Search Archived Marriage Records
Jacqueline "Jackie" Eubank Griffen
Jacqueline "Jackie" Eubank Griffen, a longtime Durango resident, died at her home in Casa Grande, Ariz., with her family at her side on March 15, 2004. She was 79.
Mrs. Griffen was born Dec. 29, 1924, one of two daughters of an Arizona pioneer ranching family. She was her daddy’s "Cowboy." Her favorite activities included houseboating, fishing and golfing.
Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Horace B. Griffen; son Kent (Anne) Griffen of Casa Grande; daughters Judy (Ron) Griffen-Spencer of Yuma, Ariz., and Linda (Brian) Griffen-Bray of Hayden, Colo.; sister Joy Fullenwider of Golconda, Nev.; seven grandchildren, Angela Griffen and Alex Griffen of Casa Grande, Stephen Briggs of Alice Springs, Australia, Edward Glenn Shilling of Mesa, Ariz., Steven Kent Shilling of Denver, Colo., Christopher Bray of Hayden, Colo.; and three great-grandchildren, Brianna, Ryan an d Shane Briggs, all of Alice Springs, Australia.
No services are planned.
Memorial contributions may be made to RTA Hospice, 1675 E. Monument Plaza Drive, Casa Grande, AZ 85222.
John A. Swanson
Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday for John A. Swanson, a local cattle rancher, who died Saturday, March 27, 2004, at the age of 93.
Frances L. Frahm
Frances L. Frahm died Saturday, March 27, 2004, at Albuquerque Regional Medical Center after suffering a stroke March 11. She was 70.
A visitation will be held at Hood Mortuary from 3 to 8 p.m. today. A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Bayfield. The Rev. Steve Easterday-McPadden of the First United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will be at Pine River Cemetery in Bayfield.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Colorado Chapter, 1777 S. Harrison, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80210.
Willard Allen Bishop
Longtime Cortez resident Willard Allen Bishop died Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at Southwest Memorial Hospital. He was 79. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mr. Bishop was born April 2, 1924, in Arriola, the son of Ruby (Short) Bishop and Wilbur Bishop.
On April 2, 1947, he married Nina Lee Cook. They had five children: Linda, Bruce, Barbara, Ronda and Kelly.
Mr. Bishop is preceded in death by his wife, Nina, and his grandson, Derek Lancaster.
He is survived by his children, Linda Burns of Durango, Bruce Bishop of Etna, Calif., Barbara Mellott of Kenai, Alaska, Ronda Lancaster of Pleasant View and Kelly Candelaria of Cortez; 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren (two additional great-grandchildren are due in September); and his sister, Nelta Wilson of Aurora.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. today at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Empire Street in Cortez. Bishop Mortensen will officiate. Burial will follow at the Lebanon Cemetery.
Louis Wageman
Durango native Louis Wageman, 32, a husband and father of seven, died Friday, March 19, 2004. He died at Hospice of Metro Denver in Aurora from brain cancer after a long illness.
Mr. Wageman was born Nov. 11, 1971, the son of Edna and Robert Wageman.
He completed his degree in mechanical engineering at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, and worked as an engineer until last year. He was interested in such sources of alternative energy as wind and solar power.
He married his high school sweetheart, Anna Edgerton, at 18, and valued his time with his family.
He was preceded in death by his father, who was a professor at Fort Lewis College.
Mr. Wageman is survived by his wife of Strasburg; his children, Liberty, Hope, Olivia, Thomas, Trevor, Jonathan and Ezra; his mother, Edna Wageman of Farmington; his sister, Ann Wageman of Farmington; his half brothers: Joshua and Charles Wageman, both of Durango and Jared Wageman of New York; his stepmother, Pam Wageman of Durango; and several aunts and uncles.
A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Memory Gardens in Farmington.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Hospice of Metro Denver, 425 S. Cherry St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80246.
Grace Graham Fitch
Grace Graham Fitch, who lived in Durango for 70 years, died Friday, March 26, 2004, in Grand Junction. She moved away from Durango two months ago to be near her family in Grand Junction. She died of natural causes at the age of 88, said her daughter Joanne Sutton.
Mrs. Fitch was born Jan. 17, 1916, in Crook, the daughter of Ida Dot Austin and Charles Austin.
She graduated from Durango High School in 1934 and attended Fort Lewis College. She married William H. (Bill) Fitch on May 18, 1939, in Bartleville, Okla. They were married 57 years.
