Washington

Montgomery, Deliah Jane Davis – Obituary

Death came to Mrs. George Montgomery, 71-year-old native daughter of Washington and Kittitas Valley pioneer, here Saturday [April 18, 1942] following a lingering illness. Born at Woodinville, WA., July 11, 1870, Mrs. Montgomery had lived in this valley 61 years. She was the daughter of Judge John Davis and Maria Harris Davis and came here with her parents in 1881. She was married here in 1890 to George Montgomery, who died eight years ago. He had farmed in the valley for many years and for the last few years before his death was employed at the Central Washington College. Mrs. … Read more

Michels, Martin – Obituary

Martin Michels, Sr., aged 80 years and a pioneer citizen of Ellensburg, died yesterday [February 14, 1917] at his home north of the city after an illness of several years. Pending the arrival of a son, J. J. Michels, from the east, funeral arrangements will not be announced until Friday. Mr. Michels was born May 2, 1837, in Germany, and came to the United States in 1855. He was married at Aurora, Ill, September, 1859, to Miss Margaret Lenhartz, and later with his family removed to St. James, Minnesota, in 1871. In 1882 Mr. Michels came to the Kittitas Valley, … Read more

Michels, Frank – Obituary

Frank Michels, 83, member of a Kittitas Valley pioneer family, died here this morning [March 27, 1951] about 6:30 a.m. at the Airway Nursing Home. Michels was born at Shakopee, Minnesota., October 10, 1868 and came to the Ellensburg area at the age of 15, with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Michels in 1882. In 1892 here he was married to Mary O’Brien. She died in 1924 and three years later Michels was married to Vera Johnson. The marriage took place at Ephrata, although both resided here. During a 20 year period, until three years ago, Mr. and Mrs. … Read more

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

Taylor, William J. – Obituary

William J. Taylor, one of the most picturesque and best known of the early residents of the Kittitas Valley, passed away at 6 o’clock last evening [May 1, 1924] at his home in East Eleventh Street, of stomach and kidney trouble. He had been ill for several months, his second illness in the 71 years of his unusually active life. Mr. Taylor, not at home out of the saddle, had ridden range in the valley almost continuously from the time he first came here in 1870 until a few months ago. “Bill,” as he was known to all his many … Read more

Taylor, Mary Grewell – Obituary

Mrs. Wm. Taylor, early pioneer of Kittatas, passes. One of the oldest living settlers here, dies Sunday first teacher. Crossed Plains Oxteam, fought Indians, was still active . Mrs. William Taylor, 75, joined the band of Kittitas county’s vanishing pioneers in mid-afternoon Sunday [October 1, 1933], succumbing to a month’s illness. Mrs. Taylor, despite her advanced age was in rugged health and quite active until she became ill the first of last month. Her passing takes from the ranks of the valley pioneers another of the earliest settlers. Mary Grewell was a true product of the West, crossing the plains … Read more

Charlton, Naomi H. McCoy – Obituary

Naomi H. Charlton, 76, Rt. 5, Ellensburg, died Wednesday [November 3, 1982] at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. She was born in Heartland, Wash., on Jan. 15, 1906. She graduated from Ellensburg Normal School in 1928 and taught school for 2 years at Heartland. She and Glenn Charlton were married in Heartland on May 18, 1930. They came to the Kittitas Valley from LaGrande, Ore., in 1953. Mr. Charlton died July 2, 1961. Mrs. Charlton was a member of the First Methodist Church and the Order of Eastern Star, Grace Chapter No. 5, and worked with the Salvation Army while living … Read more

Morrison, General Grant – Obituary

General Grant Morrison [General is his name not a miliatry title], 50, a resident of the Kittitas Valley all his life, died Saturday evening [August 27, 1938] after a lingering illness. He was born at Kittitas in 1888 and has made his home here continuously since. He is survived by his widow, two daughters, Mrs. Herb Holland and Mrs. George Marshall; a son, Harry Jim Morrison; and three brothers, Tom, Bill, and Abe Morrison. Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 o’clock at the Honeycutt Chapel. [Interment at IOOF Cemetery] Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Lee, Claudia H. Swenson – Obituary

Claudia H. Lee, 95, resident of Tumwater for two years, died of natural causes Thursday, Aug. 10, 1995, in Mother Joseph Care Center. She was born May 3, 1900 in Gaylord, Minn., to Swen and Augusta (Erickson) Swenson. She married Melvin Lee on April 3, 1947 in Seattle. Mrs. Lee worked as a beautician and in the insurance industry. She belonged to Plymouth Congregational Church of Seattle. She enjoyed knitting and crocheting. She also liked gardening and flowers, crossword puzzles and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mrs. Lee is survived by her daughter, Rosemary Hortin, and husband, … Read more

Sorenson, John O. – Obituary

John O. Sorenson, 57, prominent Kittitas Valley farmer, died this morning at his home in the Denmark District. In poor health for some time, he had been seriously ill the past month. Sorenson was a native son of the valley. A son of the late Soren Sorenson, a valley pioneer who came here from Aarhus, Denmark and Nielsine Pedersen Sorenson, he was born here May 13, 1893. He had lived all his life in the valley. An active community worker throughout his adult life, Sorenson had been identified with scores of agricultural and civic enterprises. He was active in the … Read more

Wheeler, Abraham Lincoln – Obituary

Death came here yesterday [April 1, 1937] at noon to Abe Wheeler, seventy-three, whose 66 years of residence in the Kittitas Valley covered almost the entire period of white men’s settlements in this vicinity. The last of six children who came to the Kittitas with their pioneer parents in 1871, he died at the Ellensburg General Hospital after an illness of three weeks and following an operation performed on Tuesday. His death not only took another from the ranks of the valley’s pioneers, but separated that community’s oldest living married couple, as well. Surviving him is the widow, Mrs. Laura … Read more

