Kittitas County WA

Prater, Sarah Martha Hall – Obituary

Mrs. Martha Prater, 87, valley pioneer, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Minnie Wangeman, on North Walnut Street, at 11 o’clock yesterday morning [March 11, 1934]. Mrs. Prater suffered a paralytic stroke Thursday evening and her condition gradually grew worse until her death. Conscious almost to the end, she seemed cheerful and talked to relatives present. Her last words were “All is well.” Mrs. Prater had been in unusually good health for her age and only last Monday evening visited Mr. and Mrs. Austin Mires to extend greetings on their 50th wedding anniversary. A few days later … Read more

Bender, Maria Elizabeth Hayes – Obituary

Mrs. Maria E. Bender, daughter of one of the earliest Kittitas Valley pioneer families, died Saturday morning March 30, 1968, at Bernaths Nursing Home at the age of 82 years. She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. James T. Hayes A Valley resident all of her life, she was married to Louis Bender June 22, 1907, at Ellensburg. He preceded her in death in 1946. She was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Moose for 40 years Mrs. Bender is survived by four sons; Bernard, Louis, Russell, and Harrell, all of Ellensburg; one daughter, Mrs. … Read more

Sorenson, Soren Albert – Obituary

Death Takes Al Sorenson, Civic Leader, Veteran Member Of County Board Succumbs Sunday May 8, 1955 Death comes to Soren Albert (Al) Sorenson, 60-year-old member of the Board of Kittitas County Commissioners and one of the county’s most prominent citizens, Sunday afternoon in Sorensen Memorial Hospital here. He had suffered a heart attack Wednesday afternoon. A Kittitas Valley native, active in farm and community affairs throughout his adult life Sorenson was widely known throughout the state and Northwest. Mourned by friends and associates he was eulogized by them as having “always given his best efforts to the interests of Kittitas … Read more

Uebelacker, Urban L. – Obituary

Urban L. Uebelacker, 85, of Ellensburg, died Thursday [September 22, 1988] at Gold Leaf-Washington Health Care Center. He was born in Ellensburg June 23, 1903, a son of Frank and Anna Uebelacker. Following graduation from Ellensburg High School, he attended St. Martin’s College in Olympia. He was employed by Kittitas County as a heavy-duty equipment mechanic for 30 years, and later was employed by the Kittitas School District for 10 years. He retired in 1968. Mr. Uebelacker was a member of St. Andrews Catholic Church and the Moose Lodge, and was a life member of the Elks Lodge. He enjoyed … Read more

Harrell, Thomas Andrew Jr. – Obituary

Thomas Andrew Harrell, 71, died today March 2, 1959 at the Valley General Hospital. He had been seriously ill for a week but has been in failing health for some time. He was born in Rogersville, Tenn. And came to the Kittitas Valley where he has been a rancher since 1904. He married Miss Maxie Taylor here in 1908. Following her death, he subsequently married Miss Alice Poskey who has also passed away. He is survived by his present wife, Mrs. Esther Harrell and by a daughter, Mrs. Louise Fleming now a resident of Ellensburg formerly of Seattle. He leaves … Read more

Wyatt, Helen Hartwell – Obituary

Mrs. Helen Hartwell Wyatt, 68, a Kittitas valley resident for 31 years, died here Thursday [January 3, 1952] evening at 9 o’clock in the Airway Nursing Home. She had been ill for the past 18 years and had been at the nursing home for the last four years. She is survived by her husband, Arthur Wyatt of Kittitas, whom she married January 12, 1918 at Twin Falls, Idaho. Other surviving relatives include a daughter, Mrs. Lucille Martens of Montesano; three sisters, Mrs. Louie Welles of Los Angeles, California, Mrs. Caroline Patrick of Rogerson, Idaho, and Mrs. Dorothy Gish of Benicia, … Read more

