Kittitas Washington

Cooke, Emma Margaret Rader – Obituary

Mrs. George B. Cooke, widow of the late pioneer valley stockman, died yesterday at 1 o’clock at her home on East Eighth Street after an illness of several weeks [died November 26, 1926]. When only a small girl she moved to the Kittitas Valley with her parents, residing here the remainder of her life. [George died only five months earlier]. Mrs. Cooke was born October 22, 1869, in San Benito County, California, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Rader. She grew to womanhood in this valley and on December 18, 1884, was married to the late George B. … Read more

Robinson, Buena Estella Gage – Obituary

Mrs. Buena E. (Peggy) Robinson, 54, 101 N. Elliot, Ellensburg died Wednesday [May 1, 1974] at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. She was born in Ellensburg, Aug. 11, 1919. She attended local schools and in 1937 she and George Robinson were married in Yakima. She is survived by her husband, George, Ellensburg; one son, George Jr., Yakima; one daughter, Mrs. Kathy LePage, Ellensburg; four grandchildren; her father, Robert F. Gage Sr., Ellensburg; six brothers, Clifford, Bob and Seth, all Ellensburg; Harrel, Gresham, Ore., George, Chehalis, and Fred, Tonasket; five sisters, Mrs. Tressa Graham and Mrs. Ethel Kinkade, both Ellensburg; Mrs. Esther … Read more

Cooke, Daniel R. – Obituary

Daniel R. Cooke, 32, died Dec. 28, [1991] in Youngstown, Ohio. He was born May 26, 1959 in Seattle. He attended grade and middle schools in Ellensburg, graduating from Kittitas High School in 1977. He played baseball and football on the KHS teams. Since graduation he has been driving moving vans for Mayflower and United Van Lines. He was a member of Grace Episcopal Church. He is survived by his daughter, Diana Allemand; and his parents, Glen and Sally Cooke, all of Ellensburg; a sister Glenda Sederstrom, his sister and brother-in-law Mary and Bill Pettit, three nieces and one nephew, … Read more

Packwood, Harvey – Obituary

Harvey Packwood, 74, member of a pioneer Kittitas Valley family, died Tuesday in a Seattle Hospital. He had been in ill health for the past year. Packwood was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Packwood who came to the Kittitas Valley in 1874. He and his twin brother, the late Harry Packwood, were born here in April 1882. Harry Packwood died at Pe Ell in 1937 [died November 18, 1940]. [Obit says Perry]. Harvey Packwood lived here until 1907. He resided in California and Kennewick before moving to Seattle in 1930. He made his home there with … Read more

Charlton, Maude Betty Filer – Obituary

Mrs. Maude Betty Charlton, Fairview District pioneer died at Bernath Nursing Home Monday, Feb. 24 [1964] at the age of 92 years. She had been a Kittitas Valley resident 80 years. Maude Filer was born March 26, 1871 in Dallas, Tex. and came West to Pendleton, Ore. in a covered wagon at the age of 11 years. Her father died there shortly after arrival and in 1883 the family moved to the Kittitas Valley [Jacob is listed as being buried in the Ellensburg IOOF Cemetery so this account seems to be in error]. She was married here to George C. … Read more

Taylor, William J. – Obituary

William J. Taylor, one of the most picturesque and best known of the early residents of the Kittitas Valley, passed away at 6 o’clock last evening [May 1, 1924] at his home in East Eleventh Street, of stomach and kidney trouble. He had been ill for several months, his second illness in the 71 years of his unusually active life. Mr. Taylor, not at home out of the saddle, had ridden range in the valley almost continuously from the time he first came here in 1870 until a few months ago. “Bill,” as he was known to all his many … Read more

Dixon, John Wesley – Obituary

Another member of our ‘little’ Grand Army post answered the final call Friday [June 8, 1917] when J. W. Dixon died. Just a week after his 88th birthday, which occurred on Memorial Day, he passed quietly away after an illness of only a few hours. He death was attributed to old age, as he had been in his usual health. He served in the Civil War in the 34th Iowa Infantry. He had lived in Kittitas Valley since 1883. He had been a member of David Ford Post since its organization and was held in high esteem by his comrades … Read more

Gillis, Malcolm M – Obituary

Malcolm M. Gillis, 88, longtime Kittitas resident, died Thursday at the Gold Leaf Nursing Home [died March 6, 1975]. He was born May 28, 1886 in North Dakota. He came to the Ellensburg area in 1915. He and Marjorie Cooke were married in 1917 at Ellensburg. They farmed in the valley until 1936. They built their home in Kittitas and he worked as a carpenter until his retirement in the late 1950’s. He assisted with construction of the Kittitas Community Church, of which he was a member. In addition to his wife Marjorie, he is survived by a son, M. … 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

Cooke, Lester Vaner

Lester V. Cooke, 96, of Ellensburg died Thursday in Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. He was born January 27, 1890, in a house on the banks of Coleman Creek north of Ellensburg. He parents were early Kittitas Valley pioneers Mode and Isabella (Fulton) Cooke. After graduating from Ellensburg High School in 1910, Mr. Cooke entered Washington State College, where he received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture in 1914. While attending school he was well known as a sprinter and competed in track events, attaining undefeated status. He married Mary B. Edwards in Drain, Oregon, in 1917, and they farmed … Read more

