Snohomish County WA

Biographical Sketch of Sewall M. Knapp

SEWELL M. KNAPP. – Mr. Knapp is a native of Penobscot County, Maine, where he was born July 19, 1853. He was raised on a farm, and remained at home until he was twenty-three years of age. In August, 1875, he came to California, where he remained but a short time, when he left for Puget Sound, coming direct to Snohomish, finding employment at first in driving a team. Next he worked for about six years in the general merchandise stores of Blackman Brothers, after which he entered into the teaming business on his own account, starting a livery stable … Read more

Conner, Lela Maude Ingersoll Cooke – Obituary

Lela M. Conner, 87, a resident of McCleary for 18 years and a previous resident of O’Brien, Oregon, died February 13 [1975] at a local hospital. She was born December 2, 1887, at Lowell, Washington, and was a member of the McCleary Grange and the American Legion Auxiliary at Kerby, Oregon. Her husband, Clyde L. Conner died August 20, 1974. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Gladys Fattig of McCleary; four sons, Edwin Cooke of Cave Junction, Ore., Gordon Cooke of Port Angeles, Ellsworth Cooke of Grants Pass, Ore., and Jim Cooke of O’Brien; three sisters, Mary Atkenson, Gladys Carter and … Read more

Wiester, Emily Irene Street Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Emily Irene Wiester, 88, of Issaquah, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 24, 2003, at her home. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Madeleine Sophie Roman Catholic Church in Bellevue, Wash. Irene was born on Jan. 26, 1915, in Prineville to Mary and Edward Street. Her parents moved to California shortly after she was born. Irene attended the University of Washington at Seattle as a freshman. There she met Harold Wiester. After graduation from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, she returned … Read more

Backlund, Richard A. “Dick” – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Richard A. “Dick” Backlund, 71, of Baker City, died June 1, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. There will be a celebration of his life from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 7, at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St. Richard, or “Poppy,” as his grandchildren called him, was born on Feb. 26, 1931, at Everett, Wash., to Leonard and Berniece Backlund. He attended schools at Everett, Wash. He served in the U.S. Army in 1949, and was in the Korean War. He then was stationed at Fort Belvore, Va. He worked as a mechanic at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Brackett

GEORGE BRACKETT. – Mr. Brackett, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Canada East, May 22, 1842. There he resided until eighteen years of age. He then with his parents moved to Maine, his father being a native of that state. There they lived for six years, and then moved Eu Clare, Wisconsin, and embarked in the lumber business, which he followed until December, 1869.Then George came west to Washington Territory, and first found employment in Pierce county. In 1870 he came to Seattle, and in 1872 began logging on Salmon Bay, which business he followed until 1877, … Read more

Biography of Jonas W. Brown

Jonas W. Brown, of Boise, is an honored pioneer both of California and of Idaho. He crossed the plains with ox teams to Shasta county, California, in 1853, and since that time his life record has been inseparably interwoven with the history of this section of the country. At all times he has been the advocate of those measures tending to-ward the advancement and development of the region, and his influence is that of an honorable, upright man, whose force of character stamps itself indelibly for good upon the public life. This work would be incomplete without mention of Jonas … Read more

Biography of Hon. Eugene D. Smith

HON. EUGENE D. SMITH. – This pioneer of the logging business of the Snohomish river, a portrait of whom is placed in this history, is a representative man of the Puget Sound country, and almost a typical American. Of large and fine proportions physically, self-reliant, capable of taking a hand at any business, even at politics or war, or, with a little brushing up, at almost any profession, he at present contents himself with being proprietor and patron of the handsome town of Lowell, Washington, and conducting large logging operations, on his own estate of four thousand acres in Snohomish … Read more

Dern, I. Delbert – Obituary

I. Delbert Dern, 74, of Lynnwood, Wash., died Friday, Feb. 14, 2003, following a brief five month battle with cancer. Private interment was held at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle, and a family celebration was held on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Lynnwood. The celebration was well attending and a fitting goodbye, with cousins from Baker City, Arlene Fulton and Delores Kissire present. Also attending were nephew and wife, Kerry and Kathy Kissire, nieces, Suzie, Cherry and hubby Dave from Forest Grove, and Flores Phelps of Tumwater, Wash. He was born December 24, 1928 in his grandparents’ home in Pendleton, and … Read more

Biography of the Blackman Brothers

ALANSON A., ELHANAN AND HYRCANUS BLACKMAN. – The father of these gentlemen, Adam Blackman, is a native of Maine; and their mother was Mary (Howard) Blackman, both of whom are still living in the town of Bradley in the above state. The history of communities and of nations is made up mainly of the acts of men who contribute towards directing to a result the efforts of the people by whom they are surrounded. This is equally true whether the actor be a Grant marshaling the legions of a grand army, a Vanderbilt, dictating a nation’s commerce, or the obscure … Read more

Phelps, Mary Smith – Obituary

Mrs. Mary Phelps, a resident of Ellensburg from 1884 to 1945, died recently [January 16, 1951] in Everett, where she has lived for the past five years. She was born in Pike County, Missouri, in 1867. Surviving are three sons, Gilbert of Everett, Tracy of Chelan, and Odie Phelps of Seattle; a sister, Mrs. Ella Wilson of Everett, and a brother, Sherman Smith, of Ellensburg. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Honeycutt-Evenson Chapel, with Rev. Dan Rueb officiating. Interment will follow at the IOOF cemetery here. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

