Search Archived Marriage Records
Sara 'Susie' Harnsberger Perkins
Sara "Susie" Harnsberger Perkins died Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez. She was 80.
Mrs. Perkins was born Dec. 20, 1924, in Lindsay, Okla., the daughter of Edward Wesley and Jake (Gillis) Harnsberger. On April 29, 1954, she married Merlin Grover Perkins in Lakewood, Calif. She held the position of head baker with the Tustin, Calif., school district until her retirement. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins moved to the Mancos Valley in 1984. She enjoyed sewing, collecting antiques and cooking.
Survivors include her husband, Merlin Perkins of Mancos; her son, Scott B. Perkins of Mancos; two grandsons, Ryan and Randy Evans; two great-grandchildren; her niece, Coleen Moana McKinzie-Greer of Marvel; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family.
She was preceded in death by two sons, Michael Evans and Roger Evans.
Funeral services for Mrs. Perkins will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Rev. David Dahl will officiate. Interment will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Ertel Memorial Chapel.
Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Sara "Susie" Perkins with the Mancos Valley Bank.
Fred George Moreland
After a long struggle with diabetes, Fred George Moreland, 73, died Friday, Dec. 10, 2004, at Four Corners Health Care Center.
Mr. Moreland was born March 2, 1931, in Abington, Pa., the only child of Fred and Alberta Moreland.
He joined the U.S. Air Force at the age of 17. During his military service, he used his talent as a musician, performing as a clarinet soloist with the U.S. Air Force Band at Lowry Air Base in Denver.
After his stint, Mr. Moreland attended Colorado Chiropractic College and was licensed as a chiropractor. He practiced in his field in Durango and the San Juan Basin for more than 25 years.
He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed the natural beauty of the Colorado mountain West.
"He loved hunting and fishing," said son Paul Moreland. "He loved all the local rivers, Vallecito and Lemon Dam. The Pastorius Reservoir and the Pine River in Bayfield were both favorite spots of his."
Mr. Moreland is survived by his sons Paul Moreland of Bayfield and Leslie Moreland of Seattle, Wash.; and by their mother, his former wife, now Rose Helms of Arboles.
Cremation has occurred at Hood Mortuary and a private memorial ceremony will occur at a later time.
Memorial contributions may be made to Leslie Moreland/Fred Moreland Memorial Fund, Bank of Colorado, Attn: Kelsey Dunlap, 1199 Main Ave., P.O. Drawer N, Durango, CO 81302-2950.
Frank Marion Wood Jr.
Frank Marion Wood Jr. died at his home in Durango on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004, of pancreatic cancer. He was 77.
Mr. Wood was born Sept. 9, 1927, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Frank and Doris Wood. He joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1945 upon graduating from Poly Technical High School. He taught members of the military how the electrical system for the B-47 airplane operated and was discharged at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Mr. Wood attended Texas Wesleyan University and received his master's degree at North Texas University in 1961. He put himself through college by selling tomato plants, some 30,000 a year.
Mr. Wood was founder and owner of Pride Refining Inc. of Abilene, Texas. He was on the board of trustees of Hardin Simmons University and Abilene Memorial Hospital. After retiring from the oil business, he moved to Durango where he became steward of La Plata Estates. He planted 4,000 trees on the mountain above his home. He was a member of the Lion's Club and the Animas Water Board.
Surviving Mr. Wood are his wife, Patti Jo (Davis) Wood; his sons, Roger Wood and Bill Wood, both of Abilene; his daughter, Kathy Rivers of Garland, Texas; his brother, John Wood of Waco, Texas; his sister, Mary Anne Lane of Wichita Falls, Texas; five grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.
Private family services are planned.
Marian R. Postler
Marian R. Postler, a resident of Durango since 1995, died Dec. 17, 2004, at the Valley Inn in Mancos after an 11-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 81.
Mrs. Postler was born in Cincinnati. Her mother was Alma Wamboldt. Mrs. Postler graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati, but devoted her life to her home; husband, John "Bill" Postler; and two children.
Mrs. Postler's family attributed her long fight against Alzheimer's to her excellent physical condition, a result of morning walks of more than one mile.
Surviving Mrs. Postler are her husband of 56 years; son, William Jay Postler of Durango; and daughter, Lynn Postler Emery of Mount Vernon, Wash.
"She was the joy of my life," her husband said. "I will never walk alone," he added, recalling the song title. The couple moved to Durango from Cincinnati in 1995 to be near their son and his wife, Jan.
A memorial service is scheduled at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Durango First Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the church. Another service is scheduled at The Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati before interment at the mausoleum there at 2 p.m. Jan. 12.
James G. Watson
Durango resident James G. Watson died at his home on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004. Mr. Watson was born Jan. 13, 1939, in Danville, Va. He was the son of the late James and Roberta Watson.
Mr. Watson is survived by his wife, Emily; two sons, Christopher and Nathaniel; and five grandchildren, Hunter, Cooper, Bailey, Emily and Payton.
Family and friends will gather for a memorial service in Tennessee after the holidays.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of Mercy, 3801 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Leon Castagnoli
Leon Castagnoli died on Friday, Dec. 17, 2004, in McMinnville, Ore.
Mr. Castagnoli was born on Aug. 28, 1936, in Vallego, Calif., to Geno Castagnoli and Melba Villi Castagnoli, Togoli.
He was in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1953 to 1961, with the rank of BM3.
While residing in Durango, Mr. Castagnoli worked for Kroegers Hardware, San Juan Lumber and co-owned Basin Saddle Shop with his ex-wife Berta Molinets.
He was a life member of the National Rifle Association, and had been a member of the John Birch Society in Colorado. He was also a firefighter in California.
