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Barbara Mae Soper
Funeral services for lifelong Dove Creek resident Barbara Mae Soper will be held Wednesday, May 3, at the Dolores County High School Memorial Hall beginning at 2 p.m. Officiating will be Rev. Jerry Boles of the Dove Creek United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at the Dove Creek Cemetery.
Barbara was born in Cortez on Dec. 24, 1942, to William Rutherford Johnson and Dorothy Mae (Buffington) Johnson. She passed away in Grand Junction, Colo., on Friday, April 28, 2000, at the age of 57.
On July 1, 1971, at the United Methodist Church in Dove Creek, Barbara married Kenneth L. Soper. Through the sports that her husband Ken coached, Barbara became one of the greatest supporters of Dolores County High School athletics, acting as "Team Mom" and score keeper. She was a library aide for the Dolores County School District for a number of years. One of her pleasures was reading and she loved seeing her kids read. Barbara was very fond of crafts, listening to music, and writing poetry, at which she was quite talented. Her six grandchildren, though, were the most important aspects of her life. She will be greatly missed.
Barbara leaves behind her husband of 28 years, Kenneth Soper, of Dove Creek; her daughter and son-in-law, Terri and Dustin Rockwell, of Ely, Nev.; two sons, Brad Donelow, of Morristown, Tenn., and Dan Vagle, of Aspen, Colo.; six grandchildren, Branden Donelow, Trinity Donelow, Erica Rockwell, Dexter Rockwell, Billy Ray Donelow, and Shilo Donelow. She is also survived by a brother, Floyd Johnson, of Page, Ariz.; three sisters, Bernice Capron, of Dove Creek, Trudy Fuller, of Yellow Jacket, and Janet Hall, also of Dove Creek; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions can be made in Barbara Soper's name with the Dove Creek State Bank. Ertel Funeral Home will conduct the services.
Warren V. Morris
Warren V. Morris of Paso Robles, Calif., passed this life on Aug. 26, 2000. He was 91.
He was born Aug. 20, 1909, and raised in Aurora, Ind., the son of George and Alma Morris.
A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, he practiced medicine in Monticello, Ind., for 50 years.
During World War II, he commanded a front-line mobile army hospital company through France and Germany. He retired to Paso Robles in 1985.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Richard of Jacksonville, Fla.; Stan of Cortez; and John of Portage, Ind.; grandchildren Betsy of Aurora, Colo.; Alex of McMurdo Station, Antarctica; Andrew of Lafayette, Ind.; Daniel of Dakar, Senegal, West Africa; and Emily of Portage, Ind.
In accordance with his wishes, his body was donated to the University of Southern California Medical School for medical education.
Irma Arline Portner
Irma Arline Portner, a resident of Durango for 24 years, passed away peacefully at her residence on Aug. 25, 2000, with her loving husband of 69 1/2 years at her side. She was 93.
A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 2, at 3 p.m. in the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witness, 2537 County Road 203, Durango. Kevin Karly will officiate.
Mrs. Portner was born to John Russell and Gertrude McKern Robinson on April 1, 1907, at Corydon, Iowa. She attended school there and graduated from high school. On April 29, 1931, she married Freelin Martin Portner in Los Angeles. They were blessed with five children.
Mrs. Portner was a homemaker and a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, where she worked as a missionary since 1952. She enjoyed reading, knitting, working crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and while attending high school, she performed in leading roles in he plays.
She was also the senior class vice president. While her family resided in Hawaii, Mrs. Portner was president of the PTA. She enjoyed singing and had a beautiful singing voice.
Irma Arline Portner is survived by her husband, Freelin Martin Portner of Durango; one son and four daughters: Jack (Bette) Portner; Shirley Edwards; Virginia "Ginny" (Larry) Butler; Lani Marie Munsee; and Sandra (Byron) Munsee; sister, Fern Sanders; 22 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Mrs.. Portner lived to see five generations of family.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Jack Robinson; sister, Marie Herbert; son-in-law Rex Edwards; grandson Wayne Downey; granddaughter Karen Edwards; and four great-grandchildren.
