Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 5, 1961 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 5, 1961 Traffic Mishap Fatal to Emil Hille A two-car collision north of Ritzville in heavy fog at about 8:20 Tuesday morning claimed the life of Emil (Moose) Hille, 53, well-known farmer on Sage road. The fatality was the first in Adams county this year. Funeral services will be conducted today (Thursday) at 2 p.m. at Emanuel Lutheran church. Danekas Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. State Patrolman Jack Carlson reported that Hille was northbound about 1.7 miles north of Ritzville on Sage road and Ronald R. Danekas, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Danekas, was southbound when a head-on collision occurred. Hille died instantly from injuries received. Danekas, a junior at Ritzville high school and forward on the Bronco basketball team, suffered shock, but was not injured. Both the 1959-model foreign car Hille was driving and the 1953 two-door sedan Danekas was driving were total losses, Carlson said. Danekas was on his way to school at the time of the accident and Hille was reportedly on his way back to his farm about three miles north of the city after coming into Ritzville to check on a power failure at the farm. Rev. Albert Wagner will officiate at the funeral services. Interment will be in the Lutheran cemetery. Pallbearers will be Herbert Moeller, Ted Wellsandt, Calvin Hille, S. E. Edwards, Merle Johnson and Robert Danekas. Emil Otto Hille was born to Mr. and Mrs. Dan R. Hille at Ralston on Jan. 1, 1908. He attended school in Ritzville and was graduated from Ritzville high school in 1926. On May 11, 1929, he married Laura Sandbrink in Ritzville. They had farmed at the present location on Sage road for the last 19 years. He was a member of Emanuel Lutheran church and Marcellus Grange. Survivors besides his wife at the home and his parents, who now live at Ritzville, are a daughter, Karen, and a son, Bruce, both of Seattle; two sisters, Mrs. E. E. Shelman and Mrs. Rudy Roth, both of Ralston; and two grandchildren. Woman Passes at Grangeville Mrs. Anna E. Howes, 73, a former resident of Adams county, died at Grangeville, Ida., last week. Services were held at the Grangeville Community church Thursday. Anne E. Hale was married to T. C. (Charlie) Howes in Ritzville Nov. 16, 1908. They farmed on Rattlesnake Flats from about 1910 to 1919, when they moved to a farm at Grangeville. Mr. Howes died at Grangeville in 1946. Surviving are seven sisters and three brothers. Mrs. J. E. (Ruby) Murphy of Washtucna and the late Mrs. Frank (Dessie) Benward of Ritzville were her sisters living in Adams county. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 12, 1961 Services Set for Pioneer Funeral services for Mrs. Pauline Fishbach, a former Adams county resident, will be held Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Ball and Dodd Funeral Home in Spokane. Mrs. Fishbach and her husband, Theodore, homesteaded in Adams county near Marengo in 1903. Mr. Fishbach preceded her in death in 1951. She is survived by six sons, Ted, Emil and Walter of Spokane, Fred of Salem, Wis., Henry of Coeur d'Alene, Ida., and Carl of Gardenia, Calif.; four daughters, Anna Stowe of Spokane, Clara Newell and Charlotte Huber of Coeur d'Alene, Ida., and Lena Davis of Yakima; and 19 grandchildren. Services Held for McChesney HATTON - Thomas W. (Tom) McChesney, 77, a long-time former resident of Delight (Sand Hills) and Kahlotus, died a half hour after being entered into a Spokane hospital early Sunday morning. He came to Delight from Rockbridge, Va., in 1887 with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. John McChesney. McChesney had made his home the last several years with his daughter, Mrs. Helen O'Connell, in Spokane. Besides his daughter, he is survived by two sisters, Mary McChesney of Camp Verdy, Ariz., and Mrs. Bessie Ensley of Colfax; two brothers, Robert McChesney of Camp Verdy, Ariz., and Zack McChesney of Albion; two nieces, Mrs. Bess McCull of Kahlotus and Mrs. Lilith Rhoades of Spokane; two nephews, Andrew Lewis and John Rich of Kahlotus; and a cousin, Roy McChesney of Spokane. Funeral services were held Wednesday from the Community church at Kahlotus. Burial was at the Delight cemetery. