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Charles Brooks Costlow
Charles Brooks Costlow, a former Bayfield resident, died of natural causes on Thursday, July 3, 2003, at his home in Farmington. He was 87.
Mr. Costlow was born on July 1, 1916, in Larve, Texas. He grew up in rural East Texas and joined the Army at the beginning of World War II. After serving in the Pacific Theater, he returned to Texas and married Ella Mae Prater in 1945. They had two children.
Mr. Costlow owned and operated BakeRite Auto Paint Works in Fort Worth, Texas, which specialized in collision repair and enamel auto finishes before moving to Bayfield in 1976.
In Bayfield, Mr. Costlow pursued his lifelong hobby of fly-fishing and camping in the Colorado mountains.
"My father was a man with a sense of humor to the very end," said his son, Larry Costlow.
Mr. Costlow is survived by his wife, Ella Mae; a brother, Wylie of Fort Worth; four sisters, Opal, Emma, Ethelyne, and Geneva, all of Fort Worth; a son, Larry Costlow of Manhattan, Kan.; a daughter, Cathy McDonald of Farmington; three grandchildren, Holly Henley and Rory McDonald of Farmington, and Dan Costlow of Manhattan, Kan.; and his two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday at the Church of Christ in Bayfield.
Derek Sam Lancaster
Derek Sam Lancaster, 22, a Durango native, died Friday, July 4, 2003, in an auto accident. The accident took place on Montezuma County Road N, a half mile east of Colorado Highway 145, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Mr. Lancaster, a resident of rural Dolores, was born July 6, 1980, in Durango to Sam and Ronda (Bishop) Lancaster.
A graduate of Montezuma-Cortez High School, Mr. Lancaster was awarded a deans scholarship by Fort Lewis College.
He was a sports buff who loved four wheeling and playing golf. He was knowledgeable about all sports.
Mr. Lancaster is survived by his parents, of Pleasant View; his brother, Brandan Lancaster, of Durango; and his grandparents, Jess and Betty Lancaster, and Willard and Nina Bishop, all of Cortez.
A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. today at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cortez at 1700 Empire St. Visitation will precede the service from 9 a.m. at the church. Interment will follow at the Cortez Cemetery, 27440 U.S. Highway 160.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made in Mr. Lancasters name at Citizens State Bank or at the First National Bank of Durango.
Curtis Pete Lamb
Curtis Pete Lamb, a 15-year resident of Bayfield, died on Wednesday, July 2, 2003, in the Hospice Center at the Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. He was 89.
Mr. Lamb was diagnosed with lung cancer in March, and was being cared for by his daughter and son-in-law in Greeley before being admitted to the hospice on June 29, according to Hood Mortuary.
Mr. Lamb was born May 1, 1914, in Delight, Ark., to William Otis Lamb and Del Nolan Lamb. He made his living as an auto mechanic for 36 years before retiring and moving to Bayfield.
"My father was an easygoing cowboy," said his daughter, Sharron Motry of Greeley. "He loved to ride horses in the beautiful mountains of Colorado."
After moving to Bayfield, Mr. Lamb helped with the stock at Bugle Mountain Outfitters, Motry said.
Mr. Lamb is survived by two daughters, Motry and Janice Parks of Tulsa, Okla.; a son, Kenneth Reynolds of Copperopolis, Calif.; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Eula Moore Lamb of Mena, Ark., and son Glenn Lamb of Bayfield.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Pine River Cemetery in Bayfield. Arrangements are being handled by Hood Mortuary in Durango.
Ethel Lee Sanford Belles Houdashelt
Ethel Lee Sanford Belles Houdashelt, 99, died Thursday, July 3, 2003, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango.
Mrs. Houdashelt was born March 12, 1904, in Happy, Texas, the daughter of Charles and Maggie Sanford.
She married Emmett Grant Belles on May 23,1925, in Canyon, Texas. They moved to Torrance, Calif., with their two sons Harold and Kenneth in 1936.
After Emmetts death in 1947, she married Walter "Buck" Houdashelt on Aug. 18, 1949.
She remembered going from East Texas to West Texas in a covered wagon as a child.
She worked for the National Supply Company Steel as cafeteria head cook for many years.
