Kittitas Valley Washington

Hayes, Nancy Fortney – Obituary

Mrs. Nancy Hayes, Pioneer, Passes/Valley Resident For 59 Years Dies; Many Descendents Mrs. Nancy E. Hayes, 83-year-old Kittitas valley pioneer, died at the Valley hospital yesterday [died March 19, 1941]. She was the widow of the late James T. Hayes, and had lived in the Kittitas valley since 1882. Mrs. Hayes was born in Missouri, March 14, 1858. She was married in 1876. She leaves 64 descendents. She is survived by seven children: J. J. Hayes of Badger Pocket; George Hayes of Sunnyside; Abe Hayes of Kittitas; and Mrs. Lou Bender, Mrs. H. P. Willis, C. P. Hayes and H. … Read more

Dixon, Elwood J. – Obituary

Resident Here Since 1882, Former Mail Carrier Dies Sunday. Death came to another pioneer resident of the Kittitas valley here Sunday when Elwood J. Dixon, 82, died at the Ellensburg General hospital following a major operation [died May 9, 1937]. A resident of this valley since 1882, and one of the earliest rural mail carriers here, Mr. Dixon was widely known throughout this section. He was born in Fulton County, Illinois, on October 3, 1854 and came west to Vancouver, W., with his parents [John Wesley Dixon and Sarah E. Smith] when he was 24 years old. The family came … 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

Bailes, Sarah Jane Rader – Obituary

Mrs. A. J. Bailes dies last night. Early Valley Pioneer succumbs; resided here since 1877. Death came last night September 16, 1937 to an early and widely known Kittitas Valley pioneer, Mrs. Sarah Jane Bailes, 78, at her home at 603 East Ninth Street. Mrs. Bailes came to the valley in 1877, and had lived here 60 years. She was married to Andrew Jackson Bailes, who survives her, 57 years ago. In addition to her widower, she is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Clarence Houser, Mrs. E. R. Edwards and Mrs. Ray Ayers of Ellensburg and Mrs. H. M. Sheppard … Read more

Michels, Henry – Obituary

Henry J. Michels, 69, Kittitas valley pioneer and widely known Westside farmer, died at the Valley General Hospital yesterday afternoon [died October 12, 1943]. Born in St. James, Minn., he came to the valley with his parents in 1882 and had resided here 61 years. He was educated in the Ellensburg schools and was married here May 22, 1900, to Miss Anna Olding, likewise a member of an early pioneer valley family. With the exception of a few years when he was in the drayage business in Ellensburg, he operated a farm on the Westside. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. … Read more

Hayes, Samuel – Obituary

Sam Hayes, 73, former long-time resident of the Kittitas Valley, died last night October 30, 1949 at a Yakima hospital. Hayes had been a farmer in the Kittitas Valley for the greater part of his life until he retired and moved to Yakima about 10 years ago. A native of Colorado, Hayes came to the Kittitas Valley 65 years ago with his father, the late Sanford Hayes, a pioneer of this area. Hayes is survived by a sister, Mrs. W. S. Sheldon of Twin Falls, Ida., a grand nephew, James Hayes of Ellensburg, and numerous other nieces and nephews in … Read more

Bailes, Andrew Jackson – Obituary

Death came here early this morning September 18, 1943 to an early and widely known Kittitas Valley pioneer, Andrew Jackson Bailes, 83. Born in Springfield, Mo., November 4, 1859, he came to the valley in 1878 and resided in the Fairview District most of his life. At the time of his death, he resided at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Clarence Houser, in Ellensburg. He was a charter member of the Ellensburg Christian Church. Besides Mrs. Houser, he is survived by three other daughters, Mrs. E. R. Edwards and Mrs. Ray Ayers of Ellensburg, and Mrs. H. M. Shephard … Read more

Grunden, Selma Caroline Jacobsen – Obituary

Death came here this week to another of Kittitas Valley’s pioneers, Mrs. Selma Caroline Grunden, 80, who had lived here 68 years died November 29, 1946. Born in Sweden May 31, 1866, Mrs. Grunden came to Ellensburg in 1878, when she was 12 years old, and had made her home here continuously since that time. She was in Ellensburg during the last Indian uprising in Central Washington and witnessed growth of this area from a frontier section to its present development. She made her home with the late J. L. Vaughn for several years after coming to the valley. She … Read more

Morrison, Catherine Wheeler – Obituary

The death of Mrs. Catherine Morrison, aged 69, who has lived in the Kittitas Valley for 55 years, occurred today September 24, 1928. Mrs. Morrison leaves a number of friends and relatives in the valley. She is survived by her sons, T. J. Morrison, William Morrison, Abe Morrison, Grant Morrison; her sister, Mrs. Samantha Curtis; her brother, Abe Wheeler, and 11 grandchildren. The funeral will take place on Wednesday at 2 o’clock at the Baptist Church with the Rev. Mr. K. E. Burke, presiding. Burial was in the IOOF Cemetery.

