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Adred Malone Tucker (9/18/2006)
Adred Malone Tucker, who ran independent gas stations on the Southern Ute Indian Tribe reservation with her husband, died Friday, Sept. 15, 2006, at the Valley Inn, where she lived her last four years. She was 86.
"Her children, her church and her husband were her prized possessions, and if anyone ever deserved Mother of the Year, it was she," wrote her daughter, Rita Warfield.
Mrs. Tucker, born Dec. 14, 1919, was the daughter of Malona and Gates Carlisle of Antlers, Okla. One of six children, she grew up in rural Oklahoma and often spoke of her father's cotton gin and living on chickens and beans during the Depression.
On July 3, 1937, she met her lifelong partner, Carrel "Bert" Tucker. The couple, along with a growing family, lived at various times in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Utah and Oklahoma. Mrs. Tucker was a homemaker and worked for American National Insurance in Galveston, Texas, and for Montgomery Ward in Delta, where the family settled for several years.
Mrs. Tucker and her husband began wintering in Apache Junction, Ariz., in 1971. There they enjoyed some of the best years of their life traveling in the Superstition Mountains and picnicking with friends.
She attended the Church of Christ throughout her life and regularly helped the less fortunate.
She and her husband work-ed side-by-side, running independent gas stations both on and off the Southern Ute Indian reservation. They both loved wheeling and dealing with customers at their frequent yard sales.
Mrs. Tucker loved to play Chicken Leg and any kind of card or domino game and would cheat just to get her opponent to tease her. She was known for her sense of humor and kept the staff at the Valley Inn laughing. She also enjoyed cooking.
"She made the best peach cobbler, beans and cornbread and lemon meringue pie you could ever dream of," Warfield wrote.
Survivors include her brother, Gates Carlisle; sister, Katherine Helm; sons, Coleman Tucker and Kenneth Tucker, both of Durango, and Douglas Tucker of Rawlins, Wyo.; daughter, Rita Warfield of Durango; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006, at Calvary Chapel, 799 Tech Center Drive, Building A, with Ernest Finklea officiating. A small reception will be held afterward at a location to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Tucker's name to the Alzheimer's Association/Rocky Mountain Chapter, 789 Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203.
Elizabeth Xilonen Green Gilbert (9/15/2006)
Bayfield resident Elizabeth Xilonen Green Gilbert, 81, died in Durango on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006.
The cause of death was complications from diabetes and arthritis.
Known as Betty, she was born to Alice Gertrude and Stephen Newton Green in Cleveland on Oct. 2, 1924.
She grew up in Lake Bluff, Ill., and went on to study at Beloit College in Wisconsin, the University of Arizona, the University of Colorado and Fort Lewis College. While at Beloit, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Mrs. Gilbert and her family were one of the first three families to live in and establish the settlement of Gem Village in 1945. Her husband said that was one of her favorite memories.
Mrs. Gilbert taught first through fourth grade in small schoolhouses in Cottonwood, Tiffany, Oxford and Ignacio.
In 1954, she married Guy Gilbert in Durango.
Mr. Gilbert was in the Air Force and had an engineering background, so the Gilbert family lived in a variety of communities, including Allison, Denver, Aurora and Englewood in Colorado; San Antonio; Columbus, Ohio; Moab and Columbia, Utah; Las Cruces, N.M.; Tucson, Ariz.; and South Hadley Falls, Mass. The Gilberts settled in Bayfield as their final and longest stop.
Mrs. Gilbert also worked as the postmistress in Lake Bluff and as a teller at Ignacio State Bank.
She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Pen Women, Allison Grange and Eastern Star. She was a leader for Girl Scouts and 4-H.
Mrs. Gilbert also worked as a volunteer at the La Plata County Humane Society Thrift Store, the Volunteers of America Thrift Store, the Bayfield Thrift Store and the La Plata County Fair.
American Pen Women was a writers' organization. Mrs. Gilbert won a contest for a piece she wrote titled "A Present for Mother."
Her family said she probably will best be remembered as a teacher and for her archaeological skills.
Mrs. Gilbert employed those skills in the San Juan Basin, particularly along the San Juan and Pine rivers.
She also enjoyed crafts and photography.
Mrs. Gilbert is survived by her husband, Guy Gilbert of Bayfield; daughters Cheri H. Donan of Durango and Carmen J. Knoob of Monte Vista; sister Jane I. Crepps of Seattle; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, at Hood Mortuary Chapel. A private burial will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the La Plata County Humane Society, 1111 S. Camino del Rio, Durango, CO 81303.
Richard A. Sapp (9/15/2006)
Durango native Richard A. Sapp died in Mesa, Ariz., on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006. He was 55.
Mr. Sapp was born to George Roger and JoAnn (Mobley) Sapp in Durango on May 22, 1951.
He graduated from Mapleton High School in Thornton with the Class of 1969.
Family members said Mr. Sapp's strong Christian ethic made him a humanitarian. They also said that he had a generous spirit.
Mr. Sapp is survived by his children, Aaron Sapp, Carrie-Anne Phillips and Jennifer Sapp, all of the Denver area; brother Ronald Sapp of Palmer, Alaska; sisters Patricia Wiley of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Carol Wacker of Guymon, Okla., and Phyllis Henkenberns of Littleton; former wife Marilyn Verreyen of Denver; five grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Cremation has occurred.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006, at the First Presbyterian Church of Guymon, Okla.
The Rev. James A. Jacobson will officiate. Burial of the cremains will take place in Elmhurst Cemetery, also in Guymon.
