Obituaries - Nov. 25, 2010

Gretchen Willene Nelson

Funeral service for G. Willene Nelson, 93, long-time resident of Tekoa, was Monday, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m. at the Tekoa Community Church in Tekoa. The Rev. Kathy Lee Kramer officiated, and burial followed in Goldenrod Cemetery in Tekoa.

Mrs. Nelson died Nov. 15, at the Tekoa Care Center.

Born in Wallace, Idaho, May 5, 1917, to William and Alice Dorris Bentley, she moved with her family to Colfax where her father was assigned on the Union Pacific Railroad. When she was in the fourth grade, the family then moved to Tekoa where she remained most all of her adult life. She graduated from Tekoa High School with the class of 1936. In 1937, she married her high school sweetheart, Einar Christensen, and in 1938, their daughter Beverly was born. They farmed south of Tekoa until EinarÕs death in May of 1946. She went to work for a short time in the local ÒSweet ShopÓ and in 1947, married Kenneth Nelson. In 1948, their daughter Patricia was born.

Ken and Willene farmed east of Tekoa until KenÕs death in December of 1985. She remained on the farm for five years and then moved to the Tekoa Retirement Apartments where she lived until 2007. She lived at the Fairfield Good Samaritan Assisted Living Apartments from March of 2007, until April of this year when she moved to Tekoa Care Center.

WilleneÕs life was her family and friends. She still had high school classmates checking on her well being up to the time of her death. She was a 50 year-plus member of Hope Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, member of the NeighborÕs of Woodcraft and the Rebekah Lodges and various card groups and ladies clubs.

Survivors include her brothers, Loren (Jan) Bentley of Oceanside, Calif., and William (Alma) Bentley of the Spokane Valley; daughters Beverly (Larry) Madsen of Fairfield, and Patricia Leonard of Spokane; five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts are suggested to the Tekoa Community Church, Tekoa Ambulance Fund, Tekoa Care Center or the charity of the donorÕs choice.

Jean B. Miller

A graveside service for Jean B. Miller, 97, was Friday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. at Terrace Heights Memorial Park in Yakima. She died last Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010, at her home in Belmont.

Born Emma Jean Blades Aug. 4, 1913, at Maryhill, the oldest daughter of Arnold and Martha May (Hartley) Blades, she moved with her family to near Hillsboro, Ore., where her father operated a sawmill.

Her father died during the flu epidemic of 1919-20, and her mother started teaching school around Hillsboro.

She attended schools at Hillsboro and graduated from high school in 1930.

She then attended one semester at Washington State College in Pullman.

She married Claude Miller July 5, 1933, and they lived near Maryhill until 1942 when they moved near Goldendale.

In 1971 the couple moved to Moxee.

He died in 1980.

In 2004, she moved in with her eldest son, Bob Miller at Belmont, where she lived until her death.

During her life she worked as a bookkeeper for automobile agencies in Goldendale and Yakima. She was a member of the Rebekah Lodge and had served as State President of the Rebekah Lodge in Washington in 1968. Jean enjoyed watching and following world events and enjoyed many different crafts. She especially enjoyed her many grandchildren.

Survivors include two sons, Robert A. (Grace) Miller of Belmont, and Donald P. (Roberta) Miller of Bonney Lake; five grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to the Oakesdale Emergency Medical Technicians or to the charity of the donorÕs choice.

Charles Nelson Settles

Charles Nelson Settles, 79, a resident of Farmington, died last Thursday morning, Nov. 18, at his Farmington home. In accordance with his request, he will be cremated and no public service will be conducted.

Born Jan. 7, 1931, at Elberta, Mich., to Nelson E. and Marie Steinberg Settles, he attended schools in Michigan and graduated from Frankfort High School in Frankfort, Mich. Following high school, Charles worked for the railroad in Michigan.

He married Alice Marie Ernst at Flint, Mich., April 30, 1954.

Later that year, Charles enlisted in the United States Army and served in Germany for the next two years. He was discharged in 1956 as a specialist third class. They returned to Michigan and worked for the railroad for the next several years.

In 1965, he enrolled at the University of Idaho in Moscow where he studied Industrial Arts and worked on his teaching degree. In 1969, they purchased a home in Farmington. He was a teacher in Palouse, for the next two years and later taught industrial arts in Australia for more than two years, and in Western Canada for 10 years. He retired from teaching in 1984, and they have lived in Farmington since.

Survivors include his wife Alice at the family home; one daughter, Lynn Hall of Toowoomba, Australia; two sons, Nelson Settles of East Wenatchee, and Ted Settles of Ashford, Ariz .; siblings, William Settles of California; Cynthia Schnarr of Honor, Mich .; Carolyn Johnson of Frankfort, Mich .; Joann Kittendorf of Beulah, Mich .; Mary Grimm of Holly, Mich .; Merle Settles of Kansas City, Mo., and Winifred Keillor of Frankfort, Mich., and 11 grandchildren.