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Lee William Welch
Lee William Welch, 72, of Medford, died Friday (May 24, 2002) at Providence Medford Medical Center. A gathering of family and friends is planned this week at Eagle Point National cemetery.
He was born Nov. 24, 1929, to Ralph Albert and Mabel Alice Norris Welch in Cottage Grove. On April 24, 1966, in State Line, Nev., he married
Louise Thompson, who died in April.
He served in the U.S. Army and worked in property management.
He is survived by five daughters, Karen Congdon, Medford, Patricia Broussard, Weed, Calif., Nancy Weibel, Mobile, Ala., Patti Cline, Everett, Wash., and Terri Ogden, Salt Lake City; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Arrangements: Abbey Funeral of Medford.
Esther Richeson
Esther Richeson, 78, of Medford, died Saturday (May 25, 2002) at her home. Abbey Funeral of Medford is in charge of arrangements.
Charles A. ‘Pete’ Bishop
A graveside service for Charles A. "Pete" Bishop will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Eagle Point National cemetery.
Mr. Bishop, 77, died Friday (May 24, 2002) at his home in Eagle Point.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Southern Oregon Humane Society, 2910 Table Rock Road, Medford, OR 97501.
He was born May 23, 1925, in Mesa, Ariz. He lived in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and California before settling in Oregon during the 1940s. He moved to the Rogue Valley from Coos Bay in 1972.
In August 1949, he married
Billie Stinson, who survives.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1950 on the USS Lindenwald, USS Henrico, USS Bingham, USS Bairoke and USS Pastores. He received the Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medal, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, ETO Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal.
Mr. Bishop worked as a truck driver hauling logs, and later for Timber Products. After his first retirement, he worked on logging sites for HM Logging of Eagle Point.
He enjoyed spending time with his family and his dogs, the outdoors and a good joke.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include a son, William D., Rogue River; two daughters, Charyl Ray, Medford, and Bobbie Paquette, Belfair, Wash.; two brothers, Howard, Mojave, Calif., and Bobby, in California; a sister, Mary Warner, Central Point; and eight grandchildren.
Two brothers, Doug and Neal, preceded him in death.
Arrangements: Central Valley Cremation and Funeral Home.
Patricia J. ‘Patti’ Higgins
A rosary for Patricia J. "Patti" Higgins will be said at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Conger-Morris Chapel by the Rev. David Schiferl. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with the Rev. Carmelo Mifsud officiating.
Committal service will follow at 2 p.m. in the Garden of Honor within Hillcrest Memorial Park, Medford.
Mrs. Higgins, 70, of Medford, died Friday (May 24, 2002) at her home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Providence Community Health Foundation, Hospice, 1111 Crater Lake Ave., Medford, OR 97504, or Rogue Valley Dialysis Patient Care Trust Fund, 2868 Creekside Circle, Medford, OR 97504.
Mrs. Higgins was born Aug. 7, 1931, in Medford to Myrle M. and Irene E. Merriman. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy, Medford, in 1950.
On Aug. 20, 1955, in Medford, she married
Roland J. "R.J." Higgins, who preceded her in death on Dec. 16, 1999.
Mrs. Higgins was a homemaker. Prior to her marriage, she worked as a lab technician at Sacred Heart Hospital, Medford, and at the Corbett Building in Portland from 1958 to 1962.
She was the organist for the 7 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church for 35 years.
She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Altar Society, Rogue Valley Country Club Women’s Nine Hole Golf Association, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority (for 50 years), Rogue Valley Chapter of the Hoo-Hoo-Ettes Club, and the Lady Elks. She also was a volunteer, fund raiser and board member for the Rogue Valley Patient Care Trust.
She donated time to the American Cancer Society, Oregon Elks Eye Clinic, the Red Cross and March of Dimes. She worked with deaf children at Rogue Hearing and Speech.
Mrs. Higgins enjoyed her family, golfing, gardening and travel.
She is survived by a daughter, Annie M. Metzger, Los Angeles, Calif.; a brother, Thomas Merriman Jr., Kodiak, Alaska; and a sister, Marty Phillips, Medford.
Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Conger-Morris Funeral Directors, Medford.
Melburn Lester Whitehead
A funeral service for Melburn Lester Whitehead will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Memory Gardens Mortuary.
