Lewis County WA

Lewis County WA, located in the southwestern part of Washington State, is distinguished by its rich tapestry of landscapes ranging from the western lowlands’ fertile agricultural plains to the eastern rugged terrains of the Cascade Mountain Range. Established on December 19, 1845, it is one of the original counties of Washington Territory, formed from the northern part of the Columbia District by the Oregon Provisional Government. Its creation predates the establishment of Washington Territory itself, showcasing its historical significance. Named in honor of Meriwether Lewis, of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition, the county’s historical roots are deeply intertwined with the early exploration and settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Throughout its history, Lewis County has evolved from a fur trading and logging hub to a diverse economy that includes agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, reflecting the broader economic transitions of the region. The county seat, Chehalis, situated in the heart of Lewis County, serves as the administrative and cultural center, further emphasizing the county’s role as a pivotal area in Washington’s development.

Champ, Cora A. Eells – Obituary

Mrs. Cora A. Champ, aged 78 years, and a resident of the Winlock community for the past sixty-four years, passed away at her home in Winlock Tuesday morning, October 13, following an illness of two weeks. She was born March 3, 1864, in Spring Valley, Minnesota, and came to WA Territory with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Eels, in 1879, settling near Toledo. She was married May 1, 1881 to John H. Champ whose parents came by covered wagon from Indiana in 1861. Mr. Champ died in 1915. They were the parents of ten children, only three of whom … Read more

Kirkendoll, Grant – Obituary

Funeral services for Grant Kirkendoll, who died yesterday morning at his home on Silver Lake following a long illness, will be held Sunday from the Methodist Church here with burial in the Whittle Cemetery. He was born in Iowa, December 25, 1865, and came to Kelso with his parents when a small child. He has since lived in Cowlitz and Lewis counties, making his home at different times in Kelso, Toledo, Sandy Bend and Silver Lake. He has always been a rancher. He is survived by five children, Mrs. Otto Disque, Kelso; Mrs. Jennie Stange, Silver Lake; Mrs. Gladys Leichhardt, … Read more

Champ, Robert Allen – Obituary

Funeral services were held at Winlock, Sunday for Robert A. Champ, 75, who was found dead in his home there Wednesday [April 3, 1939]. The services were held at the Cattermole Funeral Home with interment in the Winlock Cemetery beside the grave of his wife who died many years ago. Survivors are three sons, Earl of Hoquiam; and Harrison and Henry in California, and one brother, William of Aberdeen. Mr. champ had been engaged in logging activities in Winlock for many years. He was born at Shelton, going to Winlock when only two years of age. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Lyon, Lottie Anna McEwen – Obituary

Mrs. Lottie Lyon, 60, died at her home here early Monday morning [March 19]. She was born at Manhattan, Kans., November 10, 1873 and came to Washington in 1888, locating near Toledo with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. [Archibald] McEwen. She was married July 5, 1890 to John [Charles] Lyon whose death occurred a few years ago. Mrs. Lyon was a member of the Royal Neighbors and the Renewal Society. Surviving relatives are three daughters, Mrs. Esther Pierce and Miss Winnie Lyon, San Francisco and Mrs. Hattie Pierce, Vacaville, Calif.; six sons, Harry, Wendell, Ed, Fred, and John Lyon, Toledo … Read more

Champ, John Hagar – Obituary

John Champ, aged 53 years, died at Winlock, Monday morning [December 6] following an illness of several months. Mr. Champ was a well-known early resident of Winlock and served the town as marshal on various occasions. He had lived at Winlock about 35 years. He is survived by a wife and six children, four daughters and two sons. [My research shows six daughters and four sons survived him] Chehalis Bee Nugget, December 10, 1915 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Champ, Charles Darwin – Obituary

Charles Champ, 36, known among Harbor loggers as “Big Charlie,” dropped dead at the door of the cookhouse of Camp 10, Humptulips Logging Company, immediately after the evening meal at the camp yesterday. Death was ascribed to heart trouble. Champ had engaged in woods work in the Harbor country for the last 10 years, coming here then from Winlock. His mother and brothers and sisters reside in Winlock. A nephew lives in Hoquiam, and an uncle, Willis, resides in Aberdeen. The body is at the local Whiteside parlors pending completion of funeral arrangements. [Interment Winlock Cemetery, Lewis Co.] Aberdeen Daily … Read more

