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Frances Styff
Frances Lilian Styff, 68, died Monday, Dec. 29, 1997, at her home in Prescott.
She was born June 24, 1929, in Fredrick, S.D., to Walter and Martha (Dedura) Ylitaio.
She worked as a secretary for the mental health program in California for many years. She retired and moved to Prescott over a year ago.
Survivors include daughters, Patricia Kinsey and Shelly Packham, both of Ventura, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
Memory Chapel Mortuary helped the family with arrangements.
Jewel Austin
Jewel Margaret Austin, 77, a Congress resident, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 1997, in Wickenburg.
She was born Sept. 4, 1920, in New Mexico.
She lived in Prescott from 1936 to 1952, then moved to Wickenburg and resided there for 14 years. She has lived in Congress since 1966, where she volunteered many hours caring for the homebound elderly residents of Congress and Yarnell.
Survivors include her husband, Paul of Congress; sons, Buford Madison of Prescott, and Robert Madison of Bullhead City; 14 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her son, Joseph Madison.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, at Memory Chapel Mortuary, 131 Grove Ave. Interment will follow at Mt. View Cemetery.
Memory Chapel helped the family with arrangements.
Jean Herner
Jean Marie Herner, 69, of Prescott, died Saturday, Dec. 20, 1997, in Las Vegas, Nev., after a short illness.
She was born Aug. 11, 1928 in Jerome to Harlan R. and Thelma J. Herner. She was raised in Clarkdale and Douglas. She was a seven-year resident of Prescott.
Mrs. Herner retired from the state of California civil service. After graduating from Douglas High School, she attended Stanford University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1949. While at Stanford, she met her future husband, George. They married and moved to San Francisco, Calif., in 1949. During the following decade, she drove an MG sports car in road races throughout northern California. After raising her family and retiring in 1984, she traveled extensively and lived in Chiapas, Mexico, working for a local wildlife reservation.
Her interest in, and support of, many diverse organizations, such as the Audubon Society and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, as well as countless others, will be greatly missed.
Survivors include her former husband and friend, George Moore of Davis, Calif.; sons, Harlan Moore of San Francisco, Calif., and Stuart Moore of Penngrove, Calif.; daughter, Julia Moore Emerton of Las Vegas, Nev.; brother, Harlan Herner of Tucson; and one grandchild.
A memorial gathering of family and friends will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, at 340 Pioneer Trail in Prescott.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Audubon Society, or to the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.
Palm Mortuary of Las Vegas, Nev., helped the family with arrangements.
Margaret Bunting
Margaret Catherine Bunting, 76, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 1998, at her home in Prescott.
She was born Oct. 20, 1921, in Wildwoode, N.J., to Harold and Catherine (Curran) Nickerson.
She married Edward Bunting in 1946 in New Jersey. They moved to Prescott in 1975 from Blackwood, N.J. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
Survivors include her husband, Edward of Prescott; son, James of Mesa; daughters, Margaret Zolty and Linda Hreha, both of Prescott; brother, Harold Nickerson of Vestal, N.Y.; and seven grandchildren.
Private family services were held.
Sunrise Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Virginia Powell
Virginia M. Powell, 81, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 1998, at Yavapai Regional Medical Center.
She was born June 14, 1916, in Poland, Ohio, to Monroe and Freda (Smith) Paulin.
Mrs. Powell and her husband, Albert, were married on Dec. 23, 1933, in West Virginia. They moved to Phoenix in 1952, then to the Walker (Prescott) area in 1968, and to Prescott Valley in 1989, from Ohio.
She was a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Post Office, and handled the Campwood and Walker area. She retired in 1979.
Survivors include her son, Wayne of Phoenix; daughter, Janet Weedon of Prescott; sister, Vivian Oerhle of Ohio; brother, Bill Paulin of California; five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1991.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Mt. View Cemetery in Prescott.
Memorial contributions may be made to C.A.S.A., 8201 E. Loos, Prescott Valley, Ariz. 86314.
Sunrise Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Errold Hitchens
Errold Hitchens, 66, of Dewey, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1997, in Blanding, Utah.
He was born June 7, 1931, at the family's Overlook Ranch in Milner, Colo., to Albert and Winnie Hitchens.
Mr. Hitchens worked in mines and finally decided to work on the family ranch and grew grain crops. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1949 to 1954. He took a great interest in the area and served on the National Ski Patrol in the 1960s and 1970s. He was good skier, and he and his brother, Melvin, promoted night-time ski jumping for the youth in the area.
When Mr. Hitchens moved to Dewey from Milner in 1988, he began raising miniature horses. He was very active in the Prescott Toastmasters club, as well as in the American Square Dancing Association. He also belonged to the VFW and was involved with Steamboat Springs Winter Sport Club and Odd Fellows.
Mr. Hitchens is survived by his wife, Caroleen of Dewey; daughter, Diane Holly of Milner; brother, Melvin of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; sister, Wilma Watkins of Lacey Spring, Va.; and numerous neices and nephews. He was preceded in death by a son, Dean, and his first wife, Geraldine.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home, Cortez and Carleton streets, with the Rev. Berry Norwood officiating.
The family requests donations in Mr. Hitchens' name to United Way of Yavapai County, 122 N. Cortez St., Prescott, Ariz., 86301.
Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Melbourne Ijams
Melbourne A. Ijams, 83, died Saturday, Jan. 3, 1998, in Prescott.
He was born Jan. 14, 1914, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. while his parents, Sheldon L. and Jessie M. (Hill) Ijams, residents of Tombstone, were on a business trip to that state.
His parents were both born in Arizona in the 1880s.
Mr. Ijams attended schools in Tombstone, Safford and Peoria, where he was active in football.
As a young man, Mr. Ijams worked for mining operations in Nevada, and in Yarnell, Phoenix, and at Phelps Dodge in Morenci.
In 1943, while in Morenci, he met Era D. Hickey, clad in overalls and her hair in a bandanna, greasing the mining equipment in the floatation department. They married later that year, but had to borrow a few gas ration coupons (World War II rations) to make the drive to Safford for their wedding.
Later, they opened dry cleaning and laundry businesses in Globe and Tucson, retiring to Prescott Valley in 1980.
Mr. Ijams was highly interested in all mechanical things and was an inventor of sorts. He also enjoyed prospecting, oil painting and woodworking, making several pieces of furniture.
He had been a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Safford, and was a Boy Scout leader.
Mr. Ijams was preceded in death by his son Jan A. Ijams this past September.
Survivors include his wife, Era Ijams of Prescott Valley; daughters, Era Linda Harris of Heber and Salina Sialega of Prescott Valley; son, Rex Ijams of Prescott Valley; brothers, Harold Ijams of Tucson, Jim Ijams of Tucson, C. Philip Ijams of Tucson, and Leslie Ijams of Phoenix; one grandson and four granddaughters.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home, with visitation beginning at noon.
Private burial services will be held later in Safford.
Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home helped the family with services.