She retired to Lomita, Calif., and she moved to Durango in 1982 to be near her son Kenneth.
She is survived by her late sons wife, Connie Belles of Durango, a grandson, Mark Wayne Belles of Rowlett, Texas; three granddaughters, Kathleen Renee Askelson of Indian Hills, Melissa Sue Acord of Peoria, Ariz., and Linda Lee Fontineau of Kilgore, Texas; nine great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Hood Mortuary. The Rev. Larry Osborne, with Durango Christian Church will officiate.
Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango.
Kenneth D. "Skip"Nelson
Kenneth D. "Skip" Nelson, 72, a former Durango resident, died at his home in Grand Junction on June 30, 2003, from complications of asbestosis, according to Martin Mortuary in Grand Junction.
Mr. Nelson was born May 10, 1931, in Bloomfield, Neb., where he spent his childhood. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. The next year he married Shirley M. Dunlap in Telluride.
His work as an industrial construction supervisor took the Nelsons to Durango and Haydon. He also worked in Wyoming, North Dakota, Nevada, New Mexico and California.
"His favorite phrase was Lets dont worry about it. Lets just wait and see. And thats what Im doing," said Shirley Haydon. "He loved his roses more than anything, and in his last years all he could do was work in his garden. But he loved his children and grandchildren even more than the roses."
Mr. Nelson enjoyed bowling, hunting and woodworking. His life centered around his family, who appreciated his dry humor.
He is survived by his wife; a son, Kenneth E. Nelson of Casper, Wyo.; three daughters, Kim Neiman and Joyce Nelson, both of Grand Junction, and Donna Nelson of Atascadero, Calif.; his brothers, Ron Nelson of Missoula, Mont., and Duane Nelson of Boise, Idaho; his sisters, Shirley Rae of Durango, Opal Bumgardner of Montana, and Lois Stanzle of Oklahoma; six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
A service of remembrance will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Martin Mortuary Chapel in Grand Junction.
Contributions may be made to the Grand Junction Community Homeless Shelter, 2853 North Ave., Grand Junction 81501.
Kenneth Andrew Dunn
Kenneth Andrew Dunn, 71, died at home in Durango on June 30, 2003. He died of natural causes, according to Hood Mortuary.
Mr. Dunn was a native of Colorado, born Nov. 24, 1931. He graduated from the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, with a degree in chemical engineering. He went on to serve as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army Airborne, before beginning a 38-year career as a chemical engineer with Celanese, the petrochemical company.
He worked in Pampa, Texas; LaPorte, Texas; Bay City, Texas; and Corpus Christi, Texas; before finishing his career in Stamford, Conn. He then retired in Durango.
"Dad was a simple man; so hed want a simple obit," said Karl Dunn, a son.
He is survived by his wife, Glenda Dunn; his mother, Josephine Dunn; his five children: Kent, Kimberly, Keith, Karl and Kevin; his seven grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Bethany, Anna, Katherine, Megan, John and Zach; and other family members and friends, especially Ian Frech.
A rosary will be said at 7 p.m. today at St. Columba Catholic Church and a memorial Mass will be held at St. Columba at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Donations may be made to Connelly Hospitality House, 710 South Lake St., Farmington, N.M. 87401.
John Clifford Cliff Stephenson
John Clifford "Cliff" Stephenson, a former Durango resident, died June 19, 2003 at his daughters home in Moab, Utah, of malignant melanoma. He was 83.
Mr. Stephenson was born June 3, 1920, in Olney, Ill., to William Pittman Stephenson and Sarah Marie Martin. The family moved to Missoula, Mont., where he graduated from Missoula High School in 1937.
In 1941, Mr. Stephenson graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula with a degree in business administration. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942, serving as a clerk-typist at several airfields in the Eastern United States.
While stationed at Baer Field in Ft. Wayne, Ind., Mr. Stephenson met Harriet Kunkel. They were married in Missoula on Jan. 25, 1946.
After discharge from the military in 1945, Mr. Stephenson started a career with the U.S. Forest Service. He worked in administrative capacities in various national forests, including Kaniksu in Sandpoint, Idaho, and the Bitterroot in Hamilton, Mont. He also worked in the regional office in Missoula.