Wheeler, Laura McEwen – Obituary

Death Take Mrs. Laura Wheeler 88, Valley Pioneer Came Here by Ox Team in ’71. Death this morning took one of the oldest pioneers of Yakima County, Mrs. Laura E. Wheeler, 88, in Sorensen Memorial Hospital. Mrs. Wheeler died of complications of old age after having been in the hospital seven weeks. Mrs. Wheeler was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. McEwen and was born in Shelton in 1867. In 1871 she accompanied her parents by ox-team and horseback over the Cascade mountains to the Kittitas Valley. At that time Indian war scares were frequent, a it had … Read more

Wyatt, Arthur Grundy – Obituary

Graveside services for Arthur Wyatt, 81, longtime Ellensburg resident who died Friday, Nov. 1 at Bernath Nursing Home, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the IOOF Cemetery. The Rev. John Gaub will officiate. Born Sept. 15, 1887 in Shelton, Wyatt came to Ellensburg from Shelton in 1903. He was married to Helen Hartwell in Twin Falls, Ida., in 1918. She preceeded him in death in 1952. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Ray Martens, Sequim; two granddaughters; seven great grandchildren; two brothers, William and Otis Wyatt, Ellensburg; three sisters, Mrs. Lulu Ferrier, Spokane, Mrs. Neillie Baughman, Seattle, and Mrs. … Read more

Huss, Dorcas Jane Graham – Obituary

The death of Mrs. Harvey Huss, aged 77 years, occurred Wednesday morning at the home of her son, F. Huss, caused by bronchial pneumonia. Funeral arrangements have not yet been completed. Dorcas was the daughter of William Graham and Catharine Pruitt. She married Elisha Harvey Huss in Missouri on April 3, 1863. Dorcas died February 11, 1925. She was buried in the IOOF Cemetery. Contributed by Shelly Steedman.

McEwen, Mary Ellen Grunden – Obituary

The body of Mrs. E. J. McEwen who died in Seattle on Monday [May 23, 1916] after a long illness with pulmonary tuberculosis, arrived in Ellensburg last night and was taken to the parlor of M. L. Bridgham where it will lie until funeral arrangements can be made. Mr. McEwen is in Montreal, and will not be able to get here until Sunday or Monday. Mrs. McEwen, formerly Miss Mary Grunden, was born in Ellensburg and had lived here nearly all of her life, having attended the public schools here. She was 20 years of age, and was married in … Read more

Cooke, Virinda Wheeler

Mrs. Ward Cooke, of East Kittitas, and who has been seriously indisposed for some time, died Thursday forenoon. The funeral takes place in the forenoon at the residence and the burial at 1 p.m., Saturday, in the I.O.O.F. cemetery. The grief stricken husband and family have the sympathy of a wide circle of friends. Virinda was the daughter of Charles Wheeler and Mariah Fry. She was born February 23, 1861 in Yelm, WA and died August 2, 1906. Virinda married Edward Ward Cooke in 1878. She was the mother of 12 children.

Morrison, Thomas Edward – Obituary

Ed Morrison, 54, a native Kittitas County farmer, 54, died Sunday [July 2, 1978] at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. He was born May 15, 1924 at Kittitas. He has farmed in the Kittitas Valley since he was 14-years-old, more recently in the Denmark and Badger Pocket districts. He attended Kittitas schools and was married Juanita Borgman May 27, 1944 at Kittitas. He was active as a volunteer in the Denmark area rural fire department. He is survived by his wife at the farm, Rt. 2, his mother, Mrs. Rose Morrison of Ellensburg; one son, Tom Morrison of Enumclaw; a daughter, … Read more

Rader, Hilda G. Brunn – Obituary

Former Ellensburg area resident Hilda G. Rader, 90, died Monday [January 16, 1984] following a short illness in Modesto, Calif. She had been living in California with her son and daughter-in-law since 1980 She was born in Freeport, Ill., on Jan. 3, 1894, one of eight children of Christian and Marie Brunn. Her father emigrated from Sweden in the early 1880’s and her mother, Marie Horz [Hertz], was a native of Germany. The Brunn family moved to the Kittitas Valley shortly after the turn of the century Mrs. Rader was graduated from Ellensburg Normal School and taught in public schools … Read more