Champ, Edyth Marie Wallis – Obituary

Mrs. Ralph J. Champ, 59, succumbed Sunday [October 2, 1955] at her home on route 1, Winlock. Mrs. Champ, born Sept. 22, 1896 in Arlington, Wash., is survived, in addition to her husband, by a daughter, Mrs. Lynne Pope, Algona; sister, Mrs. R. D. Campbell, Winlock; three brothers, Robert Wallace [Wallis], Spokane, and William and Hugh Wallace, Arlington, and three grandchildren. The deceased was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m., at the John W. Boone Chapel in Chehalis with the Rev. George Shuman officiating. Cremation will follow. [Interment in Winlock Cemetery] … Read more

Champ, William – Obituary

Large funeral state pioneer-William champ dies at Winlock and funeral held on Sunday-Baptist church would not hold nearly all the mourners-organized many Masonic lodges in the west. Sunday afternoon from the Baptist Church at Winlock were held the funeral services of William Champ of that city who died Saturday. The church would not begin to hold the people who were present to pay their respects to the memory of this old pioneer who came west and who first located in Olympia in 1860. Born in Kentucky in 1825-he would have been 88 year old in about one month-Mr. Champ joined … Read more

Morrow, Herman Grinsel – Obituary

H. G. Morrow, one of the best known and most highly esteemed pioneers of the county, died suddenly near his home in Cowlitz Prairie about nine o’clock Wednesday forenoon [June 7, 1905]. Mr. Morrow had been sick for some time but had gotten better and was able to be about. Yesterday forenoon Mrs. Morrow and the other members of the family started to Toledo to attend the state Grange which is in session there. They had not been gone long when Mr. Morrow entered Henriott Brothers’ store on the Cowlitz and handed his watch and a walking stick to John … Read more

Lewis County, Washington Cemetery Records

Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. Following Cemeteries (hosted At Lewis County, Washington Tombstone Transcription Project) Boistfort (Harris) Cemetery Butterworth’s Cemetery Doss Cemetery Dryad-Doty (Sylvan) Cemetery Dunn (Harmony) Cemetery Ethel Greenwood (Clements, LaDue, Olson) Cemetery Fern Hill (Chehalis, Phillips, Urquhart) Cemetery Finn Hill (Independence Valley, Finnish) Cemetery Greenwood Masonic Cemetery Klickitat Cemetery Lone Hill (Layton Prairie) Cemetery Napavine Cemetery Newaukum Hill Cemetery Owery (Wilson Pioneer) Cemetery Rainy Valley Cemetery Riffe Cemetery Roberts (Howe, Cowlitz Prairie) Cemetery St. Francis Xavier Mission … Read more

A History of Winlock, Washington

This history of Winlock was written in 1951, at the request of the Winlock Community Development Association. The Community Development came into existence as a result of a 21-week study of our community, under the direction of the Bureau of Community Development of the University of Washington, with Professor Dick Poston as our weekly leader and consultant. This history was made into book form by commercial classes of the Winlock High School under the direction of Mrs. Sylvia Haapala.

Gowen, Francis Marion – Obituary

Francis M. Gowen, 72, prominent dairyman and farmer, died suddenly last evening at his home on Route 1, Chehalis. He was born in Rice County, Minnesota, July 31, 1869, and came to Lewis County in 1893. He was a member of the Grange and of the Modern Woodmen. Surviving are his wife, Melissa [Champ]; two sons, Dewey, Chehalis, and Myron Gowen, Centralia; four daughters, Mrs. Pearl Hammack, Castle Rock; Mrs. Violet Hart, Bucoda; Mrs. Daisey Campbell, Chehalis, and Mrs. Ruby Bruce, Portland; sister, Mrs. W. E. Smith, Toledo, and five grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 … Read more

Layton, Merle Alta Lewis – Obituary

A lifetime resident of Lewis County, Mrs. Merle Alta Layton, 70, Toledo, died Sunday [May 8, 1966] in a Chehalis hospital. She was born Jan. 19, 1896 in Clatskanie, Ore. Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Hazel Foley, Chicago, Ill., Mrs. Oneta Pettett, Olympia and Mrs. Genevieve McKune, Winlock; a son, Virgil Layton, Kelso; three half sisters, Mrs. Gladys Marshall, Kelso, Mrs. Viola Wetzel, Seattle and Mrs. Reba Richter, Louisiana; three stepsisters, Mrs. Ethel Layton, Olympia, Mrs. Esther Pratt, Toledo and Mrs. Ruth Allison, Junction City, Ore.; 14 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services are Wednesday at 2 p.m. … Read more

