Tacoma Washington

Eaden, Myrtle Dixon – Obituary

Funeral services will be held at the Honeycutt Chapel here at 3:00 Wednesday afternoon for Myrtle Dixon Eaden, former valley resident, who died in Tacoma on Sunday [April 21, 1946] Born in Ellensburg on February 16, 1899, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Dixon, valley pioneers. She attended local grade schools and high school and spent the most of her life here until she moved to Tacoma 15 years ago In 1922 she was married to William Eaden, who survives her. She is also survived by a brother, Archie Dixon of Vancouver, Wash.; a half brother, … Read more

Harmon, Janet Logan Simpkins – Obituary

Mrs. Janet Harmon, 416 South L Street, died in a local hospital Friday [October 5]. She was born in Scotland and was a pioneer resident of Tacoma. Mrs. Harmon was a member of the first Tacoma Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star and belonged to the Holy Communion Church. Survivors are two sisters, Miss Charlotte Simpkins of Tacoma and Miss Nellie Simpkins of Juneau, Alaska; also two brothers, George of Juneau and Hector of Tacoma. The funeral announcement will be made by Buckley-King upon arrival of the sister from Alaska. Tacoma News Tribune, October 7, 1944 Contributed by: Shelli … Read more

Taylor, Margaret Catherine Mrs. – Obituary

Margaret Catherine Taylor, 85, of Tacoma, Wash., died June 12, 2002, at Tacoma. There will be no funeral. Mrs. Taylor was born at Santa Cruz, Calif. She lived there for 59 years before moving to Oregon in 1977. She moved to Tacoma in 1998. Mrs. Taylor worked at the John Ingalls Cannery in Santa Cruz for 10 years. She enjoyed crocheting and reading. Survivors include her daughter, Margaret Blackledge of Lakewood, Wash., Judy Abma of Scotts Valley and Peggy Caso of Rainier; a son, George E. Taylor of Baker City; 19 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death … 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 Francis H. Cook

FRANCIS H. COOK, – Mr. Cook was born in Marietta, Ohio, in 1851. He went with his parents to Iowa at the age of twelve. His father was a farmer, and have his attention to agriculture and to sawmilling; but it was decided to make a printer of the boy. He was accordingly apprenticed to work at the cases in the office of the Harrison County Union, a paper owned and edited by Judge Henry Ford, who was also sitting on the bench of the northwest district of Iowa. The journal changed proprietors quite frequently, young Cook remaining through the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William P. Newby

Enterprising and industrious in all his ways, the subject of this sketch is one of the men that have added materially to the wealth of Wallowa County, developing here, in an excellent manner, the resources with which the county abounds so fully, meanwhile manifesting that continuity of purpose and determination which brook no defeat and stop not at any obstacle, while his moral qualities of genuine worth and high order have shone without intermission, giving him the approbation, esteem, and confidence of all who may have the pleasure of his acquaintance. William Newby was born in Iowa on July 29, … Read more

Bryson, Howard – Obituary

Native Walla Wallan Howard Roscoe Bryson, 76, died July 18, 1989, at the Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center. The funeral service was held today at Washington Soldiers’ Home Chapel in Orting, Wash., and the memorial service was at Sumner (Wash.) Presbyterian Church. Burial was at Veterans of all Wars Court in Mountain View Cemetery, Tacoma. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sumner Presbyterian Church through hill Funeral Home, 217 E. Pioneer Ave., Puyallup, Wash. 98372. Bryson was born July 21, 1912, in Walla Walla. He was a direct descendant of William I. Price of Orange. Bryson’s ancestors settled at … Read more

Noel, Clarissa Jane Farris – Obituary

Mrs. Clara J. Noel, 75, died Friday [October 9, 1942] at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Pauline Stalcup, 634 North Oakes Street [Tacoma]. She was a native of Fresno, Cal., and had been in Tacoma 12 years. She lived some years at Ellensburg and Snohomish. Her home was at 2603 ½ 6th Avenue. She was married Nov. 30, 1882 at Ellensburg to W. H. Noel who died in 1930. She was member of Glendale Camp Royal Neighbors in Tacoma and of the Epworth Methodist Church, Tacoma. Besides Mrs. Stalcup, she leaves daughters, Mrs. Myrtle Francis and Mrs. Stella Faithful … Read more

