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Mary Louise McGarry
Kasilof resident Mary Louise McGarry died Saturday Dec. 27, 2003, at home in her sleep. She was 86.
Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. today, Dec. 30, at Spruce Grove Memorial Park in Kasilof. Pastor Floyd Seekins will officiate. A reception will follow the service at the Kasilof Community Church. Pallbearers will be Jeff McGarry, Mark McGarry, Bryan Hutchins, Curt Wagoner, Ely Evanson and Joel Shields.
Mrs. McGarry was born Dec. 12, 1917, in Toledo, Ohio. She graduated from Waite High School in Toledo. She moved to Kasilof in August 1984.
She was a member of the Kasilof Community Church. She was always there for moral support and cookies beyond the call of duty.
"Known in the community as Grandma McGarry, she and Grandpa set an extraordinary example of service in their retirement years. From volunteering as a school secretary, substitute teacher and baby-sitter, to helping Grandpa bake brownies and cookies for hundreds of youth activities. She never tired of being involved with her own grandchildren as well as their many friends she come to love as her own, " her family said.
"There was no generation gap with her as she was always available to play card games with the kids, discuss decades of baseball while berating or bragging about her beloved L.A. Dodgers, hold World Series parties with fried chicken and apple pie, tell stories of the old days, debate politics, talk about books and movies, attend hundreds of local basketball and baseball games and remember most everyone's birthday. She loved all kids and freely gave them hugs and heartfelt words of encouragement. He walls are filled with collages of photos from many of them. Even beyond her own grandchildren who adored her, others young and old quickly adopted her.
"Her marriage and love affair of more than 63 years is a model for today's generation. Grandpa called her his 'buddy' and best friend. When asked about their relationship he said, 'If the good lord made anything better, he kept it for himself.'
"The only time they were ever apart was during World War II. They were devoted to each other with Grandpa joyfully caring for her during these past few years when she was bedridden. She never complained and kept her sense of humor and cute grin, even snapping Grandpa's suspenders when he bent down close to check on her.
"Her faith in Christ was her foundation and her love for others was her life. She will be greatly missed, but her legacy will live on."
Mrs. McGarry is survived by her husband, John McGarry of Kasilof; sons and their wives, Jack and Glynna McGarry of Kenai and Jerry and Peggy McGarry of Kasilof; daughters and their husbands, Mary Jo and John Davis of Kenai, and Patty and Steve Harnish of Garden Grove, Calif.; grandchildren, Dawn Jayens, John McGarry II, Kathleen McGarry, Thomas McGarry, Bryan Hutchins, Lindsay Hutchins, Lori Wagoner, Jeff McGarry, Ben McGarry, Mark McGarry, Jennifer Harnish and Jessica Beaumont; and great-grandchildren, Shane and Holly Johnson, Brandi and Trevor Wagoner, Rilee, Raegan, Jayse and Madalyn McGarry and Vera Beaumont.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Kasilof Church Missionary Fund, P.O. Box 57, Kasilof, AK 99610.
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.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. today at Kenai Central High School in the Renee C. Henderson Auditorium. Pastor David Higginbotham will officiate. In accordance with his wishes, Officer Watson will be cremated following the funeral.
A funeral procession from Peninsula Memorial Chapel, Mile 6 of the Kenai Spur Highway, to the high school will begin at noon.
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 Hensler, 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.
Edgar Alonzo Davis Jr.
Clam Gulch resident Edgar Alonzo Davis Jr., died Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003, at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna. He was 89.
Graveside services were held Saturday, Nov. 1, at the American Legion Cemetery in Ninilchik. Pastor Jim Kruse officiated. Pall-bearers included Dick Davis, Ted Demos and Corey, Joshua, Joseph and Benjamin Kruse.
Mr. Davis was born June 28, 1914, in York, Maine. He attended the University of New Hampshire as a medical student, the Hospital Corps School in Portsmouth, Va., Laboratory Procedures at the Naval Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and the Environmental Sanitation at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif.
He served two years in the National Guard until he entered the U.S. Navy in 1935 and served 22 years until he retired from the active duty in 1955. During his service term, he served on the USS Arizona, USS Mount Vernon, USS San Jacinto and the USS Benevolence. He was awarded the Navy Occupational Service Medal, Victory Medal, American Defense, Good Conduct Medal, American Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, European African Medal, Philippine Liberation and Presidential Unit Citation.
