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Arthur C. Chase Sr. (3/6/2007)
One of the co-founders of Bank of the San Juans, Durango resident Arthur C. Chase died on Thursday, March 1, 2007, after complications from a heart procedure in April 2005. He was 86.
He was born Arthur Calvin Czeslawski to Dr. Edward F. and Sophia Czeslawski in Chicago on Nov. 13, 1920.
Mr. Chase attended Carl Shurz High School in Chicago, where he met his future wife, Jean Betsy Myrup. He graduated from Loyola University in Chicago in 1943, with a degree in biology and chemistry. He went on to serve in the Navy during World War II and was stationed in the Great Lakes area.
On Aug. 19, 1944, he married Jean Betsy Myrup in Chicago.
After his discharge from the Navy, Mr. Chase joined the Food and Drug Administration in Chicago. One of his first assignments was to work with a fishing company that had problems with parasites in whitefish that were caught in the Canadian sub-Arctic. Mr. Chase told stories about traveling there by dog sled. His family said he considered it one of the greatest adventures of his life.
When he returned from Canada, he left the FDA for a position with Armour Laboratories in Chicago. While with Armour, he worked on the initial marketing effort for cortisone.
In 1952, Mr. Chase was offered a position with Becton, Dickinson and Co. It's a medical-technology company that manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. In 1960, Mr. Chase was promoted to regional sales manager, and the Chase family moved to Atlanta the next year.
He retired from the company after 30 years of service in 1982. Mr. and Mrs. Chase traveled all over the United States and Europe.
In 1998, Mr. Chase was one of the 12 co-founders of Bank of the San Juans, and in 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Chase moved to Durango.
Mr. Chase liked to be near any body of water, and he greatly enjoyed fishing. He was an avid outdoorsman. He walked two miles every day and knew his neighbors and their stories.
Mr. Chase enjoyed gardening, and took pleasure in growing roses and tomatoes. He also enjoyed cooking, especially chicken soup, meatloaf, Polish sausage and homemade bread.
His family said that those who knew him are aware that the last years have been difficult. As his health began to fail, his two-mile walks to the post office stopped. His getting to know his neighbors and people who worked at local businesses were no longer part of his day. Attending the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass at St. Columba was no longer a weekly tradition. In these last years, Mr. Chase was no longer able to stop by the bank to make sure everything was running smoothly.
Mr. Chase is survived by his wife of more than 62 years, Jean Chase, of Durango; daughters Marydith Chase of Bakersfield, Calif., Alison Picheloup of Houston and Susan Chase of Durango; son, Arthur Chase Jr., of Durango; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Cremation has occurred. A celebration of Mr. Chase's life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10, 2007, at St. Columba Catholic Church. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Columba Grade School, 1801 East Third Ave., Durango, CO 81301; or Hospice of Mercy, 375 East Park Ave., Suite No. 100, Durango, CO 81301.
Wilma M. Barlow (3/3/2007)
Former Durango resident Wilma M. Barlow, 81, died in Powell, Wyo., on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007. The cause of death was complications from surgery for a broken hip.
She was born to Elmer and Luella (Neitzel) Kness in Kirk on Nov. 24, 1925. The family moved to the Durango area around 1929.
On Jan. 15, 1946, she married Edison S. Barlow, whose family was among the early settlers of the Durango area. The Barlow family moved to Medford, Ore., around 1950.
"Wilma had a deep love for the Lord and faithfully served him," her family wrote. "Her warm compassion and infectious laughter will be greatly missed by her family and friends."
Mrs. Barlow was preceded in death by her husband, Edison Barlow, in 1972.
She is survived by her daughters Cheryl Willson of Powell, Wyo., and Kitty Nettie of Avondale, Ariz.; sister Inetha Dillard of Medford, Ore.; five grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service and burial will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2007, at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Medford, Ore.
Jim 'John' Boyd Stolworthy (3/3/2007)
Former Durango resident Jim "John" Boyd Stolworthy, 72, died at his home in Los Lunas, N.M., on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007. The cause of death was pneumonia as a complication of lung cancer.
Mr. Stolworthy was born to Jesse Henry and Lula Lurene Stolworthy on Dec. 13, 1934, in Kirtland, N.M.
