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Zack Zane Price
Zack Zane Price, a Korean War—era veteran, died Monday, Jan. 13, 2003, at Four Corners Health Care Center. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 71.
Mr. Price was born Sept. 13, 1931, in Wichita, Kan., to Le Roy and Ina Price. He served in the Air Force as a cryptographer in England during the Korean conflict.
He held a master’s degree from Buffalo University, Buffalo, N.Y., and another from Michigan State University. He lived in many parts of the country during his life, including 20 years in Florida. He worked with youth in drug-abuse treatment and counseling.
"He spent his whole life with them. He went to court with them," said his sister-in-law, Nancy Price, of Kline.
"He loved politics," she said. He was involved with the Young Democrats at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
He is survived by a sister, Belle Nelson of Long Beach, Calif.; an aunt; several nieces and nephews; and Price, his sister-in-law, with whom he lived for the past few years.
A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Kline Cemetery. The Rev. Trent Taylor will officiate.
Ruby L. Bellman
Ruby L. Bellman died Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center of natural causes. She was 85.
Mrs. Bellman was born on Feb. 21, 1917, in Granite City, Ill., the daughter of Alexander and Nellie Hulsey. She married Elmer O. Bellman on March 2, 1935, in Jacob, Ill. She moved from Kansas City, Mo., to the Durango area in 1980.
She liked to sew, to read, to do needlepoint crafts and to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her family said.
"She was just a very kind, giving person, very fun to be with. She was a very special lady. She had a great-grandbaby whom she loved very much," said her daughter-in-law, La Donna Bellman, of Durango.
Ruby Bellman was preceded in death by her husband on Sept. 11, 1971; three brothers; and one sister.
She is survived by a son, Philip Bellman of Durango; two granddaughters, Nicole Barr of Silverton and Monique Grinde of Sammamish, Wash.; two sisters, Hallie Hicklin of Darien, Conn. and Aline Young of Phoenix; and one great-granddaughter.
A graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Greenmount Cemetery. The Rev. Larry Osborne, of Durango Christian Church, will officiate.
Memorial contributions may be made to Silverton Library, 1111 Reese St., Silverton, CO 81433.
Irma Ione Holesapple
Irma Ione Holesapple died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2003, at Four Corners Health Care Center. She was 88.
Mrs. Holesapple was born Aug. 13, 1914, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was a graduate of Granite High School and attended Stevens-Heneger School of Business. She worked for the Utah Division of Wildlife and then the law firm of King and King for 12 years. She married Leonard Holesapple in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1946, after which she became a homemaker and helped raise the family in the Salt Lake City area. The family moved to Durango in 1999 to be near other family members. Mrs. Holesapple enjoyed many outdoor activities and especially fishing.
"She loved to write poetry for her family, and she loved her family, " said Nancy Holesapple, her daughter-in-law.
She is survived by her husband; her son, David Holesapple of Durango; two granddaughters, Tracy Schumaker of Colorado Springs and Tania C. Holesapple of Durango; a grandson, David Jon Holesapple of Durango; and a great-granddaughter.
Cremation will occur at Hood Mortuary Crematory.
Dora Angela McMillan
Dora Angela McMillan died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2003, at the Marian Center in St. Paul, Minn., of pneumonia. She was 68.
Mrs. McMillan was born July 19, 1934, in Pagosa Springs, to Louis and Sarah Padilla. She graduated from Pagosa Springs High School in 1952. She married Henry "Mac" McMillan in June 1955 in Pagosa Springs.
They lived in Pagosa Springs, Silverton and Dolores, where Mac McMillan worked as a superintendent of schools in the local school systems. After her husband’s death in a plane crash in 1964, she and her family moved to Durango in 1965, where she worked as a secretary at Park Elementary School. She later worked as a store clerk until her children graduated from high school. She moved to Aztec in 1977 to be near her father and siblings. In 1995 she moved to St. Paul, Minn., to be near her daughter.
She had bipolar disorder and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1997.
