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Alexis R. Clark
Alexis R. Clark, a longtime resident of Durango, died on March 23, 2005, at his daughter's home in Aztec. He was 88.
Mr. Clark was born June 29, 1916, in Olathe to Elwood and Olive Wiley. He father died when he was 6 weeks old, and he was adopted by his stepfather, Thomas Hewett Clarke. The family lived in Telluride and then moved to Atascadero, Calif., to operate a large ranch.
Mr. Clark, who dropped the "e" from his surname, graduated from high school in Atascadero in 1935. As the Depression worsened, the family gave up the ranch and returned to Colorado where Alex and his mother joined an aunt in operating The Best Café in Silverton. The establishment was in the family for almost 35 years.
Mr. Clark enlisted in the Army around 1940 and fought in the Pacific Theater. He was wounded on New Guinea in 1942 and spent the remainder of the war as a supply officer in northern Australia. He married Mary Jones of Delta in 1951 and the couple moved to Uravan where Mr. Clark worked as a carpenter in a uranium mill for Union Carbide.
In 1967, the Clarks moved to Durango where he worked as a carpenter for Fort Lewis College until he retired in 1983. He was an instructor of the VFW Junior Gun Club. Mr. Clark and his wife remained in Durango until December 2004 when illness forced him to move to Aztec with his daughter. Mary Clark died in January 2005.
Mr. Clark was an avid hunter and fly fisherman and knew the mountains of Southwest Colorado well. He loved to tell stories of his childhood, especially of riding with muleskinners.
Mr. Clark is survived by daughter Clara McNeal of Aztec and son Alexis Clark Jr. of Round Mountain, Nev.
A visitation is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday at Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home. Services are scheduled at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, 103 E. Ute St., Farmington. Brother Aaron Parker will officiate. Interment will be at Olathe Cemetery in Olathe.
Martin Herbert Murphy
Martin Herbert Murphy died Monday, March 7, 2005, in Virginia Beach, Va. He was 78.
Mr. Murphy was born July 29, 1926, in Durango, the son of Michael D. Murphy and Bernice Warner Murphy. He graduated from Durango High School class of 1944. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served until the end of World War II, returning to Durango after release.
Mr. Murphy enlisted as an aviation cadet in 1948, and received his wings and officer commission in 1949. He served during a critical period of the Cold War, including many years in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as aircraft commander of the Boeing B-47 bomber and command post staff officer. Mr. Murphy retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 1969.
"Martin was committed throughout his years to serving people and God," said his wife, Mary Jane Murphy. "He demonstrated his love by donating countless hours of his time to many volunteer organizations."
Mr. Murphy was an integral part of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Virginia Beach, Va., where he was vice president of the church council. He was named Hampton Roads Volunteer of the Year in 2001.
In his own words, Mr. Murphy believed that: "There is no greater wisdom in life than kindness."
Survivors include his wife, Mary Jane Murphy of Virginia Beach, Va.; his daughter, Roberta M. Obenaus of Virginia Beach; his son, Kenneth W. Murphy of Medford, Mass.; two sisters, Lena Hiner of Durango and Goldie Monteith of Tijeras, N.M.; two brothers, Jay L. Murphy of Carthage, Texas, and Ray Murphy of Durango; and three grandchildren.
The family suggests that memorials may be made to St. Michael Lutheran Church, 2208 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456.
Lois Bernadine Bates Jones
Lois Bernadine Bates Jones, 80, died Tuesday, March 22, 2005, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango. She died of natural causes.
Mrs. Jones was born March 21, 1925, in Nelson, Wis., the daughter of Raymond Wallace Bates and Clara Elizabeth Burkert Bates.
In 1948, she moved to Colorado to live with her husband Raymond E. Jones of Cherry Creek-Durango. Raymond and Lois were divorced in 1973.
Mrs. Jones was a homemaker who also worked as a maid at the Holiday Inn for several years before becoming manager of the Rochester Hotel on Second Avenue.
She was a substitute volunteer at Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School.
