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Betty G. Wilson
Betty G. Wilson, Ashland, died 9/27/04, at age 95, ending a loving, creative, effective life. Daughter Denise Miller (Bob), granddaughters Logan Miller & Samantha Miller Metheny (Steve), Minto Miller Thorsen (Jack), & great-granddaughter Teighe Thorsen were with her. She is survived by them, grandson Roc Miller (Sylmar, CA) great-grandson Graham Thorsen (Grace) & their son Elijah (Ashland).
Born Veta Elizabeth Geddes in Tacoma, WA on 4/19/09, Betty spent her early years there & in Seattle, moving to Beverly Hills with her family in 1915. She attended school at the early motion pictures studios where her mother taught, & appeared in many films.
Betty sang with the Los Angeles & Oakland Light Opera Companies, before & after her marriage to Robert Armour Wilson in 1935. Her beloved husband died in 1989. The daughter, sister & granddaughter of musicians, she & her family were also soloists at St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Hollywood for many years. Betty sang non-professionally & for 3 decades led & supported the Opera Reading Club of Hollywood. Many of her descendants are also musicians.
An abiding interest in organizations & ways to promote voter education & world peace led her to study political science, history, & economics at USC & UCLA. She was a delegate to the formative meetings of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1944 & established chapters of the American Association for the United Nations (now UNA-USA) in Westwood & Palos Verdes, CA & also ran the AAUN office in Beverly Hills.
After she & Bob followed their daughter's family to Ashland in 1976, & Denise into the League of Women Voters, Betty became president of the tiny Ashland Chapter. Her effective leadership led to national recognition for achieving the greatest growth of any League chapter in the entire United States, for 2 years in a row. She remained active with both League & UNA-USA until she was 90.
Betty & Bob designed & built or remodeled several commercial properties & houses. With the help of their daughter's family & many friends they created a warm, welcoming home in Ashland which they joyfully shared as they had those in Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes & Los Angeles, CA. Betty's great gifts for family, music, friendship & engagement in the organizations whose goals she supported so passionately gave birth to many life-long relationships which enriched her life & those of her family members.
Betty's family wish to thank all the dedicated souls who helped us care for her in her last years; Marilyn Hildreth, Grace Thorsen, Taylin Rama, Marty & Lolita Bell & her family, & the gentle Providence Hospice team of Marcia North, Leslie Mehaffey, Christine Payne, Laurie Ann Hunter & David Campbell. A memorial service will be held at the Ashland First Presbyterian Church on October 16, 2004 at 11 a.m. A reception at home will follow. Those who care to remember Betty with gifts may send contributions in her honor to the Ashland Chapters of the League of Women Voters, UNA-USA of Southern Oregon, or the R.V. Symphony Orchestra.
Daniel Pope
Daniel Pope, 77, of Talent, died Tuesday (Oct. 5, 2004) at his home.
Arrangements: Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Ashland.
BETTY G. WILSON
Betty G. Wilson, Ashland, died 9/27/04, at age 95, ending a loving, creative, effective life. Daughter Denise Miller (Bob), granddaughters Logan Miller & Samantha Miller Metheny (Steve), Minto Miller Thorsen (Jack), & great-granddaughter Teighe Thorsen were with her. She is survived by them, grandson Roc Miller (Sylmar, CA) great-grandson Graham Thorsen (Grace) & their son Elijah (Ashland).
Born Veta Elizabeth Geddes in Tacoma, WA on 4/19/09, Betty spent her early years there & in Seattle, moving to Beverly Hills with her family in 1915. She attended school at the early motion pictures studios where her mother taught, & appeared in many films.
Betty sang with the Los Angeles & Oakland Light Opera Companies, before & after her marriage to Robert Armour Wilson in 1935. Her beloved husband died in 1989. The daughter, sister & granddaughter of musicians, she & her family were also soloists at St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Hollywood for many years. Betty sang non-professionally & for 3 decades led & supported the Opera Reading Club of Hollywood. Many of her descendants are also musicians.
An abiding interest in organizations & ways to promote voter education & world peace led her to study political science, history, & economics at USC & UCLA. She was a delegate to the formative meetings of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1944 & established chapters of the American Association for the United Nations (now UNA-USA) in Westwood & Palos Verdes, CA & also ran the AAUN office in Beverly Hills.
After she & Bob followed their daughter's family to Ashland in 1976, & Denise into the League of Women Voters, Betty became president of the tiny Ashland Chapter. Her effective leadership led to national recognition for achieving the greatest growth of any League chapter in the entire United States, for 2 years in a row. She remained active with both League & UNA-USA until she was 90.
Betty & Bob designed & built or remodeled several commercial properties & houses. With the help of their daughter's family & many friends they created a warm, welcoming home in Ashland which they joyfully shared as they had those in Manhattan Beach, Palo Verdes & Los Angeles, CA. Betty's great gifts for family, music, friendship & engagement in the organizations whose goals she supported so passionately gave birth to many life-long relationships which enriched her life & those of her family members.
