Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 1, 1959 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, October 1, 1959 Services Held for Mrs. Allert Funeral services were held Tuesday for Mrs. Maria Katherine Allert, who had lived in the Ritzville community for 59 years, at the Menno Mennonite church. The Rev. Lester Janzen officiated at the service. Interment followed at the Mennonite cemetery. She was 89 years old. Mrs. Allert passed away Sept. 26. She was born in Laub, Russia, Nov. 2, 1869. She came to the United States 80 years ago and had lived in the Ritzville community 59 years. Mrs. Allert is survived by one daughter, Gertrude Allert Coleman, Ritzville; six sons, Cornelious, Walter and Henry, Ritzville, Fritz, Rosalia, William, Benge, and John, Seattle; 20 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren. She was a member of the Menno Mennonite church. Danekas funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Ritzville Man Dies Friday A former Ritzville resident, Glenn W. Williams, 48, died Sept. 25 at his home in Lynnwood after an eight-month illness, it was learned yesterday from S. J. Williams. Williams was the owner of an automobile rebuilding business in Lynnwood. Funeral services were held yesterday in the Mittelstadt's Lake City mortuary. Burial was at Acacia. Williams was born in Quincy and reared in Ritzville. He moved to Lynnwood in 1941. He later lived in LaTouche and Seward, Alaska, and returned to Seattle in 1951. He was a member of the Lake City Elks club and local 387, Sheet Metal Workers union. Surviving are his wife, Lorene P.; his father, Sylvester J. Williams, Ritzville; one sister, Mrs. Esther Trowbridge, Port Angeles; and three brothers, Clifford Williams, Spokane, Arthur Williams, Centralia, and Burton Williams, Walnut Creek, Calif. Lind Woman Funeral Held Funeral services were held Saturday for Mrs. Hilda C. Hurst, who had lived in Lind for 31 years, at the Lind Methodist church, the Rev. W. H. Ritchey officiating. Interment followed at the Lind cemetery. Mrs. Hurst died in Spokane Sept. 22 at the age of 58 years. She was born in Edison Nov. 19, 1900. Her husband, Zeb Vance, died in 1954. She was a member of the Lind Methodist church, the women's society of Christian service at the church and the American Legion auxiliary. Mrs. Hurst is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Helen Jansen, Seattle; one son, Vance, Seattle; four sisters, Mrs. John Rodgers, Susmas, Mrs. Joe Hagen, Ancortes, Mrs. Charles German, Boston, Mass., and Mrs. Carl Denison, San Diego, Calif.; and three grandchildren. Services Held for Evelyn Outhat Funeral services for Mrs. Evelyn Outhat were held Monday, Sept. 21, at the Danekas funeral chapel. The Rev. Alfred Carter officiated. Interment followed at Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Outhat died Sept. 17 at the Adams County hospital in Ritzville. She was 54 years old and had lived in Ritzville for the past 10 years. She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Ethel Torpe, Vancouver, B.C., and Mrs. Murill Lindberg, Alberta, Canada; and two brothers in Ontario, Canada. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 8, 1959 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 15, 1959 Services Today for A. L. Crouse Funeral services are being held today (Thursday) at 10 a.m. for Albert Leonard Crouse at the Washtucna Community church. Interment will be in Pendleton, Ore. Crouse was a retired wheat farmer from the Washtucna area and had been living in Sandpoint for the last 10 years. He died at Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane Sunday, Oct. 11, at the age of 65 years. He was born in Oregon June 3, 1894. Crouse was a member of the Episcopal church, the El Katif Temple, F.A.