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Lela Madge 'Dovey' Dalton Sadler (11/9/2005)
An early resident of the east Animas Valley, Lela Madge "Dovey" Dalton Sadler, 96, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005, at Four Corners Health Care Center. The cause of death was complications from Alzheimer's disease.
She was born to O.A. and Mary Louise Dalton in a cabin on the old Dalton homestead on April 12, 1909. After attending grade school at the old Trimble Springs School, she graduated from Durango High School in 1928. After completing two years at Fort Lewis College at the old Hesperus campus, Mrs. Sadler obtained her teaching license and taught at Oxford and Redmesa elementary schools.
In 1935, she married John G. Sadler in Chicago. They traveled as publishing representatives for the Curtis Co. in the Southwest. At the beginning of World War II, they managed the restaurant at the Electra Lake Clubhouse. Later, they operated the Strater Hotel Coffee Shop in Durango.
The Sadlers lived for several years during the late 1940s in Grand Junction. They managed a motel in Granby in the 1950s and returned to Grand Junction afterward. Following her husband's death in 1971, Mrs. Sadler returned to the Durango area and sold art at the Bar-D Chuckwagon Suppers until 1977.
After leaving the Bar-D, Mrs. Sadler helped her friends Bonnie and Jack Ferrell manage the Lone Pine Trailer Park until her vision failed in her early 80s.
Mrs. Sadler was very interested in religion, particularly the Christian Scientist Church. Friends described her as devout woman who enjoyed studying the Bible.
Mrs. Sadler was preceded in death by her husband, John Sadler.
She is survived by three step-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Cremation has occurred. A memorial service is planned for a later date.
June Taulli-Clark (11/9/2005)
A woman who loved the area, June Taulli-Clark, 82, died at Mercy Medical Center on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005. The cause of death was complications from emphysema and heart problems.
Mrs. Taulli-Clark moved with her family to Durango in 1982 after her retirement. She enjoyed fishing in the many lakes surrounding the area, watching movies, spending time with her grandchildren and Christmas baking.
She was born in Pueblo to Ray and Laurabelle Windoffer on Oct. 22, 1923. After she married John J. Taulli on Aug. 5, 1945, the new family moved to Denver, where they raised their six children. Mrs. Taulli worked at Gates Rubber Co., retiring after 23 years.
She married Kenneth Clark in Durango on Nov. 9, 1990.
Mrs. Taulli-Clark was preceded in death by her first husband, John Taulli; sons John Taulli Jr. and Charles Vincent Taulli; and granddaughter Dina Rae Taulli.
Mrs. Taulli-Clark is survived by her husband, Kenneth Clark of Durango; brother Joseph Pechek of Pueblo; sons George Taulli of Elbert, and Raymond Taulli and Rick Taulli, both of Durango; daughter Roseann Taulli Herrera of Durango; 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
A rosary will be said at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005, at St. Columba Catholic Church. A second rosary will be recited at the George McCarthy Historic Chapel in Pueblo at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, 2005. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005, also at the chapel. Burial will take place at Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Mercy, 3801 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Agnes Marie Dunn (11/9/2005)
A woman who grew up in Durango and lived in Southwest Colorado on and off during her life, Agnes Marie Dunn, 82, died Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005, in Grand Junction. The cause of death was cancer.
She was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction on Feb. 16, 1923. She attended school in Ignacio, Silverton and Durango.
On Feb. 19, 1943, she married Kenith Wayne Dunn in Denver. Mrs. Dunn enjoyed traveling. Her first experience was in 1946, when she journeyed from Durango to Nuremberg, Germany, where she joined her husband, who was serving in the U.S. military. With no commercial flights available, she went by ship.
After leaving Germany, Mr. Dunn was reassigned to Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. After he retired, the Dunn family moved to Durango, raising 10 children at Piņon Acres. Over the years, they also lived in Del Norte, Pagosa Springs, Grand Junction and Tucson, Ariz.
The couple made several trips to visit their children around the world. Mrs. Dunn returned to Europe in 1985 and spent the winters of 1987-89 in Honolulu, where she and her husband worked at H&R Block.
One of her most memorable trips was hiking for five days with her husband and sons to cross the Continental Divide. They said that they departed "without the maps" but completed the trip as scheduled.
