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John A. Schwartz passed away Friday, Nov. 15. A longtime resident of El Paso and a member of St. Raphael Catholic Church, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Syracuse University. He was a Major in the U.S. Army and worked as an attorney in El Paso for more than 30 years.
He is survived by his wife, Gloria; son Eric Schwartz; daughters, Jacqueline Rose and Melanie Schwartz; step-daughters, Cynthia J. Segura, Deborah Jackson and Arabella Segura; grandchildren, Brittany J. and Sabrinah A. Jackson; sister, Marilyn Szokes; niece Holly Szokes; aunt Elizabeth Girvan and other aunts and uncles.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Mary’n L. Rosson, a longtime resident of El Paso, passed away in her home in Kerrville, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 4.
She was born in Cleburne, Texas, in 1908 and married Joe A. Rosson in 1929. They moved to El Paso, where they lived until Mr. Rosson’s death in 1990. She was involved in historical research and writing, and was particularly interested in the lives of women of the Old West, publishing many stories on the topic. Her most recent book, “The Mystery of the Boy With the Leaking Boot,” is regarded as the definitive work on the origin and history of the famous sculpture.
Mrs. Rosson was preceded in death by her husband, Joe A. Rosson; and her sisters, Grace Long and Mata Henson. She is survived by her beloved sons, Joe L. Rosson and his wife Peggy of Austin, and Michael W. Rosson and his wife Kathy of Yucapia, Calif; her grandchildren, Michael Lockett Rosson of El Paso and Lisa Paige and Jimmy Rosson of Lubbock; and by her great-grandchildren, Tyler McKenzie, Simone and Sorrell.
She is also survived by her “daughters in love,” Ann Rosson M.D., Margaret Duke, Sue Ortiz, Delores Brister, Claire Thaman and Gisela Hecklau; and her “other family,” Mable and Craft Harrison and their children.
Mrs. Rosson’s family wishes to thank Klaus M. Schroeder M.D., the staff of Ameripark Personal Care Center and Vista Care Hospice for their kindness and support. Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the El Paso Humane Society, which provided her with her longtime companions, Tiger and Baby. Online register book tributes may be sent to the family at www.kerrvillefuneralhome.com.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Josephine Chew Wong (Yee Feng-Shui), 89, passed away in Los Angeles, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The eldest daughter of pioneer Chinese El Pasoans, she was born in Ciudad Juarez on Dec. 7, 1913, where her parents owned and operated several grocery stores. She immigrated to the U.S. with her parents, Herlinda and Antonio Chew and three siblings, in 1921 at Calexico, Calif., unable to enter at El Paso because of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Her parents opened and operated the New China Grocery Stores and Western Grocery Inc., and were active in many El Paso organizations. She was a graduate of El Paso High School and the University of Texas, and one of the first women to attend the University of Texas Law School; however, because of the untimely deaths of her parents and WWII, she took over the management of the family business and care of her younger sisters and brothers in 1942 to allow her brothers Antonio Jr. and Wellington to serve in U.S. Army during WWII. Following the war, she married Ernest Wong and moved to Los Angles, Calif., where she and her husband were in the insurance business. They had one son, George. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Wong; her brothers, Antonio Jr., Wellington, Fredrick and Carlos; and her sister Grace. She is survived by her son George Wong and his wife Grace Wong and grandchildren Sonia and Christopher Wong; and by sisters, Herlinda Leong and Gloria Yee.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Rick Chambers, 48, passed away Sunday, Nov. 17. He was born in El Paso, where he joined the U.S. Army and served in Viet Nam as a medic. He was a local realtor, working for Gil Stoltz, and was also a musician. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Terry; by his son, Erik; his daughter-in-law, Ghalia; his mother, Stella; and by his sister, Jeannie.
Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Diabetes Association.
Mr. Chambers’ family extends their thanks to the doctors and nurses in the ICU at Providence Memorial Hospital.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Walter “Wally” Carl Hjalmquist, 76, died in Ruidoso on Wednesday, Oct. 30. He was a 1952 graduate of the College of Mines (UTEP), and held a mining engineer degree. He had been a resident of Ruidoso for 27 years and a partner in International Consulting and Associates, serving as principal engineer for 10 years in designing and construction management. He was instrumental in the startup design of ICA and worked on high-profile projects including phase two of the Main Street project, the White Mountain project, the Ruidoso Convention Center, airport improvement and city sanitary improvement. He also assisted in bond revenue projects in 1990 for the city hall, convention center and public library.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Esther Hjalmquist; his sister, June Trevarthen; and his nephew, John Trevarthen. He is survived by his wife, Gladys; two sons, John Hjalmquist and his wife, Susan, of El Paso; Eric Hjalmquist and his wife, Monique, of Denver; his daughter, Debbie Scioli and her husband, Mark, of Lubbock; two step-daughters, Pam Alleva and her husband, Bill, of Centuria, Wis., and Kim Miles and her husband, Chuck, of Houston; six grandsons: Tyler Hjalmquist, Trevor Hjalmquist, Connor Hjalmquist, Mark Scioli, Nathan Miles and Aaron Miles; four granddaughters: Jacqueline Scioli, Brittany Hjalmquist, Caroline Hjalmquist and Nicole Alleva; one nephew, David Trevarthen; and one niece, Lynn Olson.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Eleanor’s Building Fund, the Humane Society of Lincoln County or any favorite charity.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Jennifer Mireles, 29, passed away Saturday, Nov. 23. She was a lifelong resident of El Paso, graduating with honors from Austin High School in 1991 and from UTEP in 2001. Employed as a biology teacher at Ysleta High School, she was planning to obtain a master’s degree in education.
