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

Ferrier, Jess – Obituary

Jess Ferrier, 67, well known retired Ellensburg contractor, died in a local hospital [October 6, 1948] yesterday afternoon. He had been in failing health for some time. A resident of Ellensburg nearly half a century, Ferrier came here in 1901. He was engaged in the construction and house-moving business for many years. Mrs. Ferrier died four years ago. He is survived by a sister, Mrs. Stella McDebitt of Spokane. Funeral arrangements have not been completed.

Paul, Jean Eliza Schnebly – Obituary

Native Ellensburg resident Jean E. Paul, 95, died Wednesday [November 3, 1982] at Gold Leaf Nursing Home where she had lived for the past seven years. She was born Feb. 14, 1887-a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. P. H. Schnebly. She attended local schools, Ellensburg Normal School and obtained a registered nursing degree from Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Ore. She and John H. Paul were married in Ellensburg on Sept. 3, 1912. Except for seven years, when they homesteaded in Alberta, Canada, the couple made their home in the Ellensburg area, Mr. Paul died May 19, 1975. … Read more

McEwen, Ralph Newell – Obituary

Toppenish—Ralph N. McEwen, 83, died Saturday, April 19, 2003 at his home. He was born November 20, 1919 in Ellensburg, WA to Oscar and Mary McEwen, a pioneer family of the Kittitas Valley. He served in the Army during WWII in the Pacific Theater and was a decorated veteran. He graduated from Ellensburg High School and Ellensburg Normal School (now Central Washington University) receiving his Teachers Degree. He was a teacher and principal at Buena Grade School, McKinley Grade School and Lincoln Grade School all in the Toppenish School District. He was instrumental in the implementation of Bilingual education in … Read more

Hall, Zumbrunnen Bertha Annen – Obituary

Bertha Zumbrunnen Hall, 91, of Rt. 5, a long-time Kittitas Valley resident, died Monday at Royal Vista Care Center. Mrs. Hall, who was born in Switzerland on Nov. 15, 1892, came to the United States in 1912. On March 16 in that year, she and Victor Zumbrunnen were married on the ranch north of Ellensburg where she spent most of her life. Mr. Zumbrunnen died in January of 1935. In 1942, she married Evert Hall in Yuma, Ariz. They lived for a time in California, Friday Harbor and Aberdeen before returning to the original family ranch north of Ellensburg to … Read more

Hayes, Matilda Curtis – Obituary

Matilda (Tillie) Hayes, 92, died at a local nursing home Friday. She was the daughter of valley pioneers Mr. and Mrs. James Curtis. Born November 16, 1879, at the site where Kittitas now stands, she married James J. Hayes, January 29, 1899, and she lived in the Denmark-Badger Pocket area until five years ago when she moved to Ellensburg to live with her daughter, Mrs. Velma Casey, 105 S. Ruby. She is survived by a son, James A. Hayes, Ellensburg, two daughters, Mrs. Hazel Indermuhle and Mrs. Casey, both of Ellensburg, seven grandchildren, twenty-four great grandchildren, ten great-great grandchildren, and … Read more

Montgomery, James M. – Obituary

Following a brief illness J. M. Montgomery, one of Kittitas Valley’s oldest residents died at the Ellensburg General Hospital Friday afternoon [October 29, 1937]. Mr. Montgomery was born at Scio, Linn County, Oregon, June 30, 1852. Until 1881 he lived with his family in Salinas, Calif., when he moved to Kittitas County where he lived the remainder of his 56 years. Besides owning a farm in the Broadview District where he has made a home since 1881 he operated a freighting line from various supply points until the railroad was built into this section in 1886. He is survived by … Read more

