Search Archived Marriage Records
Thomas Desiderio Valdez (10/17/2006)
Ignacio resident Thomas Desiderio Valdez died of cancer at his home on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. He was 50.
Mr. Valdez was born to Desiderio and Rena Valdez in Durango on June 13, 1956. He was raised in Durango and attended Durango High School.
Mr. Valdez worked as a cook and told his family that his favorite place to cook was the old B.W. Shay's.
He married Shelly Burch in Beatty, Nev.
Mr. Valdez lived in Beatty, Nev., for 13 years. In Beatty, he worked for the water department and was a volunteer firefighter. He moved back to Colorado in 2004 to be closer to his daughter, son and grandchildren.
His family said he loved to fish, hunt and go camping.
They said his passions were the outdoors, firefighting and his grandchildren.
Mr. Valdez is survived by his parents, Dessie and Rena Valdez, of Beatty, Nev.; wife, Shelly Valdez, of Ignacio; daughter, Vanessa Lucero, of Durango; sons Curtis Rogers of Ignacio and Tomas Valdez of Chinle, Ariz.; sisters Berlinda Mestas and Deidra Valencia, both of Durango, and Barbara Owen of Oklahoma City; brothers Ron Valdez of Ridgecrest, Calif., and Ray Valdez of Beatty, Nev.; three grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. today, Oct. 17, 2006, at Santa Rita Park. The Rev. Raymond Mestas will officiate. A dinner will follow at the Durango Elks Lodge.
Cremation will occur.
Paul Jose Quintana (10/17/2006)
Paul Jose Quintana died of cancer at Four Corners Health Care Center on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. He was 65.
Mr. Quintana was born to Amarante D. and Carlota Quintana in Carracas (in southern Archuleta County) on Jan. 25, 1941. He grew up there and attended the little country school.
Mr. Quintana was a mechanic for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
He married Sara Chavez in Durango. The couple lived in Durango in the 1960s before moving to Pueblo. The marriage ended in divorce after 20 years, and Mr. Quintana moved back to La Plata County.
His family said his favorite pastimes included painting and spending time with his family and friends.
Mr. Quintana is survived by his former wife, Sara Sanchez, of Pueblo; sisters Della Millich of Allison, Inez Quintana of Ignacio and Ophelia Candelaria of Blanco, N.M.; sons Paul Quintana Jr., of Farmington, Damian Quintana and Chris Quintana, both of Pueblo; daughter, Jeanne Quintana of Pueblo; numerous grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006, at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. Visitation will be held at the church before the rosary.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20, 2006, also at St. Ignatius. Monsignor Daniel Huber will be the celebrant. Burial will follow at Rosa Cemetery in Arboles.
Leone I. Hine (10/16/2006)
Leone I. Hine, a Durango native and former La Plata County employee, died Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, in Salt Lake City.
Mrs. Hine was 83. She died of emphysema, said her niece Karen Platis.
Mrs. Platis said her aunt loved hummingbirds and was always surrounded by hummingbird feeders, glass hummingbirds and pictures of hummingbirds.
Mrs. Hine was born to Maude J. Lewis Rowe and Hugh E. Rowe on Feb. 4, 1923. She graduated from Durango High School. She then spent time in California and Albuquerque before returning to Durango, where she married Robert C. Hine on Jan. 9, 1949.
Mrs. Hine worked for two automobile dealerships and worked in the La Plata County Treasurer's office before retiring.
She was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. She loved to go fishing and backpacking in the wilderness with her husband, who died in 1996. The two enjoyed spending time in their cabin on the Florida River. Mrs. Hine also liked to gamble and play bingo.
Mrs. Hine moved to Salt Lake City in 2003 so that her twin sister, Ione Stephenson, could care for her during her illness.
Survivors include her sisters Ione Stephenson of Salt Lake City and Bea Bodo of Albuquerque; brother Leroy Rowe of Wenatchee, Wash.; stepson Steve Hine of Durango; two grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
No funeral will be held at the request of Mrs. Hine, whose body was cremated. A memorial service will be held at a future date in Durango.