Mr. Castagnoli is survived by two brothers, Steve Tognoli of California and Gino Castagnoli of Oklahoma; sister Linda Koening of Oregon; daughter Tami Shepard of Texas; and son Victor Castagnoli of Texas.
Private memorial services are planned in lieu of a funeral.
Avos Lucile (Hines) Mahan
Avos Lucile H. Mahan died Friday, Dec. 17, 2004, at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. She was 90.
Mrs. Mahan was born June 21, 1914, in Collingsworth County, Texas, the daughter of George Martin and Oma (McLellan) Hines.
She married William F. Mahan on Aug. 11, 1934, in Aztec.
After living throughout the West, Mrs. Mahan moved to the Durango area in 1968 and built a home in the Junction Creek area. In 1989, she moved to Bloomfield, N.M., to be close to family.
Mrs. Mahan liked to paint, sew, cook and garden. She liked animals. She was a farm girl at heart, and her family will remember her sourdough biscuits.
Mrs. Mahan is survived by a daughter, Vida Geraldine Waggoner of Bloomfield, N.M.; two grandsons, Jefferson Boling of Durango and Jeff Waggoner of Blanco, N.M.; her brother, George Hines of Delta; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William F. Mahan, and daughter Anna Idell Boling.
A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Hood Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. Ed Wolfard will officiate. Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lance and Mindy Hines, Missionaries to Africa, account No. 2513950, c/o Bloomfield Assembly of God Church, 211 E. Oak Ave., Bloomfield, NM 87413.
Victoria Ruth Thomas
Victoria Ruth Thomas, a teacher and faithful Christian, died Friday, Dec. 17, 2004, at her daughter's home in Durango. She was 95.
Born Feb. 27, 1909, in Gooding, Idaho, Mrs. Thomas was the oldest of four children born to Ruth and Guy Worden.
Mrs. Thomas' childhood was spent in Gooding and in Nyssa, Ore. Upon completion of high school, Mrs. Thomas attended college at the University of Oregon in La Grand where she received a teaching degree.
On May 15, 1932, Mrs. Thomas was married to Francis J. Thomas, and the couple moved to Denver where they had three children. Mr. Thomas worked as a civil engineer, and Mrs. Thomas thoroughly enjoyed traveling from engineering project to project with her husband.
Mrs. Thomas' own career took her to Potsdam, N.Y., at one time where she taught a fifth-grade class at the State University of New York that was dually used as an observation class on teaching for college students.
Through her life, Mrs. Thomas directed her family and many others around her to the Christian faith.
In 1959, Mrs. Thomas and her husband both retired in Grand Junction and later moved to Mancos. Her husband preceded her in death in 1996.
Mrs. Thomas is survived by her children, Frances Hayes of Fruita, Fredric Thomas of Cortez and Donna Marie Rowe of Durango; nine grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the New Life Assembly of God, 221 Menefee, in Mancos. Pastor Leroy Cowart will officiate. Interment will follow at the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Mancos.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a Christian charity of your choice.
Sherine L. Russell
Sherine L. Russell, a 14-year resident of Hesperus, died at her home there on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004. She was 56. The cause of death was cancer, which was diagnosed a year ago.
Ms. Russell was born Dec. 3, 1948, in El Paso, Texas, to William B. and Avalea Russell. Ms. Russell, who moved to Hesperus from Albuquerque in 1990, married Karl Deskins on Dec. 2, 1993, in Durango.
Ms. Russell pursued higher education after high school and worked at numerous jobs. She was a statistics surveyor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture; a clerk at the One Stop, a store in Hesperus; assistant manager at Planned Parenthood; an investigator for the public defender in La Plata County; and an administrative coordinator for the Office of the Medical Examiner in Albuquerque.
As an avid gardener and an ardent rehabilitator of injured wildlife and domestic animals, she touched the lives of many people, according to her daughter, Branden Murray. She also was an inveterate reader.
In addition to her daughter, she is survived by her husband of Hesperus; her mother of Albuquerque; son Brent Barre of Albuquerque; brothers Judd Russell and Barry Russell, both of Albuquerque; grandchildren Morgan and Rebecca Murray, both of Hesperus; niece Carla Gleason of Denver; nephew Adam Russell of Denver; and great-niece Robyn Gleason of Denver.
Ms. Russell was preceded in death by her father.
A memorial service is scheduled at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Victorious Life Fellowship, 2006 Junction Creek Road.
Contributions may be made to the Sherine Russell Memorial Fund, Bank of the San Juans, 144 E. Eighth St., Durango 81301.
William T Kimball Jr.
William T Kimball Jr. died Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004, at his home in Durango. He was 50. The cause of death was not available.
Mr. Kimball was born April 27, 1954, in Lincoln, Neb., the son of William T. Kimball Sr. and Beverly Williams Kimball.
He graduated from Lincoln East High School and received a bachelor of science degree in construction engineering from the University of Nebraska, both in Lincoln. While attending the University of Nebraska, Mr. Kimball was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
In 2001, Mr. Kimball moved to Durango as a builder, developer and real-estate investor. He was the former owner of the Kimball & Associates, G.M.A.C. Real Estate Co.
In addition, Mr. Kimball was a past board member of the Lincoln Board of Realtors, the Wahoo Creek Gun Club and the Isaac Walton League.
He was enthusiastic and dedicated in all undertakings. He participated in the San Juan Sledders and was a sailing gold medalist in the Cornhusker State Games in Lincoln.
Mr. Kimball is survived by his wife, Diane L. Merrick of Durango; his father, William T. Kimball Sr.; his mother, Beverly Kimball of Lincoln; a sister, Kathryn Kimball Maughn of Santa Rosa, Calif.; a brother, Tom Kimball of Poway, Calif.; an aunt and uncle; and nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is being held today at the Roper & Sons Funeral Home in Lincoln, Neb.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 3801 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