Hall, Evert – Obituary

Evert Hall, 87, Rt. 5, died Monday May 25, 1981 at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. He was born in Athens, Ohio, on May 24, 1894. He lived in San Diego, where he worked for Lockheed Aircraft during World War II. He and Bertha Annen Zumbrunnen were married in Yuma, Ariz. in 1942. They lived in Ellensburg for a time before moving to Friday Harbor in 1946. He worked in the cranberry fields near Friday Harbor and in the Aberdeen area. They returned to Ellensburg in 1974 from Aberdeen to live near their daughter and son-in-law, Bertha and the late Chet … Read more

Erickson, William F. – Obituary

Long time Denmark District farmer William F. Erickson, 81, died Friday August 7, 1970 at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. Born April 3, 1889 at Wheaton, Minn., he moved to the Kittitas Valley from Beverly, Wash., in 1919. He farmed in Badger Pocket and Fairview districts before moving to the Denmark District 30 years. He was married to Elizabeth Dixon on December 25, 1919 in Ellensburg. He served in the Army during World War I, was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, World War I veterans, and the Farm Bureau. He is survived by his wife; … Read more

Indermuhle, Samuel – Obituary

Samuel Indermuhle, 80, retired Badger Pocket and Denmark District farmer, died Thursday at Bernath’s Nursing Home. Born July 31, 1888, at Monroe, Wis., he came to the Kittitas Valley with his parents at the age of one year. Indermuhle farmed in the Badger Pocket and Denmark areas from 1936 until his retirement in 1964 when he moved to Ellensburg. He made his home at 700 S. Chestnut and was married to Estelle E. Montgomery in Oct., 1936. She preceded him in death in April 1965. A veteran of World War I serving in the Army, he was a member of … Read more

Schnebly, Margaretta Painter – Obituary

After a lingering illness, Mrs. Margaret A. Schnebly died last Saturday afternoon [February 9] at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. B. Davidson, at an advanced age. She had been an invalid for years and much of the time was a great sufferer. Mrs. Schnebly was one of the pioneer women of the valley and was widely known and much esteemed. She was a woman of strong personality and left an impression of her characteristics upon the community, with a strong influence for good. Besides her daughter she leaves two sons, P. H. and C. P. Schnebly and a … Read more

Shaw, Albert E. – Obituary

Albert E. “Shorty” Shaw, 68, Westside farmer and former owner of the Consolidated Creamery, and a resident of this valley since 1883, died here this morning [July 18, 1931]. Tuesday he had a leg amputated, two weeks after it was injured by a chain tied to a 15-months’ old bull calf which caught in his leg and dragged him a ways. It was thought at the time of the operation that he would recover but his passing came as a shock to his friends today. He was born in Handsport, Nova Scotia in 1863 and came to Ellensburg in 1883 … Read more

Minielly, Addie Ellen Ferguson – Obituary

Death took Mrs. Addie Ellen Minielly, 68, a native of Ellensburg, on December 31, 1949 at the Ellensburg General Hospital, following an illness of about three years. Mrs. Minielly, the daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Ferguson of Ellensburg, who survives her, was born while this area was still a part of Washington Territory. She lived here all her life. She is also survived by a daughter, Myrtle Fray of Ellensburg; a son, Stanley Minielly of Kennewick; three brothers, James, George, and Benjamin Ferguson of Ellensburg; three sisters, Mrs. Lottie Harris, of Ellensburg; Mrs. Lillie Morrison, of Ellensburg, and Mrs. Bessie Phelps … Read more

Davis, Maria Harris – Obituary

Funeral Of Pioneer To Be Held Tomorrow. Mrs. Maria Davis Was In Valley In 1869 Crossed Plains On Horseback At Age Of Six Years-First Settler On Lake Washington The death of Mrs. Maria Davis, 77 years old, one of the earliest pioneers of Washington, who passed through the Kittitas Valley on her way to Lake Washington in 1869 and met at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass, Tillman Houser and Gus Nesalhouse, first settlers here, resulted from a short illness from pneumonia, according to information received here today Mrs. Davis and her husband, John Davis, lived in Yakima in 1867 to … Read more

