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Edith E. "Jakie"Banas
Edith E. "Jakie" Banas, 88, died of natural causes Wednesday, June 4, 2003, at her home in Durango.
Mrs. Banas was born Dec. 24, 1914, in Gregory, S. D., the daughter of L.D. and Sadie (Harris) Gaskill. She married Joseph C. Banas on Dec. 13, 1969, in Hacienda Heights, Calif. She attended Dakota Wesleyan College in Mitchell, S.D. on a music scholarship.
The Banas family moved from California to the Durango area in 1974. Mrs. Banas was active in her church, and was an owner of Main Street Furnishings in Durango for 10 years.
"She was a personable family woman. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren," said her son, Brad Gosche, of Durango.
She is survived by her husband, her son, her sister, Bettie MacGregor of Van Nuys, Calif.; her granddaughter, Kim Gosche of Denver; her grandson, Kurt Gosche of Durango; and four great grandchildren.
A funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Bayfield. The Rev. Dan Straw will officiate. Burial will take place at Pine River Cemetery in Bayfield. The cemetery is on County Road 501, north of Bayfield
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Mercy, 375 E. Park Ave., Durango CO 81301.
Carl R.Phelps
Carl R. Phelps, 72, a Durango native, died Wednesday, June 4, 2003, at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. He died of natural causes.
Mr. Phelps was born Dec. 11, 1930, the son of John and Beulah (Hafling) Phelps.
He graduated from Ignacio High School and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Then he became a self-employed contractor and Realtor. He married Veronica Rutledge on August 4, 1952, in Aztec, where he has lived for the last 20 years.
Mr. Phelps enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. He loved his grandchildren.
He is survived by his daughter, Karla Phelps of Durango; his granddaughter, Tarah Phelps of Aztec; his grandson, Travis Phelps of Aztec; his three brothers, Ernie Phelps of Aztec, Ralph Phelps of Allison, and Cecil Phelps of Allison; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Veronica Phelps, in 2000.
A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Hood Mortuary Chapel in Durango. Burial will take place at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango.
FrankTsuru
Frank Tsuru, a resident of Durango, died Monday, June 2, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center under hospice care after battling lung cancer. He was 71.
Mr. Tsuru was born on Nov. 7, 1932, to Kenechi Tsuru and Toyo Choizyo, in Seattle. He was the third of four children. After a deportation from their home in Seattle during World War II, the Tsuru family was interned at Camp Hunt in Minidoka, Idaho. After the war, they moved to Delevan, Wis., where Mr. Tsuru attended elementary and high school and went on to Marquette University.
Mr. Tsuru served in the Korean conflict, was honorably discharged and met Aiko (Haga) Tsuru. Frank and Aiko were married on Oct. 13, 1957, in Chicago.
He started his retail-management career with Sears in Chicago, and most recently was employed with Wal-Mart in Durango. In 1969, the Tsurus moved to Deerfield, Ill., where Mr. Tsuru was an active member of Holy Cross Parish and Boy Scouts of America. A tremendous love for the outdoors and development of boys to young men resulted in a tenure of more than 15 years as a Cub Master and Scout Master in Chicago and Deerfield.
Mr. Tsuru is survived by his son, Frank Tsuru of Durango; his daughter, Nancy McGill of Wauconda, Ill.; one grandson, Seth Piatczyc of Durango; four granddaughters: Kylee Piatczyc and Bailey Tsuru, both of Durango, and Rita and Katie McGill, both of Wauconda; and many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Cross Parish, Deerfield, Ill. Burial will occur at Elm Lawn Cemetery in Elmhurst, Ill.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Mercy Hospice and Home Health, Durango, or the American Cancer Institute.
Manuel AnthonyLobato
Manuel Anthony Lobato, a graduate of Durango High School, died Friday, May 30, 2003, in Jacksonville Fla., from cancer. He was 52.
Mr. Lobato was born April 5, 1951, at Mercy Medical Center in Durango to Manuel and Evelyn Lobato. He graduated from Durango High School in 1970 and was an all-state and an all-conference baseball pitcher.
He was a Vietnam veteran, having served in the Army as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. Later he served in the Colorado Army National Guard as a medic.
In civilian life, Mr. Lobato worked as a truck driver for Swift Trucking Co., of Denver.
"He enjoyed his sports," said his sister, Celina Peterson. "He was a big-time jock when he was in Durango High School. He was very friendly and open. He just enjoyed life."
Mr. Lobato is survived by his life companion, Mary Jane Benally; four brothers, Thomas Joe Lobato of Victorville, Calif., Leo Patrick Lobato of Monterey, Mexico, David Robert Lobato of Durango, and Manuel Mark Lobato of Potomac, Md.; five sisters, Celina Marie Peterson of Maple Valley, Wa., Catherine Watkins of McKinney, Texas, Patricia Veronica Lobato of Montrose, Loretta Beverly Lucero of Farmington, and Elizabeth Ann McCloskey of Bayfield; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 254 East Fifth Ave. The Rev. Joseph L Gallegos will officiate.
Nell WalkerShuttles
Nell Walker Shuttles, 92, formerly of Durango and a longtime resident of Santa Fe, died Monday, June 2, 2003, after a lengthy illness.
Her husband, Robert Sumners Shuttles, preceded her in death.
She is survived by her son, Robert Sumners Shuttles Jr. of Española, N.M.; and her grandchildren: Charles Shuttles of Tampa, Fla., Robby Shuttles of Coupland, Texas, Bill Shuttles of Ft. Bragg, N.C., and Erica Trujillo of Española, N.M.