Mrs. Jones loved to bake for everyone. She loved her children, and she enjoyed cats, baby dolls, stuffed animals and embroidering tablecloths and pillowcases for gifts and to take to the county fairs.
Her favorite saying was, “I have more time than money.”
She was preceded in death by her son Albert Jones.
Survivors include sons David Jones and Chester Jones of Marvel and Thomas Jones of Bayfield; numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School, 11274 Colorado Highway 140. The Rev. John Richardson with the Free Methodist Church will officiate. Interment of ashes will take place at Greenmount Cemetery at 3 p.m. Monday. Cremation will occur at Hood Mortuary Crematory.
Carol Irene Lembke
Carol Irene Lembke, 70, died Monday, March 21, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center in Durango.
Mrs. Lembke was born Oct. 13, 1934, in Greenfield, Mo., the daughter of John and Juanita Eagles.
She spent the last 35 years in the Durango area.
She was a kind, generous, warm-hearted person who had many friends.
Survivors include sons Wayne Collier of Durango and Johnnie Collier of Meeker, Okla.; daughters Carolyn Guccione of Norco, Calif., Gorgianna Neil of Ignacio, Vikki Edwards of Monroe, Wash.; sister Georgia Carroll of Durango; brother Monroe Eagles of Orange, Calif.; nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; and four nieces and nephews.
Private services were held Wednesday.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Mercy in memory of Carol Lembke.
David Bryan Bunker
David Bryan Bunker of Durango died Sunday, March 20, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center in Durango. He was 54.
The cause of death was not released.
Mr. Bunker was born July 23, 1950, in Albuquerque, the son of Robert Boyd Bunker and Shirley Starr.
Mr. Bunker is survived by four children, son, Joshua S. Bunker of Durango; three daughters, Casey Taula, Makiisha Navarro and Brittany Jayne Bunker, all of Salt Lake City; a brother, four sisters and four grandchildren. He is also survived by his parents, father, Robert Boyd Bunker and his wife, Mary, and his mother, Shirley (Sabin) Starr and her husband, Gene.
Services were held Wednesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Ward Chapel of County Road 6100 with Larry Dunlap conducting. Burial was at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Farmington.
Andrea Babbette Howell Richards
Andrea Babbette Howell Richards, 38, died Monday, March 21, 2005, at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington.
She was born in Shiprock, N.M., on Nov. 7, 1966, to Sharon Howell Pinnecoose and Jack McClure Frost Sr.
A 1985 graduate of Ignacio High School, Mrs.Richards helped establish the Native American Youth Organization. She attended Rangley Community College and then returned to Ignacio.
A homemaker, Mrs. Richards also worked for the Southern Ute Tribe in several positions, including as an administrative assistant for the Natural Resource and Gaming and Regulatory divisions. She also served as Tribal Council secretary.
She enjoyed volleyball, softball, hunting, fishing, traditional tribal events, cruising in her big truck, enjoying the outdoors and running the show. She started the Will S. Frost Memorial Poker run to benefit community projects and recently agreed to be an advocate for dialysis patients in the Four Corners area.
Survivors include her husband, Howard Richards Sr.; sons Scotty Prairiechief, Dewayne Richards; daughters Shiri Howell and Krista Richards; mother Sharon Howell Pinnecoose; father Jack McClure Frost Sr.; brothers Chief Prairiechief, Jack Frost Jr., Andrew Frost; sisters Tyner Prairiechief and Jacqueline Frost; several step-children; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. All survivors are from Ignacio.
A wake will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at the Richards’ family home. Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Rolling Thunder Hall in Ignacio, with burial to follow at Ouray Memorial Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made in her memory to the Four Corners Dialysis Center in Farmington or the 2005 Will S. Frost Memorial Poker Run to benefit the Ignacio Library.
Leslie Daryl ‘Les’ Sutton
Leslie Darryl "Les" Sutton died Tuesday, March 22, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center in Durango. He was 100 years old.
Mr. Sutton was born Dec. 14, 1904, in Pawnee, Okla., to James William Sutton and Minnie Jane Sutton.
