Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 3, 1963 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 3, 1963 Geven Silvers Laid To Rest Here Tuesday Funeral services were held for Geven Kenneth Silvers Tuesday at Danekas Funeral chapel. He had died Saturday at Edgecliff sanitarium at the age of 58 years. Silvers had been a janitor at Ritzville high school for several years, until his health failed several months ago. He won many friends throughout the community. Geven Kenneth Silvers was born Feb. 20, 1905, in Texas. He graduated from Washington State college about 1946. He served four years in the U. S. Army. Before coming to Ritzville about 1945 he worked as an engineer for the Kaiser company for about 11 years and following construction of Grand Coulee dam. He was a member of the Zion Congregational church, of Henrietta chapter of Eastern Star, of F.&A.M. lodge No. 101, of the Royal Arch Masons at Sprague and of El Katif Shrine in Spokane. The Rev. Beryl Melcher conducted the funeral service. Commitment rites were conducted by the Masonic lodge at Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Merrill Womach accompanied himself at the organ as he sang "My Faith Looks Up To Thee." Pallbearers were James Kadlec, Bill Eckhardt, Jake Eckhardt, R. A. Biermann, Lavine Thaut and Bruce Wilsey. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 10, 1963 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 17, 1963 Mary Schafer Funeral Set for Thursday Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Schafer will be held at Zion Congregational church at 2 o'clock this afternoon. She died early Sunday morning, Oct. 13, at Bakersfield, Calif., where she had lived the past 18 months during an illness. Mrs. Schafer was born Mary Stromberg at Kolb, Russia, on Oct. 21, 1888. She came to America, arriving July 4, 1905. On April 14, 1910, she was married to Samuel Schafer. She lived on a farm nine miles southwest of Ritzville until 1945, when she moved to Ritzville. Her husband died 12 years ago. She was a member of Zion Congregational church and of its Mary Circle. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Ora Wynia and Hazel Schafer, both of Bakersfield; and by a son, Ralph G. Schafer, of Ritzville. Also a sister, Mrs. Anna Rieker, of Ritzville survives. There are four grandchildren, Marcia and Larry Schafer; and Brenda and Fred, jr., Wynia. The Rev. Beryl Melcher will conduct the funeral service. Pallbearers will be George Freese, Rudy Rogel, W. Walters Miller, James Kadlec, Larry Benzel and G. E. Bentz. Honorary pallbearers will be Elmer Schoesler, George Adler, Victor Donis, Jacob Lenhart, Fred Schmidt and Roy Langenheder. Burial will be in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Mrs. Gering's Funeral Rite Will Be Today Funeral services for Mrs. Frances Gering will be conducted at the Menno Mennonite church at 1 o'clock today. Mrs. Gering died Sunday. She was born Frances Reis on Dec. 31, 1863, at Zhitomir, Russia. She came with her parents to America and settled in South Dakota. On Oct. 23, 1880, she was united in marriage to Joseph Gering at Freeman, S. Dak. In 1890 the family moved to The Dalles, Ore. They later located near Eugene, Ore. In October of 1899 the family moved to Washington, settling on a homestead 15 miles southwest of Odessa. They continued to live there until the death of Mr. Gering in 1924. Mrs. Gering continued on the farm for two years. She has since lived with one or another of her children until August of this year when she became ill. She lived since then at the Memorial rest home in Odessa. She was a member of the Mennon Mennonite church. Three sons and four daughters survive Mrs. Gering. The sons are Martin of Monroe, Henry of Odessa and Joe of Ritzville. The daughters are Mrs. Lena Schragg of Odessa, Mrs. Anna Nafziger of Colfax, Mrs. Martha Moyer of Sutherlin, Ore., and Mrs. Millie Hardt of Bremerton. Also surviving are 44 grandchildren, 86 great-grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren. The Rev. Arthur L. Johnston and the Rev. Harris Waltner will conduct the service. Grandsons will be pallbearers. Interment will be in the Menno Mennonite cemetery. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 24, 1963 Funeral Services for Victor Wagner are Held Monday Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at Danekas Funeral Home for Victor Emanuel Wagner. He died Friday morning of last week at the Adams County Memorial hospital here from the effects of lung cancer. Victor Wagner was born at Ritzville on Jan. 26, 1911. He attended schools here, and lived his entire life in Ritzville. He was employed by the Big Bend Electric Co-op. Survivors are his mother, Mary Wagner of Ritzville; a sister, Hilda Derr, Ritzville; and three brothers, Harold of Madres, Ore., Arthur of Wilbur and Alvin of Ritzville. Wagner served his country in the army. The Rev. Wayne Olsen of the Sprague Lutheran church conducted the funeral service. Burial was in the Lutheran cemetery here. Milton P. Sackmann sang, "Nearer My God To Thee," and "The Old Rugged Cross." Pallbearers were Ralph Kisler, Carl Thaut, Terry Linker, Henry Becker, Clarence Bauer and Arnold Schumann. Conrad Pouley Services Held Wednesday Funeral services for Conrad Pouley were held yesterday afternoon at the Good Hope Lutheran church in Lind. He died Saturday at the Adams County Memorial hospital following an 11-day confinement. He had been ill with a lung ailment for several years. Conrad Pouley was born in Russia on Dec. 7, 1890, the son of Henry and Mary Pouley. As a youth he came to this country in 1905, arriving shortly thereafter at Lind. He was a Lind resident for 58 years. Pouley farmed near Lind from 1922 to 1927. He was employed by the Northern Pacific railroad for 22 years before his retirement in 1955. He was married in 1923 to Mollie Ruff at Lind. He was a member of Good Hope Lutheran church, and of the U. S. Army from April of 1918 to August of 1919. Surviving are his his wife, Mollie, at home; two daughters and four sons. The daughters are Betty Miner of Lind and Esther Caparelli of Osborne, Ida. The sons are Ronald, Victor and Norman of Lind and Clifford of Yakima. A brother, Phillip, lives at Granger. There are 18 grandchildren surviving. Conducting the funeral were the Rev. Harold Sandberg of Lind and Pastor Donald Beake of Sweet Home, Ore. Pallbearers were Roy Simpson, Charles Labes, jr., Ed Labes, Glen Haskin, Henry Stelzer and Reuben Schoesler. Burial was in the Lind cemetery. Funeral Services Conducted Here for Emil Stahl Funeral services were held Oct. 11 for Emil Stahl at the Danekas Funeral chapel. Stahl died at the age of 89 at the Adams County Memorial hospital on Wednesday, Oct. 9. He was born July 19, 1874, in Germany. In 1913 he came with his wife, Julie, to Ralston, settling on a homestead two miles east of Ralston, where he stayed until his death. His wife passed away Nov. 30, 1956. He is survived by several nieces and nephews, some of whom are in Germany. The Rev. H. C. Haemmelmann conducted the services. Interment was at the Bemis cemetery. Pallbearers were Arthur Roloff, Edwin Roloff, E. S. Shelman, Ed Vostral, Homer Evans and Vernon Wellsandt. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, October 31, 1963 Funeral Service for Etta Huse Is Held At Lind Funeral Services were held for Mrs. Etta Huse at the Methodist church in Lind Tuesday afternoon. She died Friday of last week at Hillcrest manor here. She would have been 82 years of age Thursday of this week. Her husband and she had lived in Lind. When Hillcrest manor opened nearly three years ago, they both became residents there. Mr. Huse died at the manor about three months ago. Two sisters survive, Mrs. Lottie Kane of Hartline and Mrs. Grace Kane of Wenatchee. The Rev. Martin Larson conducted the service. Burial was in the Lind cemetery. Pallbearers were Leslie Kane, Thomas Kane, John Molke, Albert Kane, Earl Kane and Albert Wahl. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 7, 1963 Velma McClellan Is Taken By Death Velma McClellan, long-time beloved English teacher here, died Friday at Spokane. Funeral services were conducted Monday afternoon at the Smith Funeral Home in Spokane. More than 20 students at Ritzville high school, many of her associate teachers through the years, and Ritzville townsfolks attended. Growing up at Eaton, Ohio, Miss McClellan matriculated at Miami university, Oxford, Ohio, in September of 1912. Through a period of seven years she completed requirements for a bachelor of science degree, alternating campus study with teaching. Using the same pattern she continued her highed education and was awarded her bachelor of arts degree at Miami in 1924. She graduated magna cum laude. Her studies were not complete then, for she continued at Miami university to be awarded a master of arts degree at Miami in 1930. