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YOLANDA JANE BOWERS
Wasilla resident Yolanda Jane Bowers died at her home on April 10, 2002, due to a terminal illness.
The family will hold a private memorial service sometime this summer.
Mrs. Bowers was born on Nov. 9, 1959, in Glenwood Springs, Colo.
She attended and graduated from high school in Carbondale, Colo.
She moved to Alaska in 1983, residing in Anchorage until 1994, then in Wasilla until the time of her death.
Mrs. Bowers had been employed as an office manager for Construction Machinery Inc. Her hobbies and interests included fishing, boating, pitching horseshoes, arts and crafts and gardening.
Her family said, "Yo was a strong woman who touched the heart and life of all those who knew her. Her smile and laugh will be missed."
She is preceded in death by her father, Gyula Horvath Sr.; and brother, Gyula Horvath Jr.
Surviving Mrs. Bowers are her husband, Tom Bowers; son, Kevyn Fairchild; brother, Jim Horvath; and mother, Rozalia Horvath.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made in the name of Yolanda Bowers to Hospice of Mat-Su, 3051 E. Palmer-Wasilla Hwy., Wasilla, AK 99654.
Arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory of Wasilla.
DAVID FIELDING NEEL SR.
Longtime Wasilla resident David Fielding Neel Sr., 52, died Feb. 4, 2002, from injuries in a single-engine plane crash outside of Bethel.
A funeral service will be held in his home town of Paducah, Ky., at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10, at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church. A wake will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 16, at the home of Mike and Lisa Stewart on Grummon Road, first driveway on the left, in Wasilla. Call 373-4134 for directions.
Mr. Neel was born April 14, 1949, in Birmingham, Ala., to William H. and Anna Rose Neel. He spent his youth in Paducah. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was transferred to Fort Richardson.
He drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska with his wife Nancy and son David Jr. in 1978. He worked as food inspector for the Army at Ft. Richardson and began a passion for flying while taking lessons at the Flight Club in Anchorage. During this time his second son, Bradley, was born.
In 1980, Dave left the military to stay in Alaska. He and Nancy established Arctic Wilderness Lodge, a remote hunting camp located at Happy Valley, where Dave was well-known throughout the state for his guiding and air charter services. He had accumulated more than 7, 800 hours of bush flying time.
His family wrote, "Dave's generosity, humor and kindness will be missed by all. He loved his family and friends, he loved his life in Alaska and his spirit will soar forever."
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; two sons, David Jr. and Bradley, of Wasilla; parents William and Anna Neel of Paducah, Ky.; sisters and brothers-in-law, Susan and Joe Woods of St. Louis, Mo., Rita and Mike Shayeghi of Charlotte, N.C., Rosemary and Jim Langston and Marian and David Housholder, all of Kentucky; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to a favorite charitable organization.
Arrangements were made by Kehl's Palmer Mortuary.
RAYMOND H. PFLUGH
Raymond H. Pflugh, 57, of Wasilla died at his home on Feb. 4, 2002. A memorial service was held at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002, at Valley Funeral Home in Wasilla.
Mr. Pflugh was born Sept. 4, 1944, in Butler County, Pa. He attended Butler County High School and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving three years. He was married to his wife Joi in May 1997, in Pennsylvania. In 1998, he and Joi relocated to Alaska residing in Wasilla until the time of his death.
He retired from Armco Steel Corporation in 1998. While in Alaska he worked for the Mat-Su school District as a substitute teacher and school bus driver.
He was a 34-year member of the American Legion. His hobbies and special interest included hunting, traveling with his wife and dogs and fishing.
Mr. Pflugh is survived by his wife, Joi; son, Raymond; daughters, Lorri, Sherri and Kristine; and nine grandchildren.
JUDITH YORK STANKOWITZ
Trapper Creek resident Judith York Stankowitz, 60, died June 12, 2000, at Providence Alaska Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Sunday, June 18, at the Trapper Creek Elementary School, Mile 2 Petersville Road, Trapper Creek.
