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.

McEwen, Daniel E. – Obituary

Daniel E. McEwen, well-known resident of Rose Valley for the last years, who had lived in Kelso since last December passed away quietly at his home at 207 South Sixth Street west Kelso this morning at 6:45 o’clock after a two weeks illness. He was 64 years of age at the time of his death and had been a resident of Lewis and Cowlitz counties for the last 48 years. He was well known among logging and mill men and it is said of him by his friends that he was highly respected and upright in all his dealings. He … 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

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

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, Melissa C. McEwen – Obituary

Mrs. Wm. Champ died at her home [November 16, 1888] near Winlock Saturday morning last after a short illness. Mrs. Champ was one of the pioneers of Lewis County, coming here before the day of railroads and palace cars, or even steamboats, and has seen the development of the county from its infancy. Many a weary and discouraged immigrant has found shelter and encouragement under her hospitable roof, and many a one will cherish her memory kindly for good deeds nobly done. She leaves a large family of grandchildren and a husband to mourn her loss, who are given the … Read more

Penner, Gerhardt Adolph – Obituary

A resident of Lewis County from 1923 to 1977, Gerhardt Adolph Penner, 88, died in a Kirkland nursing home, Tuesday, January 2. He was born March 26, 1890 in Port Orchard and has been a resident of Bellevue since 1977. Mr. Penner worked as a salesman for Darigold and as a custodian for the Centralia and Chehalis Schools. He was a member of the First Christian Church of Chehalis and was preceded in death by his wife, Audrey Dorene in August, 1978. Survivors include a son, Clark C., Walnut Creek, Calif.; a daughter, Mrs. H. C. (Carman) Hardebeck, Bellevue; a … 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, 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

Layton, Elias Pilgrim – Obituary

Lewis County lost another of its native pioneer residents Saturday [April 12] in the death of Elias P. Layton, 79, in a Chehalis hospital. He was born May 16, 1872 at Layton Prairie and had lived there all his life. He was a farmer and during his active years had a prominent part in affairs of the community. He is survived by his wife, Maggie; one son, Ernest; three daughters, Mrs. Stella Smith, Mrs. Elva Armstrong, and Mrs. Edith Kirkendoll; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of Toledo. Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon at the … 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

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

Champ, James William – Obituary

James William Champ, a resident of Centralia, died Friday, Sept. 17, in Centralia General Hospital at the age of 103. Champ was born Jan. 5, 1897, on Lacamas Prairie in Winlock.. He was a retired farmer and logger. He is survived by a sister, Violet Lampitt of Palo Alto, Calif., and several nieces and nephews. A graveside service was held Monday at the Winlock Cemetery with the Rev. August Banaksy officiating. Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel of Toledo was in charge of arrangements. Daily Chronicle Centralia, September 20, 1982 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Morrow, Catherine Champ – Obituary

Graveside services were to be held at the Cowlitz Mission Cemetery this afternoon for Mrs. Catherine Morrow, 85 whose death, occurred in Portland, Wednesday [July 18, 1934]. Mass was said in St. Agatha’s Church in that city this morning. The Morrow family settled on Cowlitz Prairie in the early days. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Morrow moved to Portland, where she has resided many years. She is survived by the following children: Mrs. Belle Frazier, L. P. Morrow, Mrs. C. J. Kryger, Mrs. Nellie Miller and Mrs. Irene Moore, Portland; Harry Morrow, Oregon City, and M. J. Morrow, Sacramento. A … 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

Champ, Alfred William – Obituary

Alfred Champ, of this city, 45 year old native son of Lewis County, died Friday [June 8, 1933] at Riverton Hospital, where he had been some months following an illness of flu, contracted in January. He was the son of former well known pioneers. Surviving are his aged mother, Mrs. Cora Champ; two brothers, Howard Champ of Winlock and Wallace Champ of Alsea, Ore.; and six sisters, Mrs. George Mellor of Shelton, Mrs. Willis Pope of Adna, Mrs. Ruth Miller of Longview, Mrs. Erma Kotoskey and Miss Lottie Champ of Winlock and Mrs. Sol Chancey of Los Angeles, Calif. Funeral … Read more

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

Indermuhle, Estelle Montgomery Thompson – Obituary

Funeral services for Mrs. Estelle Elizabeth (Betty) Indermuhle, 77, of 700 S. Chestnut St., will be held in the Evenson Chapel at 2 p.m. Monday with the Rev. Silas Erickson officiating. Mrs. Indermuhle died Wednesday night [April 14, 1965] at the Community Hospital. Burial will be in the IOOF Cemetery. Betty Montgomery was born May 18, 1887 in Centralia and was married to Sam Indermuhle in 1936 in Ritzville. They farmed in the Badger Pocket District until moving to town last year. Survivors include her husband at the family home, three sons, Perry Thompson, Portland, Boyce Thompson, Castle Rock, and … 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.

Biography of Hon. Clanrick Crosby

HON. CLANRICK CROSBY. – This gentleman, of whom an excellent portrait appears in our work, was born in East Brewster, Massachusetts, January 6 1838. He is a son of Captain Clanrick and Phoebe H. (Fessenden) Crosby. In 1849 he came with his parents via Cape Horn on board the brig Grecian, of which his father was captain and part owner. The father was a sea-faring man until his arrival in San Francisco in the above year. After a short stay there, he brought his vessel to Portland, and there selling her quit the sea. The family remained in Portland, Oregon, … Read more

Anderson, August – Obituary

Gus Anderson, 65, one of southwest Washington’s best known hop growers, died at his home at Klaber Saturday evening [January 4, 1936]. Mr. Anderson was born in Hallsberg, Sweden, November 4, 1870. He came to the United States in 1893 as a young man and had resided in this section 26 years. For many years he was superintendent of the hop yard of the Herman Klaber Company at Klaber, rated the largest in Washington, and was a real expert in the growing and handling of that crop. Previously he worked at the hop game at Chehalis for Carl Motter 5 … Read more