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 19, 1961 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, January 26, 1961 Services Set for Heimbigner Here Today Funeral services for John R. Heimbigner of Spokane, former Adams county farmer, will be held today (Thursday) at 1 p.m. at the chapel of the Danekas Funeral Home with Rev. Samuel Goldeman of Colville, officiating. Interment will be at the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Pallbearers will be Roy Koch, Lloyd Kinzel and Walter Heimbigner, all of Ritzville; Richard Harlind of Spokane; Elmer Gettman of Odessa; and Eldon Heimbigner of Quincy. Heimbigner, who had lived in Spokane the last 14 years, died Monday after a lingering illness at St. Luke's hospital in Spokane at the age of 74. He was born Feb. 28, 1886, at Frank, Russia. He had farmed in Adams county and at Farmington for several years. He was a member of the Congregational church. Surviving are his wife, Mary, at the home; two daughters, Mrs. Elsie Zeiler and Mrs. Ruby Zeiler of Odessa; three sons, Roy H. Heimbigner of Seattle, Clarence Heimbigner of Spokane and Everett Heimbigner of Phoenix, Ariz.; a sister, Mrs. Henry Gettman of Odessa; two brothers, Henry H. Heimbigner and Jake Heimbigner of Ritzville; and two grandchildren. Funeral Set for Miss Just Funeral services for Miss Beta Just, a former Ritzville resident, will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at the chapel of the Danekas Funeral Home with Rev. Albert Wagner and two ministers from out-of-town officiating. Interment will be at the Lutheran cemetery. Pallbearers will include Jake Hoefel, Milton Schwisow, Fred Schwisow, Lester Sielaff, Edward Thom and Herbert Moeller. Miss Just, 59, died Sunday in Tacoma where she had lived a number of years. She was graduated from Ritzville high school and lived here from 1916 to 1928 during the time her father, Rev. O. T. Just, was pastor of the Lutheran church. Miss Just taught school. Her father was buried here in 1941. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 2, 1961 Walter E. Lenhart Funeral Services Held Here Monday Funeral services for Walter Eugene Lenhart, 50, farmer near the county line northwest of Ritzville, were held Monday at the Philadelphia Congregational church. Rev. Herbert Haemmelmann officiated at the services. Interment was at the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Lenhart suffered a heart attack about noon last Thursday and he died a few minutes later. He was born to John and Marie Lenhart June 10, 1910, at the farm home near the county line. He attended school in Ritzville and was graduated in 1929. He also attended Kinman Business college in Spokane. On Oct. 16, 1938, he married Mabel Paige of Davenport. Lenhart was a member of the Odessa Masonic Lodge No. 156 and he held a life membership in the El Katif Shrine, Spokane. He also was a member of the Philadelphia Congregational church. Surviving are his wife at the home, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Lenhart of Ritzville. Services are Set for O. R. Schragg at Odessa Church Funeral services for Oscar Raymond Schragg, a resident of the Ritzville and Odessa area for many years, will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Baptist church in Odessa. Interment will be at the Odessa cemetery. The Strate Funeral Home of Odessa is in charge of arrangements. Schragg died at the Deaconess hospital in Spokane Tuesday after a month's illness. He was born March 9, 1914, at his family's farm west of Ritzville and in 1923 moved to Colfax. Later he moved back to the Ritzville area, where he worked for several farms. Ten years ago he moved to Odessa and had been an employee of Lincoln county for the last five years. Survivors include his wife, Helen, at the home; five daughters, Kay and Kathy Schragg at the home and Janice Elliott, Gloria and Barbara Rogers, all of Odessa; a brother, Arnold Schragg of Ritzville; two sisters, Mrs. Howard (Pearl) Link of Lacrosse and Mrs. Walter (Dorothy) Heimbigner of Ritzville; and three grandchildren. Charles Johnston Funeral Services Held at 'Tucna WASHTUCNA - Charles G. Johnston, 84, passed away in Ritzville Thursday afternoon, Jan. 26, from complications he received in a fire at his home last week. Johnston was born at Wilbur, Neb., July 27, 1876. He moved to Washtucna with his wife and family in 1941 and operated the Standard service station until he sold out in 1953 to retire. He was a member of the F&AM lodge at Washtucna, the IOOF lodge at Benge and the Methodist church. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon from the Washtucna Community church with Rev. J. William Woodworth officiating. Interment was in the Washtucna cemetery with the F&AM Lodge No. 202 in charge. He is survived by his wife, Ella, in a Yakima nursing home; five daughters, Mrs. Hazel Pounds, Post Falls, Ida., Mrs. Edra Dakin, Ketchikan, Alaska, Mrs. Illma Ruppert, Othello, Mrs. Wilma Keogh, Vancouver, and Mrs. Beulah McKnight, Richland; five sons, Neil and Marshall Johnston, Washtucna, Newell Johnston, Hatton, Ray Johnston, Bellevue, and Roy Johnston, Ritzville; three sisters, Mrs. C. C. Cook, Torrington, Wyo., Mrs. Lizzie Cushing, Sacramento, Calif., and Mrs. Clarence Myers, LaJolla, Calif.; 28 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Two sons preceded him in death. Wilford died in 1956 and Wendell in 1959. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 9, 1961 Tom Shofstall Services Held Funeral services for Tom Shofstall, 77, a retired farmer, were held Wednesday at the chapel of the Danekas Funeral Home. Rev. Alfred Waln officiated at the services. Interment was at the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Pallbearers were Henry Amen, William Scheel, Dean Scheel, George Oestreich, Cliff Graham and S. J. Williams. Shofstall died Saturday at the Adams County Memorial hospital. He had been there 19 days. He was born in Powsheik county, Iowa, on Dec. 27, 1883, to Theodore and Sarah Shofstall. They came to Washington in 1901 and homesteaded west of Ritzville. Shofstall moved to Ritzville in 1951. Shofstall, a bachelor, is survived by two brothers, Bob Shofstall of Ritzville and Charles Shofstall of Medical Lake. Death Claims Frances Lee Mrs. Lottie Frances Lee, former resident on a farm near Ritzville, died in a Spokane hospital Jan. 26. Lottie Simpson was born in Mt. Airy, N.C., in 1880 and came west with her parents in 1894. In 1900 she was married to Carl Allen Lee, who passed away in 1938 at Sprague. They owned and lived on a farm southwest of Ritzville, now owned by Ted Pfannekuchen, for 32 years. Mrs. Lee is survived by five children, Mrs. Ethel Manke; Mrs. Evelyn Campbell and Mrs. Laura Sanders of Los Angeles, Calif., Robert Lee of Medical Lake and Carl Lee of Sprague; and nine grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 16, 1961 Schrag Services are Held Tuesday at Menno Church Funeral services for Edward C. Schrag, 79, a farm resident of Adams county since 1901, were held Tuesday at the Menno Mennoite church with the Rev. Lester Janzen officiating. Schrag died Saturday at his home 20 miles west of Ritzville after a two-week illness. Interment was at the Menno Mennonite cemetery. Pallbearers were Dewayne Schrag, Leo Dyck, Alvie Schrag, Walter Waltner, Clinton Claassen and Leonard Franz. He was born to Christian and Maria Schrag on Nov. 11, 1881, at Burton, Kan. The family moved to Oregon in 1889 and lived there until they came to Adams county in 1901. Schrag was married to Helen Dyck at the Menno church on Dec. 1, 1926. He was a member of the Menno Mennonite church. Surviving are his wife at the home; three daughters, Mrs. Davis Bauer of Hatton, Mrs. Menno Boschman of Warden and Leona Schrag of Odessa; a son, Percy Schrag of Odessa; and seven grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, February 23, 1961 Funeral Services for Earney Goude Scheduled Today WASHTUCNA - Funeral services for Earney B. Goude, 75, a farmer in the Washtucna area for many years, will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) from the Washtucna Community church. Goude died Monday at Hillcrest Manor rest home in Ritzville. Rev. William Woodworth will officiate at the services. Interment will be at the Washtucna cemetery. Pallbearers will be D. I. Barry, John Mays, C. E. Connell, Henry Milam, Wilbur Copp and Clanton Eccles. Goude was born Oct. 9, 1885, at Almota. He was married to Dixie Wynne in Moscow, Ida., on Nov. 25, 1908. Surviving are his wife, Dixie, at the home; a daughter, Mrs. Blanche Palmer of Ritzville; two sons, Millard of Hooper and Delmer of Washtucna; two sisters, Mrs. F. M Benedict of Yacaipa, Calif., and Miss Jane Goude of Hollywood, Calif.; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 2, 1961 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 9, 1961 Services Held for Resident Here Monday Funeral services for Mrs. John P. Danekas, a long-time resident of Ritzville, were held Monday at Emanuel Lutheran curch. Mrs. Danekas, who had been teaching German classes at Ritzville high school for the last two years, died of a heart attack Friday after a two-week illness. She was 68. Officiating at the services were Rev. Albert Wagner. Interment was at the Lutheran cemetery. Pallbearers were John Ott, W. H. Rosenoff, Robert Newland, Walter Teske, Walter Allert and Richard Kembel. Honorary pallbearers included W. H. Proctor, Edward Cross, Paul Teske, Richard Dehnel, W. E. Scheel, Lloyd Oberst and Richard B. Ott. Mrs. Danekas was born Nov. 25, 1892, in Portland, Ore. She came to Ritzville when she was 10 years old with her parents. Her father, Rev. Henry Wittrock, was a pioneer pastor of Emanuel Lutheran church. Mrs. Danekas was graduated with the class of 1912 at Ritzville high school. On Oct. 21, 1913, she was married to Mr. Danekas in Lind. Mr. Danekas, better known as Jack, died in June 1958. Mrs. Danekas was appointed county assessor and treasurer in 1926 and in 1928 was elected to the post. She served in public office until 1936. She was a member of Emanuel Lutheran church. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. R. Wesley Magers and Mrs. Ralph Allert, both of Ritzville, and five grandchildren. Services Set for Art Hoefel Funeral services for Arthur Robert Hoefel, 49, a farmer residing 16 miles west of Ritzville all his life, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Menno Mennonite church. Interment will be at the Mennonite cemetery. Rev. Lester Janzen will officiate. Hoefel died suddenly of a heart attack Tuesday at his home. A complete obituary will appear in next week's Journal-Times. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 16, 1961 Funeral Set for Bachman WASHTUCNA - Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Washtucna Community church for H. F. (Heinie) Bachman, 70. Rev. A. K. Walborn of Spokane will be officiating. Bachman was a former resident of Washtucna. He passed away Tuesday morning in Yakima. Memorials to the Washtucna cemetery may be left with Kenneth Day. The Danekas Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. A complete obituary will be given next week. Services for Doc Wagner Held Monday Funeral services for Edward Robert (Doc) Wagner, 52, were held Monday at the chapel of the Danekas Funeral Home with Rev. Albert Wagner officiating. Interment was at the Lutheran cemetery. Pallbearers were O. D. Kutschkau, Pete Greenwalt, Rudy Koch, Lawrence Benzel, Robert Dehnel and Cliff Schuler. Wager, a life-time resident of Adams county who owned Wagner Motor Supply in Ritzville for the last 20 years, died Friday at the Adams County Memorial hospital after a day's illness. He was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wagner on Sept. 24, 1908, at Cunningham and later attended the Ritzville schools. His father preceded him in death in 1950. Doc, as he was known by many area residents, was a member of the Oddfellows lodge of Ritzville and the Lutheran church. He was a bachelor. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Mary Wagner of Ritzville; a sister, Mrs. Hilda Derr of Ritzville; and four brothers, Alvin and Victor of Ritzville, Harold of LaCenter and Arthur of Wilbur. Arthur Hoefel Services Held Last Friday Many area residents attended the funeral of Arthur Robert Hoefel, a life-time resident of the rural Odessa area, Friday afternoon at the Mennonite cemetery. Hoefel, 49, died of a heart attack at his farm home approximately 16 miles west of Ritzville, Tuesday, March 7. Rev. Lester Janzen officiated at the services. Hoefel was buried at the Mennonite cemetery. Pallbearers were Clinton Claassen, Herbert Franz, Henry Franz, Harold Franz, Alvie Schrag and Philip Whitman. Hoefel was born to Robert and Maria Hoefel on Nov. 29, 1911. He attended the Odessa schools. On Nov, 4 (no year given), he was married to Esther V. Nightengale at Odessa. Hoefel was active in Mennonite church and community activities. He was a director of the Odessa Union Co-op, a member of the Ritzville Soil Conservation district and served as a fire commissioner of district 3. Surviving besides his wife and daughter, Kathleen May, at the home, are his father and mother; two sisters, Hilda Glasspool and Esther Mitchell, both of Berkeley, Calif.; and two brothers, Paul and Harold Hoefel, both of Odessa. Anna Ablutz Services Held Funeral services for Anna B. Ablutz, a Ritzville resident for the last 11 years, will be at the Community church in Harrington today (Thursday) at 2 p.m. She died Sunday at the Adams County Memorial hospital. Interment will be at the Hillcrest cemetery in Harrington. Rev. Berton D. Connerly will officiate. Danekas Funeral Home of Ritzville is in charge of arrangements. A complete obituary will appear in next week's Journal-Times. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 23, 1961 Funeral Services Held for Bachman at 'Tucna Friday WASHTUCNA - Funeral services were held for Henry Fredrick Bachman Friday at the Washtucna Community church with the Rev. A. K. Walborn and Rev. William Woodworth officiating. Burial was in the Washtucna cemetery. He was born Sept. 15, 1890, in Pennsylvania. He came to Washtucna in 1910 and married Theopa Dempsy on Nov. 30, 1918. To them were born four sons, the Rev. V. John Bachman of San Anselmo, Calif.; Robert Henry and James Kerry, both of Washtucna, and Darrell William of Eugene, Ore.; and a daughter, Mrs. Annelia Allen of Almira. Heine, as he was called by all who knew him, was a former mayor and a former chairman of the school board at Washtucna. He operated a grain elevator here for 35 years and owned a feed and fuel business. He also had been editor and publisher