Pierce County WA

Lee, Robert Edward – Obituary

Robert Edward (Bob) Lee, manager of the Tacoma office of the General Electric Company and prominent in business, civic, and sports circles, died late Wednesday night [October 23, 1940] at his home, 825 North Yakima Avenue, of a heart attack. He appeared to be in good health during the afternoon and ate a hearty dinner Wednesday night. Following dinner, he sat down in his living room and fell into a sleep from which he never awakened. He had been at his office as usual Wednesday. About three years ago he suffered a slight stroke, from which he seemed to have … Read more

Biography of Robert Wingate

ROBERT WINGATE. – Among the many enterprising and successful representative men to whom the city of Tacoma owes so much for her present advanced position among Pacific cities, and for the assurance of future success, Robert Wingate deserves an exalted place. He is a Scotsman by birth, but is thoroughly identified with the land of his adoption, and is warmly attached to her popular institutions. He was born near Glasgow, Scotland, on the 17th of March, 1840. He received a thorough common-school education at the Western Academy in Glasgow. His father was a coal expert, a mining engineer, and the … Read more

Thomas, Myrtis Mrs. – Obituary

Myrtis Thomas, 80, a former Baker City resident, died May 20, 2007, at Puyallup, Wash. There was a private family service. She was born on Aug. 2, 1928, at Jones County, Ga. She was the former wife of Eddie Thomas Sr. and the mother of 11 children who live throughout the United States. She had 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was quick to smile and loved many things, including working with children to help them with their reading. In her lifetime she traveled to Europe, Asia and throughout the United States. She was a woman of strength, courage, perseverance, … Read more

Zelten, Bessie Pedersen – Obituary

Mrs. Walter Zelten, 77, of 1001 E. 32nd St., died Wednesday [February 4, 1981]. Mrs. Zelten was born in Ellensburg and moved to Tacoma in 1942. Survivors include a son, Walter, Jr. of Tacoma; a daughter, Mrs. Irene Aylett of Tacoma; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Henry of Tigard, Ore., and Mrs. Louise Durland of Portland; four grandchildren and a great grandchild. Buckley-King at Brookside is in charge. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Meagher, Agnes – Obituary

Agnes Meagher, 85, formerly of 608 E. 5th Ave., Ellensburg, died Sunday [August 31, 1980] in Cheyenne Mountain Nursing Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. She was born in Ellensburg, Aug. 8, 1895, a daughter of the late Michael and Mary Heraty. She attended Ellensburg Normal School for one year, business college in Tacoma for two years, and worked as a legal secretary in Seattle for a number of years. She married Martin Meagher in Seattle, Aug. 21, 1929. He preceded her in death June 29, 1951. Mrs. Meagher was a member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. She is survived by … Read more

Biography of Edward P. Cadwell

EDWARD P. CADWELL. – This substantial capitalist of Washington, and leading member of the legal profession of Tacoma, was born in Independence, Iowa, December 23, 1855, and was the son of Carlos C. and Emily E. (Ross) Cadwell, his mother having been a sister of Chief Justice Ross of Vermont. He resided in his native town, where he attended a public school, and in his seventeenth year entered the Iowa State Agricultural College, graduating as civil engineer in 1875. Returning home, he became principal for one year of the grammar department of the high school at Independence. Upon the completion … Read more

Ellenberger, Caroline Mary – Obituary

Mrs. Caroline M. Ellenberger, 74 years old, died Tuesday [June 15, 1926] at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary Perry of Milton, she having been her daughter’s guest for several weeks. Mrs. Ellenberger leaves also one son, Albert of Pilot Rock, Ore., with whom she made her home; two other daughters, Mrs. Bertha Lightfoot, Sacramento, Cal.; Mrs. Jane Blanchard, Pendleton, Ore.; 27 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. The body was removed to the C. O. Lynn Mortuary for shipment to Pilot Rock for burial Wednesday. Tacoma News Tribune, June 15, 1926 Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

O’Farrell, Margaret – Obituary

Mrs. Margaret O’Farrell, aged 56 years, died at one of the city hospitals last evening [March 7, 1904]. She had been a well-known resident of Orting, coming there from Australia with her husband 34 years ago. A husband and five sons and a daughter survive her. The cause of her death was cancer, from which she had been suffering for more than a year. The funeral arrangements are not yet complete. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Champ, Stanley Gordon – Obituary

Scientific company executive; b. Hoquiam, Wash., Feb. 15, 1919; son of Clifford Harvey and Edna Winifred (Johnson); married Anita Knapp Wegener, Sept. 6, 1941; children: Suzanne Winifred Whalen, Colleen Louise Szurszewski. BS, University Puget Sound, 1941; MS, University Washington, 1950; postgrad., MIT, 1955, 57, UCLA, 1959. Certified teacher, administer, Wash. Teacher at Lake Washington School Dist., Kirkland, Wash., 1942-48; professor of Math, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, 1948-1951, Supervisor Mathematician Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., 1951-1955; research specialist Boeing Company, Seattle, 1955-1968; vice president R. M. Towne & Assocs., 1968-1975; founder, president Dynac Scis., Tacoma, 1975-. Cons. R .M. … Read more

