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Iva Mae Parelius
Iva Mae Parelius, a former Durango resident, died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000, in South Bend, Ind. She was 64.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mrs. Parelius was born Oct. 10, 1938, in Isabella, Okla. She graduated from Oregon City High School in Oregon in 1954. She married Allen M. Parelius on Aug. 19, 1961.
Mrs. Parelius was a legal secretary at the University of California-Davis for two years before becoming a full-time mother.
Mrs. Parelius worked as a legal secretary at the Barnes & Thornburg law firm from 1975 until the time of her death. She graduated from Indiana University-South Bend in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Survivors include her husband, Allen; two children, Phillip Parelius and Teresa Appenzeller; two grandchildren, Chad and Kyle Appenzeller; a brother, Roger Bouse; and two sisters, Cecile Pearson and Mary Edgley.
Services were held Dec. 2 in South Bend.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association, Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society.
Carmen L. Dowty
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Durango for Carmen L. Dowty, who died Saturday, Dec. 2, 2000, at Four Corners Health Care Center. She was 83.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
There will be cremation.
Mrs. Dowty was born Oct. 19, 1917, in Churdon, Iowa. She married Robert R. Dowty Sept. 30, 1950, at Temple City, Calif.
Mrs. Dowty was a Jehovah’s Witness, a homemaker and mother, and enjoyed animals and the outdoors.
She and her husband retired to Durango one year ago from the Brigham City, Utah, area.
Survivors include her husband, Robert of Durango; a son, Eric Dowty of Durango; a daughter, Erin Dowty-Marshall of Piedmont, Okla.; two grandsons, Robert and Sayre Marshall of Piedmont, Okla.; and one nephew.
Clyde Chris Nelson
Clyde Chris Nelson died Saturday, Dec. 2, 2000, in Phoenix, Ariz., after a long illness. He was 71.
Mr. Nelson was born April 4, 1929, in Nebraska. He married his wife of 52 years, Edna Mae, Dec. 25, 1948.
Mr. Nelson moved to the Durango area in the early 1960s and worked for the city for several years. He moved to the Phoenix area in the late 1960s and then returned to the Durango area in the 1980s. He then resided in Nebraska for five years before returning to the Phoenix area.
Mr. Nelson was a finish carpenter by trade and loved wood crafting.
He was preceded in death by an infant daughter.
Survivors include his wife, Edna Mae; five children, Kathy Sooter of Durango, Bruce Nelson of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Kevin Nelson, Brenda Nelson and Bryan Nelson, all of Phoenix, Ariz.; three brothers, Kenneth Nelson of Grand Junction, Colo., Ronnie Nelson of Montana and Duane Nelson of Idaho; three sisters, Shirley Rea of Ignacio, Lois Mackey of Oklahoma and Opal Baumgardner of Montana; a half-sister, Carol Nelson of Durango; two grandchildren, Bobbie Nelson of Tennessee and Dusty Shane Sooter of Durango; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bereavement cards may be sent to 5018 N. 62nd Ave., Glendale, AZ 85301.
Bonnie Lee Hermance
A memorial reception will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the McKee family home, 1653 County Road 213, Durango, for Bonnie Lee Hermance, who died Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000, of natural causes at Four Corners Health Care Center. She was 70.
Mrs. Hermance was born Feb. 25, 1930, in Durango and lived in the Durango area her entire life. She grew up on Bonds Ranch in Bondad.
Mrs. Hermance was a graduate of Durango High School and was married to W.F. Hermance.
She was preceded in death by her husband, W.F. Hermance.
Survivors include a daughter, Jo McKee of Durango; a son, Jim Hermance of San Diego, Calif.; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Memorial donations may be made to Southwest MS Society, c/o Sam Maynes, P.O. Box 2717, Durango, CO 81302.
Ralph Leonard Turner
Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. today at the Bayfield Church of Christ for Ralph Leonard Turner, who died Saturday, Dec. 2, 2000, at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, N.M., after a long illness. He was 84.
Mr. Turner was born Oct. 25, 1916, in Ignacio. He lived most of his life in Southwest Colorado, moving to Farmington five years ago for health reasons.
Mr. Turner married Fern Louise Longwell June 17, 1940. During World War II, he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps Camps.
Mr. Turner lived in Durango for more than 50 years serving as a Scout master for many years. He was a member of the Durango Elks Lodge 507. He worked as a fireman for almost 30 years, retiring as chief in 1976.
Survivors include his wife, Fern Louise; a daughter, Barbara M. Songer of Golden, Colo.; two sons, Leonard I. and Thad D., both of Bayfield; two brothers, Glenn I. and Walter J.; three sisters, Barbara J. Rehm of Abilene, Texas, Marjorie F. Loe and Hazel M. Degani of Mesa, Ariz.; seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association, 216 Truman NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108.
Charles H. Armstrong Sr.
Charles H. Armstrong Sr., who had been in failing health for some time, died Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2000, in Dallas, Texas. He was 80.
Mr. Armstrong was born Feb. 6, 1920, in Hermosa. He graduated from Durango High School in 1939.
Mr. Armstrong joined the Air Force shortly after graduation. During World War II, he flew the Hump. He attained the rank of captain and won several awards for his service.
For a time after the war, Mr. Armstrong worked for DuPont Co. He then worked as a camera man for a company that did the sports for CBS. He retired in 1985 and took care of his invalid wife until her death Aug. 23, 2000.
Survivors include his son, Charles H. Armstrong II; three grandchildren, Charles H. III, David and Cindy; and a sister, Roberta Barr of Durango.
Interment was in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the Durango Foundation for Educational Excellence, 201 E. 12th St., Durango CO 81301 or the Fort Lewis College Alumni Association, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301.
Luthera McNerlin
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hood Mortuary Chapel for Luthera McNerlin, a day-care operator, who died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000, at her home in Durango. She was 50.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
The Rev. Dan Straw will officiate at services.
Mrs. McNerlin was born Oct. 29, 1950. She married Armen McNerlin on Feb. 12, 1977, in San Diego. Mrs. McNerlin moved to Durango in June 1981. She devoted her life to child-care development and operated the Angel Babies Play Home School. She enjoyed crafts and making them with children. She was a volunteer at Sunnyside Elementary School.
She is survived by her husband, Armen, of Durango; two sons, Brandon McNerlin of Anchorage, Alaska, and Shawn McNerlin of Durango; three sisters, Judy Schultze of Minburn, Iowa, Maxine Kelly of Perry, Iowa, and Nancy Shepard of Pagosa Springs; three brothers, Dick Brown of Goffstown, N.H., Bob Brown of Imperial Beach, Calif., and Roy Stevens of Pagosa Springs; and many nieces and nephews.
