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Eleanor L. Wertz
Eleanor L. Wertz, of Durango, died Monday, Sept. 1, 2003, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango. She was 90.
Mrs. Wertz was born April 8, 1913, in Winona, Mich., the daughter of Matthew and Mary Peterson. She was raised on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she attended a one-room school. She was the daughter of Finnish immigrants, and spoke Finnish at home.
She moved to Chicago, where she married the late Roy C. Wertz. She retired from F.W. Woolworth after 18 years. Then Mrs. Wertz moved to Durango in 1978 to be close to her son and daughter. She enjoyed crocheting and gardening.
"She taught us very young: You work hard and you work together, and you’ll make a life," said Mrs. Wertz’s daughter, Nancy Hamond.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy, and her son, George.
Mrs. Wertz is survived by her daughter, Nancy Hamond of Durango; her son, Richard Wertz of Durango; two grandsons, Jeffery Hamond and Michael Hamond, both of Durango; three granddaughters, Sheila Maez of Grand Junction, Sherry Wertz of Durango and Sandra Cheavens of Houston; and many great- and great-great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday at Greenmount Cemetery.
Johnnie Everett Tuttrow
Johnnie Everett Tuttrow, 55, of Aztec died Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2003. He died of heart disease, his family said.
He was born in Bayfield on June 4, 1948, to Ernest "Buster" and Dorothy Tuttrow. He had four brothers and two sisters.
Mr. Tuttrow married his wife of 28 years, Ivy, on July 8, 1975, in Farmington. He was known for his skill in fixing things.
"He put his family first. He loved his wife, children, grandchildren, fishing and hunting," Mr. Tuttrow’s daughter-in-law, Mary Tuttrow, said.
Mr. Tuttrow served in the U.S. Marine Corps, then worked for Wells Fargo Bank, the Salvation Army and the First National Bank – all in Farmington.
He is survived by his wife, Ivy, of Aztec; his son, Philip Tuttrow of Portland, Maine; three daughters, Geneva Rye and Genell Sly, both of Aztec, and Hazel Brack of Farmington; seven grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.
A reception will be held at 11 a.m. today at Sunrise Christian Church in Farmington. A memorial service will follow at 1 p.m. at the church. Burial will take place at 3 p.m. at Pine River Cemetery, 311 County Road 501, Bayfield.
Geraldine Ann Mac Lean
Geraldine Ann Mac Lean died Monday, Sept. 1, 2003, at her home in Durango after a battle with cancer. She was 56.
Mrs. Mac Lean was born May 21, 1947, in Plymouth, Mich., to Joseph and Helen Kalvoda. She married Frederick Jerome Mac Lean on July 2, 1994, in Elk Park, Colo. She was a retired Ford Motor Co. employee of 34 years.
Mrs. Mac Lean had taken part in the Ride the Rockies bicycle tour for the past 10 years. She was a cyclist and a bodybuilder. She enjoyed high-impact aerobics, hiking and walking with the neighborhood dogs. She loved the Colorado mountains.
She is survived by her father, Joseph Kalvoda of Brighton, Mich.; her husband, Frederick J. Mac Lean of Durango; her sister, Dr. Sandy Ritland of Flagstaff, Ariz.; her brother, Dr. Don Kalvoda of Brunswick, Maine; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Hood Mortuary. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Hood Mortuary.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Lennie Ray ‘Blue’ Anderson
Lennie Ray "Blue" Anderson, 53, a fourth-generation Durango native, died Sunday, Aug. 31, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center. He died of emphysema, his family said.
Mr. Anderson was born March 9, 1950, the son of Laurence and Frances (Wilbourn) Anderson.
After high school, Mr. Anderson served in Army Military Intelligence for three years, and was stationed abroad. He then married Linda Sheets and they had their only child, Raelyn Anderson-Brown.
Mr. Anderson was a leather worker and a silversmith, as well as an antique furniture restorer. He was the founder of The Shootist, a club that staged gun fights for entertainment. He worked as a professional gunfighter who staged exhibitions in Colorado and Texas.
Later in life, he became a chef and, with his brother, Ron K. Anderson, started Anderson Brothers BBQ and Catering.
"Blue, ride free forever," said his daughter, Raelyn Anderson-Brown.
He is survived by his mother, Frances Anderson of Durango; his brother, Ron Anderson of Durango; his daughter, Raelyn Anderson-Brown of Durango; and many nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Hood Mortuary. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Hood Mortuary Chapel. Chaplain Stephanie Spear of Mercy Medical Center will officiate. Cremation will take place at Hood Mortuary Crematory.
After the service, a potluck will be served at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. for family and friends.
Adolph Eugene Valentine
Adolph Eugene Valentine, 93, a Durango native, died Saturday, Aug. 30, 2003, in Farmington. He died of natural causes. "He just kind of wore out," his family said.
Mr. Valentine was the son of Frederick and Minnie Valentine. His father worked in the coal mines above Durango. He spent his boyhood and early adult life in Durango and began his career in heavy construction working for Martin Wunderlick, building the dam for Vallecito Reservoir.
He then worked in Panama on the new locks addition to the Panama Canal before returning to Durango to work for Burnett Construction.