Brown, Elizabeth Jane Bailes – Obituary

Oldest Valley Pioneer Passes Elizabeth J. Brown, 98 Succumbs to Heart Attack Elizabeth J. Brown, oldest pioneer resident of the Kittitas Valley, who lacked just six weeks of becoming 99 years of age, succumbed to a heart attack yesterday in her home at 108 North Ruby Street died October 24, 1949. An invalid for the past 10 years, Mrs. Brown has made the valley her home for the past 70 years, since she first came here August 6, 1879. Born December 8, 1850, in Springfield, Missouri, the daughter of Rev. Keathley Bailes and Mrs. Bailes, she and her family crossed … Read more

Grindrod, Mildred Miller – Obituary

Mildred M. Grindrod, 61, Kittitas, died Tuesday [December 3] morning at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. She was born in Ainsworth, Neb., on Sept. 3, 1924. She and Owen Grindrod were married in Sumner on April 4, 1942. They came to the Kittitas Valley from Puyallup in 1944 and farmed in the Badger Pocket area. They moved to Kittitas in 1959 and operated the O&M Café for a number of years. Mrs. Grindrod had been employed as a cook at Husky House for the past five years. She was a member of the Kittitas Community Church and the Kittitas Booster Club, … Read more

Hayes, Rebecca Jane Fry – Obituary

The death of Mrs. Rebecca Jane Hayes, wife of Sanford Hayes, occurred on Sunday morning [May 25, 1913], after a lingering illness. The funeral services took place on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Kittitas Baptist Church, Mr. Hanson of the Church of Latter Day Saints officiating, and were attended by a large number of friends of the deceased. Mrs. Hayes was a pioneer of the Kittitas Valley, having come here in 1882. She was 77 years of age, her birthplace being Millersburg, Ohio, in 1836. During the course of her early life she made four overland journeys across the … Read more

Peffers, Sina Ellen Grissom – Obituary

Mrs. Sina Peffers, of East Kittitas, died very suddenly at her home Monday morning at 4 o’clock [February 10, 1902]. The funeral took place Wednesday. She leaves a heart broken husband and nine children and two brothers, William and Henry Grissom, to mourn her departure. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Hall, Lottie M. Ferrier – Obituary

Mrs. Wm. R. Hall died last night [October 16, 1910] at 8 o’clock at her home on West Tenth Street after a short illness. She was 28 years of age and leaves a husband, son, and infant daughter, besides her father, E. I. Ferrier, of this city, two sisters, Mrs. Frank Simpson and Mrs. Bert Carroll, and three brother, Jesse, Harry, and Jack Ferrier. She was buried this afternoon. [Interment at IOOF Cemetery] Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Barnhart, Frank Cooke – Obituary

Frank C. Barnhart, pioneer sheepman of this valley, died at the Ellensburg Hospital Friday evening at 7:30 o’clock [December 23, 1932] following a brief illness. He was 74 years of age. Mr. Barnhart, a resident of the Kittitas Valley since 1878, was born in Missouri in 1858. He was married in 1879 to Miss Matilda Louise Bailes. Mr. Barnhart was an active pioneer sheepman and resided in the Fairview District until five years ago when he moved to the Denmark District. He was a member of the Christian Church and a charter member of the Odd Fellows Lodge. Besides his … Read more

Schnebly, Frederick Cooke – Obituary

Fred C. Schnebly, 74, who was born in the Kittitas Valley of a pioneer family, was a director, board president and outstanding leader in the creation and operation of the Kittitas Reclamation District, and for more than 50 years was one of the best known cattlemen of the Pacific Northwest, died at the Valley General Hosptial Tuesday evening [April 12, 1955]. Death followed an illness from a kidney infection started last September. His father and all his brothers were likewise leaders in the cattle industry of the Northwest, as his son is today. His father was the late P. H. … Read more

Rader, Andrew Jackson – Obituary

Andrew J. Rader who was buried from the Christian Church here last Sunday, died on Thursday, the 10th [January 1901], at the early age of 72 years. He was born in Indiana, came to the Pacific Coast in 1866 and had lived in Kittitas Valley for twenty years. Besides a circle of relatives he leaves many friends, as he was very popular with all who knew him. [Interment in IOOF Cemetery] Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Cooke, E. Ward – Obituary

E. Ward Cooke Dies. E. Ward Cooke, of 406 South Sprague Street, died last night, of heart failure. He was 59 years old. The body is now at Steltz’s undertaking parlors, and funeral arrangements are in charge of the Odd Fellows lodge. Edward was born April 1, 1858 in Oregon. He was married to Virinda Wheeler in 1878. He was known as Ward. Virinda and he had 12 children. Ward died December 23, 1917. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Gage, Reese Boyn – Obituary

R. B. Gage, a well known farmer of East Kittitas, died Monday, Nov. 1 [1909], after a lingering illness of several weeks. The funeral services were conducted at the home Wednesday at 10 a.m. and burial at 1:30 p.m. in IOOF Cemetery. Mr. Gage was well and favorable known in this city and valley where he has lived for the past ten years. He came from Texas to this valley. Reese was the son of Jeremiah Gage and Mary Cheney. He married Miranda America German. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman