Kittitas County WA

Grewell, Thomas Clayton “Clate” – Obituary

Veteran Of Indian Wars Passes Away. Clate Grewell Made First Trip Through This Valley In 1878. Clate Grewell, 75, pioneer resident of Washington and a veteran of the Indian Wars, passed away Friday night, April 1, 1938, at the Pasco Hospital after a brief illness. He had suffered a stroke on March 27. Funeral services were held at Kennewick on Monday, the service being read by Rev. Stanley Grewell of Ellensburg, a cousin of the deceased. Burial was in the Mabton cemetery, pallbearers being C. I. Wright, Matt Wiehl, Henry Young, Colburn Anderson, Archie Borden and Paul Schicka. He is … Read more

Biography of James S. Dysart

JAMES S. DYSART. – The subject of this sketch, a portrait of whom is placed in this work, was born in Delaware county, New York, March 22, 1838. His parents were Duncan and Elizabeth (Shaw) Dysart, natives of Scotland. James resided at the place of his birth until he was seventeen years old, when he went via Nicaragua to California to join his brother Alexander, who was living in San Francisco. He reached that city in 1855. His first location was at Placerville, where he engaged in lumbering. That point he made his home till 1862. In that year he … Read more

Arps, Lena E. – Obituary

Lena E. Arps, 77 died at her home at 409 S. Pearl, Monday March 16, 1970. She was born October 26, 1892 at Quebec, Canada. She came to Ellensburg in 1900 and was married to Ira Stillwell, November 10, 1915 in Ellensburg. He preceded her in death in 1929. She married Herman O. Arps in October, 1946 in Albany, Oregon and they have made their home in Ellensburg. She was a member of the Moose Lodge. She is survived by her husband, one son, Mark Stillwell, Richland, a daughter, Mrs. Thelma Grant, Ellensburg, a sister, Mrs. Leza Hayes, Ellensburg, six … Read more

McEwen, Oscar – Obituary

Death Take Well-Known Resident Oscar Mcewen Oscar (Ott) McEwen, well-known Ellensburg resident, died Sunday at the Kittitas Valley Memorial Hospital. He was 89 years old [died June 4, 1967]. McEwen was one of the last true cowboys in the northwest, and the familiar scene of McEwen astride his horse, riding through town, was a common-place occurrence. He was for many years a rider at the Ellensburg Rodeo and participated in many of the early events at the rodeo. He still made an annual appearance at the show. He was born October 6, 1877 in a frontier home three and one … Read more

Sisk, Clarence Charles – Obituary

Clarence Charles “Irish” Sisk, 69, was killed in an automobile accident near Mesa, Arizona on Wednesday February 6, 1974. He was born Nov. 8, 1904 in Yakima County and had spent most of his adult life in the Ellensburg area. He was married to Gladys Morrison, Sept. 16, 1929 in Wenatchee. He was employed by F. A. Kern as a ranch foreman and truck driver from 1933 to 1943. Later, he operated a ranch on the Kittitas Highway and more recently ranched north of Kittitas on No. 81 Road. He had been spending the winter at Apache Junction, Arizona. Sisk … Read more

Barnhart, Thomas Henderson – Obituary

T. H. Barnhart, Old Pioneer is called, was 85 born in Tennessee, has spent many years in valley The death of T. H. Barnhart, a pioneer of this valley, occurred this morning [April 16, 1921] at the home of his son, S. C. Barnhart. He was 85 years old Mr. Barnhart was born in Tennessee, and came to this section a number of years ago. Since coming west, he has spent all of his time here with the exception of a few years in the Methow Valley For the past 19 years he has made his home with his son, … Read more

Davis, Ina Lorene Dewees – Obituary

Mrs. Ina Lorene Davis died this morning [January 12, 1959] at the Ellensburg General Hospital where she has been a patient for the past month She was born in Enid, Okla. and came here about 55 years ago with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William DeWees and has made her home here since then For many years she was a grade school teacher here, her most recent work having been with the handicapped children as their first instructor at the Lincoln School She was married in June 1916 to Ellis Davis who died here Dec. 16, 1958. She was a … Read more

Michels, Clarence Benedict – Obituary

Clarence Benedict (Uncle Ben) Michels, 66, died of a heart attack at the home of his sister, Mrs. May Graaff here Tuesday [April 16, 1957]. He had been in ill health for some time. Born Jul 29, 1890, he attended Ellensburg schools, Gonzaga University and Seattle University. He was married in 1922 in Pasco to Veda Stevens, who preceded him in death in 1931. He was a member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, and a charter member of Austin-Rees-Wheeler post of the American Legion, having served with Co., C, 18th Engineers, AEF, in France. He was past grand knight of … Read more

Biography of Joseph M. Shelton

JOSEPH M. SHELTON. – “Present misfortune is our future weal,” wrote the old homilist; and in human experience it has been well enough proved that in adversity is the power of a man’s character developed. Joseph M. Shelton, the subject of this sketch, had lived in comfort and prosperity on the family plantation in Caswell County, in North Carolina; but, in common with so many of the foremost Southern families, the Sheltons sustained heavy losses in the war, and by the liberation of the slaves of which Joseph’s father was a large owner. It was then that Joseph showed the … Read more