Besides being a housewife and mother, Mrs. Fitch worked at Woolworth's for many years and was a member of First Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church in Durango. She was also a member and Worthy Advisor of Rainbow Girls and a lifetime member of the Emblem Club, Durango Elks B.P.O.E. 507.
"She and her enormous love will be dearly missed," Sutton said. "Her father was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from Kirk County and she remembered how he loved to sing and play Irish music. Grace inherited his love of Irish music, especially the Irish Tenors."
Mrs. Fitch was preceded in death by her husband.
She is survived by her children, Joanne Sutton of Lakewood, Jeanne Kees of Collbran, Charles Fitch of Redding, Calif., William Fitch of Grand Junction and Susan A'Hern of Pueblo; 16 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
A funeral service, complete with Irish music, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Durango. The Rev. Jeff Dobesh of First Baptist Church will officiate. Burial will follow the service at Greenmount Cemetery.
Thomas V. Peterson
Thomas V. Peterson, 59, died Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at his home in Durango, following an extended illness with a genetic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease.
Mr. Peterson was born April 20, 1944, in Springfield, Mo., the son of Sylvan and Lucille (Brownfield) Peterson. He married Elisabeth Cottell on May 10, 1979, in Durango.
He began work at the age of 10 for Peterson Office Supply, which was established by his father in 1951. He took over the store after his father's death in 1971.
Mr. Peterson served in the National Guard for 23 years, retiring in 1988 with the rank of first sergeant. He was also a 35-year member of the Elks Lodge, where he had served as a trustee.
"He was a very loyal, trustworthy, generous person with a heart of gold," said his wife, Elisabeth Peterson. "He'd give you the shirt off his back. He had totally loyalty to Durango, to local businesses and the community." His employees at the store were very dedicated, she said.
Mr. Peterson enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, boating and water skiing, fishing, and golfing. He especially loved his long-haired red miniature dachshund, Willi, who kept him company at the store, Mrs. Peterson said.
He is survived by his wife Elisabeth; a sister, Lynda Norton; a niece, Crystal Lammon; his great-nephew Dillon Lammon, and great-niece Camille Lammon, all of Durango.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Hood Mortuary. A wake will be held at 6 p.m. today at the Elks Lodge. A funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Hood Mortuary, with the Rev. Myron Darmour of Mercy Medical Center officiating. Cremation will follow at Hood Mortuary Crematory in Durango, with private graveside services in Greenmount Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the La Plata County Humane Society, P.O. Box 2164, Durango, CO 81302-2164 or the Durango Elks Lodge No. 507, 901 East Second Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Doris Ellard Sitze
Doris Ellard Sitze, 84, of Pagosa Springs, died Saturday, March 20, 2004, at Pine Ridge Extended Care Center in Pagosa Springs. She died of leukemia, said her daughter, Laura Beth Manley.
Mrs. Sitze was born Jan. 20, 1920, in Clayton, N.M., the daughter of Ethel G. Hopkins and Henry Ellard. She married Wilbur A. Sitze, who was a teacher at Ritch School in the San Andres Mountains of New Mexico.
She was a housewife, mother and part-time teacher in the Derry, Arrey and Truth or Consequences N.M., grade schools where her husband was a teacher and principal for more than 37 years.
Mrs. Sitze taught piano to many students in Sierra County, N.M. She also served as a pianist and organist in Caballo Community Church and St. John's Lutheran Church in Truth or Consequences. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star Chapter in Truth or Consequences, where she served as Worthy Matron. She moved to Pagosa Springs in July 2000.
She was preceded in death by her husband and by her grandson, Scott Sitze, both in 1985.
Mrs. Sitze is survived by her children, Wilbur A. Sitze Jr. of Las Cruces, N.M., Robert Lee Sitze of Harrisburg, N.C., and Laura Beth Manley of Pagosa Springs; 10 granddaughters and 15 grandsons; and 15 great-granddaughters and 16 great-grandsons.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, at the Pine Ridge Extended Care Center in Pagosa Springs, with the Rev. Al DeBoer officiating. A memorial service also will be held in Las Cruces, N.M., at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the American Cancer Society.
Frank John Malarsie Sr.
Frank John Malarsie Sr., who had lived in Durango since the late 1940s, died Sunday, March 21, 2004, at Four Corners Health Center in Durango. He died after an extended illness following congestive heart failure, said his son, John Malarsie Jr. He was 81.
