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Robert 'Bob' Merle Cowan
Kenai resident Robert "Bob" Merle Cowan died Sunday, Nov. 23, 2003, at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 61.
A celebration of life will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at the Kenai Elks Lodge at 205 Barnacle St.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Kenai Peninsula Youth Court, 145 Main St., Kenai, AK 99611, or to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 2165, Kenai, AK 99611. Condolences may be sent to the family at 909 Cook Ave., Kenai, AK 99611.
Arrangements are pending with Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Jamie Renee Blanchard-Smith
Kenai resident Jamie Renee Blanchard-Smith died Sunday, Nov. 16, 2003, in Kenai. She was 40.
A gathering of friends and family will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at the Eagles Club in Kenai.
Mrs. Blanchard-Smith was born April 21, 1963, in Santa Rosa, Calif. She moved to Kenai when she was 18. She also lived in Soldotna before returning to Kenai in 1998. She worked as a maid for the Katmai Motel and for One Fine Jewelry.
Mrs. Blanchard-Smith enjoyed bingo, swimming, walking, watching movies and talking with her kids.
"She was a good mother to all her three kids. She liked doing things with us. She was very kind to others. She was a lovable person to be with. She also liked to change other people's lives. We will always love her, " her children said.
Mrs. Blanchard-Smith is survived by her sons, Darryl W. Blanchard of Kenai and Charles R. Murphy of Grinnell, Iowa; daughter, Renee L. Murphy and her fiance', Donald J. Little of Kenai; brother, Michael Wigaard of Port Isabel, Texas; sister, Patti Alford, her husband, Bob, and their children, all of Texas; husband, Darryl L. Blanchard of Oregon; father of two of her children, Roger D. Murphy of Grinnell, Iowa; special friends, Julie Roche and her children, Patrick and Jessica Roche, all of Kenai, and Ely Roche of Anchorage and Mary Little of Kenai.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Marion Cole
Former Kasilof homesteader Marion Cole died Saturday, Nov. 22, 2003, in Silverdale, Wash. She was 93.
At her request, there were no services.
Born Marion Sophia Ingersoll in Steuben, N.Y., on Dec. 12, 1909, she was one of 13 children of John and Harriet Ingersoll.
At the age of 17, she became engaged to Milton Leon Cole.
In 1928, Milton Cole came to Alaska with his father, Perry, and friend Ed Zettle, to file on a 160-acre homestead in Kasilof.
The family wrote of those early days in Alaska:
"Milton and Ed stayed in Alaska to prove up on the homestead, while Perry returned to New York to gather up the family and Marion and drive across the states to Seattle to board a steamship for Alaska. The Brown family, later of Wasilla, joined them there. Milton came south by boat to meet them in Ketchikan. Milton and Marion were married there.
"The entourage continued on to Seward, by rail to Anchorage, then by boat down Cook Inlet to Kasilof. They lived in tents until Louis Nissen and Erling Frostad finished the log house.
"When Marion was about due with her first child, she caught a boat to Anchorage, where daughter Ramona was born at the old railroad hospital. A year and a half later, in 1930, son Lyle was born with the assistance of midwives Enid McLane and Lillian Cole.
"Milton loved Alaska, while Marion hated it. Marion persuaded Milton to leave.
"The family moved to Anchorage in 1932 and lived in a little shack between Third and Fourth avenues while Milton worked at Emard's cannery to make enough money for the return fare to New York."
The family settled in Alder Creek, N.Y., where Milton ran a gas station. Daughter Jetty, named after family friend Jettie Petersen of the Kenai Peninsula, was born in 1935.
Now, it was Milton's turn to persuade Marion, said the family.
In 1936, the family moved to San Fernando, Calif. Son Russell was born there in 1938.
In 1949, son Lyle returned to Alaska, finally settling in Kasilof.
"Milton and Marion made several trips to Alaska to visit their son, the McLanes and the Petersens. They and both sons worked for Columbia Ward, " said the family.
"She was a great mom, " her family wrote.
Mrs. Cole was preceded in death by her husband, Milton Leon Cole; her parents and 11 brothers and sisters.
She is survived by her brother, Charles Wilbur of upstate New York; daughter Ramona Rettig of Sweet Home, Ore., and her family; son Lyle Cole of Kasilof; daughter Jetty Morton of Suquamish, Wash., and her family; son Russell Cole of Sooke, B.C., and his family; niece, Dolly Christl of Kasilof; and many other relatives.