Cooke, Abraham Lincoln – Obituary

Abe L. Cooke Dies in Seattle Abe L. Cooke, 47, of Yakima, a former Ellensburg resident and a veteran of the first World War, died Wednesday in the Marine hospital in Seattle after an illness of several months. He was born April 27, 1897, at Coberg, Ore., the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Cooke, Kittitas valley pioneers. The Cooke family returned to this valley while he was still an infant and he received his education in valley schools. He served with a National Guard company which was sent to patrol the Mexican border in the fall of 1916. … Read more

Prater, Charles Cornelius Jr. – Obituary

C. C. Prater, 57, life-long Kittitas Valley resident and prominent Westside farmer, died here last night at the home of his sister, Mrs. Minnie Wangeman, after an illness of 10 weeks. The son of pioneer valley settlers, he was born on the family farm on the Westside on December 15, 1881. He was married here to Miss Velma Weaver on November 14, 1906. From his youth he took an active part in the activities of the community. Among the many responsibilities which he held at the time of his death were: Community Committeeman of the Kittitas County Conservation Association; Director … Read more

Cooke, Edwin N. – Obituary

E. N. Cooke came her 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 died November 16, 1925. 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 … Read more

Wheeler, Abraham Lincoln – Obituary

Death came here yesterday [April 1, 1937] at noon to Abe Wheeler, seventy-three, whose 66 years of residence in the Kittitas Valley covered almost the entire period of white men’s settlements in this vicinity. The last of six children who came to the Kittitas with their pioneer parents in 1871, he died at the Ellensburg General Hospital after an illness of three weeks and following an operation performed on Tuesday. His death not only took another from the ranks of the valley’s pioneers, but separated that community’s oldest living married couple, as well. Surviving him is the widow, Mrs. Laura … Read more

Harrell, Alice Edna Poskey – Obituary

Mrs. Alice Edna Harrel, 64, died at her home on the Thorp highway at 10:30 a.m. today January 19, 1952 following a long illness. She was born in the state of Kansas and came to Kittitas Valley from Seattle in 1915. She was married in Ellensburg to Tom A. Harrel, September 4, 1925. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Harrel farmed in the Badger Pocket area prior to moving to their West Side ranch six years ago. She is survived by her husband and by a stepdaughter, Mrs. Louise Fleming of Seattle, two sisters, Mrs. … 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

Dixon, Frank M. – Obituary

Funeral services for Frank M. Dixon, 68, former Ellensburg resident who died at his home in Seattle last night, will be held at the Honeycutt Chapel here Monday morning at 11 o’clock. Rev. W. M. Martin will be in charge and burial will be in the IOOF Cemetery Born October 2, 1873, in Iowa, Dixon came to Ellensburg with his parents when he was nine years old. He farmed here for many years and operated a livery stable. He moved to Yakima 16 years ago and subsequently went to Seattle. He was married here to Miss Ollie O’Rear in 1903. … Read more

Huss, Annette Thompson – Obituary

Mrs. Annette Thompson Huss, wife of W. S. [William Sylvester] Huss and the mother of three living children, passed quietly away Tuesday evening [October 30, 1923] at the family residence on west Eleventh Street after an illness that extended over a period of a year. Her husband, for over 20 years an employee of the State Normal School, together with her three children and a sister were with her when the end came. Mrs. Huss, a well known and greatly loved woman of community, was born in Coveys Cove in 1877. She was married in 1899 to Mr. Huss and … Read more

Hayes, Ruby Miles – Obituary

Ruby Hayes, 90, daughter of William and Rosa (Owens) Miles, died February 21 [1992] in Ellensburg. She was born in Surgoinsville, Tenn., on December 2, 1901. At the age of six, her family moved to Washington where she attended school in the Ellensburg area. She and her husband, Harry, farmed for more than 50 years in the Denmark area before moving into Ellensburg in 1972. Survivors include three sons, William Hayes of Prosser, Jerry Hayes of Yakima, and Joel Hayes of Renton; three daughters, Barbara Scenna of Oak Park, Mich., Kay McPherson and Sandra Johnson of Ellensburg, stepson Homer Hayes … Read more

Hayes, Milo Francis – Obituary

Milo Francis Hayes, 63, who nearly a quarter of a century ago made his home here, died suddenly [April 27, 1937] at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Sheldon of Wendell, Idaho, yesterday. He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sanford P. Hayes. He made his home in the Kittitas Valley for many years before moving to Nampa, Idaho, in 1913. In addition to his sister, he is survived by two brothers, William and Samuel Hayes of Ellensburg. Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock at the Honeycutt … Read more

Prater, Julia Alice Harrell – Obituary

Mrs. Felix G. (Alice) Prater, 87, died Sept. 23 [1970] in a Seattle nursing home. Mrs. Felix lived for 60 years in the Ellensburg-Thorp area and in 1953 retired as a housemother at Central Washington College and moved to Burien. She lived in Des Moines, Wash., the past two years. Survivors include a son, Dorsey Prater of Burien; a daughter, Mrs. Glen (Gertrude) Kelley of Mt. Vernon; a grandson, Dr. Timothy Kelly of Corvallis, Ore., and two great grandsons. She has several nieces and nephews living in the Kittitas Valley and on the coast. Services will be Monday at Parkers … Read more