"When Dora was feeling well, she was a wonderful and caring mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to many people who loved her dearly," said her daughter, Marcheta Madden, of St. Paul. "She spent her last years magnificently cared for at the Marian Center."
She was preceded in death by her husband; two brothers, Jesus Padilla and Amos Padilla; and a sister, Lila Gomez, all of Aztec.
She is survived by two daughters, Marcheta Madden of St. Paul, Minn., and Sheila Witler of Buena Vista, Colo.; a son, John Irvin McMillan of Hobbs, N.M.; seven grandchildren, Henry and Francesca Madden, both of St. Paul, Michael and Aaron Witler, both of Buena Vista, and D’Shae, John Ross and Rachel McMillan, all of Hobbs, N.M.; her brother, Andy Padilla of Aztec; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 451 Lewis, Pagosa Springs. A rosary will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday followed by Mass of the Christian Funeral.
Burial will follow at Hilltop Cemetery in Pagosa Springs.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to the Healtheast Care Center-Marian, 3rd Floor, Attention Gloria Wilke, 200 Earl St., St. Paul, MN 55106.
Clorinda M. Montoya
Clorinda M. Montoya died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2003, at her home in Grand Junction after a long history of heart disease. She was 65.
Mrs. Montoya was born in Cebolla, N.M., the daughter of Narciso and Mary Trujillo. She moved to Durango from Cebolla when young, and lived here until 1992. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She was named Heart Mother of the Year in 1972 by the American Heart Association.
She lived in Grand Junction for the past 10 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Montoya.
"When I think of my mom, the first thing and the most important thing was her family. My mom lived for her family," said her son, Richard Montoya Jr., of Durango. "My mom had been sick for most of her life, and she never complained about anything."
She is survived by her son; two daughters, Debbie Meastas of Grand Junction and Dianna Romero of Pueblo; a brother, Harold Trujillo of Durango; four sisters, Beatrice Archuleta, Irene Martinez, Elsie Martinez and Tina Lucero, all of Durango; three grandsons, Manuel Meastas Jr. of Grand Junction, Justin Romero of Pueblo; and Richard Montoya III of Durango; and two granddaughters, Brittany Montoya and Alyssa Montoya, both of Durango.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 254 East Fifth Ave. A rosary will be said at 6 p.m. Friday.
The Rev. Joseph L. Gallegos will officiate. Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery.
Donald Dean Long
Donald Dean Long, a childhood resident of Durango, died Monday, Jan. 6, 2003, after being hit with flying debris in a wind storm in Riverside, Calif. He was 52.
Mr. Long was born March, 19, 1950, to Sam and Rogean Long in Salida, Colo. He married Luann Hannay on Feb. 17, 1973, at the Chatsworth Foursquare Church in Chatsworth, Calif.
Mr. Long spent his childhood in Durango, and he graduated from Durango High School in 1968 where he was voted most friendly. In 1973, he graduated from L.I.F.E. Bible College and was the class speaker.
In May of 1994, Mr. Long accepted the invitation of the Board of Directors to become General Supervisor of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. After serving approximately three years was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the Board of Directors of ICFG on April 18, 1998.
He is survived by his wife Luann, of Riverside, Calif.; his parents Sam and Rogean, of Riverside, Calif.; two daughters Melanie, of San Francisco, and Shellie of Southern California; and two brothers, Gary and Ronald both of Southern California.
A funeral will be held Monday at Angelus Temple in Los Angeles.
Paul Battershell
Paul Battershell, of Bayfield, died Sunday, Jan. 5, 2003, while snowmobiling in the mountains he loved. He was 57.
Mr. Battershell was born Dec. 9, 1945, in Glauchester, England.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret Battershell of Bayfield; three sons, Paul Battershell of Durango, David Battershell of Illinois and Colin Battershell of Bayfield; a daughter, Britt Battershell of Bayfield; and numerous other family members.
A funeral will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of Bayfield, 560 Buck Highway (County Road 521). Visitation with the family will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Elidia Suazo Lee
Elidia Suazo Lee, a resident of Livermore, Calif., died Friday, Dec. 6, 2002, of a brain tumor. She was 76.