Gloria Jean Marston
Kenai resident Gloria Jean Marston died Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2003, at her home. She was 58.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at the home of Lloyd and Patsy Marston at 3035 Kim-Ang Court in Kenai. Her ashes will be buried in the Bakersfield Cemetery in Bakersfield, Calif.
Mrs. Marston was born Nov. 27, 1944, in Taft, Calif. She moved to Alaska at a young age and went to Kenai Elementary School. She also attended Kenai High School for three years. She moved to Bakersfield with her family and finished high school at North High in Bakersfield. She also went to business college in Bakersfield.
Mrs. Marston married Lloyd Marston and was a homemaker in Bakersfield and Alaska. During their marriage, they were blessed with three children. She also had lived in Oregon. Mrs. Marston returned to Alaska to be near her family.
She enjoyed her grandchildren's activities, family get-togethers and loved Alaska and her dogs.
"Gloria was a kind, beautiful and gentle soul. She was giving, caring and loving. She loved her family with a generous heart and will be greatly missed, " her family said.
Mrs. Marston was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd Marston; brother, Wesley Ross Cooper; and a granddaughter, Michaela Marston.
She is survived by her parents, Jack and Edith Cooper of Bakersfield; daughters, Tammy Marston of Grants Pass, Ore., Teena Marston and her husband, Dave Steele, of Kenai, Tasha Kahl and her husband, Ryan, of Grants Pass and Amber Marston of Kenai; son, Lloyd Marston and his wife, Patsy, of Kenai; grandchildren, Jacy, Bridget and Miles Marston, Jack Cody, Dustin Ensley and Wesley Steele, all of Kenai, and Teena Graham of Brookings, Ore.; great-grandchildren, Wyatt Kahl of Grants Pass and Samuel Marston of Kenai; and brother, Chris Cooper and his wife, Dianne, of Tehachipi, Calif.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Wanda Bonillas
Former Nikiski resident Wanda Bonillas died Monday, Nov. 17, 2003, in San Diego. She was 58.
Bonillas served as a secretary with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District from 1977 to 1996 and was president of the Kenai Peninsula Education Support Association. She resigned from the district in 1996 to work full time for the National Education Association and left Alaska to accept a national post.
She is survived by her husband, Don, and adult children, Donnie, Jane, Martin and Darrell, and their families.
Expressions of support and sympathy may be mailed to Donald Bonillas, 3512 Nile St., San Diego, CA 92104.
Cheryl Patricia Parson
Kenai resident Cheryl Patricia Parson died Saturday, Nov. 29, 2003, at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna from pancreatic cancer. She was 61.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the North Star United Methodist Church, Mile 25.5 of the Kenai Spur Highway in Nikiski. Pastor John Henry will officiate. A reception will be held downstairs immediately following the services. Her ashes will be buried with her family in the Northville Cemetery in Northville, S.D.
Ms. Parson was born Nov. 7, 1942, at Doctor's Hospital in Seattle. She graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle in 1960 and furthered her education by attending beauty school at Mary Stones beauty school in Seattle. She moved to Anchorage in 1965 and lived in Kenai and Nikiski.
Ms. Parson owned beauty salons in Anchorage, Kenai and Nikiski, as well as Seattle. She owned and operated the Katmai Motel with a beauty salon in the motel in the early 1970s. She donated her time by offering free hair services for the elderly. She also had owned a coffee-espresso stand in South Dakota.
She was baptized in a congregational church in Redfield, S.D. She had a love for art and antiques.
"Cheryl was a kind and generous soul who cherished time spent with her family. Always giving of heart and soul, anytime anyone needed a sympathetic ear, she was there with advice and encouragement. Her selfless manner allowed her throughout life to befriend and touch people from all walks of life, many of whom she continued to touch until the end, " her family said.
"Possessing a unique ability to elicit a smile or laugh in any situation, her spirit will continue to inspire laughter and warmth in her family, friends and all those who she touched. She will be remembered fondly and missed dearly. We love you, Cheryl. Rest peacefully."
Ms. Parson was preceded in death by her parents, Keith and Phyllis Harford; and sister, Sandra Chilson.