Cortez Four Corners Funeral Chapel, Hale and Gerken Funeral Directors are serving the family.
Michael Omer Deabay
Memorial services for Michael Omer Deabay, a Mancos resident for the past seven years, will be held Monday, Aug. 28, at Boyle Park beginning at 1 p.m. Melvyn Horrocks will officiate. Per Mike's request, this is a celebration of the life that he lived and loved.
Michael was born in Rockville, Conn., on May 14, 1955, to Omer Deabay and Pauline (Soucier) Deabay. He passed away suddenly on Aug. 24, 2000, at Southwest Memorial Hospital at the age of 45.
Mike is survived by his wife, Darlene Deabay and son, Mark Deabay, of Mancos; his loving parents, Omer and Pauline Deabay of Connecticut; and several brothers and sisters, Martha Delfino, Sherry Cazzetta, and Dick Deabay, all of Connecticut, and Gary Deabay of Florida; as well as several nieces and nephews.
In July of 1993, Mike, Darlene, and Mark relocated to Mancos from Connecticut with Metallics West. It was with this company that Mike had worked with Michael Mola for the past 23 years. Here they started a new life in the small town of Mancos.
Memorial contributions can be made in loving memory of Michael Deabay with the Mancos Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department.
Arrangements are being made through the Ertel Funeral Home.
Edna Taylor
Funeral services for Towaoc resident Edna Faye Taylor are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 10 a.m.
Services will be held at the Towaoc Presbyterian Church with Mr. Carl Knight officiating. Interment will follow at the Towaoc Cemetery.
Visitation has been set for Tuesday, Aug. 29, at the Ertel Memorial Chapel between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m.
Ms. Taylor was born in Cortez on Feb. 16, 1966. She passed away at St. Joseph Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 24, 2000.
Edna died due to complications from a car accident she was involved in over a year ago. She was 34.
Edna loved to have fun and enjoyed Western dancing and mud-bogging with her pickup. Her favorite animals were cats and kittens.
Edna is survived by her dear father and mother, Clifford Lee and Jean (Marsh) Taylor, Sr., of Towaoc.
She is also survived by her sister, Diane Jean Taylor of Towaoc, Colo. She was loved and will be missed by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Noel Lee Taylor and Clifford Taylor, Jr.
Robert Chambers Norwood, Jr.
A memorial service for Robert Chambers Norwood, Jr., will be held on Friday, Aug. 25, at the Summit Ridge Cemetery
beginning at 11 a.m. Father Jerry McKenzie of St. Paul's Episcopal Church will officiate.
Robert was born on April. 2, 1913, in Rayville, La., to Robert Chambers Norwood and Jeanette (Wright) Norwood. Robert passed away on Aug. 21, 2000, at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez. He was 87.
Robert had been a resident of Cortez for most of the past 41 years. He married his bride, Betty B. Barrett, on Aug. 10, 1941, in Oklahoma City, Okla., in the Episcopal Cathedral.
Robert was a Certified Public Accountant, belonging to the American Institute of CPAs. He was an active member of the community and belonged to the Lions Club and the Masons. He was a Life Scout for the Boy Scouts of America and remained very active in the local Boy Scouts of America.
He worked with the Interior Department Petroleum Administration during World War II as Controller. During the War he was the leader in the sales of war bonds for the government and today he was a supporter of the World War II Memorial yet to be constructed.
Prior to moving to Cortez in 1959, Robert was the treasurer and controller for the International Co-op of Kansas City, which is now known as Farmland Industries. He was instrumental in the development of computers. Upon moving to Cortez, Robert held the position of treasurer and controller under the employment of Ansel Hall and the Mesa Verde Company.
