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Thurza Bonnaha
Funeral services were held Friday Nov. 5 for former Verde Valley resident, Thurza G. Bonnaha.
Mrs. Bonnaha died Oct. 30, 1999 in Tahlequah, Okla. She was 86.
She was born in Prescott on Nov. 7, 1913.
She was a devoted mother and grandmother who dedicated her life to her family.
Mrs. Bonnaha worked as a pediatric nurse at Marcus J. Lawrence Medical Center for many years.
She was instrumental in speaking and/or defending minority rights in the 1940s and '50s.
She opened the company pool in Clarkdale by speaking on behalf of the minority children.
Mrs. Bonnaha is survived by two daughters, Betty Jo Shepherd of Tahlequah, Okla., and Kathryn M. Cunningham of Lake Montezuma and a son Charles A. Bonnaha of Lake Montezuma.
Oziel Hernandez
One-and-a-half-year-old Oziel Hernandez died Nov. 4, 1999 in Cottonwood.
He was born June 21, 1998, to Hector Hernandez and Maria Espinola of Cottonwood.
Survivors include his grandparents, Sebastian Espinola, Reynalda Dorado and Fidelina Gonzalez of Mexico; aunt and uncle Guadelupe and Justino Espinola of Cottonwood and four nieces and nephews.
The child's family attends the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cottonwood.
Funeral and burial will be held in Victoria, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Memorial donations may be made to the family.
Sonia Renee Gonzalez
A mass was held Nov. 6, 1999 in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for infant girl Sonia Renee Gonzalez.
Father Bud Pelletier was the celebrant and burial was in the Cottonwood Cemetery.
Sonia was the daughter of Mario Gonzalez and Nilza M. Quesada of Cottonwood.
Survivors include two sisters, Daniela and Aniza Gonzalez; paternal grandparents, Rito and Lorraine Quesada of Cottonwood; maternal grandparents, Raymond Gonzalez and Eleanor Ortega of Gila Bend; great-grandparents Rito and Mary Quesada of Cottonwood; step-grandparents Manel, Frances, Francisco and Gregoria Vega all of Ajo, and Arelia Jones of Hickiwan, Ariz.; fifteen aunts and uncles and six cousins.
Geneva I. Yingling
Geneva I. Yingling of Cottonwood died Nov. 9, 1999 at the age of 87.
She was born in Trilla, Ill., Dec. 9, 1911.
Mrs. Yingling was very active in the Verde Baptist Church, especially in the Women's Missionary Fellowship.
For 40 years of her life, Mrs. Yingling made a quilt once a month to be distributed wherever there was a need, and to this gift she would attach a short note proclaiming her resounding faith in God and her message reached hundreds of people throughout the world.
Her always present smile and good nature will be remembered not only by those in the church with whom she shared fellowship, but by her long-time neighbors as well.
Yingling and her husband Robert moved to Cottonwood 25 years ago from California. They loved the community and celebrated their 50th anniversary Feb. 14, 1998.
Services are to be held at Wescott Funeral Home today at 10:30 a.m.
It will be a double memorial for both she and her husband Robert, who died on Jan. 31 of this year.
Survivors include her daughter Myrelle McHale of Cottonwood; grandson, Michael Chavez and wife Gina; granddaughter Toni Semler and husband Jim; six great grandchildren, Amber, Kandice and Rachelle Chavez of Poulsbo, Wash., Christopher, Cheyenne and Jimmy Semler of Whittier, Calif.; sister Virginia Blackford of Cottonwood and nephew Tony L. Schisler of Cottonwood.
Juanita Davis
Funeral services were held Nov. 4 at the Westcott Funeral Home for Verde Valley resident Juanita Davis.
Mrs. Davis died Oct. 31, 1999 at the age of 82. She was born on Sept. 3, 1917, in Proctor, Colo.
Mrs. Davis lived in the Verde Valley for 39 years, from 1957 to 1995. She was residing with her daughter in Las Vegas at the time of her death.
Since 1950, Mrs. Davis and her late husband, Sherman, pastored the Assemblies of God and Four Square churches in Oregon and Arizona.