Schnebly, Dorse D. – Obituary

Dorse D. Schnebly, long time valley rancher, passed away early today February 21, 1967 at the Kittitas Valley Memorial Hospital. He was 81. He was born Feb. 2, 1886 in Walla Walla and came to the Kittitas Valley at the age of 2 with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Schnebly. Mr. Schnebly married the former Stella Barnhart Nov. 16, 1910 and they made their home and ranched in the Fairview District until his retirement in 1962. He was a member of the First Methodist Church, a Charter Member of the Kittitas County Farm Bureau, and a … Read more

Schnebly, Elsie Winifred Hodgson – Obituary

Elsie Schnebly, 98, passed away Sept. 6, 1994 in Ellensburg. She was the daughter of Thomas and Anna (Schwartz) Hodgson. Mrs. Schnebly was born in Zillah on Feb. 8, 1896. She moved with her family to Roslyn later that year and in 1900 the family moved to Ellensburg. She graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1913 and attended the Normal School. She taught in rural schools in Kittitas County: Tarpiscon School in 1914-15 and the Sunset School 1915-1916. She taught at the Fairview School 1916-17. On June 5, 1917, Elsie married Frank B. Schnebly and they ran a cattle ranch … 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

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

Smathers, Willie Smith – Obituary

Mrs. Willie F. [Smith] Collins Smathers, 31, died Thursday [January 3, 1952] in Seattle at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Charles L. Miles. She had been ill a short while and went to Seattle three weeks ago. She came to the state of Washington from West Virginia in 1902 with a previous husband and two children. They settled in the Kittitas valley, and she had since made her home here. She became the wife of John E. Smathers of Ellensburg who survives her. Mrs. Smathers is also survived by a son, Frank Collins of Seattle, and five daughters, Mrs. … Read more

Hayes, Lydia Montgomery – Obituary

Mrs. Geo Hayes Passes Today At Broadview Home Mrs. Lydia Hayes wife of George Hayes, passed away at her home in the Broadview district this morning [August 1, 1934]. She had been ill for several months but her death comes as a great shock to her family and many friends. She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Montgomery and was born September 3, 1887. With the exception of about 13 years, Mrs. Hayes spent her entire life on the home farm where she passed away, eight of which were spent in the Yakima Valley. She … Read more

Cooke, Ella Harrel – Obituary

Ella Cooke, 96, died Saturday, April 19, 1997 at the Masonic Retirement Center in Des Moines, Wash., where she has been a resident for 9 years. She was born Jan. 1, 1901 in Hawkins County, Tenn. She came to the Ellensburg Valley with her parents, Edward and Julia Harrel, as a small child. She and her husband, Budd Cooke who preceded her in death, lived in the Colockum Pass area north of Ellensburg for over 40 years. She loved to do crafts and handiwork. Before her move to the coast, she belonged to Jolly Neighbors and to the Country Mothers … Read more

Banister, Martha Elizabeth Dixon – Obituary

Mrs. Martha Elizabeth Banister died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E. J. Dixon, 500 Capital Avenue, this morning at 8 o’clock at the age of 86 years October 7, 1918. Mrs. Banister was born March 31, 1841, in Illinois, coming to Kittitas Valley 34 years ago. She is survived by her husband, Newell Banister, and three daughters, Mrs. Elwood Dixon and Mrs. Sarah McEwen of Ellensburg and Mrs. Belle Lewis of Cowiche and a son, Lyndon Banister, of Tieton The funeral services will be held at the home of Mrs. Elwood Dixon tomorrow afternoon at 2:30. Rev. Young … 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.

Hayes, James Thomas – Obituary

James T. Hayes, Kittitas Valley pioneer, passed away at his home Friday, May 24 [1935], at the age of 79 years and one day. He was born in Iowa, May 23, 1856, and came to this valley 52 years ago and has remained here since that time. Besides his widow to whom he was married 59 years ago he is survived by seven children, three brothers, and one sister. The children include John, George, Abe, Clarence, Harry, Mrs. Louis Bender and Mrs. Dora Willis, all of this city. The brothers are Sam and William of Ellensburg and Milo of Idaho … 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