Ellensburg Washington

Blair, Sophia Mrs. – Obituary

Kittitas Woman Dies Here This Morning Mrs. Sophia Blair of Kittitas passed away this morning at the Youngberg hospital at the age of 67 years of pneumonia. Mrs. Blair was born at Buckingham, Canada, and came to Ellensburg in 1900, shw was the wife of Lewis Blair, who died here in 1910. They are survived by their children, Mrs. Ira Stillwell, Mrs. Jens Jensen, Mrs. G. R. Johnston, Mrs C. T. Hayes, Lewis Blair all of Ellensburg and Kittitas and Mrs. Joseph Larson of Montlaurier, Canada. The funeral will take place tomorrow from the Bridgham Undertaking parlors at 2:30. The … Read more

Taylor, Emma Augusta Abraham – Obituary

Funeral services for Mrs. Frank (Emma Augusta) Taylor, Sr., will be held Thursday, December 28, at the Evanson Funeral Home. A well-known resident of Ellensburg for more than 60 years, she died Sunday, December 24 [1967], at the Kittitas Valley Memorial Hospital. Born in West Bloomfield, Wisconsin, she was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Augusta Abraham. At the age of 6 months, her parents moved to Orange, California, where she was reared. She attended schools in Orange and Santa Rosa. She moved with the family to a ranch in the Teanaway valley just before the turn of … Read more

Parsel, Ada Florence Grewell Anderson – Obituary

Mrs. Ada Parsel, 80, at 505½ North Poplar, Ellensburg, died Sunday, Nov. 5 [1972], in Gold Leaf Convalescent Center. Mrs. Parsel was born in Ellensburg, daughter of pioneer parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Clayt Grewell. She and Harry Parsel were married in 1920 at Ellensburg. He died in 1971. She was a member of Thorp Christian Church. Survivors include a son, Harry T. Parsel of Ellensburg; two daughters, Mrs. Cleo McCotter of Thorp, and Mrs. Dorothy Wallace of Sunnyside; seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; a brother, Byron Grewell of Pasco, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins in the … Read more

Dawes, Edna Cooke Pierce – Obituary

Edna Dawes, 90, lifetime Ellensburg resident, died Wednesday [February 29, 1984] at Gold Leaf Nursing Home. She was born Sept. 4, 1893 in Ellensburg, a daughter of the late Moran and Bell (Fulton) Cooke. She and Laurin T. Dawes were married in Ellensburg inn 1933. They farmed in the Fairview District and Mrs. Dawes operated a beauty shop in Ellensburg for many years. They lived in Seattle during World War II and, following retirement, they returned to Ellensburg to make their home on Craig’s Hill. She is survived by two brothers, Lester Cooke of Ellensburg and Francis Cooke of Prescott, … Read more

Olin, Susan Cooke – Obituary

Mrs. Susan Cooke Olin, 39, well-known resident of Entiat, died at a local hospital Thursday [May 11, 1949] following an extended illness. Mrs. Olin was born at Malaga on February 22, 1910 where she resided until moving to Entiat with her family as a little girl. She attended Entiat schools and grew to young womanhood at Entiat, and was united in marriage to John Olin, February 6, 1929. She had since made her home there. Mrs. Olin was a member of Reliance Rebekah Lodge, Past Noble Grand Circle, and the Entiat PTA. Surviving are her husband, John of Entiat, one … Read more

Cooke, Alta Mae Hill Mullen – Obituary

Funeral services will be held Friday at the Buckley Undertaking Parlors, Tacoma, at 3 p.m. for an early-day Kittitas Valley resident, Mrs. Alta Mae Cooke, 77, who died Wednesday morning in Tacoma, following eight days in a hospital there. Cremation will follow the service and the ashes will be brought to Ellensburg at a later date. The family requests no flowers, but those who wish to may make a contribution to the Cancer Fund. Mrs. Cooke was the widow of the late Jay Cooke, son of the late Charles P. and Susan Cooke, valley pioneers. Alta Mae Hill and Jay … Read more

