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J. Monroe Sullivan
Services were held for J. Monroe Sullivan, a Silverton native and former Durango resident, who died at his home in Mill Valley, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2001. He was 81.
Mr. Sullivan was born in Silverton on Oct. 15, 1920, and was raised in Durango. He received a B.A. from the University of Colorado, a B.S. from the University of San Francisco, an MBA from the University of California-Berkeley and a law degree from San Francisco Law School.
Mr. Sullivan was assistant professor of transportation and marketing at the University of San Francisco for five years. He then joined Pacific American Steamship Association in San Francisco and became vice president in charge of its Washington, D. C. office. He spent four years as principal assistant to the port director of the port of Oakland. He went on to receive San Francisco’s Transportation Man of the Year award and received the National Distinguished Service Award from the National Defense Transportation Association.
He was a San Francisco ’49ers and Giants fan and enjoyed duck hunting, golf and tennis.
Mr. Sullivan is survived by his wife, Jeanne Sullivan, of Mill Valley.
Contributions may be made to the Sullivan Education Fund, 607 L St., Suite B, Boulder City, NV, 89005.
Cleo Fry
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Flagstaff Mortuary in Flagstaff, Ariz., for Cleo Fry, a Durango resident, who died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001, at the Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango after a long illness. She was 83.
Mrs. Fry was born Oct. 10, 1918, in Hamon, Okla. She graduated from Hamon High School and attended college at Weatherford, Okla. She married Harry Fry on Sept. 4, 1940, in Flagstaff.
Mrs. Fry and her husband owned a supply business for 33 years in Flagstaff. She retired from the business in 1981. The Frys moved to Cortez in 1989 and farmed there until 1998, when they moved to Durango.
Mrs. Fry is survived by her husband, Harry Fry of Durango; son Robert Fry of Flagstaff; sister Dorothy Nichols of Bartlesville, Okla.; and four
grandchildren.
Mendel Earl Eagle
A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Cortez Church of Christ for Mendel Earl Eagle, a longtime area resident who died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001, in Aztec. He was 82.
Hunt Zumwalt will officiate. Visitation will be from 3 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Ertel Memorial Chapel in Cortez. Interment will follow at the Cortez Cemetery.
Mr. Eagle was born Sept. 15, 1919, in Whitesboro, Texas. He moved his family to Farmington where he lived during the oil boom in the 1950s. He later moved to Colorado where he was a longtime resident of Bayfield and Cortez.
Mr. Eagle is survived by his ex-wife of more than 30 years, Jean Rice of Farmington; his children, Terry Eagle of Aztec, Gary Eagle of Show Low, Ariz., Ronda Thompson of Las Vegas, and Kerry Eagle of Flora Vista; sister, Francis Hufft of Nashville, Tenn.; brother, Marlin Eagle of Panhandle, Texas; 11 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren;
Donations may be made to the Mountain View Christian School, 3900 E. Bonanza, Las Vegas, NV 89110.
John Wilhelm Nilsen
Services were held Thursday at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Buena Vista, Colo., for John Wilhelm Nilsen, a former Durango resident, who died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2001, at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, Colo. He was 78.
Mr. Nilsen was born June 27, 1923, in Bergen, Norway.
When he was 6, he and his family moved to Denver. After graduating from South High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army serving in the 99th Infantry Battalion Special Expeditionary Patrol Ski Troopers training at Camp Hale.
After receiving an honorable discharge, he moved to Durango and worked for The Durango Herald as advertising manager. He also worked as a funeral director at Olinger Mortuary in Denver and was part owner of Bragdon’s Appliances in Denver. He was a member of the Norsemen of the Rockies and the Congregational United Church of Christ in Buena Vista.
He enjoyed watching the Broncos play, the outdoors and golfing.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Virginia C. Leone Nilsen, and a son, Gregory Mercet.
He is survived by his wife, Vivien Nilsen of Buena Vista, Colo.; four children, Jan Nilsen of Montgomery Village, Md., Kristin Minor of Kilgore, Texas, and Stephen Nilsen and Matthew Nilsen, both of Denver; 11 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren.
Donations may be made in Mr. Nilsen’s name to the American Heart Association, 1280 S. Parker Road, Denver, CO 80231.
Kathy Louise Giroux
A private family service was held Thursday in Ignacio for Kathy Louise Giroux, an area resident, who died Friday, Nov. 23, 2001, at Mercy Medical Center in Durango. The cause of death was not disclosed. She was 43.
Ms. Giroux was born in Norfolk, Va., in 1958. She moved to the Durango area from Chicago Heights, Ill., in 1980. She owned and ran a video store, Top Cat Video, in Ignacio. She was a member of the VFW Women’s Auxiliary of Durango. She enjoyed crafts and canning her own vegetables from her garden, and she often took abandoned and abused animals into her home.