Cremation has taken place and burial will take place at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Dallas.
PatrickSweeney
Patrick Sweeney, a reporter for theDenver Business Journaland former editorial assistant forThe Durango Herald,was found dead in his Denver apartment Monday June 2, theBusiness Journalreported. He was 28.
Sweeney had apparently shaved and dressed to go to work when he collapsed in the bathroom,Business JournalEditor Neil Westergaard said Tuesday. An autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death, he said.
Sweeney joined theBusiness Journalin September 1999, initially as research director. He became a reporter in June 2000.
"Patrick was a talented and well-liked colleague at theBusiness Journal,and he was highly regarded in the business community that he covered," Westergaard said. "We shall all miss him greatly."
Sweeney earned a degree in English/communications from Fort Lewis College. As a senior, he worked part-time for theHeraldat night, proofreading pages, verifying letters to the editor and writing occasional news and feature stories. He contributed to theHeraldscoverage of the 1998 general election and the manhunt for three men who killed a police officer in Cortez.
"Patrick was a pleasure to work with, and he made a contribution to this paper and our readers," Managing Editor David Staats said. "This sad news shocks every one of us who knew him."
Sweeney graduated from Aurora Central High School.
Survivors include his mother, Pamela Augustine, and his stepfather, Ralph Rose, of Aurora.
A memorial celebration of Patrick Sweeneys life will be at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Oxford Hotel, 1600 17th Street, in lower downtown Denver.
Preliminary autopsy results were inconclusive.
Rosailo Shorty Abelino Lopez
Rosailo "Shorty" Abelino Lopez, of Tiffany, died June 1, 2003, in Cañon City, at the age of 25.
The cause of death is not known.
Mr. Lopez was born in Durango on May 13, 1978, to Maria and Benjamin Lopez of Tiffany. He completed 11 years in the Ignacio school system, despite his disability.
Mr. Lopez enjoyed drawing, listening to music and working on his truck. He also enjoyed rodeos and fellowship with his friends. He loved his nieces and nephews and the Dallas Cowboys.
He is survived by his mother; his brother, Alex Lopez of Tiffany; and his sister, Christina Gomez of Friona, Texas.
The rosary will be at 7:30 p.m. today at St. Peter-St. Rosa Catholic Church in Arboles. A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter-St. Rosa. The church is 17 miles east of Durango on Colorado Highway 151.
Burial is at Tiffany Cemetery. Leaving Tiffany, the cemetery is five miles south on County Road 328. Then turn right on County Road 326 to the cemetery.
Mary Walquist Muirhead
Mary Walquist Muirhead died Sunday, May 25, 2003. She was 80. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mrs. Muirhead was born May 16, 1923, in Burlingame, Kan., to Sara and Theodore Walquist.
After high school graduation, she moved to Illinois, where she married Bruce Muirhead, who was serving in World War II when they married.
They loved to travel, and she helped her husband build an airplane. Mrs. Muirhead was an active Methodist, taught Sunday School and sang in the choir. She enjoyed quilting.
The Muirheads lived in Boulder for 28 years. They retired in 1980 to Pagosa Springs. They were married almost 60 years.
The couple had three children, Barry of Salt Lake City and Crested Butte, Joanne of Crested Butte, and George of Pagosa Springs. She is also survived by her husband, three sisters, nine grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Community United Methodist Church in Pagosa Springs. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Patrick Sweeney
Patrick Sweeney, a reporter for the Denver Business Journal and former editorial assistant for The Durango Herald, was found dead in his Denver apartment Monday, the Business Journal reported. He was 28.
Sweeney had apparently shaved and dressed to go to work when he collapsed in the bathroom, Business Journal Editor Neil Westergaard said Tuesday. An autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death, he said.
Sweeney joined the Business Journal in September 1999, initially as research director. He became a reporter in June 2000.
"Patrick was a talented and well-liked colleague at the Business Journal, and he was highly regarded in the business community that he covered," Westergaard said. "We shall all miss him greatly."
Sweeney earned a degree in English/communications from Fort Lewis College. As a senior, he worked part-time for the Herald at night, proofreading pages, verifying letters to the editor and writing occasional news and feature stories. He contributed to the Herald’s coverage of the 1998 general election and the manhunt for three men who killed a police officer in Cortez.
"Patrick was a pleasure to work with, and he made a contribution to this paper and our readers," Managing Editor David Staats said. "This sad news shocks every one of us who knew him."
Sweeney graduated from Aurora Central High School.
Survivors include his mother, Pamela Augustine, and his stepfather, Ralph Rose, of Aurora.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Rosailo ‘Shorty’ Abelino Lopez
Rosailo "Shorty" Abelino Lopez, of Tiffany, died June 1, 2003, in Cañon City, at the age of 25.
The cause of death is not known.
Mr. Lopez was born in Durango on May 13, 1978, to Maria and Benjamin Lopez of Tiffany. He completed 11 years in the Ignacio school system, despite his disability.
Mr. Lopez enjoyed drawing, listening to music and working on his truck. He also enjoyed rodeos and fellowship with his friends. He loved his nieces and nephews and the Dallas Cowboys.
He is survived by his mother; his brother, Alex Lopez of Tiffany; and his sister, Christina Gomez of Friona, Texas.
The rosary will be at 7:30 p.m. today at St. Peter-St. Rosa Catholic Church in Arboles. A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter-St. Rosa. The church is 17 miles east of Durango on Colorado Highway 151.
Burial is at Tiffany Cemetery. Leaving Tiffany, the cemetery is five miles south on County Road 328. Then turn right on County Road 326 to the cemetery.