He continued working as the supervisor and health inspector of the Orange County Health Department in Santa Ana, Calif., and retired in 1970. He and his wife, Arlene, moved to Clam Gulch in 1991 to be closer to their family. Mr. Davis was a member of the Ninilchik Assembly of God Church. He enjoyed golfing and traveling and had a special interest in medicine.
"He was loved very much by his family and will be missed, " his family said.
Mr. Davis was preceded in death by his sister, Irene Smith.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Arlene M. Davis of Clam Gulch; son, Richard E. Davis of San Clemente, Calif.; daughter and son-in-law, Linda C. and Jim Kruse of Clam Gulch; daughter and son-in-law, Leslie S. and Ted Demos of Venice, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law, Sylvia and Bruce Kester of Allenspark, Colo.; 12 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Willard G. 'Woody' Mahurin
Former Soldotna mayor Willard G. "Woody" Mahurin died Saturday, Jan. 17, 2004, at his home in Webb City, Mo. He was 88.
A Masonic memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Simpson Funeral Home in Webb City.
Mr. Mahurin was born June 24, 1915 in Sligo, Mo. He lived in Webb City and Joplin, Mo., for 28 years, after living in Alaska for 25 years. Mr. Mahurin built a motel and restaurant in Soldotna, where he served as mayor. He was in the Aleutian Islands during World War II and was a member of the Latter-day Saints and master mason for more than 50 years.
Mr. Mahurin was preceded in death by his parents, Ethel and Winnet Mahurin; seven brothers, Jimmy, Jack, Ray, Theron (Speck), Paul, Richard and Max; and three sisters, Geneva, Heloise and Patty.
He is survived by his wife, Reba, whom he married Feb. 24, 1935; daughters, Lynne Mahurin of Webb City, Lee Morgan and LeeAnn Langan of Joplin; son, Marshall Mahurin of Kenai; sister, Gwen Meadows of Grove, Okla.; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren
Arrangements were made by Simpson Funeral Home in Webb City.
Freda K. (Peters) Marchant
Soldotna resident Freda K. (Peters) Marchant died Monday, Jan. 19, 2004, at Heritage Place in Soldotna from complications of Alzheimer's disease. She was 82.
At her request, no formal services are planned. A private family service will be held at a later date, when they will scatter her ashes.
Mrs. Marchant was born Dec. 24, 1921, in Clear Lake, Minn. She grew up and received her education in the Clear Lake area. In 1940, she moved to Minneapolis, where she worked as a housekeeper and a baby-sitter. She also worked as a waitress.
On Dec. 1, 1945, she married Hilton C. Marchant. They moved to Oregon in 1946. She was a homemaker and eventually worked as a waitress for nearly eight years before moving to Alaska in 1967. The couple lived in Fairbanks, North Pole and eventually Copper Center. She worked as a waitress for about six years. In 1977, the couple moved to Soldotna.
In her 60s, Mrs. Marchant was a "Nana" to Heather Madden, Amberlee and Arlyn Query until they started school full-time. She also was a homemaker for many of the years while she continued to work.
Mrs. Marchant was confirmed Lutheran. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, baking and especially fishing.
"Freda was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and gave freely of herself. She was a very good fisherman. She was usually the first one in the boat to yell, 'Fish on!'" her family said.
Mrs. Marchant was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Annie Peters; brothers, Walter, Ernest, Ferdinand and Arthur; and sister, Christine Brown.
She is survived by her husband, Hilton Marchant of Soldotna; sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Sharon Marchant of Valdez and Al and Peggy Marchant of Soldotna; daughter, Kay Tordoff of Soldotna; grandsons, Scott Marchant of Oregon, Nathan Marchant of Fairbanks, Steven Marchant of Valdez, Charles Marchant of Cartersville, Ga., and Michael Garcia of Raleigh, N.C.; granddaughters, Melissa Wood and Kelly Glaspell, both of North Pole, and Trudy Marchant of Fairbanks; seven great-grandchildren; brother, Herbert Peters of Fallon, Nev.; and sister, Mary Swanson of Salem, Ore.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Alzheimer's Resource Agency of Alaska, 1750 Abbott Road, Anchor-age, AK 99507.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Mark Barnette Sr.
Kenai resident Mark Barnette Sr. died Monday, Jan. 19, 2004, at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna. He was 74.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Peninsula Memorial Chapel in Kenai. Pastor Chuck Thornton will officiate. Mr. Barnette's ashes will be buried along with his wife's ashes in the Kenai City Cemetery at a later date.
