in-law to the deceased. Pioneer Lady Dies ODESSA - Mrs. Katherine Koth, 92, died at Ritzville General hospital last week where she had been taken following an early morning fall at the Odessa home of Mr. and Mrs. Nath Koth. The Koths came to Odessa in 1904. Mrs. Koth's late husband operated a business firm which later was consolidated with the Odessa Mercantile company. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, May 26, 1949 Services Set For Private Bisson WASHTUCNA - The body of Pfc. Leo Bisson, who was killed in Germany on April 15, 1945, was scheduled to arrive in Spokane May 25 and was taken to the Hazen and Jaeger funeral home. He was the son of Martin Bisson of Spokane and Mrs. Verda Bisson of Washtucna and was a Washtucna resident before entering the armed forces. Graveside services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. with burial in the Riverside cemetery in Spokane. Other survivors include a daughter, Shirley, 8, Spokane; five brothers, Max of Longview; Jack of the armed services, who is in Japan; Donald, Spokane; and Michael and Peter, Reardan; and three sisters, Mazie, Bernice and Phyllis, all of Spokane. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, June 2, 1949 Blacksmith Here for Many Years Dies On Sunday One of Ritzville's longtime blacksmiths - Conrad Sittner, 83, - died Sunday at Ritzville General hospital. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon in the Philadelphia Congregational church with the Rev. R. Kirschenmann officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Duncan-Haight funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Probably hundreds of Adams county farmers brought their horses to Mr. Sittner for shoeing during the many years he spent in his shop, which formerly stood next door to the present American Legion club. The blacksmith came to Ritzville from the Palouse country in 1908. He worked as a smitty for the Ritzville Trading company for some time before opening his own place. There he labored with force and hammer until a very few years ago, when this country had become almost completely mechanized and Mr. Sittner closed his shop. He remained in excellent health, though, and even when he was past 80, according to friends, could apply a mighty pressure whenever he shook hands. Mr. Sittner is survived by his wife, Freda; four daughters, Mrs. W. N. Sweet of Ritzville, Mrs. W. O. Harrison and Mrs. Ben H. Wold, both of Portland, and Mrs. William Wolsborn of Yakima; a brother, John of Farmington; a sister, Mrs. Catherine Thomas of Portland, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral Services for Conrad Boos Conrad Boos, who was born Nov. 14, 1871, and who has lived in this vicinity for 38 years died Saturday. He is survived by his wife, Marie Christina, at the home; four sons, Fred of Fresno, Calif., David and Henry of Ritzville, Mike of Colorado; a daughter, Marie Griffith, Washtucna; a brother, Henry, of Ritzville. Funeral services were held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Lutheran church with Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating and Duncan-Haight funeral home in charge. Mrs. Moenke of Oregon City Dies An early Ritzville resident, Mrs. Chris Moenke, died at her home in Oregon City, Ore., early Thursday morning, May 26. Mrs. Moenke, nee Marie Wittrock, was 62 years old at the time of her death. She had been ill since last December when she submitted to an operation from which she never fully recovered. Mrs. Moenke came to Ritzville with her family as a girl of 16, attended high school here, and, after her marriage lived in Ritzville at various times. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, Mrs. Gertrude Laris and Mrs. Max Skeels of Oregeon City, Ore., one son, Richard of Bakersfield, Calif.; and two grandchildren; one brother, the Rev. H. Wittrock of Portland, and two sisters, Mrs. J. P. Danekas of Ritzville and Mrs. O. W. Reitz of American Falls, Idaho. Funeral services and burial were at Oregon City last Saturday, May 28. Mrs. Danekas attended the services from Ritzville. Funeral Is Held for Lafrenz, 53 Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday for Victor Eugene Lafrenz, retired postal clerk, who died at 53 in the Ephrata hospital May 30. Mr. Lafrenz's home was in Moses Lake but he had lived in and around Ritzville for about 15 years. Survivors include his wife, Gertrude M., at the home; two sons, James L. of Holden and V. Louis at the home; a daughter, Mrs. Frank Fronsman of Evans; three sisters, Mrs. Harry Jordan of Ewan, Mrs. Frank Taylor of Black Butte, Ore., and Mrs. Ted Hunt of San Francisco; a brother, Karl, of Australia; and