Memorials may be made to the Richard Sapp Education Foundation; Loaves and Fishes Food Cupboard; or the American Diabetes Foundation, c/o Henson-Novak Funeral Directors, P.O. Box 1306, Guymon, OK 73942.
Sophia Gloria Marie Doucette (9/14/2006)
Three-year-old Sophia Gloria Marie Doucette died at Mercy Regional Center on Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The cause of death was a heart-transplant rejection.
Known as Sophie, she was born in Denver to Joshua and Maria Doucette on Dec. 31, 2002. Sophie had her heart transplant in March 2003, and her family said that it extended her life beyond expectations and to their joy.
Sophie just learned to walk three weeks ago, and her family said she loved school. They said she handled her illness with grace.
Her mother said, "She was always ready with a smile and a kiss."
Sophie is survived by her parents, Maria and Joshua Doucette, and sisters Cypress Doucette and Vivien Doucette, all of Durango; grandfather Sonny Valdez, of Durango; great-grandmother Criselia Lobato, of Aztec; grandparents Robert and Donna Doucette, of Farmington; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Visitation will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, 2006, at Hood Mortuary Chapel.
A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006, at Riverview Elementary School. Burial will take place at Greenmount Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sophia Doucette Memorial Fund, c/o Bank of Colorado, 1199 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301; or Donor Alliance, 720 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 800-n, Denver, CO 80246.
Clarissa Humpy Hoffman (9/14/2006)
Former Ignacio resident Clarissa Humpy Hoffman, 34, died in Denver on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006. She was 34. The cause of death is undetermined.
Mrs. Hoffman was born to Jerry and Ellenette Humpy in Pocatello, Idaho, on Dec. 30, 1971. She grew up in Ignacio and most recently had been living in Denver. She had lived in South Dakota and California.
Mrs. Hoffman liked to travel. She was a member of the Shoshone Bannock Indian Tribe as well as being descended from a Southern Ute Tribal member.
She enjoyed the ocean, attending powwows, decorating cakes, dancing and all styles of music. Her family said she was proud to attend the White Bison Talking Circle.
"She will be remembered as having a big heart and always willing to help anyone in need," her cousin Marietta Thompson said.
Mrs. Hoffman is survived by her husband, Ron Hoffman of Denver; sons Randy Humpy of Denver, Brandon Humpy of South Dakota and Dakota Hoffman of Sioux City, Iowa; sisters Melissa Pena and Suzette Humpy, both of Denver, and Anna Watts of La Boca; brother, Mitchell Watts of Ignacio; aunt Crystal Hanson of Milwaukee; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visitation will be held from noon to 5 p.m. today, Sept. 14, 2006, at Hood Mortuary. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. today at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Ignacio. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15, 2006, also at St. Ignatius. Monsignor Daniel Huber will officiate. Burial will occur at La Boca Cemetery in Ignacio.
Robert H. Waldie (9/12/2006)
Longtime Durango resident Robert H. Waldie, 87, died at Mercy Medical Center on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006. The cause of death was congestive heart failure.
He was born to Percy and Mary Waldie in Tyrone, N.M., on Dec. 21, 1918. Mr. Waldie grew up working with the horses on his family's ranch and on some of the cattle ranches in the area.
At a young age, Mr. Waldie became a truck driver and maintained his own vehicle. When he was 20, he enrolled in a four-year blacksmith apprenticeship and worked for Kennecott Copper's Chino Mine in Grants County, N.M., repairing and making parts for large mining equipment.
On Aug. 13, 1939, he married Anna Mae Wright in Alamogordo, N.M.
Mr. Waldie served in the Navy during World War II. He was a machinist's mate stationed at Pearl Harbor who managed the inventory for the 14th Naval District Liquor Control and reported to an admiral.
He moved to Durango in 1963 and was a partner in C & D as a diesel mechanic and later worked for Burnett Construction. He retired in 1983.
At one time in his life, Mr. Waldie volunteered for the Sheriff's Volunteer Department in New Mexico.
Mr. Waldie was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Mae Waldie, in January 2006.
He is survived by his son, Norman Waldie, of Aurora; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, at Hood Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. Myron T. Darmour will officiate. Burial will occur at Fort Bayard National Cemetery in Fort Bayard, N.M.
Wesley William Larsen (9/12/2006)
Durango resident Wesley William Larsen, 76, died at Four Corners Health Care Center on Monday, Sept. 4, 2006. The cause of death was circulatory problems.
Mr. Larsen had moved to the Durango area in 2004 to be near family.
He was born to William and Ruth Paine Larsen in Omaha, Neb., on May 5, 1930. He grew up in Lyons, Neb., and Marathon, Iowa. Mr. Larsen finished his education at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa.
In 1951, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. As a sergeant, he trained crews to use a 40-mm gun while stationed in California.
He married Marianne Crow in Warm Spring, Ga, in 1953. The marriage later ended in divorce.
In the late 1950s, he moved from Ames, Iowa, to work at Northwest Federal Savings and Loan in Spencer, Iowa. In the 1970s and '80s, Mr. Larsen worked for Hyline International. He lived in Spencer until his move to Durango.
Mr. Larsen was preceded in death by his son Col. Randall Larsen of the U.S. Marine Corps.
He is survived by his twin sister, Marion Blaess, of Boone, Iowa; son Todd Larsen, of Durango; longtime friend and partner, Patricia Gray, of Ft. Dodge, Iowa; and five grandchildren.