Springer, Laura Harrell – Obituary

Mrs. Laura M. Springer, 68, died at the Ellensburg General Hospital Sunday [May 7, 1961]of a heart attack. Laura Harrell was born Nov. 2, 1892 in Hawkins County, Tenn. and came here with her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Harrell in 1909. She was married to Frank Springer in Ellensburg shortly after. They farmed on the West Side until 1936 and for the past 25 years. Mrs. Springer has lived at 301 South Sprague Street. Mr. Springer preceded her in death in February 1948. She was a member of the First Christian Church and the Women’s Welcome … Read more

Sorensen, Andrew – Obituary

Andy Sorenson, 88, of Ellensburg, died Monday, April 20, 1992 at Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg . He was born in Ellensburg, Washington December 10, 1903, a son of Swan and Marguerite (Jensen) Sorensen. Mr. Sorensen graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1921 and the University of Washington in 1925. He has owned and operated his farm since 1925. He and Evelyn Colwell were married in Ellensburg on October 24, 1936. Mr. Sorensen was soil conservation Farmer of the Year in 1964, on the board of directors of the Ellensburg Water Company, president of the Kittitas County Dairymens Association … Read more

Wyatt, Mary Melissa Birney – Obituary

Mrs. F. G. Wyatt, 76, well-known Kittitas resident, died at her home Monday night [August 15, 1938] after a short illness. Mrs. Wyatt was born January 23, 1862, at Jewitt, Illinois. She was married at Mt. Rose, Mo., February 16, 1881, to F. G. [Felix Grundy] Wyatt, they came West and settled at Shelton in 1886. They moved to the Kittitas Valley 35 years ago and had lived at Kittitas since 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1931. Mrs. Wyatt is survived by her widower; eight children, L. E. Wyatt and A. G. Wyatt of … Read more

Wyatt, Lester Jay – Obituary

Lester Jay Wyatt, 27, teacher and head basketball coach for Hanford High School, died Tuesday at his home in Richland. He was born in Ellensburg on Dec. 31, 1954, the only son of Marvin and Kathryn Wyatt of Ellensburg. He graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1973 and from Central Washington University in 1973 with a degree in education. Mr. Wyatt taught and coached for one year at Tonasket High School. Since 1979 he had been a teacher and coach at Hanford High. Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Wyatt of Ellensburg; a sister, Mrs. John (Jane) Floyd … Read more

Wyatt, Kenneth E. – Obituary

A former minor league baseball pitcher, Kenneth E. Wyatt, died Thursday [February 24, 1977]. He was 51. Mr. Wyatt, of 10108 East F St., was born in Kittitas. He had lived in Tacoma since 1960. Mr. Wyatt held the strike-out record In the Western International League for a few years. He played with the Spokane Indians and Salem Solons in the late 1940s. He was a travel guard at Western State Hospital. Mr. Wyatt was an Army veteran of the Second World War and a member of the Parkland Moose Lodge. He is survived by two daughters, Karen and Teri … Read more

Wyatt, Felix – Obituary

Felix Grundy Wyatt, 90, well-known and long-time Kittitas Valley resident, died yesterday [January 15, 1948] at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Howard Baughman, in Seattle. He had lived in Seattle for the past 10 years. Born January 1, 1858, in Ina, Illinois, Wyatt was brought to Shelton, Wash., by his parents when he was six years old. The trip was made by ox team. The family remained only a short time in Shelton and returned to Illinois. He was married in Mount Rose, Mo., in 1881 to Miss Mary Birney. They moved out to Shelton and then settled in … Read more

Wright, Myrtle McVey – Obituary

Mrs. Myrtle Elizabeth Wright, wife of Wm. J. Wright, resident in the valley for the past ten years, died yesterday morning [June 13, 1920] at the general hospital at 4:30 a.m. at the age of 47. Mr. and Mrs. Wright located in the valley in 1910, from Missouri, having lived in the city since that date on their ranch four miles east of town. During the winter Mrs. Wright was taken with smallpox and in her weakened condition contracted the “flu,” from which she never had fully recovered. Besides the many friends which she has made since locating in the … Read more

Wright, Della Daisy Litch – Obituary

Mrs. Della D. Wright, 62, widow of the late Al Wright, died yesterday afternoon [February 26, 1943] at her home at 1005 North Water Street. She had been ill a year. Mrs. Wright was born September 17, 1880 in Missouri. She was married to Mr. Wright 35 years ago. A son born to them died when five years old [James Cuttrell Wright]. She was a member of the Christian Church. Survivors include three sisters, Mrs. Laura Schooler, Bixby, Okla.; Mrs. Mollie Barnett, Mendota, Mo., and Mrs. Margaret Gum, Green City, Mo.; and seven stepchildren, Mrs. Doris Zastron, Mrs. Roy Maryatt, … Read more

Wright, Bertha Rose Georgia – Obituary

Mrs. Bertha Wright, wife of A. M. Wright, died at her home on the north side early last Monday morning [September 30, 1901] of typhoid fever. She had been sick for a couple of weeks but as her friends had all long hoped for her early recovery, her death came as a great shock. The high esteem in which Mrs. Wright was held was evidenced by the many sincere expressions of sympathy and the presence of so many at the services on Tuesday afternoon at the home. Besides the grief-stricken husband, she leaves six children, who are thus deprived of … Read more