Kittitas County WA

McKenzie, Charles Maxfield – Obituary

Former Yakima Valley resident Charles “Max” McKenzie, 84, of Edmonds, died Sunday in Edmonds [August 17, 1986]. Mr. McKenzie was born Dec. 8, 1901, in Omaha, Neb., to Charles and Maude McKenzie. They moved in 1903 to Quincy, where his family homesteaded until the death of his father in 1915. In 1917, they moved to the Kittitas Valley and took up farming. Mr. McKenzie went to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1923, retiring in 1967. He was married in 1926 to Ruth Barnhart. They were transferred to Yakima in 1932. While working for the railroad, he maintained a … Read more

McEwen, Harvey – Obituary

Harvey McEwen Dies In Seattle Pioneer Valley Resident Came To Ellensburg In 1871 Harvey McEwen, 79-year-old former Ellensburg resident and one of the Kittitas Valley’s earliest pioneers, died in Columbus Hospital in Seattle yesterday afternoon [June 9, 1937]. He had made his home at Wapato for many years, and died while in Seattle on a visit. Mr. McEwen came to the valley in 1871 and lived near Ellensburg for 40 years. In 1921 he went to Wapato to farm, later retiring. He is survived by four sons, Oscar and Ernie McEwen of Ellensburg; Carl McEwen of Seattle, and Clarence McEwen … 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

Cooke, Edward V. – Obituary

Edward V. Cooke, 84, long-time Ellensburg resident, died at a local nursing home Wednesday. Born May 4, 1888 in Ellensburg, he was son of pioneer family, Father was C. P. Cooke, Mother Verenda Wheeler, whose parents were early-day settlers here in the valley. He was married to Ada Rich 1908, in the Fairview District. They moved to Yakima, where he learned the plastering trade and later went into contracting. He lived in Portland, Ore., and Stockton, Calif. and returned to Yakima and later moved back to Ellensburg, where they purchased a home o Rt. 3, and lived until his retirement. … 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

Morrison, Ica Ladd – Obituary

Mrs. A. D. Morrison of Kittitas, died at her home in that town, Tuesday [June 3, 1913] of tuberculosis after an illness of 5 months. She came to this county three years ago and secured employment in Crockett Company’s store and last September was married to Mr. Morrison. Her maiden name was Ladd. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Bender, George – Obituary

Funeral services were held this afternoon for George W. Bender, 41, who died Friday May 3, 1957 from injuries sustained when a falling tree struck him as he was bucking logs some distance away. The accident occurred about noon Friday in the Wilson Creek area where Bender worked as a sawyer for Tucker & Jones of Selah, logging contractors for Cascade Lumber Co Conducting the services was Rev. Laurence M. Arksey. Burial was in the IOOF Cemetery. Born at Ellensburg, May 20, 1915, Bender was graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1932. He was married at Wenatchee December 9, 1944, … Read more

Weaver, Clyde Carl – Obituary

Clyde Weaver, son of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Weaver, and a well-known young man died at his residence in West Kittitas, six miles west of this city, Friday, January 4th at 9:15 p.m., of heart failure. Mr. Weaver had been more or less indisposed for several days and had returned from a trip to Roslyn where he went on business. He retired rather early and shortly his wife noticed that he was restless and gasping. She arose and lit a lamp but he passed away before she could do anything for him or even give any alarm of his … Read more

Sorenson, E. Peter – Obituary

E. Peter Sorenson, 65, pioneer Denmark District farmer, died suddenly Tuesday evening [October 12, 1937] of a heart attack. Mr. Sorenson was born near Aarhus, Denmark, on April 7, 1872, and came to Minnesota in 1888 where he joined his brother, the late Soren Sorenson. They came together to the Kittitas Valley in the fall of that year. Active in enterprises connected with the development of the valley, he worked and farmed near Ellensburg until 1892, when he obtained land in the Denmark District where he has resided ever since. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Ann Sorenson, a … Read more

Dewees, Almira Jane Swett – Obituary

Mrs. George DeWees, resident of Ellensburg and a native daughter of the Pacific Coast, died at the family residence, 306 South Sprague Street this morning [February 7, 1940], after an illness that has lasted nearly four years. No arrangements have been made for the funeral, pending the arrival of members of the family Mrs. Almira Swett DeWees was born in Clackamas County, Oregon and came to the Kittitas Valley as a girl in 1885, and was married here to George DeWees, pioneer milling and grain and feed man, who also served for several years on the city council and was … Read more