Mrs. Stankowitz was born Aug. 18, 1939, in Jamestown, Tenn., to Luther and Georgia (Bertram) York. She attended the Yorkshire Institute in Jamestown and Bowling Green Business College. She moved to Alaska in 1980 and settled in Trapper Creek, where she owned the Trapper Creek Trading Post.
She was a member of the Trapper Creek Methodist Church and enjoyed recreational gold mining and riding her four-wheeler.
Mrs. Stankowitz is survived by her daughter, Catherine Cricket Stankowitz, of Trapper Creek; son and daughter-in-law, Shawn York and Jennifer Lynn Stankowitz, of Trapper Creek; stepson, James Stankowitz, of Arizona; sister, Peggy Ann Snider, of Trapper Creek, and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her adopted children, Todd Evans and Shane Voelk, of Anchorage, and Milan Zivotic, of Trapper Creek, and her many, many friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Rollie Bud Stankowitz in 1999. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 1057 W. Fireweed Lane, Anchorage, AK 99503, or St. Jude Childrens Hospital, 505 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38105.
Arrangements for the family were made by Kehls Palmer Mortuary.
ORLA L. MEEHAN
Valley resident Orla L. Meehan, 52, died at Valley Hospital in Palmer on June 8, 2000. A memorial service was held June 12, at Kehls Palmer Mortuary Chapel in Palmer.
Ms. Meehan was born Aug. 26, 1947, in Longview, Wash., to Oral and Nettie Gentry. She attended schools in Washington and moved to Alaska in 1984. She was a homemaker who enjoyed needlework, crafts and fishing. She also liked to dance and socialize with her friends.
According to her family: She was the first person to help anyone; it didnt matter who, where or when. She knew what to say and not to say. The best listener you could have. She was everyones friend.
Ms. Meehan is survived by her life partner, Curt Atchley; sons, David W. Spafford of Seattle and Thomas C. Spafford of Purdy, Wash.; and daughter, Lynette L. Blanchard of Marysville, Wash.
BUDDY McCOY
Palmer resident Buddy McCoy, 45, died June 6, 2000, at Valley Hospital from injuries received in a motorcycle accident.
A memorial service was scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, June 12, at Mat-Su Evangelical Covenant Church, Mile 7 Palmer-Wasilla Hwy., with the Revs. Robert Cameron and Dave Dahms officiating. A visitation was at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 11, at Valley Funeral Home, 151 East Herning Ave., in Wasilla.
Private family burial was at Wasilla Aurora Cemetery.
Mr. McCoy was born July 15, 1954, in East St. Louis, Mo. He served as a firefighter in the United States Air Force. He came to Alaska in 1974, and resided in Palmer.
His last place of employment was with Chugach Alaska Corp.
Survivors are his parents, James and Elva McCoy; wife, Linda McCoy; children, Wendy, Angela and Shane McCoy; sisters, Nancy, Kathy and LeAnn; and brother, Carl.
LLOYD HILL
Longtime Palmer resident Lloyd Hill, 85, died of heart failure on June 5, 2000, at Providence Alaska Medical Center. A memorial service followed by a gathering of friends will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 10, at the Palmer Moose Lodge, S. Cobb St., in Palmer.
Mr. Hill was born May 4, 1915, in Felch, Mich., to Wallace and Jenny (Jones) Hill.
He came to the Matanuska Valley in 1937 with his father, looking for better opportunities. His father died shortly after their arrival so he went to work in several mines in the Willow Mining District. With the onset of World War II, he went into the Army in 1942 for four years and returned to the Valley and started gold mining at the Mint Mine and later at the Grubstake placer operation.
In 1948 he married Elsie Jeffers. Needing to support a growing family, he went to work in the local coal mines, but still prospected for gold on the side. When the coal mines shut down, he went to work for the Alcantra Youth Camp. In his spare time he found and worked a soapstone mine in the Hatcher Pass area. He retired from his state job in 1975.