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

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

Hart, Helen Mildred Bell – Obituary

Mrs. Charles L. (Helen M.) Hart, 74 of 6810 South J St., died Monday [September 10, 1979]. Mrs. Hart was born in Ontario, Canada, and had lived in Tacoma since 1930. She was a retired nurse, and a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Besides her husband, she is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Steve (Michele E.) Hull of Gig Harbor; two sons, Duane Lee of Reno, Nev. and James A. of Bend, Ore.; a sister, Alice Mooney of Victor, B.C.; a brother, Doug Bell of Sidney, B.C.; and 10 grandchildren. Mountain View Funeral Home is in charge. Tacoma News … Read more

Biography of Boyd Elias Pollom

The men who came to Shawnee County in 1871 were of necessity patient plodders, content to await the rewards of a developing civilization. There were no short cuts to fortune such as fired the zeal of the argonauts of ’49, but there existed sane and practical opportunities for the man to whom labor was a beneflcent and necessary festure of his existence. To such a class belonged William Pollom, father of Boyd Elias Pollom, the latter one of the successful agrienlturists and substantial citizens of the vicinity of North Topeka. William Pollom was born in Ohio, in 1838, a son … Read more

Biography of Sidney S. Benton

SIDNEY S. BENTON. – This pioneer of Illinois, California and Washington is one of those facile, multiplex characters that give to our Western life its buoyancy. He was born in the first-named State in 1838, while Chicago was yet in her swamps, and his father was at that city in 1831, when it was a mere Indian trading post, and also at Galena, the home of the Grants, in 1832. His father came out to California with ox-teams amid Indians, and over the usual sage-brush plains, and the iron-stone rocks in 1849. He mined on Feather river in Yuba county, … Read more

Biography of Rev. John F. Devore, D. D.

REV. JOHN F. DEVORE, D.D. – Doctor Devore was a native of Kentucky, being born near Lexington, December 7, 1817. He was of French descent, as the name indicates, and owed very much to the pious example of religious parents, who urged him with their last words to be “faithful to his God.” The “Life of Bramwell” fell into his hands at an early date, was read with great relish, and had much to do in molding the shape of his after life. Entering the ministry, he joined the Rock river conference in 1842, Bishop Roberts presiding. He was ordained … Read more

Lockwood, F. E. – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon F.E. “Gene” Lockwood of Enterprise died June 15, 2007. He was 85. Mr. Lockwood was born near Florence July 7, 1922. His public school years were spent in Tacoma, Wash. After serving in WW II, he used his GI Bill to further his education, receiving a degree in Industrial Management. He retired from the Boeing Company in Seattle after 34 years. He and his wife moved to Enterprise in 2004. Survivors include his wife Shirley of 58 years; daughters Susan and Warren McCasland of Puyallup, Wash. and Gayle and Larry Gibson of Enterprise; grandchildren Geoffrey Linton and Victoria … Read more

Fortney, Jefferson S. – Obituary

Jefferson S. Fortney, 85, former valley resident, died Sunday [December 17] at Yucaipa, Calif. He was born Aug. 29, 1893, east of Kittitas in an area known as Warm Springs. He is the son of the late Levi and Julia Hayes Fortney. He married Alice Anderson in Ellensburg in 1913. He was employed by the Milwaukee Railroad in 1915 and worked as a section foreman and superintendent of the Extra Gang. He moved to Tacoma in 1930 and retired in 1958. He was preceded in death by his wife, July 23, 1962 in Tacoma. He moved to California in 1968. … Read more

Swearingen, Vernise Augustus – Obituary

Vernise A. Swearingen, 43, former Ellensburg resident, died Friday in a Tacoma Hospital from injuries received earlier last week in an accident at the Seattle-Tacoma shipyards where he was employed as a rigger. Plant officials reported that he was crushed while unloading steel plates when he slacked off on a safety line too soon and the plates tipped over on him. A veteran of World War I, Swearingen had enlisted for service in this war WWII, but was discharged because of a physical disability. He was awarded the Silver Star, Order of the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, and … 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

Leid, Anna Emma Penner Bernhardt Hansen – Obituary

Former Dayton resident Anna Emma Leid, 96, died November 18, 1993 at Our Lady of Lourdes Health Center. The graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday at the family plot in Dayton City Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice through the funeral home. Mrs. Leid was born February 6, 1897 in Tacoma to Henry and Emma Hagen Penner. She married James Hansen on October 8, 1924, they were later divorced. On October 20, 1936 she married Robert Leid. He died January 11, 1971. She lived for many years in Dayton; and the last … 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