Rita Ponn
Rita Ponn, 93, passed away in Yuma, November 22, 1998.
Mrs. Ponn was born January 6, 1905, in Ottowa, Ontario, Canada.
She was involved in the Catholic Daughters, Desert Lilly Quilters and volunteered at Yuma Regional Medical Center Auxiliary.
Survivors include her daughters Sally Uber of Dallas, Texas, and Mary Jane Babb of Stafford, Va.; brother Sarsfield Hanlon of Ottowa, Ontario, Canada; grandsons Mark Hall of San Diego, Calif., and James Babb of Virginia Beach, Va.; granddaughters Susan Hall of Dallas, Texas, and Debbie Grimm of Farmington, Minn.; great-grandson Joshua Grimm of Farmington, Minn.; and seven nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband James Ponn and son Ralph Ponn.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, November 25, 1998, at Kammann Mortuary Chapel, with Holy Rosary at 7 p.m.
Funeral services will at 11 a.m., Friday, November 27, 1998, at St. Thomas Indian Mission Catholic Church with the Father Duncan Monohan officiating. Final resting place will be in Desert Lawn Memorial Park. Pallbearers include Mark Hall, James Babb, and Ray Love.
Arrangements entrusted to Kammann Mortuary, 344-0000.
Frank G. "Pancho" Camacho
Mr. Frank G. "Pancho" Camacho, 70, passed away January 3, 1999, at his home.
Mr. Camacho was born February 17, 1928, in Gadsden.
He retired from Southern Pacific Railroad.
Survivors include wife Isabel Camacho of the home; daughters Irene Frances Sanchez, Margarita Reyes, and Julie Camacho, all of Yuma, and Maria Luisa Velasco of Somerton; brother Pete Gonzalez of Gadsden; sisters Rita Moreno of Yuma and Consuelo Gradias of Gadsden; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, February 5, 1999, at Yuma Mortuary Chapel, with rosary following at 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m., Saturday, February 6, 1999, at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission with the Father Juan Guillen officiating.
Final resting place will be in Desert Lawn Memorial Park.
Pallbearers include Jose Luis Reyes, Salvador Camacho, Sabian Sanchez, Martin Velasco, Jr., Manny Moreno, and Mario Rodriguez.
Honorary pallbearers include Alfonso Sanchez, Jesus Antonio Reyes, Pete Gonzalez, Joe Espinoza, Eduardo Marquez, and Guillermo Atondo.
Arrangements entrusted to Yuma Mortuary, 782-9865.
Reyes Armenta Olea
Reyes Armenta Olea, 83, passed away Saturday, January 23, 1999.
A Yuma native, Reyes Armenta Olea was born January 15, 1916.
He was a veteran serving in the United States Army during World War II. He moved to California locating in Woodlake, and began working for Kaweah Citrus until 1976. He had worked for Southern Pacific Railroad for 20 years before retiring.
Survivors include four children Barbara Medina of Visalia, Calif., Ray Olea of Parlier, Calif., and Manuel and Steven Olea, both of Woodlake, Calif.; three brothers Pete Olea of Yuma, and Robert Olea and Rudy Olea, both of Los Angeles, Calif.; three sisters Irene Amavisca of Yuma, and Carmalita Olea and Beatrice Vasquez, both of Thousand Oaks; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Isabel.
Caroleen Ethel Vidana-Kinale
Caroleen Ethel Vidana-Kanale, 54, passed away February 2, 1999, at Yuma Regional Medical Center.
A member of the Cocopah Indian Tribe and a Somerton native, Ms. Vidana-Kinale was born November 18, 1944.
She had attended Yuma High School.
Survivors include companion Frank John Kinale of East Cocopah Indian Reservation; brothers John Villanueva of East Cocopah Indian Reservation, Kenneth Villanueva of Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Reservation; and Keith Villanueva of East Cocopah Indian Reservation; sisters Karen Mitchell and Cynthia Villanueva, both of Yuma; step-brothers Robert Villanueva of Merced, Calif., and Raymond Villanueva of Shireveport, La.; step-sister Pearl Bugbee of Graniteville, Vt.; aunts Flora Montague of Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Reservation, and Judy Graham, of East Cocopah Indian Reservation; Uncle Brown Davis of Cloride; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by parents Walter Thomas and Marie Villanueva, and brother David Villanueva.