Ferguson, Marie A. Wright – Obituary

Marie A. Ferguson, 94, of Ellensburg, died Friday [June 2, 1989] at Gold Leaf Care Center. She was born in Miller, Mo., Nov. 30, 1894, a daughter of William and Myrtle Wright. She attended school in Missouri and came to Ellensburg with her family in 1909. she and German Gage were married Feb. 21, 1912. Later she and George H. Ferguson were married in Ellensburg July 11, 1936. Mrs. Ferguson was a member of the Eagles Auxiliary, the Kittitas Rebekah Lodge and the Progressive Club. She had lived at her present home, which was part of the family farm, since … Read more

Page, Jessie May Tinkham – Obituary

Mrs. Jessie May Page, 74, a resident of Ellensburg for the past eight years, died at a local hospital early today [May 17, 1947]. A native of Kansas, Mrs. Page [w/o Oliver] moved here from Davenport, Wash. She is survived by four sons, including Alfred of Ellensburg; Ira of Davenport; and Clarence and Raymond, both of Spokane; two daughters, Mrs. Bessie McFarlin, Yakima, and Mrs. Pearl Christian, Kirkland; four sisters, including Mrs. Ada Schroder of Ellensburg, Mrs. Nellie Hendrickson of Spokane, and Mrs. Lizzie Bachtell and Mrs. Belle Klink, both of Seattle; one brother, Guy Tinkham of Ellensburg; seven grandchildren … Read more

Hodgson, Lola Evelyn Harris – Obituary

Lola Hodgson, 64, died in Seattle Hospital, Saturday August 26, 1972. Born June 29, 1908 in Ellensburg, the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Giles P. Harris; she married Art Pedersen in 1927. They farmed in Badger Pocket for 30 years prior to his death in 1960. She married George Hodgson in 1961. She has been employed as secretary at the CWSC physical plant for 14 years prior to retirement last year. They made their home at Millpond Manor; member of Presbyterian Church and Moose Auxiliary. Survived by her husband, two daughters Katherine Pedersen and Mrs. Karoline Torrey, both … Read more

Blair, Louis – Obituary

Louis Blair, 63, Taken By Death Louis Blair, 63, Kittitas valley resident for the past 49 years, died at his home in Ellensburg at 10 a.m., November 05, 1949. A native of Quebec, Canada, Blair was a former Kittitas county employe and more recently was employed by the Schaake Packing Company. Blair was the father of Mrs. Berniece Dossey of Chandler, Arizona, well known professional Rodeo trick rider. Also surviving him are his widow, Winifred; four sisters, Mrs. Helen Jensen of Ellensburg, Mrs. Leva Nicol of Ellensburg, Mrs. Lena Arps of Soap Lake and Mrs. Liza Hayes of Ellensburg, and … Read more

Cooke, Guy Wolford – Obituary

Funeral services will be held here Wednesday afternoon for Guy W. Cooke, 64, Ellensburg native and prominent Kittitas Valley cattlemen who died of a heart attack Saturday morning [December 17, 1955] at his home in the Wilson Creek area. Cooke was Kittitas County Cattleman of the Year in 1953. The services will be held at 2 o’clock at the First Methodist Church with Rev. Miller C. Lovett officiating. Burial will be in the IOOF Cemetery. The family requests that those who desire to send remembrances in lieu of flowers make memorial contributions to the Heart Fund. Six first cousins will … Read more

Casey, Velma Leona Hayes – Obituary

Velma L. (Toots) Casey, 69, 105 S. Ruby, died Friday [November 24, 1978] at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. She was born September 15, 1909 at Ellensburg, a daughter of the late James J. and Matilda Hayes. She first married Ed Holmes in 1926 at Wenatchee and later married Daniel Casey at Ellensburg in 1947. Both husbands preceded her in death. After her marriage to Casey, they lived on Camano Island for 15 years. They returned to Ellensburg to operate the Edison Hotel from 1952 to 1960. She was a member of the Thorp Grange. She is survived by two sons, … Read more