McEwen, Edward Jesse – Obituary

Ed McEwen, jockey killed in a race, former Ellensburg boy thrown by horse; was born here and parents were pioneers of the Kittitas Valley.. Walla Walla, June 5-Ed McEwen, Walla Walla, jockey for Geo. Drumheller, was killed during the annual Waitsburg racing matinee yesterday afternoon [June 4, 1920]. The fatal accident occurred during the three-eights mile handicap next to the last race, when his horse threw him from the saddle breaking his neck. Eddie McEwen, who was the son of Harvey McEwen, a well-known horseman of this valley, was a native of Ellensburg. His father and grandfather were pioneers of … 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

Gerard, Ida May (Hall) – Obituary

Mrs. Ida M. Gerard, 91, a former Ellensburg resident, died Wednesday at the Central Memorial Hospital in Toppenish. She had been in the hospital one day, having been in the Parkside Sanitarium in Toppenish since March 21. She was born July 26, 1866, in Covington, Kentucky. She was married to Joseph N. Gerard in Mt. Vernon, Ill. in 1884. He preceded her in death in February, 1938 in Los Angeles. Mrs. Gerard came to Ellensburg from Mt. Vernon in 1888, moved to Spokane in 1901, to Wapato in 1916, to Detroit, Mich. in 1923, to Seattle in 1925, returned to … Read more

Harrell, Julia Derrick – Obituary

Valley Pioneer Dies on Monday. Mrs. Julia Harrell Resident of the Valley for 16 years dies after brief Illness. Mrs. Julia Harrell, 70, wife of T. A. Harrell, Sr., West Side rancher, passed away at her home Monday afternoon August 24, 1925 at 2:30, following a brief illness due to heart failure. Mrs. Harrell, with her husband and family, came to Ellensburg in 1909 and had lived on a ranch on the West Side ever since. She was born April 16, 1855, at Rogersville, Tenn. On December 25, 1871, she was married to Thomas A. Harrell and 11 children were … Read more

Wright, Myrtle McVey – Obituary

Mrs. Myrtle Elizabeth Wright, wife of Wm. J. Wright, resident in the valley for the past ten years, died yesterday morning [June 13, 1920] at the general hospital at 4:30 a.m. at the age of 47. Mr. and Mrs. Wright located in the valley in 1910, from Missouri, having lived in the city since that date on their ranch four miles east of town. During the winter Mrs. Wright was taken with smallpox and in her weakened condition contracted the “flu,” from which she never had fully recovered. Besides the many friends which she has made since locating in the … Read more

McGlothlen, Leona Erma Rich – Obituary

Mrs. Leona E. McGlothlen, 89, of 1004 S. 3rd Ave., Yakima, died Monday [May 26, 1975] in Madison Fountains Convalescent Center. Mrs. McGlothlen was born in Smith Center, Kan. She moved to Yakima when she was 10. She was married to Purdy McGlothlen when she was 19. He died in July 1937. She was the last surviving charter member of the Yakima Seventh Day Adventist Church. Survivors are a daughter, Mrs. Stella Hill of Yakima; two sisters, Mrs. Ada Cooke of Ellensburg and Mrs. Levina Perin of St. Maries, Idaho; a half sister, Mrs. Vern Carson of Orleans, Calif.; two … Read more

Harris, Susan Margaret Bearden – Obituary

The funeral of Mrs. Susan M. Harris, who died from paralysis Saturday night, took place yesterday afternoon from the Rose & Inman undertaking parlors, the Rev. W. L. Straub of the Christian Church officiating. Interment followed in the Odd Fellows’ Cemetery. The deceased, who was 72 years old at the time of her death, is survived by eleven children, as follows: G. P. Harris, Charles Harris, Tom Harris, Bob Harris, Mrs. Perry, and Mrs. [Lula] Shuey of Ellensburg; Mrs. Clem See of Nevada; Jim Harris, John Harris and Paul Harris, Hubert Harris of Toppenish. The husband of the late Mrs. … Read more