Cocopah Indian Tribal Ceremonial Rites will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, February 6, 1999, at the East Cocopah Indian Reservation Cry House.
Cremation will be held at 5 a.m., Sunday, February 7, 1999, at the East Cocopah Indian Reservation Cemetery, in Somerton.
Pallbearers include family members.
Arrangements entrusted to Johnson Mortuary, 782-4384.
Jennelle Moorhead
Mrs. Jennelle Moorhead, 95, passed away January 31, 1999, in Yuma.
A Yuma resident, Mrs. Moorhead was born July 13, 1903, in Salem, Oregon to Henry and Emma Vandevort. She marriage George Moorhead on July 15, 1926. He died in 1986.
She earned a bachelor's degree at Willamette University in 1925, and a master's degree in science at the University of Oregon in 1948. She was an associate professor of health science in the Oregon State System of Higher Education's continuing education division. She was also a professor at the University of Oregon Medical School.
Mrs. Moorhead was coordinator of the University of Portland's international study programs for teachers.
She was a member of the U.S. Commission for UNESCO from 1957 to 1962, as well as a member of the U.S. Surgeon General's Task Force on Cigarette Smoking. In 1964, she received a Distinguished Service Award from the American School of Health Association. In addition, Mrs. Moorhead was a member of the National Congress for Parents and teachers, the Oregon Mental Hygiene Association and the American Association of University Women.
She was a member of the First Congressional Church.
Survivors include two sons, Bruce Sr. and George; eight grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held February 5, 1999, in Eugene, Ore.
Robert "Bob" Varela
Mr. Robert "Bob" Varela, 35, passed away February 19, 1999, at Yuma Regional Medical Center.
A certified welder, Mr. Varela was born September 25, 1963, in Fresno, California.
He attended Edison High School in Fresno, Calif.
Mr. Varela was a member the Mt. Zion Church.
Survivors include wife Carla Varela, daughters Jasmine Varela and Erica Livas, all of the home; mother Rebecca Varela of Yuma; and brothers Richard and Ruben Estrada, Gabriel, Jesse, Paul, John, Jacob, and Steven Varela, all of Yuma, and Edward Varela, Jr. of Sacramento, Calif. He was preceded in death by his father Edward Mendivil Varela.
Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe Ceremonial Rites will be held at 3 p.m., Tuesday, February 23, 1999, at the Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Reservation Big House.
Cremation will be held at 7 a.m., Wednesday, February 24, 1999, at the Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Reservation Cemetery.
Pallbearers include Ruben and Richard Estrada, Paul Varela, Isreal and Ty Tecumseh, Richard Lucas, Michael Limones, and Robert Olea.
Arrangements entrusted to Kammann Mortuary, 344-0000.
David Doten
David Doten, 47, passed away April 17, 1999, in San Diego, California.
A resident of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and former Yuma resident, Mr. Doten was born October 28, 1951. He graduated from Yuma High School in 1969.
He was employed as an electrician.
Mr. Doten enjoyed snorkeling, scuba diving, and traveling.
Survivors include sons Danny Austin Doten of La., and Steven Doten of Fla.; daughters Katrina and Emily Doten, both of La.; mother Willie Condry of Ore.; brothers Don Doten and Garland Condry, both of Yuma, Danny Doten and Billy Garland Martell, both of Phoenix; sister Diane Burrow of Yuma. He was preceded in death by father Johnny Doten.
Graveside services will be held at 9 a.m., Friday, April 23, 1999, at Desert Lawn Memorial Park.
Arrangements entrusted to Johnson Mortuary, 782-4384.
Nick W. Graves
Nick W. Graves passed away in Yuma, Arizona on April 16, 1999, at Yuma Regional Medical Center.