Mrs. Davis was preceded in death by her husband, Sherman, in 1993. She is survived by four sons, Ronald Davis of Bagdad, Ariz., Gary Davis of Springfield, Ore., Alfred Davis of Tacoma, Wash., and John Davis of Camp Verde; a daughter, Judy Zupancic of Las Vegas; 11 grandchildren and 12 great- grandchildren.
Irving Jaffe
Lake Montezuma's Irving Jaffe died in Camp Verde on Oct. 21, 1999. He was 85 years old.
Mr. Jaffe was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1914. He became a policeman in 1941 for the New York Police Department, served in the U.S. Army as an MP for three and a half years, and returned to a foot beat in Harlem after his discharge from the Army.
Upon retiring from 20 years of service in 1961, he moved to Arizona where he spent another 20 years as a police officer for Arizona State University, the last 10 years of which he was a lieutenant.
He moved to Lake Montezuma with his wife, Wyona, in 1986. He was a volunteer naturalist for Red Rock State Park for three years.
Mr. Jaffe is survived by his wife, Wyona; son William of Ft. Collins, Colo.; daughter Susan Hermes of Escondido, Calif.; stepsons Mark Reeder of Chino Valley and Philip Reeder of Henderson, Nev.; stepdaughter Deborah Reeder of Chandler and 10 grandchildren.
Steve M. Loomis
Bellingham, Wash., resident Steve M. Loomis died Oct. 16, 1999. He was 83 years old.
He was born July 28, 1916 to Earl and Naomi (Archey) Loomis in Miles City, Mont. Mr. Loomis was a Cottonwood resident from approximately 1978 to 1993.
He was a retired carpenter and member of the Carpenters Union for 50 years.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy, of Bellingham; daughters Dorothy Wray Berry of Bellingham, and Margaret Vinyard of Arizona; son Stephen L. Loomis of Colorado; brothers Earl Loomis of California and Albert Loomis of Arizona; sister June Woolley of California; six grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Vonda Hilthon Hoy
Funeral Services are scheduled for today at noon at the Clarkdale Baptist Church for Vonda Hilthon Hoy, a resident of Cornville and Durango, Colo.
Mrs. Hoy died on Oct. 30, 1999 at the age of 50. She was born Jan. 13, 1949, to Bobbie L. and Carmelita (Salsman) Hilthon of Con Can, Texas.
Mrs. Hoy worked as a land man doing title curative work involving drilling rights for the oil and gas industry. She also designed computer systems for title companies nationwide. She was an accomplished photographer, and author of a cookbook she complied for a Phoenix Baptist Church.
Mrs. Hoy is survived by her husband of 10 years, Robert; parents Bobbie L. and Carmelia "Corky" Hilthon of Con Can, Texas; sister Ronda Chumley of Katy, Texas; brother Karl Hilthon of Con Can, Texas and nieces and nephews Denise, Chip, and Richelle Chumley, and Nicole and Beau Hilthon.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Research, Arizona Division, Inc., Northern Region, 2724 E. Lakin Drive #9, Flagstaff.
Josephine Misko Peterson
Cottonwood resident Josephine Peterson died Oct. 23, 1999.
She was 97 years old.
Mrs. Peterson was born Sept. 26, 1902, in Ord, Neb., to Frank and Mary (Reyman) Misko.
She lived most of her life in California until she joined her family in the Verde Valley in 1994.
Survivors include her son, Ronald Peterson of Clarkdale; daughter-in-law, Nancy; and two grandchildren, Barry N. and William A. Peterson of California.
James Gerhard Ryan
Camp Verde resident James Ryan died Nov. 1, 1999.
He was 53 years old.
Mr. Ryan was born in Chicago on June 5, 1946.
He is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Coast Guard. Upon his discharge from the service, he became a police officer for the city of Phoenix.
Survivors include his wife, Lois; his mother, Helen Ryan of Phoenix; a daughter, Christine Newman of Avondale; a son, Jason Ryan of Phoenix; five grandchildren, Zak Dorsey, Kyle Newman, Tara Dorsey, Nicole Newman, and Savannah Ryan; two brothers, Richard Ryan of Nevada, and Thomas Ryan of Colorado; and his former wife, Cindy Skarka of Glendale.