The family would like to thank Willow Creek Hospice for its support and kindness. Donations may be made to the Hospice at 1935 E. Vine St., Suite 420, Salt Lake City, UT 84121.
Victor Alan Delaware (10/15/2006)
Victor Alan Delaware died in his Ignacio home on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006. The cause of death was undetermined. He was 44.
Mr. Delaware was born to Edgar and Marcella Delaware on Sept. 2, 1962, in Anadarko, Okla. He and his wife, Joyce, moved from Oklahoma to Ignacio in 1997 to enjoy Colorado. He enjoyed his many friends of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
Mr. Delaware devoted much of his time to singing traditional powwow songs and dancing the Gord dance and the Grass dance. He sang with the Wanderers in Towaoc and White Thunder in Ignacio. He also served on the Southern Ute Powwow Committee.
Mr. Delaware is survived by his wife, Joyce, of Ignacio; step-sons, Shawn and David Gaines of Ignacio; step-daughter DeShauna Gaines of Ignacio; his five sons and daughter, Allen Armstrong, James Delaware, Travis Delaware, Alfred Delaware, Vincent Delaware and Melissa Delaware, all of Oklahoma; sisters, Marland Delaware and Denise Delaware, both of Anadarko, Okla., and Phyllis Delaware of Oklahoma City; brothers, Marvin Delaware of Norman, Okla., and Robert Delaware of Ohio; his grandmother, Juanita Pewo of Apache, Okla.; his grandfather, Ted Pewo of Carnegie, Okla.; and many nieces and nephews.
After Mr. Delaware's mother died, he was especially close to aunts Frankie Ware, Marie Ware and Shirley Gouge, all of Oklahoma, and his uncle Tom Ware.
Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. today, Oct. 15, 2006, at Hood Mortuary in Durango. A wake will be held beginning the evening of Monday, Oct. 16, 2006, to the time of the graveside service Tuesday at the residence at 5622 County Road 521 in Ignacio. The graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006, at Ouray Memorial Cemetery in Ignacio.
Tyler Christopher Valencia (10/14/2006)
Tyler Valencia, a lifelong resident of Durango, died on Oct. 10, 2006, in Emmett, Idaho. He was 16.
Tyler contributed in many ways to our community. His happy-go-lucky disposition made him loved and adored by many. He was strong and fearless.
Tyler spent numerous hours fishing with his grandpa, Lloyd Valencia, playing baseball and basketball, and in recent years, devoting his time to skateboarding.
Tyler made friends from all walks of life and spread his love for life to all of them.
We celebrate Tyler's life, and we ask that you remember his smile and laughter, and always live your lives to the fullest, as he did.
We love you and miss you always,
Mom, Dad, Kaitlynn, Tanner and all your family.
Helen Preston T. Huff (10/13/2006)
Helen Preston T. Huff, a longtime resident of Southwest Colorado, died Friday, Oct. 6, 2006, at Mercy Regional Medical Center. She was 84.
Mrs. Huff was born July 13, 1922, in Salem, Md., and graduated from high school in 1940.
She worked as a retail clothing buyer in Cambridge, Md., and her job allowed her to travel extensively along the East Coast and throughout the country.
Mrs. Huff married Johnnie Huff on May 1, 1959, in Bayfield. Her husband had served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and he met Mrs. Huff while he was in Maryland visiting a friend he had met in South Korea during the Korean War.
The Huffs lived in several places, including Blanco Basin and Pagosa Springs. They eventually settled in Hesperus. Mrs. Huff spent much of her time at her ranch and raising her family.
She enjoyed gardening and reading. She was fond of her cats and horses.
Mrs. Huff is survived by husband, Johnnie Huff, of Hesperus; sons Mark Huff of Ignacio and John Huff of Durango; and three grandchildren.
Cremation will occur at Hood Mortuary Crematory. Private services will be held at a later date.