Nick was born in Wabash, Indiana. His formative years were spent in Santa Monica, Calif., where he graduated from high school. He received his Bachelor of Art and Master degrees in Fine Art from Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.
Nick came to Yuma in 1968. As a professor at Arizona Western College, he taught Art History, Ceramics and Photography and in 1972 was appointed head of the art department. In 1968, he founded the Milepost 9 Gallery for the students, which became well known and recognized around the state as an exceptional educational gallery.
Nick's interest were not limited to the arts. He was profoundly dedicated to historic preservation and was responsible for saving two local landmarks (the Norton house and the Soliz house) from being demolished. He purchased and refurbished the Soliz house, where he lived until his retirement. During a six-month sabbatical from Arizona Western college, he documented and mapped petroglyphs along the Gila River and Painted Rock Dam and Sears Point in Arizona. He also recorded and mapped many pre-historic and early Missionary sights in Baja California, Mexico.
Solstice was one of Nick's favorite times of the year, and many wonderful times were spent preparing a grand evening of food and celebration to be shared with his friends. Upon retirement and moving to Colorado with his beloved dog Sierra, he took advantage of another of his loves--fly fishing.
Nick is survived by his mother Vera Graves of Yuma, Ariz.; and his aunt Mildred McGinnis of Wabash, Ind. He was preceded in death by his father, Jean George Graves, in 1953. Nick will be greatly missed by his circle of friends.
Services will be held at the Grandstaff-Hentgen-Miner Funeral Home in Wabash, Ind. Viewing will be Thursday, April 22, 1999, at 1 p.m. with graveside services following at 2 p.m. The services will be officiated by the Quaker Church.
Vanda E. Miller-Ross
Vanda E. Miller-Ross, 79, of Yuma died November 7, 1999.
She is survived by her husband: Kelmar, children: Kathryn (David) Lewis, Boulder, Colorado, Donald (Gerry) Nielsen, Omaha, Nebraska, Richard (Jan) Nielsen, Las Vegas, Nevada, Linda Miller-Booth, Adelaide, South Australia, Paul (Kelly) Ross and Anita Kramer both of Kansas, grandchildren Carl Peter, Kristin, Dana, Keith, Beth, Erica, Joe, Cindy, Donya, Tammy, Annette, Linnette, Kevin, Shannon, Courtney, Tony, Jason, Katie, Amy and Raven as well as several great-grandchildren. Brother: Laurence Grover of Oregon.
Friends may call at Sunset Vista Mortuary, 11357 E. 40th St., on Wednesday November 10, 1999 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.
Funeral services will be on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at The Chapel. Interment will follow at Sunset Vista Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, Az. affiliate, P.O. Box 7038, Phoenix, Az. 85011.
Arrangements entrusted to Sunset Vista Mortuary, Cemetery and Crematory.
Mary Lou Spikes-Taylor
Mary Lou Spikes-Taylor, 75, a long time resident of Yuma, passed away November 4, 1999 at Hospice of The Valley in Phoenix, Arizona. She was born May 25, 1924 in Fairfield, Texas.
She is survived by her two daughters Glenda L. Dees of Sacramento, California and Shelia Hean Dickerson of Chandler, Arizona; son-in-laws, Rickie Dees of Ventura, California and Emory A. Dickerson, Chandler, Arizona; granddaughters Nicole Dees of Yuma, Arizona and Erica Dickerson of Chandler, Arizona; grandson, Justin T. Dickerson also of Chandler, Arizona. Four brothers and 2 sisters.
Mary Lou was a long time member of Union Baptist Church. Memorial services will be held at Union Baptist Church, 360 S. 8th Avenue on Wednesday, November 10, 1999 at 1:00 P.M. Viewing will be from 12:00 P.M. to 12:45 P.M. Rev. James P. Crittenden, Pastor of Union Baptist will officiate. Harvey Funeral Chapel of Phoenix is in charge of local arrangements. Interment at Desert Lawn Memorial Park.
