Manuela M. Ramirez, 92, died December 22, 2001, in San Bernardino, California. She was born July 26, 1909, in Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, to Petra (Serna) and Jesus Maria Melendrez. She came to Ajo from Caborca in 1922 and married Juan P. Ramirez in 1928. She is survived by her sons and daughters and many other family members. Services were held in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Saturday, December 29. Burial was in the Ajo Cemetery next to her husband.
Ernestina Estrella Vega died Wednesday, February 6, 2002, in Mesa. She was born in Mexico on July 15, 1938, to Maria Lizarraga & Alejandro Estrella. She married Felix A. "Gordo" Vega in 1953 and they moved to Ajo. Known to her many friends as Nelva, she worked for the Ajo Copper News and cared for children of working parents. She is survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren. Services were held in Gilbert where she was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
Mallie Woods, 78, died January 9, 2002, in Mesa. She was born November 13, 1923, in Mount Pleasant, Texas. She and her husband, Fred. E. Woods, lived in Ajo 1954-1988. She is survived by her husband, sons, and grandchildren. Services were held in Mesa on January 12.
Alvaro L. "Buster" Kinkead, 91, died February 7, 2002, in Yuma. He was born June 9, 1910, in Allen, Nebraska. He lived in Ajo for many years, and was working for Phelps Dodge as a truck driver when he retired after 41 years with the company in 1975. He and his wife Dorothy moved to Yuma in 1998. He is survived by his wife, his daughter, his grandchildren, and many other family members. Graveside services will be held in the Ajo Cemetery on March 2.
Maria Del Socorro Macias, 75, died February 14, 2002, in Mesa. she was born April 21, 1926, to Gertrude (Castillo) and Jesus Macias in Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico. She came to Ajo in 1946, marrying Benigno Macias in Sonoyta on June 14, 1947. Except for a few years in Morenci, the couple lived in Ajo the rest of their lives. She is survived by her son, daughters, and many other family members. Mass was celebrated on February 19 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church; burial was in the family plot in Ajo Cemetery.
Abigail Fitts died at her home in Ajo on February 11, 2002, at the age of 5 months 25 days. She was born in Sells on August 17, 2001, to Bessie Antone and Michael Fitts. She is survived by her parents, her brother and sisters, and many other family members. Services were held in the Indian Assembly of God Church on February 20; burial was in the Childs Cemetery.
Laura Estrella, 91, died January 24, 2002, in San Luis, Sonora, Mexico. She was born In Pitiquito, Sonora, Mexico, on December 10, 1910. she came to Ajo to live with her daughter Elvia Celaya in 1981 and stayed here for twenty years. She is survived by her children and other family members. Services were held in Mexico.
Mark T. Grooms, 74, died February 20, 2002, in Ajo. He was born in Flint, Michigan, on January 30, 1928, the son of Mark & Beulah (Roxbury) Grooms. He was a veteran of the US Army during the Korean War. He retired from work as a truck driver. He and his wife, Ardith Grooms, moved to Ajo two days before his death. He is survived by his wife, his son & daughters, and other family members.
Kathleen Rose Cohin, 80, died at her home in Ajo on March 1, 2002. She was born March 7, 1921, in Oran, Missouri, to Julia Kathleen (Houch) and John Calvin Rodenberry. She came to Ajo in 1946. She was preceded in death by her husbands, William Dale Lane & Andrew Cohin. She is survived by her son, step-son, and many other family members. Services were held in Ajo Calvary Baptist Church, burial was in the Ajo Cemetery.
Roy Troy Riley, 85, died at his home in Phoenix on February 24, 2002. He was born November 7, 1916, in Haskell, Texas, to Lillie Bell & William B. Riley. He moved to Ajo as a young man. He married Charleen Golding in 1939. In 1979 he retired from Phelps Dodge with a perfect attendance record after 42 years of employment. He was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his son, daughter, and many other family members. Services were held in the Ajo Federated Church; burial was next to his wife in the Ajo Cemetery.
Martha Childs Celaya, 84, died February 26, 2002, in Tucson. She was born in Ajo on June 17, 1917, to Ajo pioneer Tom Childs Jr. and Martha Lopez. She married Jose P. Celaya. She is survived by her sons and daughters and by many other family members. Services were held at Douglass Funeral Home; burial was at Childs Ranch.
