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.

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

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

Layton, Marie Belle – Obituary

Marie Belle Layton, 101, Toledo, died Friday, March 23, 2007. Visitation will be from 1 to 7 p. m. Friday at Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel, Toledo, which is in charge of arrangements. Funeral will be held at 11 a. m. Saturday at Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel. [Wife of Oren Layton. Interment Lone Hill Cemetery] The Chronicle, March 26, 2007 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Cross, Lauretta – Obituary

Lauretta Cross, of Milton-Freewater and a former resident of Wallowa County, died July 9, 2007, at Walla Walla General Hospital in Walla Walla, Wash. She was 85. Mrs. Cross was born June 19,1922, in La Grande to James Everett and Etta Rebecca Berg Rachau. The family resided on Pumpkin Ridge, outside of Elgin. They later moved to Minam, where Mrs. Cross attended school through the second grade. In 1930, the family moved to Onalaska, Wash., where she finished her schooling, graduating from the eighth grade twice. Her father didn’t believe in higher education for women. She married young and had … 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

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

Champ, Clarence – Obituary

Clarence Champ, 89, of 127 S. Excelsior, retired manager of the Butte General Electric Co. office, died Wednesday [November 13, 1974] at a local hospital. Born Nov. 19, 1894, in Winlock, Wash., Mr. Champ attended Washington schools and graduated from Washington State University with a degree in electrical engineering. He later went to Schenectady, N.Y., where he took the GE test training course before entering the Navy during World War I. After the war, he spent a short time in the GE Chicago office before being transferred to Butte in 1919. He became manager of the office in 1924. Mr. … 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, 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

Biography of Hon. Amos F. Tullis

HON. AMOS F. TULLIS. – Amos F. Tullis was born January 6, 1830, at Carthage, Rush county, Indiana. Both of his parents were natives of Ohio, and, having migrated to Indiana, followed farming. At the age of five years his mother died; and five years later his father followed her to the great silent majority, leaving a family of four sons and two daughters, of whom Amos was the fourth child. He lived on the farm of his parents until 1846, when he accompanied an older sister with her husband to Iowa. He resided at Mount Pleasant, Burlington and Ottumwa … 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

Wilkinson, Andrew – Obituary

Died—At Vader, Washington, Monday, August 9, 1926, Andrew Wilkinson, age 84 years, 7 months and 14 days. The funeral took place from the Methodist church, Union, Friday, August 13, 1926, at 2:30 o’clock p.m. Word was received at Union early Monday morning of the serious illness of Mr. Wilkinson, and his daughter, Mrs. Webb, left that morning on No. 17 for Vader, but her father passed away before her arrival at Vader. Mrs. Webb returned with the remains Thursday, and the funeral took place as above noted. “Uncle Andy” Wilkinson was one of the old settlers of this section, and … Read more

Champ, Mary Layton – Obituary

Death came to Mrs. Champ, 87, Wednesday [November 22, 1944] at her home, 802 South Gold Street, in Centralia. She was born on Layton Prairie, March 18, 1857, and had resided here the past 16 years. Surviving are five children, 12 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren. The children are James Champ and Mrs. Louisa Gowen, Centralia; Mrs. Catherine Snodgrass and Mrs. Viola Lampitt, in California, and Mrs. Dora Baker, in Arizona. Funeral services have been set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Pontious-Cattermole chapel. The Rev. Erle Howell will officiate, and burial will be in the Winlock Cemetery. Contributed by: … 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

Layton, Henry Clay – Obituary

Another of the old pioneers of Lewis County passed away Wednesday afternoon, August 3, when Henry C. Layton died suddenly, at his home in the Hanaford Valley. Mr. Layton became violently ill while picking blackberries near a slashing burning, from the heat, and died a few hours after being taken sick. He was 64 years of age and was born in Toledo, this county, May 26, 1857. He is survived by his widow, Amanda Layton; two daughters, Mrs. Amanda Prince of Hanaford Valley and Mrs. Clara Hovies of Onalaska; one son, Roy Layton; his mother, Mrs. Sirilda Layton of Toledo; … 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

Smith, Harry – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Harry Smith, 81, a 50-year resident of Morton, Wash., and a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 7, 2003, at the Centralia Providence Hospital. There was a private family service. Arrangements were under the direction of Brown Mortuary at Morton. Harry was born on March 1, 1921, at Portland to Harry and Ruth Spencer Smith. He was raised at Baker City and joined the U.S. Army in September 1940. Harry saw action in the battles of Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe and the Aleutian Islands. He was captured and spent eight months in a prisoner of war camp … 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

History of Centralia, Washington

“Centralia: The First Fifty Years, 1845-1900,” authored by Herndon Smith and published by the Daily Chronicle in 1949, is an accounting of Centralia, Washington history during its formative years. This work captures the essence of the community’s early development, providing a narrative enriched by diverse anecdotes and some pictorial representations.