four grandchildren. Mr. Lafrenz was a veteran of World War I and a member of the VFW and American Legion posts at Moses Lake. Ronald Yates of Cheney officiated at the funeral in the chapel of Duncan-Haight funeral home. Graveside services were conducted by the American Legion at Ritzville Memorial cemetery. The Duncan-Haight funeral home was in of arrangements. Gaveside Services Held for Soldier WASHTUCNA - Graveside services for Pfc. Leo D. Bisson, were held Friday at 2 p.m. at Riverside Park cemetery, Spokane. The Rev. D. A. Russell of the Second Presbyterian church officiated. Private Bisson had been in the army one year and overseas four months where he was killed in action by machine gun fire near Raumortiz, Germany. He was with the Timber Wolf division in the early spring of 1945 when his outfit was fired upon by enemy troops. He was buried in a military cemetery in Germany. He was born and educated in Washtucna and received his basic training at Camp Robinson in Arkansas. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, June 9, 1949 Fishing Mishap Claims Life of Ritzville Man Funeral services for Walter Henry Reiff, 40, Ritzville man, who drowned in Deer Lake shortly before midnight Saturday night, were held at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Emanuel Lutheran church with the Rev. F. J. Ahrendt officiating. Interment was made at the Lutheran cemetery. Pallbearers were Alex Werner, William Ferderer, Al Reese, Floyd Horch, Otto Zeiler and Fred Kupers. The local legionaires participated in the graveside ceremony. The body had been brought to Ritzville Sunday and prepared for burial by Duncan-Haight funeral home. Reiff, accompanied by Herman Bauer and Earl Wells, had been fishing from a flat-bottomed boat which turned over as an attempt was made to pull anchor. He was not sighted after the boat overturned and the theory is brought forward that he may have struck his head on the boat and sank unnoticed. His body was recovered at daybreak Sunday morning in 12 feet of water, by Sheriff R. C. Rambo of Lincoln county and Game Protector C. V. Fisher. His watch had stopped at 11:15 o'clock, setting the time of the tragedy. A boatload of five fishermen rescued Wells, who managed to cling to the overturned boat and two other anglers rescued Bauer who managed to grasp an extended oar. Reiff, who was an employee of the Adams county highway department, was born and raised in Ritzville. He served in the armed services during World War II and was a member of C. J. Newland American Legion Post No. 51 and the Ritzville Eagles lodge. Besides his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Reiff, he is survived by two brothers, Carl, Jr., of Ritzville and Arthur, a civilian government employee at Guam. Five sisters, Mrs. Clara Hu(letter missing)l, of Seattle; Mrs. Martha Besel, Mrs. Ruth Steinmetz, Mrs. Alice Heimbigner and Elsie Reiff, all of Ritzville. A Pioneer Is Laid At Rest Mrs. Melissa Kauffman Was A Third Cousin of Lincoln's Graveside services were held in Ritzville Wednesday afternoon for one of the city's earliest pioneers, Mrs. Melissa Robbins Kauffman, who died Sunday at the age of 97 in Seattle. Mrs. Kauffman claimed to be a third cousin of Abraham Lincoln, tracing her relationship through the family of Nancy Hanks, Lincoln's mother. Mrs. Kauffman's parents started westward from Indiana in 1851- 10 years before the Civil war. They spent three months in Missouri, outfitting and joining a wagon train and there Mrs. Kauffman was born on Dec. 22. She was three months old when her parents headed west across the Great Plains by ox team. Her older brother, about three, died during the trip and Mrs. Kauffman used to recall how after his burial the entire wagon train circled back to pass over the grave so the Indians would be unable to locate it. After a trip of nine months, the Kauffmans reached Oregon Territory and homesteaded six miles from Oregon City. Only a handful of the very earliest pioneers lived in Oregon then, with hundreds of Indians. Indians Friendly But the Indians usually were quite peaceful, Mrs. Kauffman told her family in later years. They spent much of their time watching the whites tackle the rugged business of carving out homes and fields out of the wilderness, and usually they were asking for this article or that as a gift. As a child, Mrs. Kauffman attended school in a log cabin three months out of the year. She worked the rest of the time. It was in Oregon that Mrs. Kauffman's father was killed in a hunting accident. He reached down to set his gun on a log, the tigger struck the log and the bullet, blasting upwards, killed him instantly. About 1880 the family