Mr. Whitehead, 78, of White City, died Friday (May 24, 2002) at his home.
Mr. Whitehead was born May 14, 1924, in Lenora, Okla. On Sept. 4, 1947, in Reno, Nev., he married
Carrie Tant, who died in 1990. On April 8, 1995, in Reno, Nev., he married
Myrtle Casada, who survives.
He moved to the Rogue Valley from Oroville, Calif., more than 50 years ago. He worked for Med-Ply and Southwest Forest Products for many years, retiring as a mill superintendent.
He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing and trips to Reno.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Randy and Terry, both Central Point; four stepdaughters, Terry Jean Davis, White City, Shara Lynn Davis, Central Point, and Christina Staten and Cindy Brooks, both Anchorage; three stepsons, Stephen and David Davis, both Anchorage, and Robert Davis, Birch Bay, Wash.; a brother, Wayne, Central Point; a sister, Pauline Hickman, Enid, Okla.; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Gerald, and a sister, Fern.
Arrangements: Memory Gardens Mortuary, Medford.
Thomas E. Rice
The funeral for Thomas E. Rice will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Parkway Christian Center in Grants Pass. Pastors Don Michael and Elzie Parker will officiate. Interment will follow at Hawthorne Memorial Gardens in Grants Pass.
Mr. Rice, 46, of Grants Pass, died Thursday (May 23, 2002).
Memorial contributions may be made to COPS, c/o Hull and Hull Funeral Directors, P.O. Box 67, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
He was born March 14, 1956, in Grants Pass. On May 1, 1976, in Grants Pass, he married
Rita Moran, who survives.
Mr. Rice was a marine deputy with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Department since 1993, and had received the Star of Life Award for actions above and beyond the call of duty.
He also worked for Josephine Growers Cooperative from 1973 to 1993, and as a boat driver for Hellgate Jetboat Excursions.
Mr. Rice was an instructor for the Oregon State Marine Board and was a licensed boat captain.
He was a member and deacon of the Church of Christ.
Mr. Rice enjoyed rebuilding his Dodge truck, boating and sharing boating knowledge with others.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include a son, Daniel, Tusla, Bosnia; a daughter, Erin Rice, Grants Pass; his mother, L. Pearl Rice-Smalley, Brookings; a brother, Richard, Yakima, Wash.; and a sister, Barbara Erickson, Sunny Valley. He was preceded in death by his father, R. Wallace Rice.
Friends may pay their respects from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors, Grants Pass.
Vera Marjorie Bailey
The memorial service for Vera Marjorie Bailey will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hope Christian Church in Central Point. Pastor Aaron Beach will officiate. Interment was held at Memory Gardens Memorial Park.
Mrs. Bailey, 79, of Central Point, died May 22, 2002, at her home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Jeff Bailey Memorial Scholarship Fund, Crater Foundation, 451 N. Second, Central Point, OR 97502, or Rogue Valley Hospice Program, Doctors Park Drive, Medford, OR 97504.
She was born March 15, 1923, in Koshkonong, Mo., to James and Roma Wicker Jones. On April 20, 1942, in Reno, Nev., she married
Clifford Dale Bailey, who survives. She moved to the Rogue Valley 67 years ago from Missouri.
Mrs. Bailey worked as a telephone operator in Central Point and as a cook for School District 6 until her retirement.
She was a 4-H leader, a past PTA president, a member of the Oregon Association for Family and Community Education (Home Extension Westside Unit), Extension Alumni and County Council, and a member of Hope Christian Church.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, include; three sons, Bob, Central Point, Bill, Stayton, and David, Gardenville, Nev.; two daughters, Donna York, Central Point, and Sally Upatisringa, Eureka Calif.; three brothers, Kenneth Jones, Santa Rosa, Calif., Morgan Jones, Nampa, Idaho, and Tommy Jones, Riverside, Calif.; a sister, Alyne Mitchell, Yakima, Wash.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Jeff; and a brother James Jones.
Arrangements: Central Valley Cremation & Funeral Care, Central Point.
Eileen Yetive Thomas Echevarria
Eileen Yetive Thomas Echevarria, 82, of Phoenix, died Saturday (May 25, 2002) at her home. A private service will be held. Private inurnment will be in Garberville cemetery, Garberville, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Research Alliance of Oregon, P.O. Box 10051, Portland, OR 97210.
