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Raymond 'R.D.' Darrill Smith
Longtime Alaskan Raymond "R.D." Darrill Smith died Friday, Jan. 24, 2003, at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna. He was 58.
No formal services are planned at this time.
Mr. Smith was born Nov. 11, 1944, to Raymond Delker Smith and Loveta Mae Brown Smith of Kempner, Texas. He owned his own Harker Heights' barbershop before moving to Alaska. He came to Alaska in 1977. Before informing any of his family here in Alaska, he opened his own barbershop in secret.
"R.D. loved people in general. He had a heart as big as Texas and a smile as big as Alaska. He made all his friends and clients laugh. R.D. will be sorely missed by all, " his family said.
Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his father; brother, Billy Ray Smith of Kempner; and sister, Karen Sue Smith of Kempner.
He is survived by his wife, Lois Ann Smith of Soldotna; children, Raymond Patrick Smith and wife, Frances, of Anchorage, Collin Christopher Smith, Cynthia Antonette Smith, and Clayton Smith of Philadelphia, Texas; mother, Loveta Mae Brown Smith of Kempner; brothers, Brown L. Smith and wife, Lynnette, of Austin, Texas; grandmother of Kenai; brothers-in-law, Aug and Richard Alto; sister-in-law, Rosalie Alto; and grandchildren, Raymond Lee and Liam Smith, Collin, Skylar and Devin Smith.
In lieu of flowers, memorials and cards may be sent to Mrs. Lois Smith, 44766 Funny River Road, Soldotna, AK 99669.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Millie 'Mim' Effler
Pioneer Alaskan and Homer resident Millie "Mim" Effler died Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003, in Escondido, Calif. She was 78.
A funeral was held Jan. 27 at McLeod Mortuary Escondido Chapel. A private cremation was held and a memorial service will take place later this summer in Homer with her ashes being spread on her homestead overlooking Kachemak Bay.
Mrs. Effler was born on Feb. 25, 1924, in Fruithearst, Ala., to Morris and Ura Morrison. She grew up in Ames, Iowa, graduating from Ames High School in 1941. She married Gene Effler on July 4, 1947, in Salome, Ariz., honeymooning at the Grand Canyon, and subsequently headed to Alaska.
The Efflers homesteaded in Homer in July 1949 and Mrs. Effler quickly became a veteran homesteader, chopping her own wood, picking coal out of the canyon and carrying her own water from the well down to the cabin.
The couple also lived in Anchorage for 40 years, where they raised their four children.
In retirement, they wintered in Valley Center, Calif., and came home to Homer for the late spring through early fall. Mrs. Effler enjoyed traveling, golf, beach combing and photography.
"Life was a celebration for Mim. She never missed an opportunity to be there for all the important events in her family's life. Her persevering spirit and loving nature was an inspiration to all who knew her, " her family said.
She was preceded in death by her grandsons, Paul Anthony Brenton and Samuel Adam Fortney; her parents and four brothers.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Gene Effler of Homer; daughters and sons-in-laws, Linda and Brady Drummond of Wasilla, Carolyn and Bill Carfrae of Seattle and Sherri and Earl Houser of Anchorage; son and daughter-in-law, Roy and Crystal Effler of Wasilla; sisters, Bookie Cone and Betty Sinnott, both of Escondido; sister and brother-in-law, Bea and Tom Cena of Seattle; brother and sister-in-law, John and Shirley Morrison of Ogden, Iowa; grandchildren, Michelle, Tammy, Charlene, Angie, Michael, Aimee, Carina, Ian, Daniel, Earl and Haley; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by McLeod Mortuary.
RayLee Brickey
Former Alaska resident RayLee Brickey died Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003, in Grants Pass, Ore. He was 55.
At the request of the family, no services will be held, but there will be a celebration of his life at a later date.
Mr. Brickey was born July 7, 1947, in Sunny Valley, Ore. He moved to Alaska in 1982.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, watching stockcar racing, football and, most of all, being around his children and grandchildren.