& M. NO. 202 in Washtucna, IOOF at Benge, Washtucna Grange and the Elks lodge at Sandpoint. He is survived by his wife, Laura, at the home in Sandpoint; two sons, John, Washtucna, and Albert L., Sandpoint; a stepfather, Guy R. Hugunin, Pendleton, Ore.; and three grandchildren. Danekas funeral home is in charge of arrangements. Former Hatton Resident Died In Sleep Last Saturday Night HATTON - Mrs. Emma Nelson Johnson, 88, of Connell, formerly of Hatton, died in her sleep Saturday night, Oct. 10, at the home of her son, Mr. and Mrs. Art Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was born to Mr. and Mrs. Eric Nelson March 24, 1871, in Tudor, Calif. On May 12, 1891, she was united in marriage with James Johnson at the home of her parents. They made their home at Tudor, Calif., for 15 years where five of their seven children were born. On July 9, 1906, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and family arrived in Hatton to make their home four and one-half miles southeast of town. She lived in the Hatton community until 1944, when she moved to Connell. Preceding Mrs. Johnson was their son, Leslie, who died Oct. 20, 1928, and Mr. Johnson passed away in 1936. Mrs. Johnson was a charter member and past matron of Margaret Wadsworth chapter No. 225, Order of Eastern Star; past noble grand of Priscilla Rebekah lodge No. 231, and Emera club of Lind; and also belonged to Connell Grange and the Connell Methodist church. She served as chaplain of the Eastern Stars, Rebekahs and Grange for several years; was very active in the church, WSCS and other church organizations. While living in Hatton she was a worker in the church, serving as a Sunday school teacher, church school superintendent and president of the women's society. Surviving are five sons, Harold E. Johnson of Hatton; Alvin Johnson of Orange, Calif.; Walter R. Johnson of Spokane; Arthur C. Johnson, Cunningham, and Donald L. Johnson of Pomeroy; one daughter, Mrs. John (Vera) Kanz of Wenatchee; four sisters, Mrs. Sophia Ely and Mrs. Minnie Wadsworth of Marysville, Calif.; Mrs. Nellie Murray and Mrs. Alice Lowe of Yuba, Calif.; 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Services were held at 10:30 Wednesday morning at the Methodist church in Connell with the Rev. LaVern Tooley officiating. Interment was beside her husband and son in Riverside cemetery in Spokane. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 22, 1959 August Wellsandt Last Rites Held At Emanuel Church Funeral services were held Tuesday for August (Dutch) Wellsandt, jr., who had lived in farmed in the Ritzville community all his life, at Emanuel Lutheran church, the Rev. Albert Wagner officiating. Interment followed at the Lutheran cemetery. Wellsandt died at the Adams County Memorial hospital Oct. 17 after a lingering illness. He was 51 years old. Wellsandt was born in Ritzville April 24, 1908. He was a member of Emanuel Lutheran church, FA & M lodge No. 101, Ritzville IOOF lodge, Ritzville, and Marcellus Grange. He also was on the board of directors of the Ritzville Warehouse company. Surviving are his wife, Helen; two sons, Donald and John, at the home; his mother, Mrs. August Wellsandt, sr.; three sisters, Mrs. Elsie Maas, Ritzville, Mrs. Sophia Sewell, Spokane, and Mrs. Esther Smith, Sprague; and two brothers, Ted and Walter, Ritzville. Funeral Services Held for E. Maier at Zion Monday Funeral services were held Monday for Edward Maier, a long-time resident of Ritzville and county employee, at the Zion Congregational church. He was 65 years old. Interment followed at the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. The Rev. R. W. Rieger officiated. Maier had been in the Adams County Memorial hospital for two weeks. He died Oct. 17. He was born Nov. 7, 1891, in North Dakota. He had lived in the Ritzville community for 60 years and had worked for the county a number of years. He was a member of Zion Congregational church. Maier is survived by his wife, Dora, at the home; one daughter, Mrs. Eleanor Dark, Lacrosse; three sons, Alvin and Lawrence, Ritzville, and Vernon, Lacrosse; three brothers, Gottlieb and Huldrich of Spokane, and John of Lind; and nine grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 29, 1959 Gerb Niebur Services Held Funeral services were held Tuesday in Danekas funeral chapel for Gerb Niebur, a bachelor who had worked in the Ritzville community for a number of years. The Rev. Alfred Carter officiated at the services. Interment followed at Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Niebur died in a Spokane nursing home Friday evening at the age of 88 years. He was born in the northern part of Germany in August, 1871. He came to the United States in about 1914 and had lived with Ed Franzen while working in Ritzville. He is survived by two nieces and a nephew in Nebraska and Colorado. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 5, 1959 Man Is Stricken With Heart Attack WASHTUCNA - Myrle L. Priestley, 49, died suddenly Monday afternoon at the William Sutherland home with a heart attack. Mrs. Priestly is Mrs. Sutherland's sister. They have been working at the Sutherlands and Wally Hoefel's during harvest this year. They were former residents of Washtucna and recently they have made their home at Hayden Lake, Ida. He came out from Nebraska in 1946. Yates funeral home in Coeur d'Alene, Ida., is in charge of the funeral and services will probably be today (Thursday) from the Yates funeral home. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 12, 1959 Services Held at Philadelphia for Mrs. J. Ills Funeral services were held Wednesday for Mrs. Katherine Ils, an area pioneer who had come to the United States in 1899, at the Philadelphia Congregational church. The Rev. Herbert Haemmelmann officiated. Interment followed at the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Ils died Sunday after suffering from diabetes for many years. She had been a patient at Eastern State hospital at Medical Lake for the last 16 months. She was 76. Daughter of Phillip Melcher and Maria Katherina Becker, she was born on Aug. 8, 1883, at Brunnenthol, Russia. She came to the United States with her parents in 1899, first settling in Lincoln, Neb., for a short time and then coming west to Portland, Ore. It was there she was united in marriage with Henry Becker on Jan. 20, 1902. He preceded her in death. On Oct. 11, 1934, she was married to Jacob Ils of Ritzville. In 1937 they moved to Ritzville for retirement. She was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church. Mrs. Ils is survived by her husband, Jacob, at the home; four daughters, Mrs. John Lesser, Moses Lake, Mrs. John Becker, Medical Lake, Mrs. Arthur Schafer, Spokane, and Mrs. Lucille Becker, Seattle; one son, William Becker, Spokane; four step-daughters, Mrs. Joel German and Mrs. Larry Benzel of Ritzville, Mrs. John Scrupps and Mrs. Dan Gettman, Odessa; two step-sons, George and Adam Ils of Ritzville; one brother, Phillip Melcher, Portland, Ore.' 24 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Danekas funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Services Held for J. L. Kautz Funeral services were held from the Philadelphia Congregational church at 10 a.m. Saturday for Jack Leroy Kautz, who passed away Nov. 11. The Rev. Herbert Haemmelmann officiated. Kautz was born Jan. 13, 1926, and is survived by his wife, Erma, one daughter, Trudy Lynn, and two sons, Thomas Jack and Gregory Allen, all at the home; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Kautz of Ritzville, and one brother, Warren Kautz of Ritzville. He was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church, C. J. Newland American Legion Post No. 51 of Ritzville, the BPOE of Moses Lake and the Ralston Grange. He was a graduate of Lind high school and farmed in the Ralston area. Interment was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Danekas funeral home was in charge of arrangements. Last Rites Held At Danekas Chapel for Ritzville Man Funeral services for Clinton Ralph Wentworth, who passed away Nov. 11, were held Monday from the chapel of the Danekas Funeral home iwth the Rev. John Galagan of St. Mark's Episcopal church and Dr. Alfred Carter of Trinity Methodist church officiating. Wentworth was born in Ritzville March 2, 1923. He is survived by his wife, Leona, and one son, James, both at the home. Also surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. Wentworth, two sisters, Mrs. A. R. Hanson of Ritzville and Mrs. Ben Bush of Bellevue, and one brother, Don Wentworth of Puyallup. He was a member of C. J. Newland American Legion Post No. 51 of Ritzville. Wentworth served in the United States Marine corps from September of 1942 until November of 1945. At the time of his death he was associated with his father in the jewelry business in Ritzville. Interment was in Ritzville Memorial cemetery with Danekas Funeral home in charge. Funeral Today at Lind Church Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Nov. 19) at the Lind Congregational church for Mrs. Edna Lela Henderson who passed away at a Spokane hospital Saturday. The Rev. R. Kirschenmann will officiate. Mrs. Henderson, who had made her home in the Sillman hotel in Spokane for the last 10 years, formerly was a resident of Lind. She was 80 years old. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Thomas N. Hardy of Lind, a sister, Mrs. Myrtle Boarts of Kansas and two grandsons, Don Hardy who is in Japan and Charles Hardy of Olympia. She was a member of the Christian church. Interment will be in the Lind cemetery with Danekas Funeral home handling the arrangements. Former Adams County Banker Dies In Seattle William Alexander Pearce, a former Adams county resident, died at his home in Seattle on Nov. 10 at the age of 85. Services were held at the MacMartin and Chamberlain mortuary in Walla Walla Nov. 13 with interment at the family plot at Mountain View cemetery. Mr. Pearce had been a semi-invalid since he broke his hop in July, 1956. He was born at Carmi, Ill., April 12, 1874, and came to Ritzville July 1, 1901, to work in the Davenny general store. Early in 1902, he received an offer to help open a bank at Washtucna and asked Harry Martin, assistant cashier of the Pioneer State bank, to teach him the banking business. On July 1, 1902, the Bank of Washtucna was capitalized at $5,000 with W. R. Cunningham, jr., president; C. E. Shipman and O. W. Green, both Pioneer State officials, as vice president and cashier and Mr. Pearce was appointed assistant cashier. In March, 1903, the business was made a state bank with a capitalization of $25,000 and in 1908 it became the First National bank of Washtucna with Mr. Pearce as president. On Dec. 14, 1935, the bank was merged with the First National bank of Ritzville and the two became the Ritzville branch of the Old National bank with Mr. Pearce as manager. Mr. Pearce retired in July, 1949, and a year later, following the death of Mrs. Pearce, he moved to Seattle to make his home with his daughter. Surviving are two daughters, Beatrice and Beulah Pearce, both of Seattle; two sons, Chauncey M. of Seattle, and William B., Spokane, and six grandchildren. Rev. D. A. Russell, formerly of Washtucna, officiated at the services. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 26, 1959 Funeral Today for Area Lady Funeral services will be held today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. for Mrs. Elizabeth Steinmetz of Ritzville at the Emanuel Lutheran church. Interment will follow at the Lutheran cemetery. Rev. Albert Wagner will officiate. Mrs. Steinmetz died at the Adams County Memorial hospital after a lingering illness. She was 75. She had lived in Ritzville during the last 27 years. She was born in Russia May 3, 1884. Her husband, Henry, sr., preceded her in death on April 22, 1959. Mrs. Steinmetz was a member of the Emanuel Lutheran church. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Arthur Deking, Davenport, and Mrs. Rex Watkins, Ford; four sons, Alex, Herman, Henry, all of Ritzville, and Roy, Vancouver; 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The Danekas Funeral home is in charge of arrangements. (Note: that the issue published on Thanksgiving is always dated for Thursday but is published on Wednesday) Rites Held for Mrs. Martha Wirth HATTON - Funeral services were held at the Methodist church in Connell Tuesday afternoon for Mrs. Martha Wirth, 80, of connell. The Rev. LaVern Tooley officiated. Interment was in the Connell cemetery. Mrs. Wirth is survived by her husband, Ben, at the home; two daughters, Mrs. Herman (Mildred) Klindworth of Hatton, Mrs. James (Helen) Johnson of Connell; two sons, Earl and Norman Wirth of Connell; three sisters, Mrs. Emma Kirchner of Connell, Mrs. Gus (Lillie) Kurtz of Portland, Ore., Mrs. Paul (Frieda) Maag of Oregon City, Ore.; two brothers, Emil Mittelstaedt of Missoula, Mont., Harry Mittelstaedt of Connell; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 3, 1959 C. H. Brittenham Funeral Rites Held at Lind Church Saturday LIND - Funeral services were held Saturday for one of Lind's best known citizens, C. H. Brittenham, a local attorney who was one of the chief advisors in the development of the Columbia Basin project. Rev. W. H. Ritchey officated at the Lind Methodist church. Interment followed at the Lind cemetery. Brittenham, 79, died at the Sharon Arms hospital in Spokane Nov. 24 following a short illness. He had cancer. Charles Henry Brittenham was born Nov. 29, 1880, at Pontiac, Ill. He was the son of Charles K. and Youla Brittenham. He attended law school at the University of Michigan and received his degree in 1904. "Britt," as he was known by area residents, practiced law in Weiser, Midvale and Cambridge, Ida. He met Ruby Lee in Midvale and they were married on Dec. 31, 1916. He served as a second lieutenant