A private family burial will be held.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society Research for CLL, Arizona Division, Inc. Northern Region, 2724 E. Lakin Drive #9, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86004.
Richard Dale Allred
Richard Allred of Cottonwood died Dec. 25, 1999 following a battle with cancer.
Services are scheduled for Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cottonwood at 2 p.m. Burial will follow in the Valley View Cemetery
in Clarkdale
Born in Scottsdale, Mr. Allred lived in Cottonwood most of his life.
He graduated from Mingus Union High School and worked in the grocery business and later with his father in auto sales.
Mr. Allred was an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping, animals and children. The family wishes to thank everyone for their kind support and prayers.
Survivors include his wife, Cindy R. Allred; his parents Dale and Elaine Allred of Cottonwood and Cynthia Barney Kinder and her husband, Maurice Barney of Texas; his two sisters, Lisa Lueken of Salt Lake City and Heather Ogden of Mesa; a brother-in-law, Tony Lueken; five brothers, Jeffrey of Phoenix, Randall, Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Nathan of Cottonwood; his grandparents, Ed and Wanda Sowden of Higley and Read and Lawanii White of Cottonwood; three nephews; one niece; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Mr. Allred was preceded in death by his grandparents, Larue and Gladys Allred of Cottonwood.
Theodore Lee Johnson
Long time Verde Valley resident Theodore Lee Johnson died Dec. 19, 1999 in Phoenix.
Born May 11, 1909 in Cambridge Minn., he was 90 years old.
Mr. Johnson was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in World War II. After his enlistment he choose to enter the ministry and spent many years performing missionary work on Indian reservations through out Arizona. He spent time on the Tuba City Indian Reservation, with the Pima Indians in the Salt River Area, on the Navajo Indian Reservations and on the Apache Indian Reservations.
Survivors include three sons, Leland Johnson and Eugene Johnson both of Camp Verde, and Myron Johnson; brothers, Floyd Johnson and Roger Johnson both of Minnesota and Leroy Johnson of Ohio and sisters, Laverne and Joyce of Ohio and Irene, Ruth and Della all of Minnesota.
Today a visitation will begin at 9 a.m. at the Calvary Assembly of God Church in Camp Verde.
Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m.. Pastor John Davis will conduct the services.
Memorial donations may be made to the Theodore L. Johnson memorial fund to help the family with funeral costs. Please send donations to Bank One, Finney Flats Road, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. The account number is: 27206682.
Olga K. Callaway
Arizona native and Cottonwood resident Olga Callaway died Dec. 20, 1999.
Mrs. Callaway was born in Jerome March 20, 1915 the daughter of Nick and Manda (Balen) Kovacovich. The Kovacovich family was one of the first pioneer families in Arizona.
Mrs. Callaway was raised in Middle Verde and attended high school in Camp Verde where she graduated as the class salutatorian. Following her graduation she moved to Cottonwood to provide care for her brothers and sisters.
She married Weldon (Bill) Callaway in 1941. She resided in Cottonwood for the last 62 years and worked at the Cottonwood Post Office for 21 years.
Survivors include her daughter Lorene Shough of Sierra Vista; two sons-in-law, Doug Shough of Sierra Vista and Ken Olson of Washington; three brothers, Emil Kovacovich of Cottonwood, George Kovacovich of Camp Verde and John Kovacovich of Cornville; two sisters, Danica Ervin of Cottonwood and Rosie Lacey of Cornville; grandchildren, Cheryl Murphy and her husband John of Sierra Vista, Darren Olson and his wife Lori of Oregon, Devin Olson of Washington, Tammy Gillispie and her husband John of Sierra Vista and Shane Olson of Idaho; three great-granddaughters, Megan and Amanda Murphy, and Laura Gillispie of Sierra Vista.
Mrs. Callaway was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Callaway in 1968; a daughter, Elaine Olson and a granddaughter, Heather Olson.
A rosary and visitation was held Dec. 22 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Cottonwood. A funeral mass was held Dec. 23 with Bud Pelletier as celebrant. Burial followed at Cottonwood Cemetery.