She is survived by her mother, Diane N. Schmidt; a sister, Karen L. Giroux of Plant City, Fla.; two aunts; and two uncles.
Donations may be made to the La Plata County Humane Society, P.O. Box 2164, Durango, CO 81302.
Laura Drake Olson
A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Hood Mortuary Chapel for Laura Drake Olson, a 60-year resident of the Durango area, who died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango. She was 92.
Burial will be at Greenmount Cemetery
in Durango.
Mrs. Olson was born Jan. 7, 1909, in Oklahoma. In 1931, she married Forrest Drake, who died in 1976. She later married Melvin Olson, who died in 1987.
Mrs. Olson was employed at a defense plant in Littleton, Colo., for a short while during World War II, but spent most of her life farming and ranching. She was a frontier wife.
She liked gardening, sewing and craftwork, and was a member of the Frontier Baptist Church in Durango.
She is survived by a son, Ronald Drake of Grand Junction; two daughters, Jean DiFerdinando of Durango and Lorraine Stevens of Hesperus; three sisters, Lucille Cavanaugh of Leesville, La., Lora Windsor of Eugene, Ore., and Louella Gragg of San Paulo, Calif.; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and several stepchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Frontier Baptist Church, 2061 County Road 225, Durango, CO 81301 or to a person’s charity of choice.
Sheila June Harnly
No services will be held for Sheila June Harnly who died Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2001, at her home in Eugene, Ore., from cancer. She was 71.
Mrs. Harnly was born Aug. 19, 1930, in Ironton, Ohio. She graduated from college with a degree in psychology. She married Richard Harnly in Ironton on Dec. 26, 1954. They lived in Durango from 1955 to 2000.
Mrs. Harnly worked as a correspondence secretary for the Ah! Wilderness Guest Ranch. She enjoyed fishing and camping and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Harnly.
She is survived by two children, Mark Harnly of Bayfield and Sue Harnly of Eugene, Ore.; a brother, Richard Hailey of South Point, Ohio; and two grandchildren.
By her request, no services are planned. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Sacred Heart, 1121 Fairfield Ave., Eugene, OR. 97402 or the Drinking Gourd School, 2809 Shirley St., Eugene, OR. 97404.
Dale Alan Hayman
No services will be held for Dale Alan Hayman, who died Friday, Nov. 23, 2001, at Mercy Medical Center in Durango, of natural causes. He was 70.
He was cremated at Hood Mortuary Crematory in Durango.
Mr. Hayman was born Oct. 30, 1931, in Akron, Ohio. Mr. Hayman enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and being with friends. His close companion was Kathy Stolworthy.
Mr. Hayman is survived by six sons, Allen Hayman, Richard Hayman, Robert Hayman and Rick Hayman, all of Sands Lake, Mich., and Dean Hayman and Lorne Hayman, both of Caspian, Mich.; three daughters, Judy Simmons of Festus, Mo., Megan Hayman and Christa Hayman, both of Atlanta, Ga.; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Don Warren Johnston
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for Don Warren Johnston, who died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001, in Durango of natural causes. He was 87.
The Rev. Andrew Cooley will officiate at the memorial service.
Mr. Johnston was born Sept. 14, 1914, in Clay Center, Kan. He moved to Durango in 1939. He married Hazel F. Farmer on Aug. 15, 1937, at Pueblo, Colo.
Mr. Johnston graduated from Clay Center High School, and in 1937 earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State Teachers College in Greeley, Colo.
The couple moved to Durango in 1939, and Mr. Johnston and his father built the house he lived in until his death.
Mr. Johnston taught industrial arts for five years before becoming manager of Federal Lumber Co. in 1946, a job he held until 1961. In 1964, Mr. Johnston earned a masters degree from Colorado State College and began teaching math at Miller Junior High School. After retiring from teaching in 1975, he managed Basin Schools Federal Credit Union until 1983.
Mr. Johnston was a member of the Durango Masonic Lodge #46 (the York Rite, the Scottish Rite, and Shrine) and was a Master of the Silverton Masonic Lodge #33. He was a Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star, and a longtime member of St. Marks’ Episcopal Church and the Elks Lodge #507. He was a former Kiwanis Club Lt. Governor.
He is survived by his wife, Hazel F. Johnston, of Durango; two daughters, Margaret "Meg" Cummings of Mancos, and Dona "Penny" Bay of Omaha, Neb.; six grandchildren, Erin Briscoe of Juneau, Alaska, Greg Cummings of Mancos, Alan Cummings of Mancos, Damon Bay of St. Louis Park, Minn., Lance Bay of Providence, R.I., and Chyrise Bay-Voit of Milwaukee, Wis; and five great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the San Juan Basin Shrine Club Transportation Fund, P.O. Box 45, Durango, CO 81302.