Mrs. Lee was born Sept. 4, 1926, in Park View, N.M. She was raised in Durango and graduated from Durango High School in May 1944. She worked at Jackson Hardware in Durango for about 10 years, before moving to Livermore. After 27 years at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in Livermore, she retired in 1991.
"She was a loving sister and wife," said her brother, Fred Suazo, of Durango. She enjoyed traveling and touring Europe, he said.
She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Robert Lee; a sister, Rae Suazo of Livermore; her brother, Fred Suazo; and nieces and nephews in California and Colorado.
A memorial service was held in Livermore at Saint Charles Borromeo.
A rosary will be said at 10 a.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Church, 254 East Fifth Ave. Inurnment will follow the rosary at Greenmount Cemetery.
Michelle Barrington
Michelle Barrington died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003, at the University of Arizona Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz., after an extended battle with cancer. She was 32.
Mrs. Barrington was born Nov. 9, 1970, in Gallup, N.M., the daughter of Michael and Delluvina (Villareal) Svejcara Jr. She moved to Farmington at the age of 6 and graduated from Farmington High School in 1989. She married Peter J. Barrington on Oct. 9, 1993, in Farmington. She moved to Durango in April 1997.
"Michelle was a beautiful, loving, caring mother and wife. She loved the Lord, and she loved her children dearly," said her husband, Peter Barrington, of Durango.
"She was an avid athlete. Softball, volleyball, tennis, swimming – she loved all sports,"Mr. Barrington said. "She had a big heart."
She is survived by her husband; her son, Andrew Barrington of Durango; her daughter, Rebecca Barrington of Durango; four brothers, Abedon Sanchez and Walter Sanchez, both of Bloomfield, Pete Sanchez of Farmington and Benny Sanchez of Aztec; three sisters, Ruth Briscoe of Durango, Sherrie Armenta of Bloomfield and Patsy Svejcara of Texas; her father, Michael Svejcara of Farmington; her mother, Della Svejcara of Farmington; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
A viewing will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Hood Mortuary. A special viewing for the family will follow at 7 p.m. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, 332 E. 11th St. The Rev. Ned Amstutz will officiate. Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to leukemia research, in care of the American Cancer Society, 3801 N. Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Melva Phyllis Conroy Jones
Melva Phyllis Conroy Jones, a Durango native, died Sunday, Jan. 5, 2003, from natural causes. She was 81.
Mrs. Jones was born on Sept. 7, 1921, in Durango in her grandparents’ home on Third Avenue. She was happily married to William T. "Bill" Jones from 1948 until his death in 1996.
Mrs. Jones graduated from Durango High School in 1939, and attended college at Colorado Woman’s College where she majored in home economics and graduated with her teaching degree in 1944. In 1945, she moved to Keems Canyon, Ariz., where she taught on the Hopi Reservation for two years.
"She was very loving and very friendly," said her daughter Kathy Prouty.
During the course of her career, Mrs. Jones taught grades one through eight in a one-room schoolhouse, high school home economics, private kindergarten and special education. Once retired she became an active member of the Mercy Auxiliary. She enjoyed her hours of volunteering and helping others.
"She was famous in our family for taking three hours at the grocery store," said Kathy Prouty. "She would be done shopping in five minutes, and then take two hours and 55 minutes to visit with everybody."
She is survived by her four children; daughter, Kathy Prouty, of Grand Junction; sons Mike Jones and Gene Jones, both of Durango, and Bruce Jones of Cleveland; 10 grandchildren, Mike, Kevin, and Karen Prouty, all of Grand Junction; Stacey, Haley, Emily and Alex Jones, all of Durango; Jill Jones of Portland, Oregon, and Caleb and Barbie Jones of Cleveland, Ohio; and one great-grandchild.
A funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the First Presbyterian Church in Durango. Visitation will held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Hood Mortuary. Burial will be at Greenmount Cemetery following the funeral.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Mercy Auxiliary.