Bailes, William Keithly – Obituary

Grandpa Bailes Pioneer Pastor of City is dead aged couple celebrated their 68th Wedding Anniversary here, Wife is seriously ill now confined to her bed with Pneumonia – leaves 100 living descendants The death of Grandpa Keathly Bailes at the home of his daughter, Mr. F. C. Barnhart, on North Ruby Street, occurred at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday [March 17, 1915]. The funeral will take place at the Christian Church Sunday morning next, Rev. Mr. Escherman of Tacoma officiating. Death was a result of a complication of diseases, coupled with extreme age Grandpa Bailes leaves his aged wife, who is now … Read more

Huss, Ray Anthony – Obituary

Ray A. Huss, 78, of Parker, a farmer and 50-year resident of the Yakima Valley died Sunday [March 29] in Central Memorial Hospital, Toppenish. Mr. Huss was born at Ellensburg and came to the Valley from there. He had belonged to several Valley granges and was a past master of the Riverside Pomona Grange. He had retired from farming in 1957, and most recently had resided here. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Ethel Huss, Parker; two daughters, Mrs. Vivian Norby, Tacoma, and Mrs. Muriel Young, Parkdale, Ore.; four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. His son Ray Huss Jr. died several … Read more

Thomas, Edith Ferguson – Obituary

Edith M. Thomas, 77, died Monday, July 11, 1994 at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. She was born on March 17, 1917 in Ellensburg, the youngest of three children born to Benjamin Franklin and Nora Estella (Wyatt) Ferguson. By horseback she attended Dysart, or No. 5 school. After her education, she helped her family on the ranch, breaking, and riding young horses, caught from the herd of wild horses that they owned. In 1920, Mrs. Thomas assisted in establishing the first rodeo held in the Kittitas Valley at the Ferguson Ranch. Also the Ferguson’s supplied some of the bucking stock for … Read more

McEwen, Mary Viola Peffers – Obituary

Mrs. Mary Viola McEwen, 60, died suddenly after suffering a stroke, at the Valley General Hospital early Tuesday, Mar. 11 [1958]. She was born Feb. 13, 1898 [1897] in Ellensburg, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Moses Peffers of this city. She was married to Oscar McEwen in 1914 and they had made their home at 801 E. Fourth Avenue for the past 40 years. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Survivors include her husband, two sons, Ralph McEwen of Toppenish and Mack McEwen of Seattle; a daughter, Mrs. Morris Miller of Eugene, Ore.; a stepdaughter, Mrs. … Read more

Cooke, Susan Brewster – Obituary

Mrs. Susan E. Cooke, Kittitas Pioneer, Dies At Age Of 89. Was Resident Of Valley Since 1870; Crossed Plains In 1851; Funeral Monday; Deceased Came From Noted Family; Was Descendant Of Pilgrim Following a decline suffered nearly two years ago, Mrs. Susan Eliza Brewster Cooke, one of the oldest pioneers of Kittitas Valley, died last night at the family residence, 11 miles northeast of Ellensburg [died March 11, 1921]. Last Monday Mrs. Cooke celebrated her 89th birthday, having been born in Waterford County, four miles from Troy, New York, on March 7, 1832. Mrs. Cooke was a direct descendant of … Read more

Schnebly, Frederick Cooke – Obituary

Fred C. Schnebly, 74, who was born in the Kittitas Valley of a pioneer family, was a director, board president and outstanding leader in the creation and operation of the Kittitas Reclamation District, and for more than 50 years was one of the best known cattlemen of the Pacific Northwest, died at the Valley General Hosptial Tuesday evening [April 12, 1955]. Death followed an illness from a kidney infection started last September. His father and all his brothers were likewise leaders in the cattle industry of the Northwest, as his son is today. His father was the late P. H. … Read more

Hayes, Robert Lewis – Obituary

The body of Robert Lewis Hayes, 36, who was electrocuted north of Spokane Monday morning [November 30, 1964], will be returned here by the Evenson Funeral Home for services and burial. His home was at Kittitas. Arrangements are pending the arrival [IOOF Cemetery]. Mr. Hayes was born May 30, 1928 in Ellensburg, attended Kittitas High School and served with the US Navy during the Korean War. He married Mollie Mullen on Sept. 21, 1957 in Kittitas and they had made their home there since that time. He was a member of the Moose Lodge and the Electrical Workers Union NO. … Read more