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa for her outstanding scholastic achievements. She had taught at Fairfield and Wallace before coming to Ritzville in the fall of 1948. She asked the best performance of each of her students encultering a love for treasurers of literature and for correct use of English. Senior classes at Ritzville high school reserved her counsel in class advisor, through their expressed preferences through the years. She kept close to youthful fun and outlook and directed senior class plays. The last of them was presented last spring. Miss McClellan had talked fondly with close friends of a round-the- world trip she planned following retirement. She had traveled widely in summers, several times abroad. Within a week following school's close last spring she became seriously ill. Rallying temporarily, she came to Ritzville to recuperate and was able to go abroad once or twice. Her confinement continued again at a Spokane hospital. A sister, Mrs. Otto White of Spokane, survives, as do three brothers. They are Benjamin McClellan, Eaton, Ohio; Frank McClellan, Lewisburg, Ohio; and James McClellan, Tehama, Calif. There are numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. Besides her Phi Beta Kapps key, Miss McClellan was a member of Delta Delta Kappa, teachers honorary. She was a vice president of the Spokane chapter. In Ritzville she was a past matron of the Eastern Star chapter, and had membership in AAUW and the Ritzville B&PW club. The Rev. Donald Jeter of Manito Evangelical United Brethren church conducted the funeral. Cremation followed. Karl Rosenoff Funeral Held Here Tuesday Funeral services for Karl Rosenoff were held at the Danekas Funeral Home Tuesday afternoon. He had been in the hospital for 10 days and Sunday of last week returned home. He died Friday night at his home. The Rev. James Updike was assisted in conducting the services by the Rev. H. C. Haemmelmann. Pallbearers were Robert Stanfield, Richard Kembel, Robert Danekas, Delbert Allert, Vernon Wellsandt and Henry Ferderer. Commitment was at Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Karl Rosenoff was born Nov. 12, 1890, at Ritzville, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rosenoff, early-day homesteaders here. After serving in WWI, he was wed to Miss Maude Carlson on Feb. 6, 1919. The wedding was at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.H.B. Carlson, here in Ritzville. Rosenoff served two terms as Adams county assessor. He was a past board member of the Adams County Memorial hospital. At the time of his death he was a member of the board of the Frank R. Burroughs Memorial museum association. He was a member of Trinity Methodist church, and of the C. J. Newland Post No. 51 of the American Legion. Surviving are his wife, Maude Rosenoff of Ritzville; their son, Charles Rosenoff of Pasco, and four grandchildren. They are Bruce, Douglas, Kristi Gail and Jon Robert. A brother, Henry Rosenoff, of Seattle survives. Charlie Secrist Funeral Service Held Here Monday Last rites were held Monday at Danekas Funeral Home for Charlie Walter Secrist. He had been hospitalized the past five months. He died Oct. 31. He was born May 13, 1933, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie A. Secrist at Bonners Ferry, Ida. He had lived in Ritzville the past 10 years. He had been employed as a farm laborer. He is survived by his mother, Margaret Secrist, at home; by two sisters, Karen at home, and Mrs. H. D. Casey of Bonners Ferry, and by three brothers. Joe, who is serving with the U.S. Army in Germany, arrived home for the funeral. The other brothers are Wesley E. Secrist of Yuba City, Calif., and Henry J. Fortier, Tucson, Ariz. Elder Donald Kegley of the Seventh-Day Adventist church conducted the funeral services. Pallbearers were Glenn Kubik, Bill Fisher, Virgil Snyder, Vic Lund, Entje VanderEnde and Donald Heinemann. Burial was in the Ritzville Memorial cemetery. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 14, 1963 Henry S. Griffith, Former Resident, Is Laid to Rest Henry S. Griffith, 83, former area resident, passed away Oct. 31 at Kelso, where he had made his home recently. Griffith was born Jan. 8, 1880, at Ontario, Canada, the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Griffith. In July, 1889, he came with his parents to a farm near Marcellus where he lived with his parents. Later he and a brother took up a farmstead near Ruff where he lived for many years. From there he farmed near Farmington prior to retirement in Kelso. In 1907 he was married to Alma Egbert. He is survived by one son, Donald, at Salem, Ore.; three brothers, Martin, Josh and Ed; and three sisters, Edith Kinzel, Elizabeth Lowellen and Mary Washborn. He is also survived by one grandchild. Funeral services were held at the McVicker's Chapel on The Hill in Kelso on Nov. 2 with Dr. Ludwig Eskildsen officiating and the Rev. John O. Najarian conducting graveside services. Interment was at Belcrest Memorial Park at Salem, Ore. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 21, 1963 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, November 28, 1963 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 5, 1963 None Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 12, 1963 James Morton Laid to Rest Graveside services for James G. Morton were held Wednesday afternoon of last week at Emanuel Lutheran church here. Morton died Dec. 1 at Wenatchee following an illness of many years duration. He is survived by his wife, the former Cora Koch, who grew up in Ritzville and has many friends here. Morton was 71 years of age. He was born at Hott, Mont. He was wed to Miss Koch at Leavenworth in 1920. A World War I veteran, he operated the K & R meat market at Wenatchee until his retirement in 1950. Burial was in a Koch family plot at the Lutheran cemetery here. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 19, 1963 Athey Dies Walter W. Athey, Adams county engineer, died suddenly Wednesday evening. Funeral arrangements are pending at Danekas Funeral Home. Damewood Rites Planned Thursday at Danekas Home Funeral services will be held at Danekas Funeral Home today at 2 o'clock for Mrs. Nellie Margaret Damewood. Mrs. Damewood, a sister of James Webb of Ritzville, lived at East 115 Liberty in Spokane. She was a member of the Ledgerwood Evangelical United Bretheran church in Spokane. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Eldora Sigler and a son-in-law, Robert J. Sigler, and their daughters Sandra Kay and Bobbie Jane of Everett. A grandson, Thomas Damewood, and a daughter-in-law, Midge Damewood of Ashville, N.C., survive. Other survivors are two brothers, Everette Webb of Pullman and James Webb of Ritzville; and four sisters, Mary Slagle of Newcastle, Wyo., Rachel Ahern, Fairfield; Emma Long, Plummer, Ida.; and Mrs. George Cowger, Newcastle, Wyo. There are nine nephews, six nieces, 10 grandnephews and 15 grand- nieces. The Rev. James Updike will have charge of the funeral service. Burial is to be in Ritzville Memorial cemetery. D. Wallenmeyer's Father Succumbs Dan Wallenmeyer received a phone call Thursday afternoon of last week that his father had died very suddenly near their home at Evansville, Ind. The Wallenmeyer family left by train that night from Spokane to attend the funeral. Mr. and Mrs. Wallenmeyer, sr., had been motoring and had a flat tire. Mr. Wallenmeyer, sr., had been pumping up the tire when he suffered a heart attack and died. Dan Wallenmeyer is work unit conservationist at the U. S. Soil Conservation office here. The family planned to return to Ritzville following the holidays. Dr. Jay Swanson Dies Suddenly Dr. Jay Swanson, agricultural economist at Washington State University, died very suddenly from a heart attack on Dec. 5. Dr. Swanson spoke in Ritzville last spring at the informational meeting on the wheat referendum sponsored by the Adams County Farm Bureau. He had done a good deal of research, adjusting national agricultural data to the local situation in eastern Washington. Mrs. R. Morrow Dies at Molalla HATTON - Mrs. George Larsen received word Sunday evening of the death of her niece, Mrs. Raleigh Morrow at Molalla, Ore., who had a stroke Friday afernoon. Mrs. Morrow, formerly Minnie Seethoff, was the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. John Seethoff and will be remembered by several when they lived in Lind several years ago. The