"He loved to dance and, in his youth, was a frequenter of La Plata-area Grange halls," said Mr. Valentine’s son, Gene Valentine. "He was a great jitterbugger and that’s where he met his wife, Aileen Le Platt."
The couple married in January 1945.
Mr. Valentine’s passions were his family, construction, fishing, camping and following sports.
He moved to Farmington in the late 1950s, then retired in 1979 after spending 19 years working for BHP at the Navajo Coal Mine.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Aileen, and their infant son, Frederick.
Mr. Valentine is survived by his daughters, Linda McAndrews of Farmington and Sandra Valentine of Guymon, Okla.; and his son, Eugene Valentine of Gilbert, Ariz.
A celebration of Mr. Valentine’s life will take place at 10 a.m. today at Cope Memorial Chapel in Farmington. Burial will follow at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association in his name.
April Joy Piccoli
April Joy Piccoli, 26, died on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2003, at her home in Bayfield.
Miss Piccoli was born Oct. 22, 1971, in Fort Worth, Texas, the daughter of Vickey Watters and Bob Piccoli. She was raised in the Fort Worth area. Miss Piccoli enjoyed music, dancing and poetry and was a cheerleader in high school.
She moved to Durango in July 2002 and her son, Gavin, was born here this year. She was most recently employed at Four Corners Health Care Center as a certified nursing assistant.
"She had a beautiful smile and a wonderful sense of humor," said her father, Bob Piccoli.
Miss Piccoli is survived by her son, her mother and father; her stepmother, Clara Piccoli of Bayfield; her sisters: Carrie Thompson and Nicole Watters, both of Ft. Worth; her brothers: Jason Piccoli of Lafayette, and Scott Piccoli of Windsor, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. today at Hood Mortuary. The Rev. Joseph L. Gallegos, with Sacred Heart Catholic Church will officiate. Cremation will take place at Hood Mortuary Crematory.
Memorial contributions may be made to Four Corners Health Care Center, Social Service Fund, 2911 Junction St., Durango, CO 81301.
Randall ‘Randy’ M. Bruton
Randall "Randy" M. Bruton, 18, died on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003, in a motorcycle accident in Arboles.
Mr. Bruton was born in Durango on May 18, 1985, the son of Bernadette and Reggie Bruton.
He lived in Arboles all his life and attended Pine Valley Foursquare Church.
He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Bernadette and Lyndon Harrison of Bayfield; a sister, Jamie Bruton of Bayfield; his maternal grandmother, Martha T. Quintana of Arboles; paternal grandparents, Clarence Bruton of Gatesville, Texas, and Janie Watrin of Walla Walla, Wash.
Mr. Bruton was preceded in death by his father.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Pine Valley Foursquare Church, 1328 County Road 501, in Bayfield.
Olive K. Shahan
Mrs. Olive Shahan, a longtime Durango resident, died on Aug. 17, 2003, in Vacaville, Calif.
She died of natural causes following a long illness, her family said.
Mrs. Shahan, 92, was born on April 6, 1911. She was raised in Denver and moved to the Four Corners area as a school teacher in Chromo.
She married a local rancher, the late John Shahan, and the family moved to Durango in 1945.
Mrs. Shahan operated a day-care center from her home for 50 years.
She was a member of ICES, a cake-decorating group, and traveled with them across the country and abroad.
"She was very dedicated to children," said her daughter, Katheryn Tuberty. "That’s why we chose a thermal-imaging camera as her memorial in hopes that it will help find children trapped in fires."
Mrs. Shahan is preceded in death by her daughter, Shirley Shahan, her son, Kenneth Shahan and her husband.
She is survived by her daughters Jeanne Conway of Arvada, Scoop Cassel of Newport Beach, Calif., and Katheryn Tuberty of Vacaville, Calif; her sons Stuart Shahan of Plano, Texas, Philip Shahan of Newport Beach and Steven Shahan of San Jose, Calif.; her 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Elks picnic grounds on Florida Road. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to help purchase a thermal-imaging camera for the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority at 142 Sheppard Dr., Durango, CO 81301.
Elizabeth Jean Fairfax-Begaye
Elizabeth Jean Fairfax-Begay, 55, of Bloomfield, N.M., died Saturday, Aug. 23, 2003, in Farmington. A former resident of Durango, she died of leukemia, her family said.
She was born July 14, 1947, in Farmington, the daughter of Rachel and Guy Fairfax.
She moved to Durango in 1989 and went to work sewing for Bula, which later became Bomber Gear. She lived in Durango until 1996 when she moved to Bloomfield.
Sewing was her career and her pleasure.
She enjoyed making quilts with friends.
She is survived by her two sons, Alejandro France of Durango and Alejandrew C. Begaye of Bloomfield; her half brother, Jimmy Fairfax of Albuquerque; her sisters, Virginia Fairfax and Bernice Fairfax, both of Bloomfield; her grandchildren, Alejandrea France and Avory France, both of Durango; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her son, Alejandro Lee.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jenny Pete Residence, House No. 766, County Road 7100, Chaco Plant Area, N.M.
The Rev. Pauline Platero will officiate.
Burial will be in St. Luke’s Cemetery, Carson, N.M.
