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GIOVANNA ELISABETTA ZIMMERMAN BLUM, 82, passed away in Austin, Texas, on Christmas Day. A native of Lugano, Switzerland, Gio Blum came to the United States in 1947, married Robert B. Blum, and lived in El Paso since 1954. Fluent in five languages, Gio was active in International Exchange Programs as well as the Fort Bliss German Command Welcoming Committee in the 1960s and 1970s. More recently she volunteered for Pro Musica.
Her yellow rose garden, her indomitable spirit, and her daily walks with Mimi gave light to our lives. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert B. Blum. She is survived by her son, Roy Blum and his wife Debra Taylor Blum of Austin; her daughter Gigi Blum McKeever and husband Tom of Springfield, Va.; and her two granddaughters, Gretchen and Amy McKeever, also of Springfield. Visitation was held on Sunday, Dec. 29, at Martin Funeral Home West. Funeral service was held Monday, Dec. 30, at Martin Funeral Home West. Blum was laid to rest next to her husband at Memory Gardens of the Valley. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in her memory to Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road, Ste. 100, Austin, Texas, 78759, or Hospice of El Paso, 3901 N. Mesa, Ste. 400, El Paso, Texas, 79902.
From El Paso area - 2002
ROSA GALLARDO MONTES passed away on Sunday, Dec. 29. She was born into a prominent musical family in El Paso – to Rosa Gonzalez Gallardo and Ignacio Gallardo. Her father was a versatile musician in the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. Her mother stayed at home raising 13 children. Rosa Gallardo married Conrado Virgilio Montes on May 25, 1941, and shared a lifetime of love with him and their five sons and daughter. After raising her children, she returned to school to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse. She began her career with the Sisters at Hotel Dieu Hospital. She then went on to be part of the team to open the El Paso Cancer Treatment Center, where she was head nurse for 18 years.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Conrado, and her sons Miguel “Mike” and Ignacio “Nachito” Montes. She is survived by her brothers Alfredo, Armando, Lorenzo, Fernando and Tony Gallardo and her sisters Estela Garcia and Cristina Carson. She is also survived by her sons Conrado, Agustin and wife Soledad, Richard and wife Celita and her only daughter, Rose Diane and husband Tony Tate.
Grandchildren are Conrad Joseph, Tiffany Ann, Joel Alexander, Miguel Jr., Monica Adrienne, Agustin II, Michael Conrad, Crystal Anne, Jennifer Celita and Stephanie Rose Montes. Great grandchildren are James Justin Thomas, Nicholas Andrew and Matthew Ryan Montes.
Visitation was held on Thursday, Jan.2, at Martin Funeral Home West, with a rosary performed in the morning. Funeral mass was held on Thursday, Jan. 2, at St. Patrick Cathedral. Interment followed at the Ft. Bliss National Cemetery.
From El Paso area - 2002
FABIO H. GOMEZ, 57, passed away Dec. 25 in Phoenix. He was a longtime resident of El Paso and a veteran of the U.S. Army. Gomez was an electrical engineer.
He is survived by his loving wife, Chris and daughter, Isabella Palmieri and husband Vincent and son, Fabian Gomez. Two grandsons are Elijah Gomez and Leonardo Palmieri. He is also survived by his brother, Ramon Gomez and sister, Pilar Colmenero.
Memorial Service was held Dec. 30 at Hillcrest Chapel-Carolina.
From El Paso area - 2002
Army Major (Ret.) Dale H. Lich (above) was born Sept. 14, 1935, and passed away Dec. 13, 2002.
He was a recipient of many honors, including four Bronze Stars.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Maria L. Lich; by his three children: daughter Giovanna and her husband Richard Ditzenberger, daughter Barbara and her husband Kelly Martel and his son, Anthony, and his wife, Bea Lich; and by seven grandchildren: Erica and Danielle Ditzenberger, Nathan, Cameron and Trace Martel and Christopher and Sabrina Lich.
Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, with full military honors.
From El Paso area - 2002
Doris Elaine (Barnes) Bridges passed away in Canyon, Texas, Oct. 20. She was born in Pringle, S.D., Aug. 18, 1922. She married Kenneth J. Bridges of El Paso in 1944.
A registered nurse, Mrs. Bridges worked at Southwestern General Hospital in the late 1940s, served as a private duty nurse and completed her nursing career at the Rissler-Wollman Clinic after 29 years of service in the field. She was an avid gardener and cook.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth J. Bridges, in 1991. She is survived by her son, John C. Bridges and his wife, Carol, of Colorado Springs; her daughter, Kathy Cornett and her husband, Steve, of Canyon, Texas; by four grandchildren: J.D. Bridges and his wife, Michelle, of Albuquerque; Sarah Bridges of Provo, Utah; Erin Cornett of New York City; and Paul Cornett of Chicago, Ill.; and one great-grandchild, Maya Bridges. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of El Paso or any favorite charity.