Rev. Mr. Seethoff preceded his daughter in death about three years ago. Mrs. Morrow is survived by her husband at the home; three children; three grandchildren; her mother, Mrs. John Seethoff of Woodburn, Ore., and four brothers. John Chesnut Laid to Rest Funeral services were conducted at the Sprague Community church Wednesday of last week for John C. Chesnut. He had been a resident of Sprague almost all his life. He was 78 years of age and had been ill for almost a year. His death occurred Dec. 11. Surviving are his wife, Peal; two sons, Don Chesnut of St. John and Stanley Chesnut of Toutle; and two daughters, Mrs. James D. (Barbara) Altizer of Ritzville and Mrs. Shirley Waters, Vancouver. T. M. Pettyjohn Is Laid to Rest Funeral services were held Dec. 10 for Thomas M. Pettyjohn, 73, of Bothell in Seattle. He was a brother of Mrs. Lydia Ahlers of Ritzville. Other survivors include Mrs. Ruth Pettibone of Seattle and Mrs. Agnes Heggenbottom of Auburn and one brother, Howard, of Berkeley, Calif. Pettyjohn was born in Green, Kan. He was a retired automobile mechanic. He served in the navy in Italy during the first world war. Ritzville Journal-Times, Thursday, December 26, 1963 W. W. Athey Rites Are Held Here Saturday Funeral services for Walter William Athey were conducted Saturday at 1 p.m. at the chapel of the Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville. Athey died at Adams County Memorial hospital in Ritzville Wednesday evening, Dec. 18, following a heart attack at his home at 1007 South Columbia. The services were conducted by the Rev. Herbert Haemmelmann of the Philadelphia Congregational Church. He was born Nov. 30, 1897, at Red Wing, Minn., the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Athey. He received his education in Grand Forks, N. Dak., and moved west shortly afterward. He was married to Louise Hoffman in Ritzville and two children were born to the union. Mrs. Athey survives as does a son, Miles, of San Jose, Calif., and a daughter, Mrs. Daniel K. (Geneva) Shroll of Honolulu, Hawaii. Surviors also include a sister, Mrs. R. A. James of Phoenix, Ariz., and a brother, Ernest E. Athey of Fargo, N. Dak. Athey was Adams engineer at the time of his death, a post he had held since the 1930s. He was a member of the American Legion Post of Ritzville and a past president of the Adams County Historical society. He served in World War I. Pallbearers were John Rowe, Roy Scott, Emil Wellsandt, Henry Franz, Kenny Foulkes and Robert Danekas. Honorary pallbearers were Larry Maier, Roy Klein, Mike Austin, Alex Werner, Roger Hart and Clint Rowe. Cremation followed the services. H. R. Kastle Funeral Held on Saturday Funeral services for Herman Robert (Jack) Kastle were held Saturday afternoon at the chapel of the Danekas Funeral home with the Rev. James Updike officiating. Kastle was stricken with a fatal heart attack Thursday morning, Dec. 19, at his home here. He was born Nov. 23, 1894, to Herman and Emma Kastle in Chicago, Ill. On Oct. 1, 1919, he was married to Joy Stakebake who survives him at the home here. He is also survived by three daughters, Jeanne Tuffield, Roberta Campbell and Patricia Weber, as well as by 10 grandchildren. Jack Kastle moved to Ritzville in 1939 from Issaquah. He operated the Ritzville Creamery for many years and at the time of his death was operator of the Lucky Lane Drive-In. He was a member of Ritzville's city council and had filed for reelection the day previous to his demise. He was a student of Christian Science, a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, along with membership in the Ritzville chamber of commerce. Kastle received a medal from the U. S. Navy given for service distinguished aboard the U.S.S. Arkansas in World War I which was the flagship of Battleship Force Two, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, which received the surrender of the German Fleet in the Firth of Forth. He also had stood a review for the then Prince of Wales (now the Duke of Windsor). Honorary pallbearers at the Ritzville service included Oscar Olson, Gerald McCaffery, Rex Phillips, Jed Rowe, S. E. Edwards and Fred Kayler. Interment was made in Greenwood cemetery, Renton, Monday, Dec. 23, with members of the C. J. Newland American Legion Post of Ritzville and the Renton-Pickering American Legion Post participating.