In 1958, Mr. Stephenson transferred to the Uncompaghre National Forest in Delta and then the San Juan National Forest in Durango. He retired in 1983.
Mr. Stephenson moved to Flora Vista, N.M., in 1994. In retirement, he hiked, hunted and rode horses. His wife died in 1973. A special companion, Opal Clark, died in 2001.
Mr. Stephenson is survived by his daughter, Carol Stephenson of Moab; a son, Fred W. Stephenson of Durango; a brother, James R. Stephenson of Missoula; a grandson Dustin Stephenson-Reynolds of Wichita, Kan.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and no services are planned. Donations in Mr. Stephensons memory may be made to Grand County Hospice, Allen Memorial Hospital, P.O. Box 998, Moab, Utah 84532.
JoAnn K. Dingel
JoAnn K. Dingel died Sunday, June 22, 2003, of natural causes in Durango, where she had lived for the past three years. She was 85.
Mrs. Dingel was born on March 19, 1918, in Winnemac, Ind. She moved to Elgin, Ill., where she lived for more than 50 years. She graduated valedictorian at Elgin High School in 1936.
She and her husband, David E. Dingel, shared many interests, including Indian folklore and traveling the western United States. She enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughter, Karren Little of Durango; her son, David R. Dingel of Pagosa Springs; and her two granddaughters, Keri and Amy Dingel, of Elgin.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Services will be held Tuesday in Elgin.
Martha Ruth Wells
Bayfield resident Martha Ruth Wells died Friday, June 27, 2003, in Durango. She was 80.
Mrs. Wells died of natural causes, according to Hood Mortuary.
Mrs. Wells was born November 4, 1922, in Clay Center, Kan. She married Jess J. Wells on December 12, 1958. She worked at AT&T for 26 years, then moved to Bayfield after she retired.
"Horsefeathers," that was Mrs. Wells catchphrase, according to her daughter, Lisa Cribbs, who stressed what a loving wife and mother Mrs. Wells was.
Mrs. Wells hunted big game in Colorado and Wyoming for many years and was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. She also enjoyed oil painting, crocheting and sewing.
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Wells Cribbs of Ignacio; her son, Forest K. Wells of Piedmont, Okla,; her grandson, Travis Cribbs of Ignacio; and her sister, Louise Spelling of Texas.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jess J. Wells, who died on April 25, 1995.
Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Hood Mortuary, and a funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Calvary Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Dan Straw will officiate. Burial will follow the service at the Oxford Cemetery.
John Clifford ‘Cliff’ Stephenson
John Clifford "Cliff" Stephenson, a former Durango resident, died June 19, 2003 at his daughter’s home in Moab, Utah, of malignant melanoma. He was 83.
Mr. Stephenson was born June 3, 1920, in Olney, Ill., to William Pittman Stephenson and Sarah Marie Martin. The family moved to Missoula, Mont., where he graduated from Missoula High School in 1937.
In 1941, Mr. Stephenson graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula with a degree in business administration. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942, serving as a clerk-typist at several airfields in the Eastern United States.
While stationed at Baer Field in Ft. Wayne, Ind., Mr. Stephenson met Harriet Kunkel. They were married in Missoula on Jan. 25, 1946.
After discharge from the military in 1945, Mr. Stephenson started a career with the U.S. Forest Service. He worked in administrative capacities in various national forests, including Kaniksu in Sandpoint, Idaho, and the Bitterroot in Hamilton, Mont. He also worked in the regional office in Missoula.
In 1958, Mr. Stephenson transferred to the Uncompaghre National Forest in Delta and then the San Juan National Forest in Durango. He retired in 1983.
Mr. Stephenson moved to Flora Vista, N.M., in 1994. In retirement, he hiked, hunted and rode horses. His wife died in 1973. A special companion, Opal Clark, died in 2001.
Mr. Stephenson is survived by his daughter, Carol Stephenson of Moab; a son, Fred W. Stephenson of Durango; a brother, James R. Stephenson of Missoula; a grandson Dustin Stephenson-Reynolds of Wichita, Kan.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and no services are planned. Donations in Mr. Stephenson’s memory may be made to Grand County Hospice, Allen Memorial Hospital, P.O. Box 998, Moab, Utah 84532.