with the infantry during World War I. Peace was declared before he was sent overseas. He continued to serve as a recuiting officer in Spokane for a short time. In 1921, the Brittenhams moved to Lind and he began private law practice. During his years in Lind, Brittenham was instrumental in the development of the Columbia Basin. He was a founder and legal advisor for the Columbia Basin Land Owners Association which was organized in the early 1930s. The group was organized to determine the financial and agricultural needs of the people who would be affected by the irrigation waters of the Columbia river after the construction of Grand Coulee dam. He was appointed secretary and attorney of the Columbia Basin Irrigation district in 1939 after its formation and continued in these capacities until his retirement about three years ago. Brittenham had also served as clerk and attorney for the town of Lind, chairman of the Adams County Republican League and attorney for the Milwaukee railroad. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias, Grand Lodge of Olympia and the American Legion. Survivors include his wife, Ruby, at the home; one son, Charles Howard of Los Gatos, Calif.; two daughters, Mrs. Ralph (Bernice) Nederhood of Sunnyside and Mrs. Phillip (Betty Lou) Hill of Spokane; and seven grandchildren. Also surviving are three brothers, Arthur and Willard of Seattle and John of Ft. Worth, Tex.; and two sisters, Mrs. Flora White and Mrs. Josephine Eggling of Los Angeles, Calif. Graveside Service Held for Area Boy BENGE - Graveside services were held at St. John Sunday for 18-month-old Robert Charles Rumiser, who died Friday from injuries received when he was run over by a truck while he and his father, Ray Rumiser, of Winona, were feeding cattle. His father is an employee of Keith Honn of Benge. Robert was born May 11, 1958. He is survived by his parents, a brother and a sister, Ernest and Connie; maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jenkins, St. John, and paternal grandfather, Robert Rumiser, of Newport. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 10, 1959 Recent Death Told at 'Tucna WASHTUCNA - Mrs. Frank Brown received word recently from Mrs. Wanda Berger of Sweet Home, Ore., of the death of Mrs. Maurice Oyler on Nov. 18. She was killed instantly as her pickup truck turned over on a desert road near Winnemucca, Nev. She is survived by two sisters, Ila of Spokane and Wanda of Sweet Home; a brother in San Francisco, Calif.; a son, Harold, in Berkley, Calif.; and her husband in Winnemucca. Mr. Oyler is the son of Mrs. Mary Oyler, who was a former resident and had the telephone exchange here a number of years before moving to Sacramento, Calif. Carrie McCall Dies Nov. 23 Miss Carrie McCall, former resident of the McCall area, died at the McKinnley nursing home at Brewster, Monday, Nov. 23. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church at Pateros. Interment was at Pateros. Rev. Harvey officiated. Miss McCall was born Sept. 30, 1891, at Winona. She lived at McCall until 1930 and then moved to the Methow valley where she and her brother operated an apple orchard. She is survived by five sisters, Mrs. Bertha Barnes and Mrs. Pearl McDougall, Ritzville, Mrs. Adia Miller, Portland, Ore., Edith Martin, Spokane, and Mrs. Non Howard, Coeur d'Alene, Ida.; and three brothers, Cecil, Ritzville, Wiley, Fairfield, and Harold Methow. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 17, 1959 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 24, 1959 D. C. Carter Service Held WASHTUCNA - Funeral services for David Crocket Carter, 82, who passed away Dec. 13 in San Francisco, Calif., were held from the Community church in Washtucna, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m., with Rev. William Woodworth officiating. Interment was at the Washtucna cemetery. Born in Ft. Worth, Tex., he came to Hooper when he was four years old. He has been employed by the McGregor Land and Livestock company. He is survived by the widow, Mary D. Carter, at the home; four sons, Peter R., Spokane, David D. and Bud of Las Vegas, Nev., and Captain James A. Carter of Texas; three daughters, Mrs. Tom Halloway, Valley, Mrs. Eldon Ritchey, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Mrs. Dale LeBrun of Seattle. Fourteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive. There were 13 children, seven of whom are living.