She is survived by her brother, Daryl Harford of Redfield; brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Patty Harford of Nikiski; sister, Shirley O'Brien of Redfield; son and daughter-in-law, Edward and Liz Parson of Soldotna; son and daughter-in-law, Noel and Malinda Parson of Henderson, Nev.; son, Cory Wilson of Kenai; daughters, Sabrina and Desirea Wilson, both of Kenai; grandsons, Branden Parson of Soldotna and Trey Parson of Henderson; and granddaughter, Keelin McGraw of Kenai.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 1028, Kenai, AK 99611.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
John Patrick Watson
Kenai Police Officer John Patrick Watson died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, in the line of duty. He was 43.
A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Peninsula Memorial Chapel in Kenai. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Kenai Central High School in the Renee C. Henderson Auditorium. Pastor David Higginbotham will officiate. In accordance with his wishes, he will be cremated following the funeral.
A memorial Mass will be held at a later date in South Haven, Mich.
Officer Watson was born June 12, 1960, in Grand Rapids, Mich., to Alfred and Sally Watson. He graduated from South Haven High School in 1978 and Ferris State College in 1981. He then served his country in the U.S. Army and was a highly decorated veteran. He served in the Anchorage Police Department Reserves before going to work for the Kenai Police Department, where he served for the past 18 years.
He enjoyed his family, friends, the outdoors and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. In fact, he was instrumental in starting the local Harley-Davidson owners' group. He had a soft spot for children and had worked with the Boy Scouts.
He was a man of great faith and active in the Kenai Christian Church.
He was preceded in death by his father, Alfred Watson, who died in 1993.
Officer Watson is survived by his wife, Kathy Watson of Kenai; daughter, Renetta of Kenai; stepchildren, Justin Rust, Ron Rust Jr., David Rust, Michael Rust, Daniel Rust and Chelaine Rust; his mother, Sally Watson of South Haven; brothers, Alfred Watson and his wife, Diane, of Fort Thomas, Ky., and Thomas Watson and his wife, Renee, of Bangor, Mich.; sister, Mary Wilkinson and her husband, Neal, of Iowa City, Iowa; nephews, David and Ben Watson and Cole Wilkinson; nieces, Andrea, Catherine and Krista Watson and Natalie Wilkinson; and his aunt and uncle, Patsy and Bill Switzer of Plainwell, Mich.
A memorial fund has been established in Officer Watson's name through First National Bank Alaska. It is the John Watson Memorial Fund, account No. 70230735.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Ruth Idell Bedwell
Soldotna resident Ruth Idell Bedwell died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at her home in Soldotna. She was 49.
A celebration of life and a potluck will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, 2004, at the VFW Lodge in Soldotna. Pastor Wayne Ostrander will officiate. Her ashes will be scattered in the ocean at the mouth of Cook Inlet and in the Kamiah Valley in Idaho. A portion will be buried at the family cemetery in Idaho.
Ms. Bedwell was born Feb. 23, 1954, in Grangeville, Idaho, where she was raised and had attended high school until the 10th grade. She moved to Kenai in July of 1984, moved to Nikiski in 1985, living there for two years and later moved to Sterling in 1987. She lived in Sterling for 10 years and moved to Anchor Point for two years. In 1999, she moved to Soldotna and resided there until her death. She had attended Kenai Peninsula College in 1990 and 1991.
"Ruth never really worked; she volunteered most of her life toward making people happy and making life better for others. She loved to help people no matter who they were. Ruth was a person who had no worries of her feelings, but she would go to any length to make others feel special about themselves. When she said something, that was what she felt, she always believed in herself. Her favorite hobby was playing pool. Her life-long goal was making her biblical book. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, and she will be greatly missed, " her family said.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Barbara Bedwell.
She is survived by her sons, Kelly Ray Sage of Longview, Wash., Adam James Newcomb and Branden Heath Newcomb both of Soldotna; daughter, Dayna Ray Idell Rideout of Kasilof; sisters, Raellen Bronzan and Kathy Holland, both of Washington; brothers, Robert Sowders of Rowland Height, Calif., Stephen Bedwell of California, Lloyd Bedwell of Kamiah, Idaho, and Kim Bedwell of Clarkston, Wash.; father, Robert Bedwell of Idaho; grandson, Simone Newcomb of Soldotna; and granddaughter, Alayna Sage of Longview.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Dayna Rideout, P.O. Box 812, Kasilof, AK 99610.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