"RayLee will be greatly missed. He was a great father and grandfather and loved by everyone he knew, " his family said.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Edith Brickey.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Brickey; daughter, Dee Bell of Soldotna; grandchildren, Blade, Lacy Bush and Shawna Ashmore of Soldotna; mother, Delores Campbell, of Oregon; brothers, Danny, Billey and Douglas, all of Oregon; and sisters, Pat, Brenda and Gayla, all of Oregon; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements were made by Grants Pass Funeral Alternatives.
Edward W. Liebenthal
Longtime Alaskan Edward W. Liebenthal died Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003, at Friendship Terrace Assisted Living in Homer. He was 84.
A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Church in Ninilchik. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church. Archpriest Macarius Targonsky and Father Simeon Oskolkoff will officiate at the services. Burial will be in the church cemetery. A tea service will follow the burial in Ninilchik.
Mr. Liebenthal was born Dec. 10, 1918, in Westallis, Wis. He enlisted in the military serving during World War II with the 32nd Division of the Red Arrow. He also was awarded the Purple Heart.
Mr. Liebenthal graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1948 with a degree in agronomy. He moved to Alaska in 1949, homesteading with his wife, Susie, on 160 acres on Stariski Creek near Anchor Point. He worked as an extension agent for the University of Alaska. He also began his career teaching veterans in an "On the Farm" training program in 1949. He retired in 1976.
Mr. Liebenthal was a member of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Church. He received a special award, "The Grammota, " from the bishop of Alaska for his outstanding work for the church. His hobbies included plants, plants and more plants and working with the soils of the earth.
"He was a kind, giving and humble man who was loved by all he knew. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends, " his family said.
Mr. Liebenthal was preceded in death by his wife, Susie; daughter, Sylvia; sons, Mel and Reuben Cooper; brother, Maynard; sisters, Lilion, Emilie, Violet, Marie, Irene; an infant sister, Sophie; and his parents.
He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Jonathan and Sheri Liebenthal of Ninilchik, Eddy and Debbie Cooper of Arizona and Bobby and Dena Cooper of Wasilla; daughter, Bernice Cooper of Anchorage; grandchildren, Nathan and Tiffany Stonecipher, Erin Clemons and husband, Chris, Mara Stephen and husband, Iain, Raymie Hamann, Shawn, Chris and Don Brown; many great-grandchildren; his twin sister, Regina Krekel and husband, Howie; and a brother, Ben Liebenthal and wife, Ruth.
Memorial donations may be sent to Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, P.O. Box 3427, Kenai, AK 99611.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Louise Pounds McDonald
Louise Pounds McDonald died Friday, Jan. 24, 2003, in North Richland Hills, Texas. She was 75.
A memorial service was conducted Monday in Haltom City, Texas.
Ms. McDonald was a director of nurses for several nursing homes in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Daughters of the Confederacy. She also loved doing research in the family genealogy, family members said.
She is survived by her children, Celia Roberts of Haltom City, Tommy Fields Jr. of Kenai, Paul McDonald of Forth Worth, and Joe McDonald of Springtown, Texas; nine grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; brother, Frank Pounds of New Castle, Texas; and many other relatives.
Arrangements were made by Emerald Hills Funeral Home in Kennedale, Texas.
Dana Wackler
Former Soldotna and Sterling resident Dana Wackler died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003, surrounded by family and friends at her home in Anchorage after a long struggle with lung cancer. She was 48.
A celebration of life will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at BJ's in Soldotna.
Ms. Wackler was born May 23, 1954, in Pekin, Ill., and graduated from Rantoul Township High School in 1972. She moved to Alaska in 1976, where she sold office supplies from 1977 to 1995, then was in the wholesale industry at Alaska Housewares from 1995 to 2000.
She enjoyed bowling, racquetball, attending athletic events, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She was a familiar face in the stands of many high school basketball, football and hockey games.
"Dana meant something different to every person she knew, and she had a unique bond with each friend and family member. She was a loyal friend and a loving mother. Children were the most important things in her life. She had a special way of bonding with kids. Her two grandsons meant more to her than anything, and when Gabe or Eli would enter the room, her expression could change from agony to joy in a heartbeat, " her family said.
"She was an inspiration to many people in her battle with cancer. The amount of courage she showed and her amazing will to live was something anyone could admire. She also was incredibly compassionate, and even when she was going through a great deal of pain, she was more concerned about the feelings and well-being of everyone else around her.
