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Charles Foster Ransom
A private memorial service will be held at a later date for Charles Foster Ransom, who died Friday, Aug. 3, 2001, in Durango from complications after a fall. He was 91.
Mr. Ransom was born Nov. 29, 1909, in Somerville, Mass. He married Kathryn Owen in 1938.
He earned a degree in history and completed three years of graduate school at Tufts College. He spent three years presenting puppet and marionette shows in Massachusetts, Chicago and Pittsburgh. He continued his performances as a hobby in the following years.
Mr. Ransom worked as an editorial writer for 41 years at the Des Moines, Iowa, Register and Tribune newspapers.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn.
He is survived by two daughters, Guinevere Hillman of Portland, Ore., and Rosalie "Sara" Ransom of Durango; a son, David Ransom of San Francisco; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Sam Carr
A funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Lescher-Millsap Chapel in Muskogee, Okla., for Sam Carr, who died Aug. 1, 2001, in Muskogee of natural causes. He was 82.
The Rev. Marion Graves will officiate at the service. The family will be available from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Lescher-Millsap Funeral Home. Burial will be Tuesday at Oakland Cemetery
in Russellville, Ark.
Mr. Carr was born April 12, 1919, in De Kalb, Texas. He married Okla Mae Brown in 1944 in Texarkana, Ark. He was a retired drug salesman, and worked for McKesson and Robbins for more than 40 years.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Okla.
He is survived by a son, Ted Carr of Durango; and two granddaughters, Jennifer Carr and Elanor Carr of Durango.
Stephen "Batt" Giambattista
Stephen "Batt" Giambattista, a construction worker who loved to ski, died Tuesday, September 25, from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, at Mercy Medical Center. He was 50.
Giambattista made numerous friends in La Plata County through his job and because of his charismatic personality, said his wife, Paulette W. Giambattista.
"He never met a stranger, and people loved that," Paulette said. "He was the type of person who was never grumpy or cranky even when he wasn’t feeling good. He loved everybody."
Although he wasn’t formally diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s, a rare disease that weakens muscles and is also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, until April 2001, Mr. Giambattista began noticing symptoms in 1999. In December 2000, about 400 people gathered to pay tribute to Mr. Giambattista at the Durango Elks Club. A group called "Friends of Batt" raised about $55,000 to pay for experimental treatment for his as-then unnamed illness in the Dominican Republic using stem cells, Mrs. Giambattista said.
The memorial service will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Rotary Park in Durango.
He is survived by his wife, Paulette; daughter, Meredith; mother, Therese; three sisters, Aleta Boulin of New Castle, Maine, Marie Freeman of Rumford, Maine, and Linda Gallant of Byron, Maine; two brothers, John Giambattista and David Giambattista, both of Norwich, Conn.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Contributions can be made to the ALS Association, Rocky Mountain Chapter, P.O. Box 7964, Boulder, CO 80306.
William ‘Herbert’ Coleman
Memorial services are pending for William "Herbert" Coleman, who died in Salinas, Calif. on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001 after a brief illness. He was 93. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mr. Coleman was born Dec. 12, 1907, in Bluefield, W. Va. He spent 58 years in the motion picture business. He was an associate producer for Alfred Hitchcock for 10 years. Some of his most notable movies were "Rear Window," "Vertigo," "North by Northwest," "To Catch a Thief," "The Man Who Knew Too Much," and "The Trouble with Harry." He was instrumental in the founding of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif. He was a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America.
He was preceded in death by his son, Dale Coleman, and his wife, Mary Belle Coleman.
He is survived by two daughters, Melinda Coleman of Durango, and Judy Lanini of Gonzales, Calif.; his grandchildren, Leslie Bloom of Sonora, Calif., Chloe Estes of Durango, Cathy Coleman of Newport Beach, Calif., Lon and Loren Lanini, of Gonzales; and six great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1184 Monroe St., Suite 1, Salinas, Calif. 93906-3590.
William ‘Bill’ Foreman Jr.
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church in Durango for William "Bill" Foreman Jr., who died Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, at his parents’ home in Durango of cancer. He was 54.
Mr. Foreman was born April 6, 1947, in Conway, Ark. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Denver and attended Fort Lewis College. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He enjoyed coin collecting and was an avid golfer. He was involved in the furniture business with his father.
He is survived by his wife, Lucy Foreman of Aztec, N.M.; a son, Rycke Foreman of Aztec, N.M.; a daughter, Crystal Foreman of Aztec, N.M.; parents, William and Mary Foreman of Durango; a brother, Ron Foreman of Farmington, N.M.; two sisters, Liz Hutton of Tulsa, Okla., and Becky King of Denver; and two grandsons.
Contributions may be made to Hospice of Mercy, 375 E. Park Ave., Durango.