His parents lived and worked on a farm. When he was 1, his family traveled 10 days by wagon from Pawnee to Melvern, Kan., where they lived until he was 8. Then the family moved to Boise, Idaho, and later to Waverly, Kan. Finally, Mr. Sutton's father decided to homestead in Eads in 1914.
In 1923, Mr. Sutton bought a Ford Touring Car for $400 and took children to school. He graduated from Eads High School in 1925 and then taught first- through eighth-graders.
On Nov. 30, 1928, he married Beulah Maude Richardson in Wiley. They moved to Hugo in 1935, where they raised chickens and dairy cows.
The family moved to Allison in 1937 and farmed wheat, alfalfa and corn.
Mr. Sutton taught for the Allison School, and Mrs. Sutton cooked. Later, Mr. Sutton worked for the Ignacio State Bank.
He was a longtime member of the Mount Allison Grange and the Allison Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Sutton enjoyed making whirligigs, turtle stools and mini-figures for his friends, family and neighbors. He also enjoyed the outdoors in hunting, fishing and gardening. He grew enormous strawberry patches.
Survivors include two sons, James Sutton and Daryl Sutton of Allison; two daughters, Delores Darrow of Florence, Ore., and Barbara Nelson of Allison; five granddaughters; four grandsons; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by wife, Beulah; a daughter, Betty Louise Phelps; a granddaughter, Leslie Baird; a grandson Daryl David Sutton; and two great-grandsons, Zachary Baird and Douglas Phelps.
Funeral services were held Friday and burial occurred at Allison-Tiffany Cemetery. The Rev. Dan Straw officiated.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Mount Allison Grange, c/o George Knoll, 91 Happy Valley Lane, Ignacio, CO 81137.
William Ray Young Jr.
William Ray Young Jr., 39, died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, in Durango.
A cause of death was not given.
Mr. Young was born Feb. 26, 1966, in Durango, the son of Patricia and William Young Sr.
He was an auto mechanic and cook.
Mr. Young liked to fish, camp and hike. He loved children and was close to his grandmother.
Survivors include his mother, Patricia Young of Durango; companion Peggy Rocha of Durango; children, Robert Hefner, Flora Jo Hefner and Pete Rocha, all of Durango; grandmother, Flo Young of Cortez; step-father, Ralph Kennington of Durango; sister, Karrie Kennington of Durango; brothers, Lyle Kennington of Vernal, Utah, and Scott Young of Durango; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
A graveside service was held Monday at Florida Cemetery. The Rev. Myron Darmour officiated. Cremation occurred at Hood Mortuary Crematory.
Molly'o Dolen Hoover
Molly'o Dolen Hoover died Friday, March 18, 2005, in Denver. She was 49.
The cause of death was not given.
Molly'o was born Oct. 1, 1955, in Snyder, Texas, the daughter of Isaac Stuart and Marilyn Mace Dolen Jr.
They moved to Durango in 1965, where she later graduated from high school. Molly'o attended Southwestern Business School in Houston; graduating in 1974. While attending school, she met and married David Huffer. They had a daughter, Shannon.
Molly'o later completed her formal education at Fort Lewis College as a paralegal. She married Jim Hoover in 1985. Molly'o was the longtime owner and operator of the Flower Palace in Durango.
She also was well-known as a paralegal with several local law firms.
In 2004, Molly'o moved to Denver and married Richard Panissidi in Westminster on April 6. The love and the many interests they shared, made their past year fulfilling.
She was an avid reader and artistic with crafts. She enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family.
Molly'o was preceded in death by her previous spouse, Jim Hoover.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Panissidi; her daughter, Shannon Huffer Bagwell of Indianapolis, Ind.; two sisters, Karen Marcea of Mancos and Anita Dolen of Colorado Springs; her aunt, Molleyo Murphy of Montgomery, Texas; and her first husband, David Huffer of Montgomery, Texas.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Hood Mortuary. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. The Rev. Myron Darmour will officiate. Burial will follow at Pine River Cemetery in Bayfield.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Southwest Safehouse, P.O. Box 2107, Durango CO 81302 or to the charity of your choice.
