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Mary Genevieve Silva
Mary Genevieve Silva, a lifelong resident of the Ignacio area, died Friday, July 23, 2004, at her home in Ignacio. She was 84.
Mrs. Silva was born March 7, 1920, in Missouri Center, Colo., to Jose Demetrio and Cresencia Manzanares. She married Carlos Susano Silva on July 11, 1937, and raised 15 children. She also was instrumental in the lives of 48 grandchildren, 62 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Silva took pride in being a homemaker. She loved flowers and enjoyed making quilts and blankets. For the past 28 years, she donated a quilt to be raffled at the annual San Ignacio Fiesta. She was a longtime member of the Carmelita Society of St. Ignatius Catholic Church.
Mrs. Silva was preceded in death by her husband, to whom she was married 55 years, her parents, sisters Trina Manzanares and Josephine Silva, brothers Pete and Joe Manzanares, and daughter Aurora Silva.
She is survived by daughters Jean Montoya of Durango, Phillis Perea of Delta, Mercedes Booghan, Barbara Valdez and Veronica Silva, all of Ignacio, Diane Valencia of Mesa, Ariz., Cathy Newberry, of Delta, Utah, and Marilyn Griego, of Castle Rock. She is survived by sons Joe Silva, Ramos Silva, Arthur Silva and Tom Silva, all of Ignacio, Don Silva, of Desert Shores, Calif., and Gerardo Silva, of Hemet, Calif.
Three sisters, Irene Tafoya, Cordy Garcia and Carmen Archuleta, and brother, Richard Manzanares also survive Mrs. Silva.
Visitation is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday at Hood Mortuary. A rosary is scheduled also on Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian burial is scheduled Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, with the Rev. Daniel Huber of St. Ignatius and Father Joseph L. Gallegos of Sacred Hearth Catholic Church officiating. Burial will be at Ignacio West Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions for Mary Genevieve Silva may be made to Carmelita’s Society of St. Ignatius Parish, 15449 Colorado Highway 172, Ignacio, CO 81137. Silva, 84, died Friday at her home in Ignacio.
Marie Sylvia Moreland
After living in the area all of her life, Marie Sylvia Moreland, 86, died Thursday, July 22, 2004 at Four Corners Health Care Center.
She was born June 6, 1918, to David and Avisa (Green) Garnand at the hospital in Animas City, which was later washed away in a flood.
She attended the Pine Ridge School (located in what is now the Rafter J subdivision) through the eighth grade, which was the highest grade the school offered.
In 1938, she married Willie J. Johnson, who died of cancer in the 1970s.
She worked as the mailroom supervisor ofThe Durango Heraldfor most of her adult life, joking that when Arthur and Morley Ballantine bought the paper in 1952, she and her husband were part of the deal. Their photos still hang downstairs in theHeraldbuilding. Her son Charles Johnson has worked at theHeraldsince 1965. He runs the in-house print shop.
Mrs. Moreland subsequently married Carl Campbell and Larry Moreland, losing them both to cancer.
She was a member of the American Legion, since her husband Willie Johnson, who was 20 years her senior, had fought in World War I.
She was preceded in death by husbands Willie J. Johnson, Carl Campbell and Larry Moreland; sister Francis Elledge; and brother Riley Garnand.
She is survived by her sons Stanley D. Johnson of Fruita and Charles Johnson of Bayfield; daughter Mary Ann Brittel of Two Wells, Ore.; sister Ida Mae Conway of Bayfield; brother Jim Garnand of Durango; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Hood Mortuary. The Rev. Myron T. Darmour will officiate. Cremation has occurred.
Walter Szczechowicz
He came to Cortez to pursue the American dream. Walter Szczechowicz died in Zakopane, Poland, on Friday. He was 75.
He was born on Jan. 4, 1929, to Anna and Joseph Szczechowicz in Poland. As a young man, he was known throughout Eastern Europe for his musical talent on the violin and dance performances in the Goralski-style, which evolved among the hill people of his country.
In 1962, he brought his family to the United States, working as a tailor in Chicago, and saving every penny. On a cross-country trip to California, his family passed through Cortez and liked it. In 1975, Mr. Szczechowicz purchased what was then known as the Frontier Motel. Over the years, the original motel was demolished and the Econo Lodge was built on the site.