Stella R. Tidwell
A memorial mass will be at a later time for Stella R. Tidwell, who died Monday, Oct. 1, 2001, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango. She was 101. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Cremation will occur at Hood Mortuary in Durango.
Mrs. Tidwell was born March 30, 1900, in Brownsville, Texas. She moved to Pagosa Springs more than 25 years ago. She was a waitress and a nurse. She was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Pagosa Springs.
She is survived by her friend, Bessie Montoya of Pagosa Springs.
Harry N. Pearson
A funeral will be at noon Saturday at Pine River Valley Baptist Church for Harry N. Pearson, a native La Plata County resident and rancher, who died Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001, at his home in Ignacio. He was 81. The cause of death was not disclosed.
The Rev. Curt Alderton will officiate at services. Burial will follow at Crestview Cemetery. Visitation will be until 8:30 p.m. today at Hood Mortuary.
Mr. Pearson was born Sept. 18, 1920, in Ignacio. He married Mary E. Kincaid on Feb. 11, 1942, in Gallup, N.M. He was a veteran of the Army Air Corp in World War II, serving in the 440th Troop Carrier Group. He was the Ignacio Postmaster for 26 years, served on the SUCAP Board for 27 years and was an advocate of the Head Start Program in Ignacio.
Mr. Pearson was active with the La Plata County Democratic Party functions and was known as the local grandfather of the party. He received both the Grassroots Award and the Western Heritage Award. Mr. Pearson was a charter member of the Oxford Grange and served various offices on the King and Martin Ditch Board.
He is survived by three daughters, Ruth Etta Johnson of Bayfield, Patty Mickey of Ignacio, and Mary Ellen Brown of Ignacio; two sons, Clyde Pearson of Ignacio, and William Kerr of Lakewood; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Pearson, in 1997, a son, Jack Pearson, and a daughter, Betty Kerr.
Memorial contributions may be made to IVES (Ignacio Volunteer Emergency Service), PO Box 800, Ignacio, CO 81137, or to Hospice of Mercy, 3801 N. Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Sue Fugate Stull
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Hood Mortuary for Sue Stull, who died Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001, at her home in Durango. She was 51. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Sue Fugate was born Oct. 5, 1949, in Carlsbad, N.M. She married Pat Stull on Sept. 27, 1978, in Las Cruces, N.M. She was employed by Fort Lewis College. She enjoyed working in her backyard, traveling with her family, scrapbooking and socializing with friends. Her greatest joy was her two daughters.
She is survived by her husband, Pat Stull of Durango; two daughters, Ginger and Lauren, both of Durango; her mother, Dorothy Gaines of Farmington; two brothers, Ron Hunt of Farmington, and Gerald Fugate of Carlsbad, N.M.; a sister, Cindy Harper of Farmington; and many nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 224523, Dallas, TX 75222.
Sandy Scott
A celebration of memories will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Aztec Presbyterian Church, 205 N. Church Ave., in Aztec, N.M., for Sandy Scott, who died Friday, Sept. 28, 2001. He was 88. The cause of death was not disclosed.
The burial will be held as a private ceremony.
Mr. Scott was born Nov. 12, 1912, in eastern Colorado and moved to Tiffany in February 1913. He served in the Army during World War II, and he was a member of the Aztec City Commission for 20 years. He was a member of the San Juan County Fair Board, the Lions Club, the Elks Club and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife, Iola Scott of Aztec; two sons, John Scott of Farmington and Jack Scott of Aztec; a daughter, Katy Scott Moss of Laguna Beach, Calif.; one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter.
Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, New Mexico Chapter, 3300 N. Butler Ave., Farmington, NM 87401, the Aztec Presbyterian Church, 205 N. Church Ave., Aztec, NM 87410, or Childhaven of Farmington, 807 W. Apache, Farmington, NM 87401.
Elma E. Evensen
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2 Hilltop Circle, for Elma E. Evensen, a longtime Durango resident, who died Friday, Sept. 28, 2001, at her home in Durango. She was 90. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Bishop James Cooper will officiate at the service. Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery
in Durango. Visitation will be at Hood Mortuary from 5 to 7 p.m. today.
Mrs. Evensen was born April 20, 1911, in Paola, Kan. She married Clifford Hermand Evensen June 8, 1937, at the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.
She taught piano and organ lessons in Durango and was a church organist for 73 years. Mrs. Evensen also played in a small dance band in Durango. She enjoyed gardening.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford Hermand Evensen.
She is survived by two sons, Ronald Evensen of Provo, Utah, and Val Evensen of Durango; two daughters, Elaine Bard of Randlett, Utah, and Karen Christensen of Farmington; a brother, Fred Peine of St. George, Utah; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The LDS Missionary Fund, 2603 N. College Drive, Durango, CO 81301, or Hospice of Mercy, 375 E. Park Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