He was a veteran of the Korean War, where he served from 1950 to 1953 in Company A of the 78th Engineering Battalion.
After his return to the United States, he worked in construction and logging and retired as a professional truck driver. Mr. Stolworthy was a resident of Durango from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and volunteered for the police reserve staff in the late 1970s.
He married Barbara Woods. The couple divorced after 34 years of marriage. He later married Josephine Kalpin.
"He was a kind and loving father, husband and friend to all who knew him," his family wrote. "Jim was a man of great personal integrity and faith and gave freely of his time, talent and possessions to all who asked him."
Mr. Stolworthy was preceded in death by his son John Norman Stolworthy.
He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Josephine Stolworthy, of Los Lunas, N.M.; sons Joseph Stolworthy of Addy, Wash., and Jess Stolworthy of Spokane, Wash.; daughters Lavonne Bryce and Elsie Minser, both of Durango; stepsons Steven Kalpin of Los Lunas and Michael Kalpin of Kansas; stepdaughters Cindy Frenchers of Texas and Lisa Tomlin of Los Lunas; brothers Carr Stolworthy of Farmington, Raymond Stolworthy of Durango and Larry Stolworthy of Rio Rancho, N.M.; sister Carley Calzada of Salt Lake City; 16 grandchildren; six stepgrandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be held at 1 p.m. today, March 3, 2007, at Ward 2 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Los Lunas. Burial will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 4, 2007, at Hermosa Cemetery, which is located off U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango.
Nancy Monaghan Elliott (3/2/2007)
The Durango Herald's former Managing Editor Nancy Monaghan Elliot died at Four Corners Health Care Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007. She was 89. The cause of death was complications from an upper respiratory infection.
Mrs. Elliott was born to William and Jessie Monaghan in Fort Morgan on Oct. 13, 1917. She was their only child. When she was 4, her father died, and she was raised with the help of relatives on a ranch in Fort Morgan.
She graduated from East High School in Denver and studied at the University of Colorado in Boulder for three months. After her uncle lost his Ford dealership during the Depression, the family moved to Durango when Mrs. Elliott was 18.
Her daughter, Lucy Olson, said that her mother remembered going over Wolf Creek Pass in the winter with high walls of snow on both sides and one lane of traffic. Their driver would honk a warning before every curve.
She met Tad Elliott at a social at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. The couple married at the church in July 1937. In 1950, the Elliotts bought a cabin at Electra Lake that still provides a gathering place for the family.
Mr. Elliott owned and operated the assay office Root & Norton. When the couple's children were toddlers, Mrs. Elliott approached KIUP-AM (930) with an idea for a radio show for women. After a stint with KIUP, she went to work for The Durango Herald in 1952. During her tenure with the newspaper, she held the positions of the society page editor, feature writer, reporter and managing editor. Her son Mike competed in the Olympics three times, and Mrs. Elliott reported on his experiences from the two Olympics that were held in Europe.
After leaving The Durango Herald in 1971, Mrs. Elliott worked as the public-information officer for Fort Lewis College. She retired in 1982.
Mrs. Elliott was an avid reader and a longtime member of the Tuesday Literary Club. She was a member of both St. Mark's Episcopal Church and the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary. She was a familiar sight in Durango as she delivered Meals on Wheels in her yellow Volkswagen Beetle. She owned several generations of Beetles, and the last one is still on the road.
Mrs. Elliott was also known for the picnics she would hold at her home with the keyhole window on West Second Avenue by Junction Creek.
"Once I got to be a little older, she became my best friend," her daughter said, "We traveled coast to coast and had so much fun together. We laughed at the same things, and we cried at the same things. Good manners were always important to her."
Mrs. Elliott was preceded in death by her husband, Tad Elliott, who died of cancer in 1956.
She is survived by her daughter, Lucy Olson, of Durango; son, Mike Elliott, of Durango; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Cremation has occurred. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Scott H. Singer (4/28/2007)
Durango resident Scott H. Singer, 41, took his own life with a gunshot on Wednesday, April 25, 2007, in Durango. His family said that his struggles with bipolar disorder and suicide should in no way overshadow the meaningfulness of his life.
