Kittitas County WA

Cooke, Glen W. – Obituary

Glen W. Cooke, 66, a lifetime resident of Ellensburg, died Friday, September 11, 1992 at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Yakima, after a long illness. Mr. Cooke was the youngest child of Guy and Catherine (Shotwell) Cooke. He lived most of his life within a few miles of his birthplace, on Naneum Road. As a boy he was active in 4-H and FFA. He attended grade and middle school in Kittitas and graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1944. After graduation he served as a aviation cadet in the U. S. Air Force. He then returned home to ranch with … 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

Peffers, William Samuel – Obituary

William Samuel Peffers, 71, native Kittitas Valley resident died at Colville, Wash., Saturday, Oct. 8 [1960] while on a fishing and hunting trip. Peffers was born July 24, 1889 in Caribou Canyon and has spent almost his entire life in Ellensburg. He farmed in the Fairview District for many years and retired in 1951. For the past seven years he has made his home at 907 Columbia St. He was married to Faye Wall in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, May 29, 1931. Mrs. Peffers survives at the family home; two daughters are Mrs. Beverly Schell and Miss Wiladean Peffers, both of … 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

Godbey, Bertha Looney Brown – Obituary

Bertha M. Godbey, 95, a longtime Ellensburg resident, died Friday [September 19, 1986] evening at Gold Leaf Convalescent Home. She was born in Hawkins, Tenn., on Dec. 15, 1890, a daughter of John P. and Phoebe (Derrick) Looney. She and Bert Godbey were married in Yakima on Aug. 22, 1936. The family home was at 504 S. Pearl St. for more than 50 years. Her husband preceded her in death in 1968. Survivors include a niece, Mrs. Jim Wallace, of Wenatchee. Funeral will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the IOOF Cemetery. Friends who wish to attend may meet at the … Read more

McEwen, John Hager – Obituary

J. H. McEwen, formerly known as “Grandpa McEwen,” was born Bartholomew County, Feb. 4, 1832. When but an infant his parents moved to Decatur Co., Ind., where they resided until 1848, when with their family they moved to Fremont, Mahaska County, Iowa, where their son, J. H. was married to Miss Jerusha Amelia Morrow, Aug. 11, 1850. With his wife and young family, McEwen left Iowa in 1860, making his way across the great plains with an ox team. After a long and perilous journey they arrived at the Dallas, Ore., from which point the family were sent by boat … Read more

Cooke, Morand – Obituary

Mode Cooke, 88, Valley Pioneer, Taken By Death Widely Known Fairview Farmer Resided Here 75 Years Death yesterday took Morand D. (Mode) Cooke, 88, in the Kittitas valley’s oldest pioneer in point of years and the last remaining member of one of the Northwest’s pioneer families. He died at his home in the Fairview district, where he had lived for 74 years, yesterday afternoon [died September 2, 1945]. A son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Cooke, Oregon and Washington pioneers, he came to the Kittitas valley with his parents in 1871. At his death he made his … Read more

Wyatt, Lester Jay – Obituary

Lester Jay Wyatt, 27, teacher and head basketball coach for Hanford High School, died Tuesday at his home in Richland. He was born in Ellensburg on Dec. 31, 1954, the only son of Marvin and Kathryn Wyatt of Ellensburg. He graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1973 and from Central Washington University in 1973 with a degree in education. Mr. Wyatt taught and coached for one year at Tonasket High School. Since 1979 he had been a teacher and coach at Hanford High. Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Wyatt of Ellensburg; a sister, Mrs. John (Jane) Floyd … Read more

Grimm, George William – Obituary

George Will Grimm, 83, a resident of Puyallup since 1922, died Monday [March 2, 1981]. He was born in Ellensburg. He was a cabinetmaker and a member of the Tacoma Eagles Lodge. He also was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church. Survivors include his wife, Mabel of Puyallup; two sons, George Jr. of Fife and John of Hermiston, Ore.; two daughters, Mrs. Jack (Dorothy) Hendry of Roslyn and Mrs. Robert (Betty) Jordan of Tacoma; a brother, Archie of Ephrata; 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Hill Funeral Home of Puyallup is in charge. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

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.