According to his family: Lloyd believed in honesty and hard work. He loved living off the land with his hunting, fishing and gardening. He was an expert in sausage-making and curing fish. He loved working on his little inventions and playing music on his guitar. In his later years, his enjoyment was his apple orchard and garden. Family and friends will miss his wonderful sense of humor and his great will to live. Lloyd enriched all the lives he touched.
Mr. Hill is survived by his wife of 52 years, Elsie; his sons and their wives, Henry and Bambi Hill, Steve and Minnie Hill, John and Karen Hill; daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Tim McKenzie; sisters, Ethel Anderson and Sue Hill; 14 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Chris Hill; his sister, Evelyn Engle; and his parents.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the place of the donors choice.
Arrangements for the family were made by Kehls Palmer Mortuary.
GERALDINE EDITH 'GERRY' GODIN
Big Lake resident Geraldine Edith 'Gerry' Godin, 57, died June 5, 2000, at home, after a year-long battle with cancer.
A memorial service and celebration of her life will be at 3 p.m. Friday, June 9, at the Godin Historic Strawberry Patch, Mile 2 Beaver Lake Road, in Big Lake, with Pastor Ethan Hansen of Faith Bible Fellowship officiating.
Her ashes will be scattered at the Gerry Godin Historic Strawberry Patch. Mrs. Godin was born Feb. 17, 1943, in Peabody, Mass. She came to Alaska in June 1964, and resided in Anchorage from 1964 to 1969, and in Big Lake since 1969.
She was a nurse in Danvers, Mass., in the early 1960s. She was a housewife and mother and handled bookkeeping for the family business.
She received several awards throughout the years from the Alaska State Fair for various items from her gardens and ceramics. She was very talented in gardening, crafts, sewing, genealogy and ceramics. She and her husband, Chet, enjoyed family gatherings.
Her family said: Gerry was a wonderful wife and mother, who was always loving and supportive. Gerry dedicated her life to her family, children, and grandchildren (who were her pride and joy), her friends, and her gardening. She always put others needs before her own. Gerry was very talented in all she did, as well as being generous. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her, and by those whose lives she touched.
Surviving are her husband, Chester A. Godin, of Big Lake; sons and daughters-in-law, Chester and Adina Godin, of Wasilla, Art and Audra Godin, and David and Wendy Godin, of Big Lake; daughter and son-in-law, Birdie and Ed Gohr, of Anchorage; grandchildren, Tessona Cromwell, of Wasilla, Christopher Godin and Zachary Godin, of Wasilla, and Gidget Gohr, of Anchorage; and sisters and brother-in-law, Louise and Jim Harris, of Salem, Mass., and Evelyn Bentley, of Danvers, Mass.
Memorial donations may be made to the Gerry Godin memorial fund at any branch of the Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union. If flowers are sent, perennial flowers and plants are preferred. Arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory of Wasilla.
PEGGY R. WAGNER
Wasilla resident Peggy R. Wagner, 70, died May 22, 2000, at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage.
A gathering of family and friends is pending for sometime in August, with arrangements being made by Don Wagner. Her ashes will be scattered with those of her late husband, Bill Wagner, over their homestead.
Mrs. Wagner was born July 9, 1929, in Savannah, Chatham County, Ga., and received her education there.
Her family wrote, Peggy came to Alaska in 1960. She met and married William Wagner in 1962 in the Knik area where he was homesteading. They shared their homestead and lived in Mountain View until they retired and moved back to Knik in the early 80s. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 36 years, and had been like a one-winged bird ever since then.
Survivors are her sisters, Connie Duncan, of Savannah, Ga., and Shirley Brannen, of Statesboro, Ga.; brother, Henry Harrison, of Birmingham, Ga.; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to R.C.G. (Kidney Center) Anchorage, 4160 Tudor Centre Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508.
Cremation arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home & Crematory of Wasilla.
