Search Archived Marriage Records
Elnora S. Ellis
Elnora S. Ellis died Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001, at Four Corners Health Care Center. She was 92.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mrs. Ellis was born March 22, 1908, in Effingham, Kan. She lived in Bayfield since 1992.
Mrs. Ellis was a member of the Rotary Anns, Order of Eastern Star and the South Gate First Baptist Church in South Gate, Calif.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James M. Ellis Jr. in 1977.
Survivors include her son, James M. Ellis III of Bayfield; four grandsons, Tim Ellis, Scott Ellis and Brett Ellis, all of Durango, and Jim Ellis of Bayfield; and seven great-grandchildren.
A private family service will be held today at Hood Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. Robert Kujath will officiate. Mrs. Ellis will be sent to Rose Hills Mortuary in Whittier, Calif., for graveside services with burial at Rose Hills Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the Shriners Hospital and Burn Center, 810 Texas Ave., Galveston, TX 77550-2788.
Leslie P. Morales
Leslie P. Morales, a U.S. Navy veteran, died of natural causes in Baker, La., Monday, Jan. 1, 2001. He was 74.
Mr. Morales was a retired postal worker. He lived in the area from the early 1960s to 1980. He was a U.S. Navy veteran.
Mr. Morales was a member of the U.S. postal workers union, and was a member of the Bayfield Lions Club.
Survivors include two daughters, Kathleen J. Welch of Denver, and Christina G. Morales of Oroville, Wash.; a son, Michael Morales of Durango; a brother, Ferrell Morales and two sisters, Vivian Brocato and Verlin Kleinpeter, all of Louisiana; two stepdaughters, Melody Smith and Georgia Lanius, both of Oroville, Wash., and Andrea Powell of Zarchary, La.
Mr. Morales was buried at Port Hudson National Cemetery
in Port Hudson, La.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, c/o M. Morales, P.O. Box 2832, Durango CO 81302.
Shirley Rice Fitzgerald
Shirley Rice Fitzgerald died Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, in Tucson, Ariz., of complications from cancer. She was 79.
Mrs. Fitzgerald was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in Morenci and Bisbee, Ariz. She attended the University of Arizona where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Upon graduation in 1942, she worked as a lab technician in San Francisco where she met her future husband, Patrick, an Army lieutenant. They were married in 1944.
After his service in Italy, they lived in Casper, Wyo., and then in Colorado Springs. Mrs. Fitzgerald was active in Girl Scouts and helped found the Colorado Springs Girls Club.
Upon retirement from the automobile business, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald moved to a small ranch near Bayfield and then several years later to Durango. In 1987, they moved to Tucson, Ariz.
Survivors include her husband, Patrick; two daughters, Ann Larrabee of Tucson, Ariz., and Jenelle Van Brunt of Tempe, Ariz.; one son, Rick of Longmont; 10 grandchildren; and one sister, Eleanor Feeney of Tucson, Ariz.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to TMC Hospice, 5301 East Grant, Tucson, AZ 85712, or to the charity of your choice.
Achsa Bernina Myers
Achsa Bernitta Myers died Sunday, Jan. 14, 2001, in Hemet, Calif. She was 91.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mrs. Myers was born Oct. 20, 1909. She was a former resident of Durango.
Mrs. Myers was a graduate of Paulding High School in Paulding, Ohio; International Business College in Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Bowling Green State College in Bowling Green, Ohio. She was employed as a teacher, secretary, bank employee and income tax preparer.
Mrs. Myers was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Durango and Crystal Chapter No. 57, Order of the Eastern Stars.
She was preceded in death by two children, Jolynn R. Myers Condiotti and Douglas R. Myers.
Survivors include her husband, Charles W. Myers and daughter, Bernita J. Barbre, both of Hemet, Calif.; a son, Gordon C. Myers of New Strawn, Kan.; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Leo E. Griner
Leo E. Griner of Colorado Springs, Colo., died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001. He was 89.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mr. Griner was born Nov. 5, 1911, in Hicksville, Ohio. He was a resident of Silverton for 50 years.
He was preceded in death by his daughter Audrey Elaine and granddaughter Michelle.
Survivors include his wife, Jane Griner, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a son, Paul Griner, of Pueblo, Colo.; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Howard L. Parmenter
Howard L. Parmenter died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001, in Durango. He was 82.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Mr. Parmenter was born Oct. 29, 1918, in rural Archuleta County. He lived in Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties.
Mr. Parmenter served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he was employed by Durango Frozen Foods, the Strater Hotel, the Silver Spur Motel and then moved to Silverton in 1963 to work with the Grand Imperial Hotel. He then worked for 20 years with Standard Metals Mining, retiring to Arboles in 1984.
Mr. Parmenter was a lifetime member of Durango Elks Lodge No. 507 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031.
Survivors include his wife, Vivienne Parmenter of Arboles; four step-sons, Leonard Hofmann, Larry Estep, Johnny Hofmann and Lelynn Guerin; a sister, Muriel Miller of Florence, Ariz.; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
There will be cremation. No services are planned at this time.
Virginia West Karmgard
A private, family memorial service will be held at Hood Mortuary for Virginia West Karmgard, who died Friday, Jan. 12, 2001, in Durango after complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 87.
Mrs. Karmgard was born July 1, 1913, in Chicago, Ill. In 1937, she married Arvid Karmgard. They had three children, and moved to Tampa, Fla., in 1952 to raise their family.
Mrs. Karmgard worked in accounting and in retail sales. She owned and operated a French Quarter hotel in New Orleans, La., for several years. She loved working with people and kept working until she was 74 years old.
Mrs. Karmgard recently moved to Durango from Clearwater, Fla., where she had been an active member of Sylvan Abbey Methodist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Holly Jobson of Durango and Carol Wheat of Seminole, Fla.; and two grandsons, Stephen West Jobson of Durango and Christopher West Wheat of Stanford, Calif.
Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Unit of Four Corners Health Care Center, 2911 Junction St., Durango, CO 81301.
Robert Warren Willard
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church for Robert Warren Willard, a pilot, who died Friday, Jan. 12, 2001, in Durango, after complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 71.
The Rev. Rick Calhoun and the Rev. Steve Easterday-McPadden will officiate at services.
Mr. Willard was born Dec. 7, 1929, in Denver. He attended school at New Mexico Military Institute and the University of Colorado. He then served with the U.S. Air Force as a pilot. Mr. Willard was a stockbroker for 37 years with Boettcher & Co.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, and was active in the Rotary Club and Fort Lewis Foundation. His interests included fly-fishing, watercolor and oil painting, flying his AT-6, WWII memorabilia, big-band music and University of Colorado football.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, of Durango; a daughter, Lori Willard of Denver; three sons, Steve Willard of Broomfield, Bruce Willard of Greeley, and Randy Willard of Fort Collins; two sisters, Jean Tarbel of Denver, and Ann Copenhaver of Lake Forest, Ill.; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Wing at Four Corners Health Care Center, 2911 Junction St., Durango, Hospice of Mercy, 375 E. Park Ave., or to Fort Lewis Foundation, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301.