Twyla Ann Russell Ruggles (10/13/2006)
Former Durango resident Twyla Ann Russell Ruggles died on Saturday, Sept. 30. 2006, in Goldsboro, N.C., after a lengthy battle of breast cancer that metastasized to bone cancer. She was 35.
She was born to Gary and Candace Russell on Dec. 16, 1970, in Fresno, Calif. Mrs. Ruggles attended Needham and Florida Mesa elementary schools, Smiley Junior High School and Durango High School. She left Durango when she was 16.
Mrs. Ruggles was a member of the One For All International Church in Clinton, N.C.
"She devoted her life to bringing others to Christ," her stepmother, Pat Russell, said. "Right up to two days before her death, she was praying for the nurses and doctors and the other patients. Her church and her family were her life."
Mrs. Ruggles is survived by her second husband, David Ruggles, of Clinton, N.C.; children Joyanna Pooler, Jacob Pooler and Seth Pooler, all of Clinton; sisters Robyn Churchman of Amarillo, Texas, and Amy Gass of Silverton; parents Gary and Pat Russell of Durango and Tom and Candace Muirhead of Roswell, N.M.; and grandmother Mary Sloan of Durango.
Services were held on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2006, in Clinton. Burial followed at Clinton Cemetery.
Edwin 'Hal' Harland Blazier (10/11/2006)
Former Durango resident Edwin "Hal" Harland Blazier, 65, died at his home in Naples, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2006. The cause of death was brain cancer.
Mr. Blazier lived in Durango during the 1980s. He had a successful career as a master carpenter and building-project manager.
He was involved in several projects in the area, including the remodel of Francisco's Restaurant.
He was born to Edwin Lawton and Lois Evelyn Black Blazier in Lawton, Okla., on Nov. 18, 1940.
After graduating from Wichita East High School in 1958, Mr. Blazier attended the University of Kansas City for two years.
In 1980, Mr. Blazier married Joyce Wark in Cortez.
His family said that he was always willing to share his knowledge, skills, tools and talents with family and friends. They said he was hard-working and dedicated to his career and his family.
Mr. Blazier was described by his family as "a true adventurer at heart, a sailor, a pilot, a philosopher and a true friend. He was a very unique and intelligent man who could talk to anyone about any topic."
Mr. Blazier is survived by his wife, Joyce Blazier of Naples, Fla.; daughter, Becky Cowan of Santee, Calif.; sons John Blazier of West Seneca, N.Y., Alan Blazier of Sylvan Lake, Mich., and Devon Blazier of Naples; sisters Dona Murphy of Larkspur and Carol Brewer of Wenatchee, Wash.; and 12 grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006, at Faith Apostolic Church, 3196 County Barn Road, Naples Fla., 34112.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Naples, Inc., Administrative Offices, 1095 Whipporwill Lane, Naples, FL 34105.
Wynona Pearl Scott (10/11/2006)
Bayfield resident Wynona Pearl Scott died at Four Corners Health Care Center on Monday, Sept. 18, 2006. She was 81.
Mrs. Scott was born to George Walter and Pearl May Perkins Fritz in Salt Lake City on June 7, 1925. She attended schools in Shallow Water, Kan., and Aztec.
On July 16, 1947, she married Robert Lee Scott in Aztec.
Mrs. Scott was a homemaker for most of her life. She also worked at the Four Corners Workshop in Durango.
Mrs. Scott was a member of the Church of Christ. Her family said she was very learned in the Biblical scriptures and never missed a worship service. They said she was also an accomplished watercolorist and enjoyed drawing, crocheting and reading.
"She always had a smile on her face," they said.
Mrs. Scott was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Lee Scott.
She is survived by her children Robert Scott, David Scott and Patricia Dilka; brothers Albert Fritz of Phoenix and Everett Fritz of Aztec; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006, at the Church of Christ of Bayfield, 2011 U.S. Highway 160B. The Rev. Gene Chaplin will officiate.