She is preceded in death by her father David Cobos. She is survived by her mother, Rosa Mireles; her stepfather, Bobby Gene Grayson; brothers Rudy Montiel, Bobby Gene Grayson IV, Bobby Gene Grayson V and Alfred Grayson; and her grandmother, Petra C. Mireles. Interment took place in Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Halliday, 93, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 26. He was a resident of El Paso for the past 48 years, and retired from the U.S. Army in 1957 after more than 29 years’ service. During his Army career, he rose in rank from Private to Master Sergeant, holding positions of Harbor Defense Sergeant Major at Fort Rosicrans, Calif., and also as Chief Clerk in the Anti-Aircraft Section IX Army Corps Headquarters. From 1942 until his retirement, he served as Acting Adjutant General, Inspector General in 1945 and Center Inspector General at Fort Bliss in 1954.
Col. Halliday was past president of A.H. Hughey School PTA, the Golf Unit of El Maida Shrine, Border Stamp and Coin Club, Center Bowling League and the American Welding Society. He was commander of the El Paso Chapter of National Sojourners, Border Camp, Heroes of ’76, military Oreder of the World Wars and the Rio Grande Section of the military Order of the World Wars. He was a member of the El Paso Masonic Lodge No. 130, Scottish Rite Bodies, El Maida Shrine Royal Order of Jesters El Maida Golf Unit, Heroes of ’76 American Legion, Post 36, National Association of Retired Federal Employees, American Association of Retired Personnel, a life member of Far East Lodge No. 1 A & FM, National Sojourners, the military Order of World Wars, the Retired Officers Association, the National Association for Uniformed Services and the Disabled American Veterans.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; his daughters, Linda Joyce and Jeanette Marie; his son, Michael John; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to any favorite charity.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Emanuel “Mannie” Ponsford passed away Saturday, Nov. 30. A native El Pasoan, he was a graduate of El Paso High School where he attained the rank of Cadel Colonel of the ROTC. He attended UT Austin and graduated from NMSU with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked for Darbyshire Steel and the international engineering firm of Stone & Webster, where he helped construct Unit I of the Newman Power Station in Northeast El Paso. He was also the power engineer on the Roanoke Dam Project for Virginia Power and Electricity and resident engineer in Greenbank, W.Va., where he played a major role in the construction of a radio telescope for the National Science Foundation. His career brought him back to El Paso to complete Unit III of the Newman Station, and opened Toy Kingdom after his retirement. He also became a commercial real estate broker. He was also a gifted woodworker, a ham radio operator, a cook and a computer enthisuast.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Eleanor McDaniel Ponsford; his son, Emanuel “Chip” Edgar Ponsford III and his wife, Christine; his daughter, Mary Katherine Ponsford Stem and her husband, Daniel; grandchildren Caitlin and Corinne Ponsford, Addison, Setphanie Garrett and Mitchell McMillan, Drew, Dugan, Mirian and Dawson Stem, Paul Enger; and his brother Dr. John Ponsford.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Lizarraga, avid arts advocate, dies
José Diego Lizarraga Contreras was an international citizen, who was at home and beloved on both sides of the border.
With his passing on Dec. 8, a prominent advocate of the arts and cultural scene in Juarez and El Paso was lost. After years of service on the Arts Resources Department’s Citizens Advisory Board, he was named an honorary member.
Over the years, he was in regular attendance as the curtain went up on performances or the ribbon was cut at galleries, museums and exhibits. He also served on many boards and advisory committees and then became a resource as a consultant for the Mexican Consul offices in El Paso.
He was born May 24, 1934, the son of Navy Capt. Marina José Lizarraga Puerto and teacher Carlota Contreras Santin, who brought him to Juarez when he was a child.
After completing his elementary and secondary education in Juarez, he went on to study architecture at the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM).
He was fluent in English, French and Italian, as well as his native Spanish, and became recognized for his design and construction of the homes of some of the border’s most prominent families as well as various stores, restaurants and commercial centers.
He taught at UTEP as well as in various educational facilities in Juarez, where he was at the forefront of cultural revitalization efforts of various city administrations in Juarez. From 1971 to 1993, he served as director of the Bellas Artes Art and History Museum in Juárez.
Among his greatest contributions was the presentation of and teachings on Mexico’s customs and folklore, as well as his support and promotion of innumerable performance groups and activities.
Many of the presentations that he initiated on customs surrounding Easter, Christmas and Day of the Dead still are presented today.
His love of theater prompted him to begin festivals and to bring in award-winning and famed groups from other festivals throughout Mexico.