Bowerman, Lois “Larrie” Mrs. – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Lois “Larrie” Bowerman, 82, a longtime Halfway resident, died March 11, 2004, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her memorial service will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church in Halfway. Lois was born Sept. 30, 1921, in the high altitude of Victor, Colo., to Washington Denver and Gwendolyn Honeycutt. She was the second-eldest of four girls. Lois received good grades in school and received her eighth-grade diploma in Spokane in 1935. However, the Great Depression had set in and she opted not to continue her education because she could not afford new clothes. Her … Read more

Fix, Earl George – Obituary

Earl George Fix, 50, of 1417 So. 44th St., died Friday [March 25] en route to a local hospital. He was born in Steilacoom and had lived in Tacoma for 23 years. He was a carpenter and a member of Carpenters’ Union No. 470. In addition to his wife Alice R., he is survived by a daughter, Linda Jane; three sons, Leslie W., Randal R. and Dennis W., all of the home, and his mother, Mrs. Olive A. Fix, Sumner. Services will be held Monday at 1 p.m. in the C. C. Melinger memorial Funeral Church, Charles Summers officiating. Burial … Read more

Biography of Clinton P. Ferry

CLINTON P. FERRY. – Clinton P. Ferry was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, May 24, 1836. Having lost his father, an uncle became his guardian to a great extent. At the age of seven years he removed to Indianapolis, where he attended a preparatory school and business college. For a short time, he engaged in learning the art of printing, and devoted his seventeenth and eighteenth years as a telegraph operator. He was a nephew of W.G.& G.W. Ewing, a firm then largely interested in trading posts on the then Western frontier of the United States. They had branches at … Read more

Biography of Hon. Charles Eisenbeis

HON. CHARLES EISENBEIS. – This wealthy resident of Port of Washington gained his eminence by sturdy industry and sagacious investment during the pioneer days. He is a native of Prussia, was born in 1832, and the fifth in a family of ten children. Of his father he learned the trade of a baker, and was prepared upon his arrival in America in 1856 to earn thereby, in company with his brother, an independent livelihood at Rochester, New York. In 1858 he came via Panama to San Francisco, and in the fall of the same year arrived at Port Townsend. He … 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

Robertson, Mary Virginia Morrison – Obituary

Mrs. J. W. Robertson departed this life May 1, 1903, aged 23 years, 11 months, and 19 days. Mrs. Robertson was born in Ellensburg, May 11, 1879, and lived there till June 2, 1899, when she went to Tacoma, and after a short time was married to J. W. Robertson and resided there until her death. She was a loving wife and a devoted mother, and was beloved by all who knew her. She leaves a husband, one child, four brothers, a sister, a mother and father an many friends, and relatives to mourn their loss. When our earthly life … Read more

Turner, James B. – Obituary

Graveside services for James B. Turner of Tacoma, Washington a former Haines resident were conducted at 10:00 a.m. Monday September 25, at the family plot in the Haines cemetery. Bishop J. LaRon Zundel of the LDS Church officiated. Vault interment followed. Arrangements were under the direction of Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. Mr. Turn died Thursday at his home in Tacoma. He was 73. He was born in Cheyenne, Oklahoma on December 18, 1904 and he was married to Ossie Davidson in Idaho Falls Temple. Mrs. Turner preceded him in death of January of 1976. He farmed in the … Read more

Zelten, Walter Jr. – Obituary

Walt was born in Akron, OH on Feb. 5, 1930 to Bessie and Walt Zelten Sr. and passed away on May 26, 1997. Along with his family at age 12, he moved to the Tacoma area in the summer of 1942. He completed his elementary education in Akron, and attended Gault Jr. High and Lincoln High School here in Tacoma. After school, he was stationed in Korea with the Army during that war. He was a lifetime member with the Ray C. Roberts VFW Post #969. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Cooke, Alta Mae Hill Mullen – Obituary

Funeral services will be held Friday at the Buckley Undertaking Parlors, Tacoma, at 3 p.m. for an early-day Kittitas Valley resident, Mrs. Alta Mae Cooke, 77, who died Wednesday morning in Tacoma, following eight days in a hospital there. Cremation will follow the service and the ashes will be brought to Ellensburg at a later date. The family requests no flowers, but those who wish to may make a contribution to the Cancer Fund. Mrs. Cooke was the widow of the late Jay Cooke, son of the late Charles P. and Susan Cooke, valley pioneers. Alta Mae Hill and Jay … Read more

Biography of Peter Dewar Forbes

PETER DEWAR FORBES. – In the gentleman whose name heads this brief memoir, and whose portrait appears in this history, we have one of the very earliest settlers of Tacoma, as well as one of her prominent business men and capitalists. Mr. Forbes was born in St. Johns, New Brunswick, February 18,1845, and is the son of William and Jesie Dewar Forbes. After his school days were passed, Peter learned the trade of a carpenter and shipbuilder, becoming a master mechanic. In 1868 he came to the United States, locating in Minneapolis, where he became a well-known architect and builder, … 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