Mr. Malarsie was born Aug. 18, 1921, in Newark, N.J., the son of Rose Molini and John Malarsie.
He finished the eighth grade and a year of trade school, then came west in 1940 as a member of the Civilian Conservation Corp. Once here, he met and married Allien Burr in Moab, Utah, in 1941.
Mr. Malarsie served in the U.S. Army and the Colorado National Guard. As one of the early members of Durango's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031, he helped build the VFW building, which is still in use today.
He was also a member of the Elks and Moose fraternal orders and the American Legion.
He was a longtime Durango businessman and a founding partner in Root & Malarsie Plumbing.
Mr. Malarsie loved the outdoors and was an enthusiastic hunter and fisherman. He enjoyed his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"His word was his bond," said his son, John Malarsie. "He will be greatly missed by all."
Mr. Malarsie is survived by his sisters, Audrey Horkey, Gloria Sanford, Rosetta Blake and Patricia Dashnau, all of New Jersey; his truest and best friend, Allien Malarsie Morrissey of Durango; his sons, John Malarsie Jr. and George Malarsie, both of Durango, and Jim Malarsie of Bosque Farms, N.M.; his daughter, Kally Casebier of Montrose; 13 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of the life of John Malarsie will be held at a future date to be announced.
Olive Loraine Slade Thorpe
Durango native Olive Loraine Slade Thorpe, 62, died on Thursday, March 11, 2004, in Mesa, Ariz., She died from complications of diabetes, said her sister Christine Gillen.
Mrs. Thorpe was born Oct. 21,1941, in Durango, the daughter of Lovetta and Francis Slade. She grew up in a family of 12 in Redmesa.
After graduating from Durango High School, she attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, then graduated from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, as a special-education teacher. There she met her husband, Dr. Wayne Thorpe, who has worked as a dentist.
"Service to others was her hallmark in life," said Gillen.
Mrs. Thorpe is survived by her husband; her children, Gary, David, Mark, Thomas, Michael and Kataijean Thorpe; her brothers, Larry Slade of Logan, Utah, Sheldon Slade of Bloomfield, N.M., LeGrande Slade of Toole, Utah, Brent Slade of Fort Collins, Jared Slade of Millard, Utah, and Lowell Slade of Modesto, Calif.; her sisters, Christine Gillen of Redmesa, Rosalie England of Novosibirsk, Russia, and Gloria Decker of Cortez; 10 grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Monday, March 15, in the Latter-day Saints Greenfield Stake Center in Higley, Ariz. Burial was in Springville City Cemetery in Springville, Utah.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Alvene Eppich Dalla
Alvene "Aunt Bena" Eppich Dalla, who lived in Mancos, died on Thursday, March 18, 2004, at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez. She was 89. The cause of death was not disclosed, said her niece Theresa Marcum.
Mrs. Dalla was born on the family farm in Mancos on Sept. 8, 1914, the daughter of Agnes and Joseph Petsche Eppich.
She attended Mancos schools, then Western State College where she received a degree in education in 1940.
She taught at the Menefee School in Mancos, then at Silverton schools.
She married Fiore "Fury" Dalla on Aug. 13, 1946, in Mancos. They moved to California, where both continued their education and taught in Weed, Calif., and Concord, Calif., for many years.
In 1971, the Dallas retired and moved to Durango, where Mrs. Dalla was active in her church.
She was a member of the Altar and Rosary societies and sponsored activities at St. Columba School. She was also a member of the California Teachers' Association. She enjoyed gardening, especially flowers.
Mrs. Dalla was preceded in death by her husband on July 9, 1988.
She is survived by sister-in-law Elsie Eppich of Mancos; her nieces and nephews: Theresa and Russell Marcum of Mancos; Gregory, who is stationed in Iraq, and his wife, Julie; Damian and Stephanie Marcum of Durango; Vie and Jim Liddell of La Mesa, Calif., Amy Liddell Thomas of Durango; Kenneth Tozer of Durango; her great-nieces and great-nephews and many relatives.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today in St. Columba Catholic Church, Durango. The Rev. Jim Koenigsfeld will be the celebrant. Burial will follow in the Cedar Grove Cemetery, Mancos. Lunch will be served at St. Columba after the burial. A rosary was said Monday evening at St. Rita of Cascia Catholic Church in Mancos. Donations may be made to St. Columba School, 1830 East Second Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