From El Paso area - 2002
Theresa Agnes Hicks, 89, passed away Sunday, Dec. 22. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to El Paso in 1963. She retired from The Popular department store after 17 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar Hicks. She is survived by her children: John Hicks and his wife, Jan, of Las Vegas, Nev.; Richard Hicks and his wife, Mary, also of Las Vegas; and Nancy Pilgrim and her husband, Billy, of El Paso; by 14 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren. Interment took place in Evergreen East Cemetery.
From El Paso area - 2002
Howard L. Wagnon, 82, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, died Monday, Dec. 23. He was drafted into the Army in 1941 and advanced through six enlisted grades and six commissioned ranks, retiring as a Colonel in 1970. His military service included wartime duty in the South Pacific and Korea. He also completed tours of duty in Germany and Pakistan as well as three assignments on the faculty of the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Bliss.
He was a member of the Baptist Church and a member of “The military Order of World Wars.”
He is survived by his wife, Mattie Ann Wagnon; his sister, Ruth Phelps; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery with full military honors.
From El Paso area - 2002
Korth, pioneering El Paso businesswoman, dies at 82
One of El Paso’s pioneering businesswomen, Charlotte W. Korth, founder of the upscale furniture store that bears her name, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the age of 82.
Born Charlotte Brooks in Milwaukee, Wis. on Nov. 16, 1920, she moved to Albuquerque, N.M. where her grandparents lived during World War II. She met husband Robert Williams who was stationed at the Air Force base there, and the couple moved to El Paso in 1947, where Williams opened a Kushman scooter dealership.
A little space next to the Kushman store was where she first opened Charlotte’s furniture in 1951. “It was at 930 Reynolds. I’ll never forget it,” said Fran Timbrook, who has loyally worked with the family business for the last 25 years.
“Mother started buying furniture and accessories. She saw a need in this town for better quality furniture. And she started out very slowly and of course took over Kushman; they got out of that,” Melissa O’Rourke, Charlotte’s daughter, said.
“Whenever the dentist next door would close, they took over his space. It just grew in that location until we moved over here to Peppertree Square in 1975.”
Over the years, Charlotte was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and was the only woman on the board for Southwestern Bell.
“In many ways, she was a pioneer. A female executive in her day was pretty rare, even in the furniture industry. That industry is pretty much male-dominated, but she didn’t let that slow her down,” O’Rourke said.
Although diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease five years ago, Charlotte’s memory remained intact.
She is survived by children Melissa O’Rourke and Patricia Williams of El Paso and Brooks Williams of New York; and grandchildren Erin and Robert O’Rourke, Charlotte Pearson, and Bonnie Williams.
A beautiful painting of the matriarch is on an easel in the furniture store’s lobby.
“I think she contributed a lot to our community because of what she built. She and my father with Charlotte’s – the vision they had and the standards, and her wonderful taste. People who lived here and moved away to Dallas or other big cities say, ‘you know, there’s just not a store like Charlotte’s.’ Mother saw that vision.”
From El Paso area - 2003
Blanche Groesbeeck Foster passed away Jan. 12. Born in Coleman County, Texas, on Aug. 17, 1914, to John M. and Mary Allison Patton, she was raised in Harlingen, Texas, and married John N. Groesbeeck III. They moved to El Paso in 1940, where they raised their two daughters, Joan and Jean. The family worked together in the boot business and as land developers, until Mr. Groesbeeck’s death in 1969.
Mrs. Groesbeeck then worked as a reporter for the El Paso Times and later as a travel agent. In 1973, she married John P. Foster, an El Paso architect and engineer, who preceded her in death in 1985.
She was a life member and past president of the Woman’s Club of El Paso, past chairman of trustees of the Women’s Club Historical and Charitable Trust, a life member of the El Paso County Historical Society, and a member of the El Paso Museum of Art, the Women’s Auxiliary of UTEP and the Women’s Department of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce. She was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon and elder.
Mrs. Foster is survived by her children: Joan Hatfield of Annapolis, Md.; Jean (and Alan) Kahn of Bozeman, Mont.; Tom (and Carol) Brown of Lakeland, Fla.; and step-daughter Ann Foster Cone of El Paso; 25 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; brother John Patton; sister-in-law Lucille (widow of brother Sam) Patton; brothers-in-law Newton and Art Foster and their wives; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to any favorite charity or to the Women’s Club Historical and Charitable Trust, 1400 N. Mesa, El Paso, Texas 79902.
From El Paso area - 2003
Maj. (ret.) George Wallace Skanse (DeBorg), 81, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9. Born in Great Falls, Mont., he grew up in California. As a teen, he worked as a ranch hand at the Hearst Castle. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army in WWII and during the Korean War, earning the Bronze Star. He retired from the US. Army Corps of Engineers in 1963. He opened numerous businesses, including The Book Gallery, A-1 Costumes and Gifts and the People’s Emporium. He was a past president of the Five Points Development Association.
He is survived by his wife, Elvia; daughters Monica and Dena; sons Richard Allen, Richard Constantine and George Jr.; his brothers Dick and sisters Jean and Joan and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Interment took place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
From El Paso area - 2003