Mr. Singer was born on Feb. 11, 1966, in Columbus, Ohio, to Kirk and Dale Singer. His family owned a backpacking/outdoor shop called The Trailhead in Alliance, Ohio.
Mr. Singer was an outdoor-recreation major at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His family said he used to joke that the best way to get good grades was to change your major to something you really loved.
While at Bowling Green, Mr. Singer was president of the largest organization at the school, the University Activities Organization. Mr. Singer was especially well known for leading numerous hiking trips.
He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
By the time he graduated from Bowling Green, Mr. Singer had hiked large stretches of the Appalachian Trail. His family said that one of his favorite memories was taking his last few dollars and staying at an old Appalachian inn, where he soaked in the antique claw-foot tub after a long week of hiking.
Mr. Singer met Barbara Spencer in college. The couple married in Lakeside, Ohio, on Sept. 1, 1990.
After college, the couple moved to Columbus, where he worked for Natural Wonders. At the end of 1992, they moved to Durango so Mr. Singer could join the family business, Backcountry Experience.
In the spring of 1998, Mr. Singer hiked in the San Juan Mountains around Vallecito Reservoir on snowshoes. He liked to tell the story of local dogs partially eating his rawhide showshoes while he waited for his brother, Jeff, to pick him up. Jeff was killed in a motorcycle accident seven years ago.
Besides telemark skiing, camping and backpacking in the Southwest, Mr. Singer also enjoyed bicycling. He participated in three Courage Classics to raise money for The Children's Hospital in Denver. In 2005, he dedicated his ride to his unborn twins. He also completed the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in 2005.
Mr. Singer enjoyed Mountain Man Rendezvous and other historical re-enactments. Rendezvous are based on the life of a typical fur trapper/trader during the 1700s. He first became interested in the Rendezvous lifestyle as a Boy Scout when his troop traveled to Philmont Scout Ranch south of Cimarron, N.M.
Mr. Singer was active in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango. He served on the board for several years and often performed the duties of the lay leader.
Mr. Singer is survived by his wife, Barbara Singer, of Durango; daughter Sophia of Durango; sons Jeffrey Kirk Singer and Spencer Paul Singer of Durango; and parents Kirk and Dale Singer of the Everglades, Fla.
A service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango (note building fund on the memo line), 419 San Juan Drive, Durango, CO 81301; or The Children's Hospital in Denver online at www.imaginethemiracles.org/site (honorary and memorial donations).
Richard D. Wolfe (4/26/2007)
Bayfield resident Richard D. Wolfe, 76, died at his home on Monday, April 23, 2007. The cause of death was lung cancer caused by asbestos.
Mr. Wolfe was born to Roy and Maxine Wolfe in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 8, 1931.
He was raised in the Gallup, N.M., area and graduated from Gallup High School. He attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and a technical school in Albuquerque.
On Dec. 23, 1950, he married his high school sweetheart, Ramona Watkins, in Holbrook, Ariz.
He served as a sonar man in the Navy from January 1951 to 1955.
After 34 years as an electrical technician and technical writer at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, Mr. Wolfe retired.
The Wolfes had visited the Vallecito Reservoir resort area since 1988. After retirement, they summered in Forest Lakes and wintered in Mesa, Ariz.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and traveling.
"Sometimes we would just get in the car and go," his wife said, saying that their trips were not always planned.
He was an avid square dancer, and the Wolfes belonged to square-dance groups in Albuquerque and Mesa.
Mr. Wolfe was preceded in death by his son Richard Wolfe Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Ramona Wolfe, of Bayfield; daughter Cheryl Bussey of Durango; sons Gary Wolfe of Belen, N.M., and Bruce Wolfe of Wichita Falls, Texas; sisters Donna Heinlein of Danville, Ind., Clarita Swift of Chandler, Ariz., and Sharen Rose and Karen Leloff, both of Gallup, N.M.; brother Jack Wolfe of Farmington; 12 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Cremation will occur. A graveside service will be held at Santa Fe National Cemetery at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Mercy, P.O. Box 3462, Durango, CO 81302; or the American Cancer Society, 1800 East Third Ave., Suite 101, Durango, CO 81301.