Biography of Frederick Proebstel

FREDERICK PROEBSTEL. – This pioneer of the Wallowa valley was born in Germany in 1829, and with his parents emigrated to America in 1842 and located in Missouri. In 1852 he made the crossing of the plains to Lewis County, Washington Territory, locating on Fourth Plain. Mr. Proebstel, belonging to the family of this name, a number of whose biographies are found in this volume, shared many experiences in common with others, and was one of the Indian fighters of 1855-56, and wishes to bear special testimony to the liberality of the Hudson’s Bay Company during the hard winter of … Read more

Lee, Ruthella Chaplin – Obituary

Ruthella Chaplin Lee, 95, died Wednesday, May 10 [1989], in Providence Hospital in Centralia. She was born Oct. 3, 1893, in Brownsville, Ore., and was the daughter of Ralph and Sarah [Coshow] Chaplin. Lee attended Bellingham Normal School and was a teacher in the Chehalis School District until her marriage in 1917 to Virgin R. Lee. He died in 1986. She was a life member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a long-time member of the St. Helen’s Club and the Pioneers of Washington. Surviving are a son, William R. “Bill” Lee of Chehalis; three granddaughters; and three … Read more

Gowen, Sophronia Ellen Thomas – Obituary

Mrs. Francis M. Gowen, aged 56, a well-known Lewis County pioneer, died at the family home at Silver Creek, Friday, July 8 [1927]. Sophronia Thomas was born in march, 1871, at Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa, and at the age of 16 she came with her parents to Toledo, where in 1896 she was married to Francis Gowen. They moved to Silver Creek in 1902, where they have since resided. She is survived by the widower and seven children, three boys, Ernest, Dewey and Myron; and four girls, Mrs. Pearl Baird, Misses Daisy and Ruby, of Silver Creek, and Mrs. Violet … Read more

Biography of Michael T. Simmons

MICHAEL T. SIMMONS. – Michael T. Simmons, the leader of an American colony, who established the pioneer American settlement upon the shores of Puget Sound, was born August 5, 1814, in Bullitt County, Kentucky, three miles south of Sheppardsville. In 1840 he removed with his family to Missouri, and located and built a mill on a branch of the Missouri River, which mill he sold to procure his outfit to migrate to Oregon. In 1844 he joined the Independent Oregon Colony, consisting of several separate companies or parties, who joined together in a quasi military organization, and elected Cornelius Gilliam … Read more

Curtis, Norman Samuel – Obituary

Norman S. Curtis, 56, a lifetime resident of Winlock, died Friday [Jul 25, 1969] at his home following a short illness. He was born Sept. 2, 1912, in Winlock and was an employee of Weyerhaeuser Company at the time of his death. Survivors include his widow, Vernice, at the Winlock family home; two sons, Norman D., Winlock; Archie F., San Francisco, Calif.; two daughters, Mrs. Sandra Jorgensen, Minneapolis, Minn.; Mrs. Lorraine Petersen, Longview; two brothers, Glen, Hoquiam; Vern, Aberdeen; and one sister, Mrs. Dorothy Schlitz, Delano, Calif. Services will be Wednesday, 1 p.m., at the Cattermole Funeral Chapel, Winlock, with … Read more

Champ, Jay D. – Obituary

Jay D. Champ, 79, of Spanaway, died Saturday [December 10, 1983]. Mr. Champ, a retired lumber worker, was born in Winlock, Lewis County, and came to Spanaway 20 years ago. Surviving is a sister, Florence Leland of Seattle. Powers Funeral Home, Puyallup, is in charge. [Interment Fern Hill Cemetery, Aberdeen, WA.] Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Bieber, Olive D. Grunig Mrs. – Obituary

Medical Springs, Baker County, Oregon Olive D. Bieber, 82, of Port Angeles, Wash., a former resident of the Medical Springs-Pondosa area, died Sept. 7, 2005, at the Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Wash. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Bieber was born on Sept. 7, 1923, at Montpelier, Idaho, to William and Daisy Grunig. She attended Union High School. She was a farmer’s wife and worked as a school bus driver, a bookkeeper for Tide Water Oil at Mossyrock, Wash., and retired after working for 25 years as a clerk at Johnson … Read more