Cooke, Edwin Nathan – Obituary

E. N. Cooke Came Here in 1870, Leaving After 35 Years. E. N Cooke of Wenatchee, pioneer of the Kittitas Valley, died suddenly at the home of his son Claude Cooke of the Entiat yesterday morning. Mr. Cooke was born in Oregon in 1854 and with his family came to this valley in 1870. He lived here continuously from then until about 20 years ago when he moved to the Colockum near Wenatchee where he was interested in the fruit industry. His wife and four sons, Claude, Clyde, E. N. and Jay, survive him and he leaves also two brothers, … 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

Noble, Louis – Obituary

Louis Noble, 78, retired mail carrier of the Kittitas Valley, passed away early Wednesday morning [August 27, 1930] following a long illness. He was born June 5, 1852 in Cleveland, Ohio, and was marred to Miss Addie M. Huntley on December 5, 1880. The couple came to this valley in 1908. Mr. Noble was a rural mail carrier–seven years of which were on route one–for over ten years after which he retired to his small valley farm. His death is deeply grieved by the many farmers and friends to whom he delivered mail daily for a number of years. He … 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

Packwood, Harvey – Obituary

Harvey Packwood, 74, member of a pioneer Kittitas Valley family, died Tuesday in a Seattle Hospital. He had been in ill health for the past year. Packwood was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Packwood who came to the Kittitas Valley in 1874. He and his twin brother, the late Harry Packwood, were born here in April 1882. Harry Packwood died at Pe Ell in 1937 [died November 18, 1940]. [Obit says Perry]. Harvey Packwood lived here until 1907. He resided in California and Kennewick before moving to Seattle in 1930. He made his home there with … Read more

Cooke, Ada Rich – Obituary

Ada C. Cooke, 89, formerly of 103 S. Clark in Kittitas, died Friday at Haven House Nursing Home [died May 22, 1981]. She was born in Lincoln, Neb. on Aug. 3, 1891. She came to Ellensburg from Cle Elum in 1905 with brother Orval and her father, A. E. Rich. The family worked first for the Barnharts and later rented the property northeast of Ellensburg known as the Smyth Panhandle Ranch. She and Edward V. Cooke were married in 1908. They worked for his grandmother, Mrs. Charles Cooke until 1918 when they moved to Yakima. They returned to Ellensburg in … Read more

Stickney, Frances Theresa Barnhart – Obituary

Following a short illness, Mrs. Earl E. Stickney, age 37, died here yesterday. Born in Ellensburg on February 10, 1899, Mrs. Stickney, who was Frances Theresa Barnhart before her marriage in 1918, had lived virtually all of her life here and was well known throughout the valley. She is survived by her widower; two sons, Billy and Bruce; her mother, Mrs. F. C. Barnhart; three sisters, Mrs. J. J. Schnebly, and Mrs. D. D. Schnebly, Ellensburg, and Mrs. Max McKenzie, Yakima; and four brothers, Fred P. Barnhart, Pasco; Jesse Barnhart, Seattle; Ernest Barnhart and Albert Barnhart, Ellensburg. Mrs. Stickney was … 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

Lundstrom, Lucille L. – Obituary

Lucille L. Lundstrom, 76, an Aberdeen resident since 1979, died Tuesday March 27, 1990 at a local nursing home. She was born May 17, 1913. (Really June), in Ellensburg. She married Fred Lundstrom in 1939 at Ellensburg where they farmed for 14 years. He survives at the family home in Aberdeen. They lived in Stitzer, Wisconsin, where they farmed for nine years before returning to Ellensburg. They moved to Aberdeen from Ellensburg. She enjoyed needlework and crocheting, watching golf on television, gardening and reading. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons, Richard Lundstrom of Aberdeen and … Read more

Schnebly, Elizabeth May Barnhart – Obituary

Elizabeth Barnhart Schnebly, 95, of 502 E. Fifth, a life-time resident of the Kittitas Valley, died Saturday [May 21, 1983] at Haven House Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 15, 1887, in the Fairview District, a daughter of the late Frank C. and Matilda (Bailes) Barnhart and a granddaughter of the Rev. Keithley and Sarah (Marshall) Bailes and Thomas Henderson and Mary (Letterman) Barnhart, all pioneer settlers of the Kittitas Valley. Mrs. Schnebly was educated in local schools and attended one of the early classes at the then Ellensburg Normal School. She and Joseph Jay Schnebly were married on Oct. … Read more