"Dana was very dedicated to her family and friends, and she will be missed by all of them."
She was preceded in death by her mother, Joanne McQueen, and grandmother, Lois Murphy.
She is survived by her son, Mark Wackler; daughter, Katie Wackler; grandsons, Elijah Wackler and Gabriel Wackler Murdock; father, David Feaster Sr.; sisters, Diane Hofmann and Linda Belvito; brother, David Feaster Jr.; and numerous other relatives.
Arrangements were made by Anchorage Funeral Home.
Jasmine Marie Webber
Anchorage resident Jasmine Marie Webber died Monday, Feb. 2, 2003, at Providence Alaska Medical Center. She was 19.
A visitation will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Kehl's Forest Lawn Chapel, 11621 Old Seward Highway in Anchorage. The funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. with Pastor Paul Kupferschmid officiating.
Miss Webber was born Jan. 8, 1984, in Kirkland, Wash., and moved to Alaska in 1992. She graduated from Dimond High School in 2002 and was a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
She had a talent for art and writing and she enjoyed listening to music, going to movies, reading, being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.
"Jasmine -- Jazzie --was the little princess of our hearts. We will forever miss her spontaneous smile, her remarkable style of humor, her unique Jazzie laugh, those big sparkling blue eyes, her joy for life and all of her very precious being. We love and miss you, " her family said.
She is survived by her mother Karen and her mother's fiance, Ed Wing, both of Anchorage; father, Del; brother, Ragan; and stepsister, MacKenna Lewis all of Kirkland; grandparents Robert and Pat
Webber of Bellevue, Wash., and Herman and Dorothy Hermansen of Cohoe; cousins, Joshua Schaeffer, Miranda Shepherd and Kurt Hermansen-Jent; and numerous aunts, uncles and friends in Alaska, Washington and Hawaii.
The family has requested that memorial contributions be directed to the Diabetes Program at the Alaska Native Medical Center, 4315 Diplomacy Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508. Checks may be made out to ANMC/Wells Fargo account No. 1101583169, in care of Jasmine Webber.
Arrangements were made by Kehl's Forest Lawn Mortuary and Crematory.
James Dale Waller
Kenai resident James Dale Waller died Friday, Jan. 31, 2003, at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna. He was 97.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Kiana Lane in Kenai.
Mr. Waller was born Sept. 7, 1905, in Marion County, Mo., the son of James P. and Fannie (Gibson) Waller. He the middle child of eight siblings. He grew up on the farm, attending rural schools. He was raised around male relatives who had fought on both sides of the Civil War, and spoke of hearing many of the stories firsthand.
After high school, he attended Missouri State Teacher College in Kirksville, Mo. As a graduate, he taught fifth and sixth grades for three years in Oakwood, Mo., but decided that teaching was not for him. He was working at a bank in Hannibal, Mo., when the Great Depression hit, and he often spoke of the sadness of being the one who had to physically close the bank doors to depositors who had lost their life's savings when the bank failed.
He and his fiancee, Eva Iona Krigbaum, eloped on April 18, 1931, and shortly after that, Mr. Waller went to work for the International Shoe Co. in Hannibal. He continued with them for 19 years, until he purchased a small neighborhood grocery store in Oakwood. In 1956, he moved his family to Seattle, where he worked for Boeing Aircraft Co. as an expediter until his retirement.
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he was able to enjoy more time Bible teaching once he retired. In 1978, he and his wife moved to Kenai to be with their daughter and son-in-law, Bill and Jill Burnett. In Kenai, they continued to devote a great deal of time to their Bible work, and Mr. Waller served as an elder in the Kenai congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, as he had done in the Seattle area for a number of years.
He lived independently with a well-rounded schedule of activities until age 90. He also was a caregiver to his wife, Eva, for several years.
"In a world where a man's word does not mean what it once did, Dale will be remembered by those who knew and loved him as 'faithful in all things, '" his family said.
Mr. Waller was preceded in death by his wife, Eva; son-in-law, W.M. (Bill) Burnett; three his sisters; and a brother.
He is survived by his daughter, Jill W. Burnett of Kenai; sisters, Zella Bridges of Hannibal and Reba Morris of Quincy, Ill.; step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren in the Burnett family; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