Mr. Szczechowicz liked to fish and hunt, but his daughter Janina Fuenning thinks that perhaps he most liked to tinker with cars, as they still have 12 of them.
In 1995, the Cortez Chamber of Commerce presented Walter and his wife Karolina with the Vision 2000 Award for their foresight and energy in beautifying the Cortez community.
Mr. Szczechowicz is survived by his wife Karolina; daughters Christine Mazili and Janina Fuenning; and a granddaughter Amanda Mazili; all of Cortez.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1, 2004, at the St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 28 E. Montezuma Ave., in Cortez. The Rev. Rykowski will celebrate the Mass, and a buffet will follow the service.
Marion Louise Collignon
Marion Louise Collignon, 87, died of natural causes Tuesday, July 20, 2004, at Four Corners Health Care Center.
She was born on July 18, 1917, in Chicago, Ill., to Niels and Hattie Jensen. She was a homemaker and mother who also served as a secretary for United Way in Chicago for 30 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Collignon.
Mrs. Collignon is survived by her son, Scott Collignon of Hesperus, and a grandson, Cash J. Collignon.
A private burial will be held at Greenmount Cemetery.
Barbara Joan Sarver
An active Republican who attended the party's national convention twice to support Ronald Reagan's bid for the presidency, Barbara Joan Sarver died July 17, 2004. The cause of death was ovarian cancer. She was 63.
Mrs. Sarver was born on Sept. 24, 1940, in Peoria, Ill. She was the oldest daughter of Virgil and Sylvia Yoder, who later moved to Aurora.
After graduating from Littleton High School in 1958, Mrs. Sarver went on to attend Oklahoma Women's College in Chickasaw, Okla.
She married Tony Sarver on Feb. 29, 1964, in Evergreen. They worked together in the real estate profession in the Denver area for many years before moving to Durango in 1972.
While in Durango, she was very active in the Republican Party, serving as the chairman of the La Plata County Republicans for eight years. When her daughters were growing up, she spent many hours volunteering at their schools and other activities.
In 1996, the Sarvers relocated to Eckert, where they had a variety of real estate and business ventures. One of her business ventures was providing voter registration, election software and support to many counties in Colorado.
"She loved life, and everybody else's needs and wants came before hers," said her daughter Cindy Sarver.
Mrs. Sarver was an avid gardener and a wonderful cook. Her family says she loved the outdoors as long as it didn't include camping. She was also an active member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority in Delta.
She is survived by her husband, Tony, of Eckert; her daughters, Jill Tulk of Elizabeth, Dana Sarver and Cindy Sarver, both of Aurora; a sister, Brenda Stewart of Santa Fe, N.M.; a brother, Brad Yoder of Castle Rock; and a grandson, Zachary Tulk, of Elizabeth.
A celebration of Mrs. Sarver's life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 24, at the Stolte Shed on SW Second Street in Cedaredge.
Memorial contributions can be made in her name to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, 711 Main St., Delta, CO 81416.
Harry Sylvester Black
Harry Sylvester Black, of Farmington, died Wednesday, July 14, 2004, at his home. He was 78.
Mr. Black was born May 1, 1926, in Caney, Okla., to Walter and Edna Ewing Black. In 1938, the family moved to Allison. In 1957, Mr. Black and his wife, Gwendolyn, moved to Bloomfield and then to Farmington when he retired from an almost 30-year career with El Paso Natural Gas Co.
Mr. Black served in the Navy and Air Force. He was a 32nd degree Mason.
Mr. Black is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gwendolyn, of Farmington; sister, Pearl Luis, of San Diego, Calif.; sisters-in-law Alla Black, Joan McCaw and Rosabel Lawson; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by brother Otis W. Black and sisters Helen Seibel and Goldie Black.
Visitation is scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m., Tuesday at Cope Memorial Chapel, 404 W. Arrington, Farmington. Funeral services are scheduled at 2 p.m. Wednesday also at Cope Memorial Chapel. Burial will be in Florida Cemetery in Durango.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the charity of choice, the Heart Association or the Diabetes Foundation.
Floyd E. Andrews
Floyd E. Andrews, a former resident of Durango, died July 7, 2004, in Oregon after an extended illness. He was 81.