Bender, Louis – Obituary

Louis Bender is taken by death widely-known valley resident succumbs here this morning Louis Bender, 65, a widely known Ellensburg and Kittitas Valley resident for nearly half a century, died at his home this morning [March 22, 1946]. He had been in ill health for several months and had undergone two operations at Swedish Hospital in Seattle Born in Onondaga, Mich., in 1880, he came to Ellensburg in 1899. He was employed at the Clarence Palmer livery stable for seven years. Identified with livestock and farming virtually all his life, he left the Palmer Livery to take a contract hauling … Read more

Charlton, Glenn Carmi – Obituary

Glenn C. Charlton native Kittitas Valley resident died July 2 [1961], at the age of 60 at Eastern State Hospital. Charlton was born Aug. 13, 1900 in Ellensburg and attended the No. 18 Nanum Grade School and graduated from Ellensburg High School. In 1926 he graduated from Washington State College School of Agriculture. He served for 29 years with the Forest Service. He first was in the Umatilla National Forest and after two years was transferred to the Wenatchee National Forest where he served until 1935 when he was transferred to Willamette National Forest in the Detroit District. In 1942 … Read more

Cooke, Rufus – Obituary

Death this morning [March 7, 1922] claimed one of the earliest and best known residents of the Kittitas valley when Rufus Cooke passed away. Mr. Cooke died this morning at the home of his sister, Mrs. P. H. Schnebly where he has been ill for the past two weeks. The Kittitas Valley had been his home since 1870 when he came here from Yakima with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Schnebly. Both are now deceased Mr. Cooke was born in Yakima on Sept. 12, 1867, the family removing to Ellensburg three years later, where they took up a … Read more

Smathers, Leone Wright – Obituary

Mrs. Leone Smathers, 46, of Omak, former Ellensburg resident, died Wednesday [June 24, 1942] following an operation at Rochester, Minnesota, according to word received here. Funeral services will be held at the Honeycutt chapel here Monday afternoon, June 29, at 1:30 o’clock. Rev. Joseph Greene of the Baptist Church will officiate. Burial will be in the IOOF cemetery. Wife of Lee Smathers, Mrs. Smathers lived in Ellensburg for many years until the family moved to Omak six years ago. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sisters, Mrs. George Ferguson of Ellensburg and Mrs. Helen La Fan … Read more

Dawes Laurin T. – Obituary

Laurin T. Dawes, 70, died at his Fairview District ranch on Sunday [December 5, 1976]. He was born February 21, 1906 at Silverton, Ore. He came to Ellensburg from Portland in 1930. He was married to Edna Cooke in 1933 and was a carpenter for many years prior to moving to his ranch in 1945. He is survived by his wife Edna and one brother, Walter Dawes of Portland, Ore. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Evenson Chapel. The Rev. Don Meekhof will officiate. Entombment will follow at the IOOF Mausoleum. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Poland, Arthur Melvin – Obituary

Stricken by a heart attack on the local bus, Arthur Melvin Poland, 43, Collins school teacher, died Friday [June 8, 1945] in a shipyard hospital where he had been taken for emergency attention. Poland was a native of Ellensburg and had resided in Tacoma 10 years. He is survived at the home, 2356 South G Street, by his wife, Esther, and daughter, Patricia Poland; mother, Mrs. Cora [Grimm] Poland, Sumner; brothers, Elmer and Lynn Poland, Ellensburg; five sisters, Miss Ann Poland, Montana, Mrs. Clinton Morrow and Mrs. Edna Kenyon, Seattle; Mrs. Dollie Brown, Portland, and Mrs. Leta Doyle, Spanaway. C. … Read more

Springer, Laura Harrell – Obituary

Mrs. Laura M. Springer, 68, died at the Ellensburg General Hospital Sunday [May 7, 1961]of a heart attack. Laura Harrell was born Nov. 2, 1892 in Hawkins County, Tenn. and came here with her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Harrell in 1909. She was married to Frank Springer in Ellensburg shortly after. They farmed on the West Side until 1936 and for the past 25 years. Mrs. Springer has lived at 301 South Sprague Street. Mr. Springer preceded her in death in February 1948. She was a member of the First Christian Church and the Women’s Welcome … Read more