of the former Washtucna Recorder. He had been a member of the city council. He was a veteran of World War I and also a member of the IOOF lodge. Bachman moved to Ellensburg in September, 1948, and worked as a grain dealer until he retired two years ago. He is survived by his wife, four sons, one daughter and 16 grandchildren. Funeral Services for Vernon Rutz Held in Florida Funeral services were held for Vernon Henry Rutz Wednesday, March 22, at Punta Gorda, Fla. Rutz was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rutz, and was born three miles east of Ritzville on Nov. 20, 1922. He lived most of his life in the Ritzville area and was a graduate of Ritzville high school with the class of 1942. On June 11, 1948, he was married to the former Anna Lucille Clevenger. To this union were born two daughters, Lois Lorene and Janet Karyl. Three years ago he moved with his family to Punta Gorda where he was engaged in the hardware business until his death. He suffered much during his lifetime, but was enjoying fairly good health at the time of his passing. He died in his sleep of a heart attack on Monday, March 20. He was a member of the Assembly of God church in Punta Gorda. Besides his wife and daughters, he is survived by his mother, Mrs. Emily Rutz of Ritzvile; and two sisters, Mrs. Laurence (Marjorie) Allen of Spokane, and Miss Lois Rutz of Ritzville. Interment was in the Park Lawn cemetery at Punta Gorda. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, March 30, 1961 Services Held for Mrs. Tracy Funeral services were held for Mrs. Barbara Tracy, long-time resident of Washtucna at St. Agnes Catholic church Wednesday with interment in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Tracy passed away Sunday at Palouse Rest Haven in Colfax, where she had been residing since September, 1959. Barbara Michaels, daughter of Joe and Anna Michaels, was born Aug. 30, 1873, in Wisconsin. Her husband, Alfred Tracy, preceded her in death in 1943. A resident of Washtucna for 40 years, she had been a restaurant operator for 30 years. Pallbearers were Jim Daugherty, William Stegmen, C. E. Connell, F.R. West, jr., Chester Bell and Mike Austin. Father Roy Thelan officiated. Funeral Set Here Today for Mrs. Foss Funeral services will be held today (Thursday) at 2 p.m. for Mrs. Gladys Caroline Foss, 67, at the Danekas Funeral Home chapel with Rev. Alfred Waln officiating. Mrs. Foss passed away Sunday at the Adams County Memorial hospital after being in poor health for several years. She had spent the last three months at Hillcrest Manor. Gladys Spicer was born Sept. 26, 1893, to Edwin and Nancy Spicer at Quincey, Mich. Her marriage to Halvor Foss took place April 16, 1913, at Roseau, Minn. Her husband preceded her in death on June 13, 1942. Mrs. Foss is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Ella Elliott of Medical Lake and Mrs. Ruth Telecky of Ritzville; and three sons, Hallard Foss of Los Angeles, Calif., Daniel Lynn Foss of Stephen, Minn., and Abraham Foss of Roseau, Minn. She also is survived by one brother, Herbert Spicer, of Vassar, Manitoba, and nine grandchildren. She had resided in Minnesota until 1951, when she came to Ritzville to live with her daughter. She had been affiliated with the Methodist church and was a charter member of the ladies auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Badger, Minn. Interment will be in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Pallbearers will be Norman Krause, Don Arlt, George Burill, Bill Franks, John Griffin and Ford Van Buren. Services Set at Othello Funeral services will be held today (Thursday) at 10 a.m. for Jennie H. Leach, a resident of Othello, at the Presbyterian church in Othello with interment at the Lind cemetery. After a four-month's illness, Miss Leach passed away at the Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane Tuesday. She was 70 years old. She was born Jan. 19, 1891, in Michigan and had been self employed in the real estate business. Officiating at the services will be Rev. Eugene Fork, vicar of St. Martin's Episcopal church at Moses Lake. Pallbearers will be Jim Martin, Wayne Gander, Ron Drake, Keith Bruner, Ed Emry and Leonard Jansen. Services Held for Ondracek A heart attack claimed the life of Joe Ondracek, former farmer near Ritzville, at his home in Seattle Saturday evening. Funeral services were held in Seattle Tuesday. Ondracek was born at his family's homestead six miles west of Ritzville. He moved from his farm west of the city in the 1930s. Surviving are his wife, May, at the home; three children, Ray Ondracek of Port Angeles, Gayle Ondracek of Seattle and Mrs. Wayne Ragan of Sedro Woolley; a sister, Mrs. Henry Nauditt, of Prosser and seven grandchildren.