George Frank Dewitt, 78, died March 6, 2002, in Prescott. He was born August 26, 1923, in McCurtain, Oklahoma, to Frank R. & Ada Renfrow Dewitt. He came to Ajo in 1937 and lived here until moving to the Arizona Pioneer Home in 1996. He was a warehouseman when he retired from Phelps Dodge in 1982. He is survived by his son & daughter and other family members. Services were held in Ajo Calvary Baptist Church; burial was next to his wife Nellie in Ajo Cemetery.
Virgil Robert "Bob" Barger, 70, died March 7, 2002, in Tucson. He was born May 26, 1931, in Denver, Colorado, to Virgil & Hazel Stoddard Barger. He earned a degree in electronic engineering from Denver University and enjoyed a career with Hughes Aircraft. He served in the US Army during the Korean War. He moved to Ajo in 1988 and married Carolyn Mulleneaux Jacobs. He is survived by his wife, children, step-children, and many other family members. Services were held in Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church; burial was in Ajo Cemetery.
Margaret "Peggy" Robertson, 77, died March 7, 2002, in Safford. She was born December 8, 1924, in New Rochelle, New York, the daughter of Luther & Francis Johnson Bell. She married John Robertson in Nevada in 1950. They lived in Ajo from 1974 to 1998 when they moved to Thatcher. Mrs. Robertson is survived by her husband, daughter, son, and other family members. Services were held in Thatcher with burial in the Thatcher Cemetery.
Robert R. Ross Sr., 82, died March 19, 2002, in Casa Grande. He was born February 16, 1920, in Ajo, the son of Ambrosia (Ruiz) and Charles Ross. A lifelong resident, he owned several small businesses, including the Palomino Bar, a garbage service, a bar in Why, and a laundromat in Ajo. He also worked for Phelps Dodge and as a janitor at the school. Services were held in Calvary Baptist Church; burial was in the Ajo Cemetery.
Loranza B. "Ranze" Farmer, 87, died March 29. 2002, in Tucson. He was born April 28, 1914, in McCurtain, Oklahoma, to Valley Viola (Stewart) and Benjamin F. Farmer. He worked at many different jobs before coming to Ajo, arriving here first in 1932 and moving here permanently in 1950. He married Wanda Patterson on February 26, 1938, in Yuma. He worked for Phelps Dodge as a body and fender mechanic, retiring in 1978. He is survived by his wife, his children, and many other family members. Services were held in the Ajo Federated Church on April 5; burial was in the Ajo Cemetery.
Joe Gutierrez, 74, died March 25, 2002, at his home in Ajo. He was born March 5,1928, in Williams, the son of Porfirio & Nicolasa Garcia Gutierrez. He lived in Morenci for many years and was tire shop foreman when he retired in 1993. After his retirement, he made his home in Ajo with his niece Mary Helen Yanez and her family. He is survived by his sons and by many other family members. At Mr. Gutierrez' request, no services were held.
J. E. Wallace, 76, of silver city, New Mexico, died Friday, March 22, 2002, in Gila Regional Medical Center. He was born May 13, 1925, in Wright City, Oklahoma, to Ed & Mattie Marie Casey Wallace. He married Helen Cobb in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on November 21, 1944. He was a locomotive engineer for Phelps dodge when he retired. He is survived by his wife, his daughters, and many other family members. Graveside services with full military honors were held March 27 at Ft. Bayard National Cemetery.
Edna Simpson, 86, died April 6, 2002, at her home in Ajo. She was born March 15, 1916, in Talbottom, Georgia, to Nancy Jane (Chapman) and Thomas Franklin Starling. She came to Ajo from Texas in 1932. In 1940 she married Glenn Simpson. She was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her sons, daughters, and other family members. Services were held in the LDS church on April 10.
James Ray Williams Sr., 85, died at his home in Ajo on April 5, 2002. He was born June 1, 1916, in Curtsville, West Virginia, to Ray & Hallie Williams. He married Catherine Treadway in West Virginia in 1937. He was a veteran of World War II. He first came to Ajo in 1950, moving here permanently in 1961. He was a master electrician when he retired from Phelps Dodge in 1982. He is survived by his wife, his sons and daughters, and by many other family members.
Cecil Vanpool, 76, died April 3, 2002, in Tucson. He was born March 19, 1926, in Twitty, Texas, to John Alexander and Nellie Mae Vanpool. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He lived in Ajo from 1950 until his retirement from Phelps dodge in 1984. He is survived by his wife, Myrtie Vanpool, by his son, and by many other family members. Memorial services were held in Oracle on April 10.