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

Schroder, August – Obituary

August Schroder, 89, well-known Ellensburg resident and retired Snohomish County farmer, died yesterday [April 11, 1947] afternoon at his home here. Had he lived until next Sunday, he would have been 90 years old. Born at Hamburg, Germany, April 20, 1857, he came to the United States when he was 27 years old and to Washington State in 1888. He farmed for many years at Granite Falls, moving to the Kittitas Valley 7 ½ years ago. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ada Schroder; three daughters, Mrs. J. A. Mansfield of Spokane, and Mrs. T. A. Harrell and Mrs. A. O. … Read more

McKenzie, Charles Maxfield – Obituary

Former Yakima Valley resident Charles “Max” McKenzie, 84, of Edmonds, died Sunday in Edmonds [August 17, 1986]. Mr. McKenzie was born Dec. 8, 1901, in Omaha, Neb., to Charles and Maude McKenzie. They moved in 1903 to Quincy, where his family homesteaded until the death of his father in 1915. In 1917, they moved to the Kittitas Valley and took up farming. Mr. McKenzie went to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1923, retiring in 1967. He was married in 1926 to Ruth Barnhart. They were transferred to Yakima in 1932. While working for the railroad, he maintained a … Read more

Dalke, Stephen Arnold “Steve” – Obituary

Stephen Arnold “Steve” Dalke, 49, of Hammett, Idaho, died Feb. 22, 2002, after battling cancer. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Steve was born on Dec. 2, 1952, at Omaha, Neb., to Arnold and Doris Dalke, who were missionaries with Village Missions in the Western states. He graduated from Yreka High School at Yreka, Calif., in 1971. He attended Montana Institute of the Bible where he met his future wife, Carla Sue Claiborne of Boise. They were married at Cole Community Church on May 22, 1976. Throughout … Read more

Burcham, Ruth – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon Ruth G. Evans Burcham, formerly of Enterprise, died in Arlington, Wash. on March 28, 2006. She was 91. Mrs. Burcham was born in Duncan, Ariz., on Feb. 27, 1915 to John Evans and Minnie Lloyd. She was raised in Duncan, and attended high school there. She became a nurse’s aide in a Catholic geriatrics hospital. On November 14, 1931, Ruth married Orville Jay Burcham in Riverside, Calif. They had two children. After living in Enterprise and Pomona, Calif., the couple moved to Pendleton in 1961, where they resided for 35 years. Mrs. Burcham was a member of the … Read more

Yocom, Leota Lotta Patterson – Obituary

Leota Lotta Yocom, 72, of 718 N. Sixth Ave., Yakima, who received head injuries when she fell to pavement after being hit by a car at Third and West Yakima Avenues, Yakima, Friday morning, died Sunday [August 31, 1980] at St. Elizabeth Hospital. She was born in 1898 in Tokio, ND [MN], to Oscar and Odessa Patterson. She and Chester Yocom were married in Wenatchee; he preceded her in death. Mrs. Yocom taught school in Malaga and received education and trained as a practical nurse in Wenatchee. She and her husband moved to Edmonds and Seattle, where she was a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Michael McNamara

MICHAEL McNAMARA. – This prominent resident of Skagit county was born in Woodstock, Canada, in 1848. His early years, however, were spent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and at Chicago, where he completed his growth and education at Chatham, Canada. In 1865 he came overland to California, and the next year reached Puget Sound, finding employment ten years in the logging camps. In 1876 he was able to set up a business of his own, keeping a hotel at Stanwood, and three years later building his present commodious hotel, the Ruby House, which is first class in every respect. His own residence … Read more

Coen, Virginia “Ginny” Bertram Mrs. – Obituary

Virginia Bertram “Ginny” Coen, 89, died Oct. 20, 2005, at her home near Baker City. Virginia’s love of the Friday night jam sessions inspired her family to have her memorial service in the format of a jam session at her home, 14803 Mill Creek Lane. The service will be on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. All those who would like to celebrate her life with the family are welcome. There will be “open mike” opportunities for those who would like to speak. Those attending are asked to bring an appetizer or dessert if possible. Virginia Cromwell Bertram was born … Read more

Welter, Karen E. Knee Mrs. – Obituary

Funeral services for Karen Elizabeth Welter, 23, were conducted at 3 p.m. today at the Presbyterian Church in Baker. Mrs. Welter died July 23, 1970 at Physicians and Surgeons Hospital in Portland. A native of Weiser, Idaho, Mrs. Welter moved to Baker in 1957 and graduated from Baker High School. In 1965, she moved to Portland and lived in Monroe, Wash., for the last two years. She is survived by her husband, Dale Welter, Monroe, Wash.; a daughter, Debbie Welter; her mother Janis Warren, Portland; her father, Clifford Knee, Baker; her grandfather, William Turnipseed, Weiser, Idaho; Three sisters, Dorothy Osborne … Read more

Biography of Hon. Hiram D. Morgan

HON. HIRAM D. MORGAN. – This gentleman, whose portrait appears in this history, and who is so well known up and down the Sound, has had a varied pioneer life since 1853. He is a native of Ohio, having been born at Mount Ayre in 1822. During his boyhood, his parents moved to Marion and other portions of the state; and in the course of his development he learned the carpenter’s trade, which has ever been a great reliance to him. In 1846 he came out to Oskaloosa, Iowa, and in 1853 became one of the Davis party to cross … Read more