Barns, Absalom – Obituary

Absalom Barns, better known as ‘Pet’ Barns, a well-known rancher of the west side and a Kittitas Valley pioneer of 45 years ago, died yesterday morning at the home farm after a long illness from acute Bright’s Disease Mr. Barns was born in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, 69 years ago. At the age of four his family moved to Dodge County, Wisconsin, where he lived until grown. He then moved to La Crosse, Wis., and from there came to Kittitas County, taking the train to San Francisco, the boat from there to Portland, and making the rest of the distance on … Read more

Michels, Martin – Obituary

Martin Michels, Sr., aged 80 years and a pioneer citizen of Ellensburg, died yesterday [February 14, 1917] at his home north of the city after an illness of several years. Pending the arrival of a son, J. J. Michels, from the east, funeral arrangements will not be announced until Friday. Mr. Michels was born May 2, 1837, in Germany, and came to the United States in 1855. He was married at Aurora, Ill, September, 1859, to Miss Margaret Lenhartz, and later with his family removed to St. James, Minnesota, in 1871. In 1882 Mr. Michels came to the Kittitas Valley, … Read more

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

Peffers, Henry Elmer – Obituary

Elmer Peffers, 47, died here this morning [June 14, 1935] after a short illness. Born here and for most of his life a resident of the valley. Mr. Peffers is survived by two sisters, Emma Waters and Mary McEwen; and four brothers, John, Leavenworth; William and Burton, Ellensburg; and Albert, Sunnyside. Funeral arrangements have not been made. [Interment in IOOF Cemetery] Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Prater, Norma Noble – Obituary

Norma Prater, 91, former Hanson Road resident, died Wednesday [February 14, 1979] at a local nursing home. She was born June 28, 1887, in Leadville, Colo. She was awarded a scholarship in the field of medicine, science or law to the University of Colorado at Denver, but was unable to accept the scholarship and went into teaching for several years prior to her marriage. She came to Ellensburg in 1908 from Colorado, and she and Jess Prater were married in Ellensburg on Feb. 14, 1915. They farmed on the west side, retiring in 1951, but continued to live there until … Read more

Barrett, Rosa Palmer – Obituary

Funeral services for Mrs. Walter C. Barrett, 78, who passed away last evening at the Valley General Hospital following a recent stroke, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday [died February 4, 1959] at the Evenson Chapel. Burial will follow in the Terrace Heights Cemetery in Yakima Mrs. Barrett, the former Rosa Palmer, was born in Virginia in 1881. She was married to Walter C. Barrett on Feb. 2, 1902, and they moved to Ellensburg in 1910. Barrett preceded her in death in 1953 Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Lester J. (Lula) Ferguson of Alderwood Manor, Wash., and Mrs. Walter … Read more

Taylor, John – Obituary

Passing of John Taylor With the burial of John Taylor upon the old home ranch at Bristol last Saturday afternoon, there passed over the Great Divide another Kittitas county’s honored pioneers. He was born in Wise county, West Va., in 1851 and died at his home at Bristol station December 12, 1917, of cancer. When but a small boy he removed with his parents to Dassel, Minn., and in 1868 was married to Elizabeth Hutchins who still survives him. To this union were born nine children, seven of whom are now living; L.W. Taylor of Cle Elum, Elmer Taylor of … Read more

Cooke, Robert – Obituary

Robert Cooke, 72, of Ellensburg, died Friday at the Gold Leaf Care Center. He was born on Long Island, New York, January 1, 1917. He and Gwen (Ferguson) Davis were married in Seattle on Sept. 20, 1951. They came to Ellensburg in 1957. Mr. Cooke was a merchant seaman until retirement in 1965. Survivors include his wife, Gwen, of Ellensburg; two stepsons, Robert Davis, of Ellensburg, and John Davis, of Walnut Creek, Calif.; two stepdaughters, Patty Ridas, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Betty McKenzie, of Roy, Utah; seven grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; one brother, Benson Cooke, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; … Read more

Cooke, Henry Daniel – Obituary

Henry Daniel Cooke, 69, descendant of two pioneer families of this area, died at his home in Fairview district at about 1 a.m. today [July 2, 1951]. He had lived in Kittitas valley most of his life and farmed at the present Cooke place in the Farview district for the past 16 years. He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. E. [Edward] Ward Cooke. His grandparents were the pioneers, Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Cooke and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wheeler. Henry Cooke was born here December 4, 1881. In the fall of 1887, his parents built … Read more

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