Mr. Andrews was born Jan., 8, 1923, in Durango to Eugene and Belva Andrews. He was a veteran of World War II and a longstanding member of the Elks Club.
Mr. Andrews is survived by sons Ray Andrews and Ron Andrews from his first marriage and daughters Jeanette Harman and Jenifer Andrews from his second marriage. He also is survived by three stepdaughters Georganne Wood, Sharolyn Johnson and Carole Whitlock, eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and nine step-great-grandchildren. Mr. Andrews' second ex-wife, Wilma Andrews, also survives him.
He was preceded in death by sister Werdna Organ.
Interment will be at Greenmount Cemetery.
Richard Fredrick Tipotsch
After 22 years spent working for La Plata Electric Association, Richard Fredrick Tipotsch spent much of his retirement as a gifted woodworker crafting fine furniture for his home.
Mr. Tip-otsch died Wednesday, July 14, 2004, at Mercy Medical Center. The cause of death was complications following a heart attack. He was 63.
Mr. Tipotsch was born on Jan. 11, 1941, in Durango to Fred and Vera Tipotsch. He was raised in Hay Gulch, near Breen, and attended Fort Lewis Elementary School. He went on to graduate from Durango High School and studied for two years at Fort Lewis College.
He married Naomi Johnson in 1963. They raised two daughters together. The family lived in San Diego for 10 years, where Mr. Tipotsch worked at San Diego Gas & Electric. They returned to Durango in 1978, and the couple divorced shortly thereafter.
Mr. Tipotsch worked at La Plata Electric Association for 22 years, retiring in 2000.
He married Shirley Qualls on Oct. 29, 1994, in Ignacio, and their home was a gathering place for family. Looking back, she said, "Those were 10 of the best years of my life."
He was a hunter and fly fisherman and enjoyed helping his wife with the yard work.
In a joint statement, his daughters, Theresa Thatcher and Anita Shaver said, "Dad was a kind and gentle man, unconcerned with his own personal aspirations, content with the joys of family and friends, and the simple pleasures of life."
Mr. Tipotsch was preceded in death by his sister, Betty Hendricks.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley Tipotsch, of Ignacio; daughters Theresa Thatcher of Ignacio and Anita Shaver of Littleton; stepdaughters Julie Personeus of Durango, and Sheryle Martin and Kim Lloyd, both of Ignacio; stepsons Wendell Qualls Jr. of Bayfield, and Adam Qualls of Allison; 18 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Hood Mortuary. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Pine River Valley Baptist Church, with the Rev. Kelly Winlock and the Rev. Joe Sparks officiating. Burial will occur at Ignacio East Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of Mercy, 3801 Main Ave., Durango CO 81301.
Patricia C. Jameson
It wasn't just the Hallmark sentiments that she sold at Kelly's Cards in the Main Mall that people will remember about Patricia C. Jameson. It was the wide smile and warm welcome.
She died Wednesday, June 23, 2004, in San Diego, Calif., at the age of 69. The cause of death was brain cancer.
Mrs. Jameson was born May 16, 1935, to Ada and Alec Lyons in Clarkdale, Ariz. She graduated from high school in Ajo, Ariz., where she met Russell "Rusty" Jameson. She attended two years at Whittier College.
The couple married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas and made a 78 recording of their vows. They moved to San Diego, where she worked as a secretary and he drove a cement truck.
In 1976, the Jamesons took a risk and became entrepreneurs, moving to Durango, where they opened Kelly's Cards. The original store was in the Main Mall, and the couple also opened a second store in the Durango Mall. The couple returned to San Diego in 1995.
Mrs. Jameson enjoyed walking and the outdoors. She particularly loved the river, and the family went on lots of river trips.
Her daughter Kelley Jameson said, "She was the best mom ever, and we will miss her very much."
She was preceded in death by her husband Jan. 30, 2004. He is pictured with her at the store in the mid-1980s.
Mrs. Jameson is survived by her son, Bret Jameson of Durango; her daughter, Kelley Jameson of Durango; grandchildren Larkin and Tyler Jameson of Durango, and Chandra Jameson of San Diego; and great-grandson Jamie Ziening of Pagosa Springs.
Cremation has occurred and there will be no service. Her ashes will be scattered in the ocean because that was one of her favorite places.