Mr. Barnette was born Aug. 31, 1929, in Dunbar, W.V. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 4, 1946. He served his country in the Air Force for 30 years and retired at Elmendorf Air Force Base in January 1976. After his military retirement, he worked for Anchorage Chrysler Center in Anchorage. Mr. Barnette also was the owner-operator of the Wildwood Chevron in Kenai. He also had worked at the 7-11.
Mr. Barnette was Southern Baptist. He was an avid fisher and outdoors man. He also loved driving on Sundays and cooking for his family.
"Mark leaves behind a large family who owe their success to his mentoring and teaching abilities. His dedication to church, country and family surrounded the family with love and the sound of his voice singing his favorite song, 'Mountain So High, '" his family said.
Mr. Barnette was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Mary E. Barnette.
He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Mark Jr. and Dawn Barnette of Kenai, and Phillip and Susanna of Federal Way, Wash.; daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Jim Boyd of Belfair, Wash.; grandchildren, Mark Allen Barnette and his wife, Amanda, of Fairbanks, Douglass Barnette and his fiancee, Cindy, of Anchorage, Melissa Barnette and her fiance, Rick Smith, of Kenai, Robert and David Barnette of Kenai, Cory Barnette of Hinckley, Minn., Randy Barnette of Phoenix, Anthony Barnette of Coolidge, Ariz., James Burbank and his wife, Katie, of Great Falls, Mont., and Jesse Dunbar of Federal Way; great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Barnette of Anchorage, Justine Burbank of Great Falls, Connor Barnette of Kenai, McKenna Burbank of Great Falls, Ricky and Skylar Smith, both of Kenai, and Madison Barnette of Anchorage.
Memorial donations may be sent to Central Peninsula General Hospital, 250 Hospital Way, Soldotna, AK 99669 or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 2165, Kenai, AK 99611.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
Gregg Allan Ivanoff
Lifelong Kenai resident and Alaska Native Gregg Allan Ivanoff died Friday, Jan. 23, 2004, at his home in Kenai from a heart attack. He was 38.
A viewing will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday at Peninsula Memorial Chapel in Kenai. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church. Father Thomas Andrew will officiate. Pallbearers will be Danny Eide, Donny Eide, Raymond Ivanoff, Zane Peterson, Hans Roehl, Rick Enfield, Ed Salazar and Bud Baun. Arnold Oskolkoff will carry the cross to the cemetery. Burial will be in the Russian Orthodox Cemetery.
A service of tribute will follow the burial at the Moose Lodge by Ritual Staff. Following the tribute, there will be a celebration of life at the Moose Lodge.
Mr. Ivanoff was born Aug. 24, 1965, in Anchorage. He attended school in Kenai and graduated in 1983 from Kenai Central High School. He was self-employed in the janitorial business.
Mr. Ivanoff was a member of the American Legion, Russian Orthodox Church, Moose Lodge and also a Cook Inlet Region Inc. and Kenai Natives Association Inc. shareholder. He enjoyed hockey, Oakland Raiders football, working on cars, remodeling his house and spending time with his two sons.
"He was a dedicated father and son, a loving brother and generous uncle. He was always willing to help a friend, " his family said.
Mr. Ivanoff was preceded in death by his father, Alfred Ivanoff, uncle, Daniel Ivanoff, and grandfather, Deacon Alexander Ivanoff.
He is survived by his mother, Roberta Ivanoff of Kenai; sons, Christophor Allan Ivanoff of Roseburg, Ore., and Gavan Adan Ivanoff of Aztec, N.M.; daughter, Sonja "Jay" Pina of Kenai; sister and brother-in-law, Melinda and George Wright of Juneau; nieces, Kynde Baun and Kami Wright, both of Juneau; nephew, Bud Baun of Wasilla; uncle and aunt, Jake and Carmen Ivanoff of Kenai; aunt, Polly Conaway of Kenai; special friend, Patty Wheeler of Kenai; and numerous cousins.
Memorial donations may be sent in his name to the Moose Family Center, Building Fund, 12516 Kenai Spur Highway, Kenai, AK 99611.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
June A. Moore
Kenai resident June A. Moore died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003, of a sudden illness at the home of her daughter in Filer, Idaho. She was 73.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at the American Legion in Kenai.
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 20 also will hold a charter draping ceremony in honor of Mrs. Moore starting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28.