Robert is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betty B. Norwood of Cortez. He is also survived by his dear children: his son, Robert C. Norwood III and his wife, Patricia of Houston, Texas, and his daughter, Trudy J. Estes and her husband, Gary of Vicksburg, Miss. His grandchildren are Robert C. Norwood IV of Irvine, Calif., Justin A. Olin of Cortez, Katie Olin Allen of Middleburg, Fla., Lauren E. Estes of Vicksburg, Miss., Lindsay A. Estes of Vicksburg, Miss., and Jesse James Allen, a great-grandson, of Middleburg, Fla.
A brother and sister preceded him in death.
Memorial contributions may be made to Boy Scouts of America or the World War II Memorial Fund, care of: WWII Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 96766, Washington, D.C., 20090-6766.
Memorial services will be under the direction of the Ertel Funeral Home.
Charles "Cy" Joseph Johnson
Funeral services for Charles "Cy" Joseph Johnson will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Ertel Memorial Chapel beginning at 2 p.m. Interment will be at the Cortez Cemetery
following the service. Pastor Gerald Andrews of the Montezuma Valley Presbyterian Church will be officiating.
Charles was born on Feb. 25, 1924, in Cortez, to Charles Augustus and Dorothy Emma (Carlile) Johnson. Cy passed away on Aug. 20, 2000, at the Vista Grande Nursing Home in Cortez. He was 76.
Cy was raised in Cortez and attended the Aztec School, Lower Valley School, Mildred School and Cortez High School. He was on the varsity football team at Cortez High School during his four years there.
Cy enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 28, 1944. He served in the 4169 Quartermaster Depot Company. He served his country in the Southern Philippines during the liberation and the Japanese occupation. He was honorably discharged from the Army on April 29, 1946.
Upon returning to Cortez, on May 7, 1946, he married his high-school sweetheart, Janice Baker. To this union two children were born: Kevin C. and Myrna Gayle. Cy, Janice, and their children made their home in Cortez. During these years, Cy farmed, cowboyed, and worked in service stations.
He was probably best remembered for the years of delivering propane, where he made many acquaintances and friends. Many a cup of coffee was enjoyed in many homes with these friends. Cy was skilled in many fields, but his favorite work was in construction. He thoroughly enjoyed his years as a heavy-equipment operator.
Cy was preceded in death by his parents and by his daughter, Myrna Gayle, in 1969, and a nephew, Daniel Lichliter, this year.
Cy is survived by his wife, Janice, of the family home; his son Kevin and wife Janet of Cortez; and two grandchildren, Kevin Lex and Erin Lynell Johnson. Cy is also survived by one brother, Bill Johnson of Greeley, Colo.; and his two sisters, Catherine Lichliter and Josephine Greenlee of Cortez; many nieces, nephews and a lifetime of friends.
Memorial contributions may be sent in Charles Joseph Johnson’s name to National Parkinson’s Foundation, 1501 NW 9th Ave., Bob Hope Road, Miami, FL 33136-1494.
Dorothy (Haney) Kirsch
Dorothy (Haney) Kirsch, 73, died at her home in Corpus Christi, Texas, on July 9, 2000.
She was born to Charles B. and Maggie (James) Haney on Jan. 27, 1927, at the family home southwest of Old Ackmen, Colo. She grew up and attended school in Colorado. In 1947, she moved to Texas and resided there until her death. She was a devoted Christian and loved to serve the Lord.
She is survived by two daughters, Laura Del Baker of Mathis, Texas and Jenifer Dixon of Corpus Christi; sons, Sam Blackstock of Thailand and Jason Kirsch of Houston; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Also surviving her are sisters Lucille Ellis of Tangent, Ore. and Betty Bearly of Lewis; and brother Marvin Haney of The Dalles, Ore.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Roy Trevithick, her parents, two brothers and one sister.
Funeral services were held July 11 at the Corpus Christi Funeral Home and she was laid to rest in Seaside Memorial Park, Corpus Christi.
