Manual Ortega Loroņa
Manuel Ortega Loroņa, 85, passed away on November 11, 2003 at St. Joseph Hospital. He was born on April 8, 1918 in Yuma, AZ. He worked at the Yuma County Highway Dept., as well as Southwest Ice. He was of the Catholic faith.
Manuel is survived by his sons, Robert E., Manuel A. Loroņa and Manual A. Loroņa III, all of Yuma, AZ; daughter, Dorothy Loroņa (Cruz) of Vermont; brothers, Lupe and Gene Loroņa of Yuma, AZ; sister, Sofia Martinez of Yuma, AZ; six grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Elisa Q. Loroņa; parents Guadalupe and Juana Loroņa; brothers, Frank and Henry Loroņa; and sisters, Amelia Garcia, Connie Lopez, and Rita Rios.
The wake will be held on November 17, 2003 from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., with Rosary at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held on November 18, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Mission. Final resting place will be at Desert Lawn Memorial Park.
Pallbearers will include Robert E. Loroņa, Jerome Cruz, Henry Garcia, Manuel A. Loroņa, Michael Cruz, and Jose Cruz.
Honorary bearers will be Manuel A. Loroņa III, Daniel and Alex Quintero.
Elmer Lee Thomas
Elmer Lee Thomas passed away on November 13, 2003 at La Mesa Rehabilitation. He was born in Cornhill, Texas on April 6, 1912. He married the love of his life, Olga Novosad in 1937 and they and their 3 sons moved to Wellton in 1955. Elmer had worked in the shipyards during W.W. II and when he moved to Wellton, he opened his own welding and machine shop, which he and Smokey Joe ran until 1970. He was well known in the Wellton area for his welding abilities but more important to him were his guitar, his abundant garden and his great barbecue.
He is survived his sons; Gerald (Nancy) Thomas of Yuma, Michael (Madonna) Thomas of Yuma and Ray (Bobbie) Thomas of Anchorage, Alaska; one sister, Elizabeth Johnson of Malaga, New Jersey; three grandsons, Brian (Cristy) Thomas of Yuma, Michael (Rene) Thomas of Mesa and Staff Sgt. Jason Thomas of Okinawa, Japan; one granddaughter, Stacie Thomas of Washington , D.C.; five great-grandsons, numerous cousins, nephews and nieces. Elmer was preceded in death by his wife Olga; brothers, Carl and Allen and his son Patrick.
Private cremation was handled by Johnson Mortuary and the family suggests donations can be made to Hospice of Yuma.
Bryon Paul Miguel
Bryon Paul Miguel, of Winterhaven, died Nov. 13, 2003, at Yuma Regional Medical Center at age 53.
Born Oct. 23, 1950, at Fort Yuma, he had been a carpenter.
A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas Indian Mission. Quechan Indian tribal ceremonial rites will follow at the Quechan Big House. Cremation will be at 5 a.m. Thursday at the Quechan cemetery.
Kammann Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Frank M. Laney Jr.
Frank M. Laney Jr., 80, of Yuma, died Nov. 15, 2003, in Yuma.
Born April 19, 1923, in Markley, Texas, he was a retired metallurgist.
Services will be held at a later date. Sunset Vista Funeral Home is handling arrangements, including cremation.
Paul Ernest McCollum
Paul Ernest McCollum, 83, died Nov. 10, 2003, at his Yuma home.
Born Nov. 2, 1921, in Decatur, Ala., he was a retired construction engineer.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Kammann Mortuary chapel.
Donald L. Weehunt
Donald L. Weehunt, 79, of Yuma, died Nov. 15, 2003, at La Mesa Rehabilitation and Care Center.
Born Nov. 1, 1924, in Morgan, Texas, he was a U.S. Navy veteran and saw mill watchman.
No services will be held. Inurnment will be at the National Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
Yuma Mortuary and Crematory was in charge of local arrangements.
Earnest Eugene Tolen Jr.
Earnest Eugene Tolen Jr., 74, of Winterhaven, died Nov. 16, 2003, at Palm View Rehabilitation Center.
Born July 29, 1929, in Paris, Ill., he was a self-employed household appliances repairman.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Kammann Mortuary, followed by the funeral service.
James Big Jim Sims James Big Jim Sims, 61, died on November 1, 2003, in Tucson, Arizona.
He was a long-time resident of Lovelock, Nevada until he retired to Rocky Point, Mexico to live out his dream of a life of fishing and laying on the beach. He will be missed by his family and many life-long friends.
Jim was preceded in death by his father James B. Sims, his mother Hazel, and his sister Oma Cramp.
He is survived by brother Don Sims of Oklahoma, Randy Sims of Flagstaff, AZ, sister Mary Verser of Somerton, AZ, and many nieces, nephews and a lot of friends.
A memorial service will be November 22, 2003 at 11:00a.m. at Desert Lawn Memorial Park.
Robert Alvarado
Robert Alvarado, of Yuma, died Nov. 16, 2003, at Yuma Regional Medical Center at age 74.
Born July 7, 1929, in Yuma, he was a senior bookkeeper at the Western Arizona Council of Governments.
A wake will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with rosary at 7 p.m., at Johnson Mortuary. Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Friday at the mortuary. Burial will take place at Desert Lawn.
Earnest Eugene Tolen Jr.
Earnest Eugene Tolen Jr., 74, of Winterhaven, died Nov. 16, 2003, at Palm View Rehabilitation and Care Center.
Born July 29, 1929, in Paris, Ill., he was a self-employed household appliances repairman.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Kammann Mortuary, followed by the funeral service.
Byron Paul Miguel
Byron Paul Miguel, 53, of Winterhaven, died Nov. 13, 2003, at Yuma Regional Medical Center.
Born Oct. 23, 1950, at Fort Yuma, he had been a carpenter.
A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Thomas Indian Mission. Quechan Indian tribal ceremonial rites will follow at the Quechan Big House. Cremation will be at 5 a.m. Thursday at the Quechan cemetery.