The Dunns built a log cabin in Pagosa Springs, living in a small building while they completed it with the help of several of their children.
Mrs. Dunn was active in St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Pagosa Springs, She enjoyed reading and loved children. After raising her own children, she opened a day-care center. Mrs. Dunn also spent time on the computer, corresponding with children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends. One of her favorite pastimes was receiving photographs of family members.
Her family said she was never deterred. For example, she had always wanted to visit Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, for religious reasons. In 1998, she fulfilled her dream.
Mrs. Dunn was preceded in death by a son, Donald Dunn.
She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Kenith Wayne Dunn of Grand Junction; daughters Agnes Harris of Houston, Dee Dee Dillon of Grand Junction, Helen Kate Soergel-Nelson of San Diego, Carol Archuleta of Farmers Branch, Texas, and Joni Wood and Lisa Chrisman, both of Farmington; sons Leroy Dunn of Sumter, S.C., and Ken Dunn Jr. and Ronald Dunn, both of Grand Junction; 14 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, 2754 Compass Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81506-8714.
Maryann Rossler Deiber (11/8/2005)
A recent resident of Southwest Colorado, Maryann Rossler Deiber, 77, died Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005, in Mancos. She died after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mrs. Deiber was born to Martin and Ellen (Mitchell) Rossler on Nov. 24, 1927, in Michigan City, Ind. She married Fredrick Harold Deiber in Albuquerque. The two were later divorced.
After raising her family in Albuquerque, Mrs. Deiber moved to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., to take care of her mother. She recently moved to the Durango area to be closer to her daughter.
Her family said Mrs. Deiber was a talented seamstress. She held deep religious convictions and enjoyed studying the Bible.
She is survived by her son, Spencer Alan Deiber of Evanston, Wyo.; daughter, Monica Lea Graham of Durango; sister, Peggy King; two grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005. If it is a sunny day, it will be a graveside service at Greenmount Cemetery. In the case of inclement weather, the service will be held at Hood Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 3801 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Marie Elizabeth Pedwell Shields (11/8/2005)
A woman who began and ended her life in La Plata County, Marie Elizabeth Pedwell Shields, 92, died Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center. The cause of death was a stroke to the brain stem.
She was born on Jan. 27, 1913, to Edward and Martha (Crowley) Pedwell in the family house on a farm that was homesteaded in 1896. She was their seventh and last child. After attending the two-room Orr Grade School, she studied at Durango High School and graduated in 1930. It was the first senior class to graduate with more than 100 students.
After high school, she proceeded to business school in Grand Junction, graduating in 1932. She worked for Word and Morgan as a secretary until she married Charles I. Shields in the family home on Oct. 12, 1935.
The newlyweds moved to Silverton, where Mr. Shields worked for the power plant until he was called to naval duty in January 1941. He was a lieutenant commander at Treasure Island in San Francisco and was on duty in the communications room during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The family still has the ticker tape from that day.
Mrs. Shields was active in the Girl Scouts. In 1950, Lt. Cmdr. Shields was transferred to Charleston, S.C., where Mrs. Shields was a Girl Scout leader for two years.
When the U.S. government released the military reservists, the Shields family moved to Denver, where Mrs. Shields became a secretary for the Safeway Construction Co. She remembered being there when Safeway was building a store in Durango.
When Mr. Shields was hired by Boeing Aircraft in Seattle as an electrical engineer, Mrs. Shields served as secretary to the organization of electrical engineers' wives.
In 1967, the Shieldses moved back to Durango, residing in her family home after her sister died. Mrs. Shields was active in the 55-Plus Center, secretary to the Council on Aging and active for many years in the Florida Grange.
Mrs. Shields was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Shields. She is survived by her daughter, Aleta Marie Klahre, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be held at Hood Mortuary at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005. The Rev. Peter Reitz, of the Frontier Baptist Church, will officiate. Burial will follow at Florida Cemetery.
Louis Alfred 'Lou' Mannila (11/7/2005)
Louis Alfred "Lou" Mannila died Wednesday, Nov., 2, 2005, in Durango from complications with numerous illnesses. He was 87.
Mr. Mannila was born Oct. 26, 1918, in Kaleva, Mich., to Oscar and Linda Mannila. The youngest of 12 children, Mr. Mannila grew up on a family farm in Kaleva, a community of Finnish immigrants.
