Kittitas County WA

Curtis, James H. – Obituary

James H. Curtis, one of the early pioneers of the valley, who came here in 1873, died suddenly last Saturday at Brewster, Wash., according to work received here. He was born July 1, 1849, in McCoon County, Mich. In 1875 he was married in The Dalles, Ore., to Miss Samantha Wheeler. Four of their six children are living Mrs. Tillie Hayes and Mrs. Etta Vaughn of Ellensburg, and Mrs. May Goldberg and Wesley Curtis of Brewster are surviving children. Mrs. Rose Carver of this city is a sister. There also are 28 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. His widow, Mrs. … 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

Sorenson, Nielsine ‘Sine’ Pedersen – Obituary

Mrs. Soren Sorenson, 77, a Kittitas Valley pioneer, died Tuesday [September 3, 1940] at the Ellensburg General Hospital following a two week’s illness. Born Nielsine Pedersen in Holme, Denmark, Sept. 10, 1862, she came to America at the age of 27, living in the state of Ohio for a short time before coming to the Kittitas Valley in 1889 with her brother, Peder Pedersen. On Oct. 29, 1890, she was married to Soren Sorenson, a prominent valley farmer. The first year of their marriage, they lived on the John Denton place in the Broadview District. Then they moved to their … Read more

Lee, C. Melvin – Obituary

C. Melvin “Mel” Lee, 86, a four-year resident of Olympia, died of cancer Saturday, May 27, 1995, in Mother Joseph Care Center, Olympia. He was born Nov. 15, 1908, to William and Geneva (Hodges) Lee in Ellensburg, where he graduated from Ellensburg High School. Mr. Lee graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in education. He married Claudia (Swenson) Lee on April 3, 1947 in Seattle. Mr. Lee was in the Army from 1943 to 1946, serving in the Philippines and the United States. Mr. Lee taught and coached athletics for several schools in Washington. He was superintendent … Read more

Ferrier, Ida Beaman – Obituary

Mrs. Ida Ferrier, 78, wife of Jess Ferrier, a Kittitas Valley resident more than half a century, died last night October 8, 1944. Born in Iowa, she came to the valley in 1889. Besides her husband, a brother and a sister survive her. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock at the Honeycutt Chapel, with Rev. W. M. Martin officiating. Burial will be in the IOOF Cemetery. Ida’s parents were Justice Beaman and Eliza Rhodes. Her first husband was Samuel Cox. She divorced him by 1910.

Maxson, Thelma Ferguson – Obituary

Thelma Ferguson Maxson, 80, of Ellensburg, died Monday at Royal Vista Care Center following a lingering illness [died February 13, 1990]. She was born in Ellensburg on October 23, 1909, one of two daughters of George H. and Mayme (Wyatt) Ferguson. She and John Maxson were married in Tacoma in 1935. they lived in various locations throughout the United States until 1983 when they returned to Ellensburg to make their permanent home. Survivors include her husband, John Maxson, of Ellensburg; and her sister, Phyllis Gage, of Ellensburg. No public service is planned. Family suggests memorials to charity of donors’ choice. … Read more

Harrel, Julia Ann Derrick – Obituary

Funeral services for Julia Ann Harrel, 90, who died yesterday [June 15, 1966] in the Kittitas Valley Community Hospital, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Evenson’s Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Paul Nance officiating. Burial will be the IOOF Cemetery. Mrs. Harrel, a pioneer resident, was born Feb. 10, 1876, at Rogersville, Tenn., and was married to Edward Harrel Feb. 11, 1896 in Tennessee. They came to the Kittitas Valley from Rogersville in May 1902, and worked for William Packwood for three years. They then operated a farm for Clarence Palmer before buying a ranch in the Fairview District … 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

Cooke, Chester Allen – Obituary

Chester Allen Cooke, 60, widely known Ellensburg resident and a Kittitas Valley native, died this morning [January 31, 1950] at the Valley General Hospital. He had been in the hospital four days. A son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George B. Cooke, who conducted large early-day cattle operations in the valley, Cooke was born here and had lived most of his life in the valley. He farmed on the old Cooke place in the Edgemont-Thrall District until 1938, when he moved to a ranch near Cashmere. In June of 1941, a few months before Pearl Harbor, he went to … 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