He served on the El Paso Symphony Orchestra Association board, was a founding member of the Youth Symphony in Juarez, was an active member of the Juarez Concert Association and part of the Association of Historic Studies in Juarez. His interest in literary matters led him to create workshops that helped nurture emerging writers along the border.
Lizarraga received many awards and honors for his work and support of the arts and cultural events in Mexico and the United States.
One of the most prized recognitions was the 1996 International Award for Excellence known as the Frontera Award that is presented by the Mascareñas Foundation.
This award honors those who have worked on both sides of the border to make a difference in the quality of life of the region in the arts, culture, sciences or humanities.
Hundreds of people attended a service Dec. 9 at the INBA Museum, which he led for two decades. The funeral mass took place at Sacred Heart in Juarez where he was buried at Jardines Eternos Cemetery.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Robert Fletcher Browne Jr., 81, passed away Friday, Dec. 6. He was born in Abiline and attended grade school, high school and college in El Paso, where he made his home for more than 75 years. He was a star football player for the El Paso High School Tigers. Upon graduation from high school, he entered the armed forces. He served in the U.S. Navy as a bomber pilot in the Pacific during WWII, retiring in 1961 as a Navy pilot with the rank of Lieutenant.
After his retirement from the Navy, he became a businessman, designing and constructing gas stations, apartments, homes and other buildings, including the design of Sunland Park Mall. He continued to work until age 75.
He is survived by three nephews, Lee, Neale and Greg Browne; his step-son, Bill Miller; and his step-daughter, Sharon Lauck. Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
John R. Kasper, 70, passed away Saturday, Dec. 7. He was a veteran of the Korean War.
He came to El Paso with his family in 1972, working as a field engineer for Raytheon Service Company. He retired from Raytheon after 32 years’ service, pursuing hispassion for bowling on a full time basis.
He is survived by his wife, Elisa; his daughter, Kathryn Hagar and her husband Scott; his grandson Justin Hagar and his wife Sylvia; and a sister and two brothers. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Heart Association.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Clemente I. Perez, 78, passed away Saturday, Dec. 7. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, having served his country during WWII. He retired from the Newspaper Corporation in Albuquerque.
He is survived by his son, Albert Xavier Perez; brother, Alberto Perez; two granddaughters; and several cousins, nephews and nieces. Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery with military honors.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
William C. “Bill” Caefer, 46, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 3. He was a pilot for ATI Jet, and was an avid skydiver and cyclist. He had been a Staff Sgt. in the U.S. Army Reserves, serving in Kosovo and Korea, and worked as a computer programmer. Interment took place in Fort Bliss National Cemetery with military honors. Memorial contributions may be made to Angel Flight West, 3237 Donald Douglass Loop South, Santa Monica, Calif., 90405.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Army Major (Ret.) Dale H. Lich was born Sept. 14, 1935, and passed away Dec. 13, 2002.
He was a recipient of many honors, including four Bronze Stars.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Maria L. Lich; by his three children: daughter Giovanna and her husband Richard Ditzenberger, daughter Barbara and her husband Kelly Martel and his son, Anthony, and his wife, Bea Lich; and by seven grandchildren: Erica and Danielle Ditzenberger, Nathan, Cameron and Trace Martel and Christopher and Sabrina Lich.
Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, with full military honors.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Doris Elaine (Barnes) Bridges passed away in Canyon, Texas, Oct. 20. She was born in Pringle, S.D., Aug. 18, 1922. She married Kenneth J. Bridges of El Paso in 1944.
A registered nurse, Mrs. Bridges worked at Southwestern General Hospital in the late 1940s, served as a private duty nurse and completed her nursing career at the Rissler-Wollman Clinic after 29 years of service in the field. She was an avid gardener and cook.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth J. Bridges, in 1991. She is survived by her son, John C. Bridges and his wife, Carol, of Colorado Springs; her daughter, Kathy Cornett and her husband, Steve, of Canyon, Texas; by four grandchildren: J.D. Bridges and his wife, Michelle, of Albuquerque; Sarah Bridges of Provo, Utah; Erin Cornett of New York City; and Paul Cornett of Chicago, Ill.; and one great-grandchild, Maya Bridges. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of El Paso or any favorite charity.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Theresa Agnes Hicks, 89, passed away Sunday, Dec. 22. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to El Paso in 1963. She retired from The Popular department store after 17 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar Hicks. She is survived by her children: John Hicks and his wife, Jan, of Las Vegas, Nev.; Richard Hicks and his wife, Mary, also of Las Vegas; and Nancy Pilgrim and her husband, Billy, of El Paso; by 14 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren. Interment took place in Evergreen East Cemetery.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
Howard L. Wagnon, 82, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, died Monday, Dec. 23. He was drafted into the Army in 1941 and advanced through six enlisted grades and six commissioned ranks, retiring as a Colonel in 1970. His military service included wartime duty in the South Pacific and Korea. He also completed tours of duty in Germany and Pakistan as well as three assignments on the faculty of the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Bliss.
He was a member of the Baptist Church and a member of “The military Order of World Wars.”
He is survived by his wife, Mattie Ann Wagnon; his sister, Ruth Phelps; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery with full military honors.
From the El Paso Area - 2002