Betty's family wish to thank all the dedicated souls who helped us care for her in her last years; Marilyn Hildreth, Grace Thorsen, Taylin Rama, Marty & Lolita Bell & her family, & the gentle Providence Hospice team of Marcia North, Leslie Mehaffey, Christine Payne, Laurie Ann Hunter & David Campbell. A memorial service will be held at the Ashland First Presbyterian Church on October 16, 2004 at 11AM. A reception at home will follow. Those who care to remember Betty with gifts may send contributions in her honor to the Ashland Chapters of the League of Women Voters, UNA-USA of Southern Oregon, or the R.V. Symphony Orchestra.
Annette V. Davenport
Annette V. Davenport, 91, of Ashland, died Saturday (Oct. 2, 2004) at her residence.
Arrangements: Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Ashland.
Janet Kathryn Williams
Janet passed away at her Ashland, Oregon home on Sunday, September 26th, 2004, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving husband and children.
Janet was born near Plum City, Wisconsin, to Lawrence "Jack" and Nora Lewis on August 9th, 1939. In 1949, the Lewises moved to Roseburg, Oregon where Janet was 1957 class valedictorian, a tennis team member, and head drum majorette at Roseburg High School. She met her husband Dave in 1960 while both did summer work at Crater Lake National Park. They married on October 20, 1962.
Janet attended the University of Oregon and Scotland's Edinburgh University, earning a BA in History at the former in 1962. She later earned a Master's Degree in School Administration at the University of San Francisco. She began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson Junior High in Eugene, Oregon, and continued her teaching and administrative work at public and private schools after a 1965 move to Concord, and later Walnut Creek, California.
After moving in retirement to Ashland, Oregon in 1995, Janet served as President of the Tudor Guild (a support group for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women. She also served as a Director of the Ashland Food Bank. She taught a genealogy class for the Southern Oregon Learning Center in Retirement at Southern Oregon University.
She was active in the First United Methodist Church, the Lithia Ladies Investment Club, bridge groups, and book clubs. She volunteered at Ashland High School, and sang and helped produce shows with a local Sweet Adelines chapter.
Janet gave time and love tirelessly to family, friends and community. She traveled widely with her husband and loved to cook, host parties, and talk about her children and grandchildren.
Janet is survived by her husband David F. Williams of 42 years, mother Nora Lewis, sister Evelyn Carlson, sons John and James Williams, daughter Kathryn Williams, grandsons Jackson, Henry, and Zachary Williams, and granddaughter Jenna Williams.
Janet's memorial service will be held at Ashland's First United Methodist Church on Saturday, October 9, 2004, at 4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to do so may contribute to a perpetual scholarship fund to be established by Janet's family. Checks may be made payable to the Southern Oregon University Foundation, at SOU Foundation Office, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland OR 97520, with a notation on the check "In Memory of Janet K. Williams".
Lucky Morey
Lucky ascended peacefully at home on Sept. 27. Lucky was a beloved friend to many and lives forever, a glistening yarn in Ashland Tapestry. He loved hiking, people, Emigrant Lake & nature.
Lucky was a companion to Elva Storey (deceased), Patti Morey and Chris Morey.
Born "Nanak", he lived nobly and brought forth the best in everybody whose lives he touched.
Lucky volunteered at Linda Vista and blessed the lives of Waldorf children and people of Ashland's Railroad District, Ashland Hardware, Wendy's, D.J.'s Video, Southern Oregon University, Claycomb Plaza Mall, the Minute Market and infinite others. His smiling serene countenance will be deeply missed.
A memorial gathering will be held for Lucky on Sunday, October 3 at 2 p.m. at 260 N. First Street. Please come sign the guestbook and share a Lucky sentiment. All are welcome to attend.
Diann Taylor
Diann Taylor, 55, of Medford, died Sunday, September 26, 2004 at the Ashland Community Hospital.
Arrangements: Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ashland.
John Albert Houston
John Albert Houston, 89, of Ashland, died Tuesday (September 28, 2004) at Rogue Valley Medical Center, Medford.
Arrangements by Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Ashland.
Jack R. Gunter
Jack R. Gunter, 78, of Ashland, died Thursday (Sept. 23, 2004) at the Ashland Community Hospital.
Arrangements: Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ashland.
Helen M. Johnson
A memorial service for Helen Maude Johnson will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004 at the First Presbyterian Church, Ashland. Mrs. Johnson, 87, of Ashland, died Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004 at home.
She was born in Grey Township, Huron County, Ontario Canada. She was the daughter of the late David H. Campbell and the former Maude Coughlin. She was a Registered Nurse and served in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp from 1944- 1946.
After World War II she moved to the United States and married her late husband Arthur Best Johnson, March 2, 1957.
They were active members of the First Presbyterian Church and enjoyed traveling, skiing, and bridge club until Art's death in 1993. Helen continued serving the community through her work with the Tudor Guild and Meals on Wheels.
She is survived by her brother, Donald Campbell of Kelowna, BC.
She will be greatly missed for her gentleness, quick wit, and compassion.
Arrangements: Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ashland.