She was born July 8, 1919, in Eureka, Calif., to Joseph Peter Thomas and Edith Clair Sweet, a Humboldt County pioneering family. She grew up in Garberville, Calif., and graduated from Covelo High School in 1937.
On July 3, 1951, in Reno, Nev., she married
Herbert Echevarria, who died in 2001. They moved to Los Altos, Calif., in 1956 and to Ashland in 1982.
Mrs. Echevarria was an avid golfer, serving as president of the California Women’s Short Course Golf Association and as a member of the Oak Knoll Women’s Golf Club.
She was a volunteer with Planned Parenthood, the League of Women Voters and Head Start.
Mrs. Echevarria enjoyed gardening and was active in the Ashland Garden Club and as a Jackson County Extension Master Gardener. She also enjoyed nature and hiking in the Sierra Nevada.
Survivors include three sons, Michael O’Kane, Eel Rock, Calif.; Thomas O’Kane, Chico, Calif., and Val O’Kane, Piercy Calif.; a daughter, Patricia Echevarria, Ashland; a sister, Rae Thomas Matthews, Eureka, Calif.; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Richard O’Kane; and a daughter, Kathleen O’Kane.
Arrangements: Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home and Crematory, Ashland.
Esther Richeson
Esther Richeson, 78, of Phoenix, died Saturday (May 25, 2002) at her home. No service is planned.
Memorial contributions may be made to Rogue Valley Medical Center Foundation, Hospice, 2600 Siskiyou Blvd., Suite 100, Medford, OR 97504.
She was born May 31, 1923, in Ellensburg, Wash., to Hans and Freda Petersen. In 1942, she received a secretarial degree from Griffin-Murphy Business College in Seattle.
On Nov. 3, 1945, in Yakima, Wash., she married
James "Jim" Richeson, who survives. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1950.
Mrs. Richeson was an office manager in the medical field for many years.
She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Daughters of the Nile.
Mrs. Richeson enjoyed golfing.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, include two sisters, her twin, Elsie Lunstrum, Leavensworth, Wash., and Helen Gelders, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Arrangements: Abbey Funeral, Medford.
Cecil Leon Simons
The graveside service for Cecil Leon Simons will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Eagle Point National cemetery.
Mr. Simons, 66, of Talent, died Tuesday (May 28, 2002) at his home.
He was born April 14, 1936, in Smithport, Pa., to Victor and Ethel (Ladley) Simons.
Mr. Simons was a mechanic. He moved to the Rogue Valley two years ago from San Marcos, Calif.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1957.
Survivors include two sons, Harold, Talent, and Conrad, Medford; a daughter, Christine Simons, Naples, Fla.; two brothers, Bill, in Oklahoma, and Earl, Denver; a sister, Donna Causer, in Oklahoma; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Arrangements: Memory Gardens Mortuary, Medford.
Lee Wayne ‘Leland’ Poulton
The funeral service for Lee Wayne "Leland" "Leepus" Poulton will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brookhurst Chapel, Medford.
Mr. Poulton, 37, of Medford, died Sunday (May 26, 2002) at Providence Medford Medical Center.
He was born May 16, 1965, in Oroville, Calif., to Garry and Judy Poulton. On June 9, 1984, in Denver, he married
Brenda Ursula Gallegos, who survives.
Mr. Poulton was a mechanic. He had lived in the Rogue Valley for the past 17 years.
He was a member of the Camaro Club and the Pigeon Roller Association (PRA).
Mr. Poulton enjoyed gardening, raising pigeons, the outdoors and coaching Little League for 11 years.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include a son, Travis Reed, Medford; a daughter, April Kjersti Poulton, Medford; his parents, Garry and Judy Poulton, Ignacio, Colo.; four brothers, Keith, Medford, Garry, Salt Lake City, and Bert and Sky, both Ignacio, Colo.; his grandparents, Clein and Eva Poulton, Eagle Point, and Alton J. Covey, Ignacio, Colo. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Margaret Mae Covey.
Friends may pay their respects at 1 p.m. Friday at the LDS Church, Brookhurst Chapel. A message may be left in the guest book at www.perlfuneral.com
Arrangements: Perl Funeral Home, Medford.