pulled up stakes and moved eastward into the Big Bend country, settling in Ritzville when this pioneer outpost had a post office, a general store operated by N. H. Greene, and less than a hundred residents. Lived In Town For many years the Kauffmans lived in a home - still standing - on Broadway avenue, around the corner from the municipal building. Mrs. Kauffman's husband, Jacob M., died here in 1910. Mrs. Kauffman remained in Ritzville until 1931 when she moved to Seattle. Funeral services for Mrs. Kauffman were conducted Tuesday at the Green Lake funeral home in Seattle, and graveside services conducted by Mrs. Leta Kuster, longtime friend of the family, and another former Ritzville resident, were held at Ritzville Memorial cemetery Wednesday afternoon. Duncan-Haight Funeral homes was in charge of local arrangements. Accompanying Mrs. Kuster from Seattle was Mrs. Oda McKay, one of Mrs. Kauffman's daughters. Another daughter, Mrs. Clyde Axtell, came from Boise for the funeral. Mrs. Kauffman also is survived by a third daughter, Mrs. Ethel Buehler of San Francisco; a son, Leslie Kauffman of San Francisco; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Mrs. R. Tennyhill Dies at Othello OTHELLO - This entire community was deeply shocked on Thursday morning by the sudden death of Mrs. Robert Tennyhill at her home. Mrs. Charm Lucille Richards Tennyhill was born May 5, 1910, at Morristown, S. D. She attended school at Mowbridge, S. D., where she met and married Mr. Robert Tennyhill on Nov. 29, 1930. The Tennyhill family moved to Othello in April 1945. Mrs. Tennyhill is survived by her husband at the home; one son, Robert, and two daughters, Nancy and Sharon, her mother, Mrs. Maude Richards of Othello; a sister, Doris I. Davidson, Othello, and a sister, Mrs. Arlene Quinn of North St. Paul, Minn.; three brothers, Kenneth Richards of Missoula, Mont.; Charles Richards of Miles City, Mont., and Stanley Richards of Chicago. Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian church at 4 o'clock Saturday with the Rev. Rosenkilde of the Presbyterian church of Connell in charge. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, June 16, 1949 'Dick' Miller Dies After Long Work R. N. "Dick" Miller, senior member of the Washington Extension service died at Pullman of a heart attack June 3, according to word received here by County Agent Bob Martin. Dick was 64 years old and had planned to retire next September after he had completed 35 years in the extension service. He was born in Kirksville, Mo., and came to Washington as a boy. Dick was raised in Southeastern Washington, graduated from WSC in 1908 and began his work with the extension service in 1914. A recounting of Dick's contributions to farm families in Adams county is unnecessary to those who knew him. His work in land clearing, farm freezer, labor saving machinery and other fields was outstanding. He contribution to the 4-H program in developing of the bee clubs, electrical clubs and other projects. For years he has been the "Mr. Fixit" in the state fair building at Yakima and handled the baggage detail at state club camp. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, June 23, 1949 Wilhelm Kiesz Funeral Is Held Funeral services for Wilhelm Kiesz, 77, a resident of the Ritzville area for 48 years, were conducted Monday afternoon at the Philadelphia Congregational church with the Rev. Albert Hausauer of Odessa officiating. Burial was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Duncan-Haight funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Mr. Kiesz was born in Michaelstahl, south Russia, and came to the United States 54 years ago. He was a retired farmer living in Ritzville when he died last Friday and he was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church. Survivors include his wife, Catherine, at the home; two daughters, Mrs. Lydia Dorn at Tacoma, and Mrs. Emma Borgens of Ritzville; three sons, Edward of Odessa, Gottlieb of Ritzville, and Arthur of Ontario, Ore. Mr. Kiesz is also survived by a brother, John, of Spokane; a sister, Mrs. Eva Stabler of Canada; 18 grandchildren and 13 great- grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, June 30, 1949 Graveside Services Held for Baby Girl Graveside services for Paulette Gearhart, who died at Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane 17 days after her birth, June 10, were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ritzville Memorial cemetery. The Rev. Rowland Hills of the Episcopal church in Spokane officiated. Newman-Danekas funeral home was in charge of arrangements. The baby is survived by her parents and two sisters, Susan and Darcy.