Biography of C. A. Sander

C.A. SANDER. – This is one of those redoubtable men from Prussia who have helped to make our country great. He was born in 1840. At the age of twenty-five he came to America. He first engaged in milling in Florida. He followed the same business in New York and Kansas. He followed the same business in New York and Kansas. In 1868 he was in Arizona at work in the quartz mines for about fifteen months. He was next prospecting in British Columbia in the Peace river country. He then came down to The Dalles in Oregon, and worked … Read more

Morris, John “Casey” – Obituary

Fatality results in Mine Accident: John Morris, 65, Dies Under Trip Car Wheels John Morris, 65, known familiarly throughout Roslyn as “Casey” died under the wheels of a string of trip cars in the 12th east parting of the Northwestern Improvement Company’s No. 9 mine at Roslyn shortly before noon yesterday. He had been an employee of the company for 31 years. The fatal accident, which leaved the dead miner’s six children – all under 21 years of age – fatherless, is being investigated today by a state mine inspector. There were no witnesses to the accident, Harr Boyle, resident … Read more

Schnebly, Joseph Jay – Obituary

Joseph J. Schnebly, age 62, prominent Fairview District rancher and valley native son, was killed when a team he was driving to a hay rake on his farm bolted and threw him under the machine [June 27, 1947]. This was the second similar accident this week in the Kittitas Valley. Ira Johnson, driving a second team on a rake in the same field, was thrown from his machine and knocked unconscious when his team ran away after Schnebly’s horses bolted but he escaped serious injury. Schnebly was breaking in a young horse on the team on his rake. This horse … Read more

Harris, Lottie Rose Ettie Ferguson

Funeral services are pending for Mrs. Lottie Harris, 35, who died today [April 16, 1964] at Bernath’s Nursing Home. She had just been transferred here from the Oaks Nursing Home in Yakima. She was born Jan. 2, 1878 in Ellensburg. Her husband, Gide [Giles] Harris died in August 1931. Mrs. Harris is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Lola Hodgson, Ellensburg, and Mrs. Gertie Werner, Seattle, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren as well as several brothers and sisters, all living in the Kittitas Valley. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Byam, Susan Mariah Yocom – Obituary

Mrs. Susan Yocum [Yocom] died at the home of her son, Alva, three miles west of town at the advanced age of 79 years, Sunday [December 25, 1909]. She had lived in the valley since 1876. She was loved and esteemed by a host of friends. The following appeared about three months later: IN MEMORY OF GRANDMA YOCUM On Christmas Day, 1909, this good pioneer woman died. She was born on the other side of the continent in hearing of the restless flow of Atlantic’s wave; born in the very heart of education, culture, and refinement; born in the city … Read more

Prater, Wendell Weaver – Obituary

Wendell W. Prater, 74, of Ellensburg, died Thursday at his home following an extended illness. He was born March 11, 1913, at the family home near Ellensburg on land he has continued to farm throughout his life. He was the oldest of the three children of Cordy and Velma Ann (Weaver) Prater. Prater was graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1930 and from Washington State College in 1936 with a degree in agricultural engineering. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Ellensburg, a lay member of the First Methodist Church Conference and was a member of … Read more

Wippel, Frederick – Obituary

Fred Wippel, 72, a Kittitas Valley resident since 1901, died Monday [December 9, 1940] from a heart ailment. Fred Wippel was born in Sunman, Indiana in 1868, and spent his early years in that state. He married Kathryn Renyer in Topeka, Kansas, in 1901 and came to Ellensburg shortly afterwards. He joined his brothers, Simon P. and Peter Wippel in the operation of a creamery for six years when he retired to farm on his present Woldale property which he has operated since that time. Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Clarence Wippel of Ellensburg and Rev. … 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

Bunce, Kenneth LeRoy – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Kenneth LeRoy Bunce, 79, of Baker City, died Aug. 22, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. There will be a Celebration of Life service at 2 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Robin Harris of the Cornerstone Baptist Church at North Powder will officiate. Friends are asked to join the family for an ice cream social at Settlers’ Park Assisted Living Facility, 2895 17th St., after the celebration. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Ken was born to Vern C. Bunce of … 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