In 1941, Mr. Mannila enlisted in the U.S. Army, fighting in the Pacific theater for four years. He was involved in the Northern Solomons campaign, the New Caledonia campaign and the battle at Guadalcanal. Upon discharge from the Army, he moved to Chicago, where he lived for 24 years.
He married Eleanore Irene Mannila of Chicago in 1949. He retired as a foreman for the Commonwealth Edison Electric Company in Illinois.
For 20 years after retirement, Mr. Mannila and his wife lived in Lake Villa, Ill., where he became active with the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus. He was a faithful bingo caller at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4308 for many years.
Mr. Mannila also was a member of the St. Anthony de Padua Knights of Columbus and the Holy Name Society. Family members said he enjoyed spoiling his daughter and granddaughter. He was fond of vegetable gardens
After moving to Durango in 2003 to spend more time with his only child, Michelle, and her family he became ill and suffered multiple strokes that took his ability to speak.
Mr. Mannila is survived by wife, Eleanore of Durango; daughter, Michelle Jungerberg of Durango; brother, Ludwig Mannila of Detroit; two grandsons, and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of Mercy, 3801 North Main Avenue, Durango, CO, 81301, or the American Stroke Association.
Felix R. Martinez (11/6/2005)
A celebration of life potluck in honor of Felix R. Martinez will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005, at the family home in Oxford. Mr. Martinez died Oct. 14, 2005.
Please call 884-7418 if you have any questions.
Velma 'Babe' West (11/6/2005)
A Durango resident, Velma "Babe" West, 83, died of natural causes Friday, Nov. 4, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center.
Mrs. West was born on March 25, 1922, to Sheldon and May (Stevenson) Reed on the old family homestead in Yellow Jacket. She attended rural grade schools Fairview and Four Corners near Yellow Jacket.
She married Eldred "Buck" West in April 1940, and gave birth to five children. The family lived in Cortez and Dove Creek before moving to Wyoming in 1965.
After Mr. West died in 1986, Mrs. West moved to Durango to be near her children. She loved fishing, hunting, playing cards and dancing, and she enjoyed cooking for her friends and family.
She is survived by children Virginia Johnson of Durango, LaDonna Smith of Bloomfield, N.M., Janice Diamond of Houston, Shelly St. Onge of Casper, Wyo., and Dean West of Craig; brother John Reed of Cortez, 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and her companion of 17 years, Pete Black, and his family.
Mrs. West was preceded in death by her husband, Eldred "Buck" West, and siblings Thornton Reed, Clarence Reed, Jack Reed, Orrie Reed, Joe Reed, Bill Reed and Thelma Duncan.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7, 2005, at Arriola Community Center. A funeral will follow at 11 a.m.; Mr. Chandler Chaffin will officiate. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Yellow Jacket.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Arriola Community Center or Dove Creek Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 5181.
Services are under the direction of Ertel Funeral Home.
Robert James'Jim Bob' Lowe (11/5/2005)
Robert James "Jim Bob" Lowe, 57, died Oct. 30, 2005, after a short illness. He lived at various times in Durango; El Paso, Texas, and Ruidoso, N.M.
Mr. Lowe was born Oct. 20, 1948. He served in Vietnam and was a retired chaplain of the Survivors, a clean-and-sober motorcycle club.
He is survived by his wife, Joanne; daughters Holly Renee Lowe of El Paso and Kim Alden of Ruidoso; sons Justin, Zachary and Josh Houston of Corpus Christi, Texas, and four grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jim Bob Lowe Memorial Fund, account 184418-20 at the Otero Federal Credit Union, 823 10th St., Alamogordo, N.M., 88310.
Wolfgang Erhardt Schlittgen (11/4/2005)
Longtime Durango resident Wolfgang Erhardt Schlittgen, 96, died at his home on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005. The cause of death was not disclosed.
He was born to Hans Herman and Maria Sprange Schlittgen in Berlin on June 15, 1909. On Dec. 18, 1961, Mr. Schlittgen married Gabriele Schmidts in Tahoe Vista, Calif. The couple moved to the Durango area in 1978.
Mr. Schlittgen is survived by his wife, Gabriele Schlittgen; sons Geoffrey Schlittgen and Terrence Schlittgen; and one granddaughter, all of Durango.
Cremation has occurred and no services are planned at this time.
