Alabama School Yearbooks by State and County
MARGE COON
Memorial services for Marge Coon were held on June 9, 2007 at Oasis Family Church, Albuquerque, NM., with Reverend Tom Undieme officiating. She went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
Marjorie Alice Coon was born October 4, 1929 in Villisca, IA., to Fen and Hazel (Winter) Fisher. Marge attended public school in Villisca, graduating from Villisca High School in 1948. After high school she worked at several jobs, mostly as a telephone operator and PBX operator, in Omaha, NE., Los Angeles, CA. and San Jose, CA.
She married Marvin Coon on October 20, 1955, in the First Presbyterian Church in Omaha, NE. After her marriage, she and her husband lived in Roswell, NM where Marv was stationed with the U.S. Air Force. In 1957 they moved to Albuquerque, NM., when Marv joined Sandia National Laboratories. She was an excellent homemaker, devoting her time and energy to her family and church activities. Marge loved children, possessing a unique ability to put them at ease and gain their cooperation. She was especially fond of her grandchildren and great granddaughter. She also enjoyed animals, be they pets, farm animals or wild, never tiring of visiting zoos during their travels.
Marge was preceded in death by her parents; grandson Daniel Oltmanns; brothers Ed Fisher and Bill Fisher; and sisters-in-law Jean Fisher and Helen Fisher.
Marge is survived by her husband, Marvin; daughters Nancy of Fort Worth, TX., and Peggy Irwin and husband, Scott, of Bossier City, LA., grandchildren Tyler Oltmanns of Fort Worth; Amelia Irwin and Jeffrey Irwin, both of Boosier City; great granddaughter Madison Oltmanns of Fort Worth; brother Tom Fisher of Omaha; sister-in-law Helga Fisher of Show Low AZ; niece Rochelle Fisher; nephews Greg Fisher, Alan Fisher, and Bart Fisher; grand-niece Lydia Fisher and grand-nephews Nathan Burch and Daniel Fisher.
Arthur "Art" Gray
Graveside services for Arthur "Art" Gray, age 84 of Clarinda, Iowa, formerly of Villisca, Iowa, who died Saturday, June 9, 2007 at Clarinda Regional Health Center, Clarinda, Iowa was held Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. at the North Grove Cemetery, rural Villisca, Iowa Reverend Walden Paige officiating. Visitation with the family will be held 7-8 p.m., Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at the United Methodist Church, Clarinda, Iowa and also 9-10 a.m., Wednesday morning prior to leaving for the cemetery. Burial was in the North Grove Cemetery, rural Villisca, Iowa with military rites by American Legion Ker-A-Vor Post 251, Villisca, Iowa. A memorial will be established. You may share memories with the family on our web page, www.ritchiefuneralhome.com under Obituaries. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Service, Clarinda, Iowa.
Arthur Russell Gray was born January 7, 1923 in Canton, South Dakota, the son of Otis Lee Gray and Iva Ellen (Walters) Gray. His family moved to Iowa in 1930. He attended Baker Cut rural school south of Villisca and Villisca High School. He served his country during World War II in the United States Navy on the USS McCoy Reynolds destroyer escort. He was united in marriage to Mary Robinson. To this union five children were born, Russell, Gail, Gary, Kevin and Kyle.
Art's occupation was road construction with heavy machinery. He was also employed at Wilson Foods in Clarinda until his retirement. Art then returned to construction, running a caterpillar. Art enjoyed working with horses and mules and was a member of a saddle club. He was also a member of the American Legion Ker-A-Vor Post #251, Villisca, Iowa. Art enjoyed fishing and especially liked playing pitch during his stay at Westridge Care and Rehab Center.
Art is survived by his sons, Gary Gray and his wife Beth of Villisca, Iowa, Kevin Gray of Clarinda, Iowa; brothers, Donald Gray of Clarinda, Iowa, Robert Gray and wife Lorena of Emerson, Iowa; sisters, Thelma Stamps and husband Jack of Clarinda, Iowa, Lois Trybom and husband Donald of Red Oak, Iowa; seven grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding Art in death were his parents; wife, Mary Gray; sons, Russell Gray and Kyle Gray; daughter, Gail Lee Thurman; grandchild, Jason Gray; brothers, Carroll Gray and Max Gray.
May God grant comfort and strength to those who mourn Art's passing.
Clyde V. Williams
(One of Grace's boys)
Clyde V. Williams, 73 of Chandler, Arizona, passed away May 16, 2007, at his home. Burial was at the East Resthaven Memorial Park, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Clyde was born in Adams County, Iowa, to Clyde and Chassie Williams. After the death of his parents, Clyde and his brother Don lived with their foster parents, Ted and Grace Kennedy on a farm east of Nodaway, from the time he was six years old until graduation from Nodaway High School Grace Kennedy would often speak of Clyde and Don as "her little boys".
Clyde married Dorothy Briggs and is survived by his son, Gary and daughter, Sandra, of Chandler, Arizona. Additional survivors include his brother Don and sister Dorothy, Darlene and Deloris.
Clyde was a member of the Chandler Presbyterian Church.
HELEN L. PRUGH
Helen L. Prugh, 83, entered into the presence of Jesus her Savior Friday, October 12, 2007 at Mercy Hospice in Johnston due to heart failure. She was born May 8, 1924 in York, Nebraska the daughter of George and Effie Scott.
Following her graduation from Omaha Baptist Bible College in 1950, Helen served in children's missionary work in Montana and Iowa. In 1963 she returned to the college, earned a B.S. degree and held the position of dean of women at the college for many years. Helen moved to Ankeny with the college, now Faith Baptist Bible College, in 1967. At that time she became an active member of Ankeny Baptist Church.
She united in marriage with Don A. Prugh in 1969. They enjoyed 30 years of marriage.
Helen was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and three brothers, Dr. Virgil Scott, Richard Scott and Leo Scott. She is survived by a step-daughter, Jeanine Sage and family of Scottsdale, AZ and a step-son, Don W. Prugh and wife Sandy.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 pm Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at Ankeny Funeral Home with a memorial service at 7:30 pm Tuesday. A graveside service will be held 11 am Wednesday, October 17, 2007, at Villisca Cemetery in Villisca, Iowa.
Memorials gifts may be sent to Faith Baptist Bible College, Ankeny, Iowa.
JEANIE MOORE PRICHARD
Jeanie Moore was born in Villisca, Iowa, on May 24, 1926, to Collis and Gladys Osborn Moore. When Jeanie was three years old, her birth mother passed away and Collis married Ruby Wissler, who raised Jeanie and her two sisters. Jeanie was a member of the Class of 1944. Upon graduation she attended college in Omaha and worked for the Omaha District Attorney.
Responding to the 1945 patriotic call to duty, Jeanie moved to Washington DC and worked for the Navy Department Bureau of Yards and Docks. A few short months later, she obtained a secretarial position on the Senatorial War Investigative Committee. Jeanie married Midshipmen Reuben Parker Prichard on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1947, in the Naval Academy Chapel. This began a 60 year adventure as a Navy wife and the challenge of raising a family of five children in eleven different homes as Park was stationed on both coasts and Texas. After retirement from the Navy, the couple settled in McLean, VA.
Jeanie served as church secretary and elder at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean and also served on the Board of Directors that created and ran the Lewinsville retirement residences.
Jeanie is survived by two sisters; Mary Lissandrello (Gene) of Oneonta, NY, and Linda Moore of Villisca, IA; her husband Reuben Prichard; her children Paige Kennedy (Charles) of Loganville, NS, Polly Lehtonen (Alfred) of Columbia, MD, Reuben Prichard, III (Sepi D.) of Raleigh, NC, Priscilla Merrill (Steven D) of Northwood, NH, and Richard Prichard; six grandchildren; Logan (Leo) Chloe, Liana, Benjamin, Matthew and Mark; two step grandchildren; Kristal and Nicholas and a host of relatives and friends. Jeanie's first great-grandchild, Abigail Louise Unglaub, the daughter of Jeanie's first grandchild Logan and husband Leo of Montreal, Canada entered this world a few hours prior to her great-grandmother leaving it.
Barbara R. Bontrager Crussell
Barbara R. (Bontrager) Crussell was born October 18, 1933, to Roland Dale Bontrager and Grace Margarete (Hutchison) Bontrager in Nodaway, Iowa. Barb passed away on Tuesday, September 18, 2007, at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, Iowa. She graduated from Villisca High School in 1952 and attended one year of nurse's training at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
On August 20, 1953 she was united in marriage to Andrew Crussell in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Their union was blessed with two children, Jeff and Wendy.
Barb and Andy spent most of their working life in California. She drove a school bus for 5 years during which time she enjoyed dressing up to fit the season. Many times her Halloween costumes would startled the children so much that they would not get on the bus because they did not recognize the driver. She also worked 10 years as a daycare provider before her retirement in 1995.
That same year Barb and Andy returned to Villisca to enjoy their retirement. She was a member of the Villisca United Methodist Church, Eastern Star, Villisca Lions' Club, and Crimestoppers. Her hobbies were oil painting, quilting, and sewing. She had a small business called "Mole-in-the-Hole" where she decorated sweatshirts. The name came about because she felt like a mole in the hole while sewing in the basement. She and Andy also enjoyed collecting eagles.
Barb is survived by her husband Andy Crussell, her son Jeff Crussell of Orange, CA; her daughter Wendy Casteel & husband Fred of Beaumont, CA; 5 grandchildren Garrett Shanks & wife Shelia, Drew Casteel, Blake Crussell, Nicole Crussell, & Kaitlan Crussell; 2 great-granddaughters Emma Rose & Isabella Victoria Shanks ; one sister Judy Dale Hodgson & husband Ron of Riverside, CA; and nieces Shannon, Kelly, & Brady.
Memorial services for Barbara R. Crussell, 73, of Villisca were held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 22, 2007 at the Villisca United Methodist Church in Villisca, Iowa. Pastor Gordon Scott officiated. Memorials may be directed to the American Heart Association. Arrangements by Wolfe Funeral Home, Villisca, Iowa.
ALAN F. MEIER
Alan F. Meier, age 68, went to be with his Lord 9-6-07. Funeral Monday 10 am Cross Road Fellowship Bible Church, 7315 W. 13th St., burial White Chapel Memorial Gardens in Derby, KS.
He was born to Howard W. Meier & Martha L. Beattie on July 8, 1939 in Avoca, Iowa. Alan was a retired Gas Service supervisor and part time McConnell Air Force Base Services print shop.
He is survived by his wife Brenda, sons and daughters in law, Scot & Erika Meier, Trinity, FL, Greg & Suzanne Meier, Wichita, grandchildren, Emily & Madeline Meier, Wichita, Savannah & Eriksen Meier, Trinity, FL, mother in law, Lucille Beaver, Derby, sister in law, Mary Ellen Meier, Cedar Falls, Iowa, nieces, Susan Rusk, Linda Messick, and Mary Martha Meier. Alan was preceded in death by his parents, and brother Don. In lieu of flowers memorials to Cross Road Fellowship Bible Church, 7315 W. 13th St., Wichita, KS 67212.
