Search Archived Marriage Records
Viola “Vi” Lorraine King
Viola “Vi” Lorraine King, age 91, went home to her Lord and Savior on Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.
She was born to Walter and Hattie (Messenger) Andrus on Oct. 6, 1917, in Blaine, where she spent her childhood years. She graduated from Blaine High School in 1935 and shortly thereafter moved to Friday Harbor to work as a nanny. In Friday Harbor, she met Blair King and they married Oct. 1, 1939, in Blaine. They made their home in Friday Harbor, where together they owned and operated King’s Market for 40 years. In 2001, Vi and Blair moved to Lynden to be near family.
“Chuck” Charles F. Hanson
“Chuck” Charles F. Hanson passed away on Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.
Born on Aug. 26, 1944, in Bellingham to Herbert and Thelma (Seelye) Hanson, Chuck was a lifetime resident of Whatcom County. He spent 27 years as “Chuck of all Trades” at Trident Seafoods and was also a former owner/operator and fish tender in the seafood business. He was devoted to his family and his church. Chuck served as an Awana leader and church elder. He loved golf, his friends and participated in the American Legion and VFW as an Army veteran. Chuck loved the Lord and serving people.
Lillian Inez Gilleland
Lillian Inez Gilleland, our mother, grandmother, sister, neighbor and friend, was taken home to be with Jesus on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009.
She was born Lillian Inez Nichols to Art and Vera Nichols on Feb. 28, 1928, in Miller, Neb. Lillian spent most of her childhood on the family farm in Nebraska. Growing up with nine brothers and one sister, she remained close with her siblings even though miles separated them.
Pearl Gitts
Pearl Gitts passed away peacefully with her family at her side on Jan. 10, 2009. She was 90 years old.
Pearl was born on Aug. 18, 1918, in Mountain View (Ferndale), Wash., to Enoch and Nina Coffelt. She graduated from Ferndale High School in 1936 and was valedictorian of her class. On Dec. 31, 1939, she married Alex Gitts and together they founded Gitts’ Farms.
Jimmie “Jim” E. Martin
Jimmie “Jim” E. Martin, age 72, of Custer, went to be with his Lord on Friday, Jan. 9, 2008, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born on July 17, 1936, in St. Charles, Iowa, and moved with his family to Clipper, Wash., in 1942. Jim graduated from Nooksack Valley High School in 1954 and served in the United States Army from 1958 until 1966, when he was honorably discharged.
Joyce Pulley
Joyce Elaine Pulley, of Lynden, went to be with the Lord on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, at the age of 77.
She was born in Iowa to Hans and Agnes Jensen. Joyce married the love of her life, Cecil Pulley, in 1951 at the Advent Christian Church in Nooksack. Together they established a successful chiropractic office and raised three children. Joyce enjoyed her role in managing the office, creating a beautiful home and was known for her wonderful cooking abilities. After Cecil passed away, she moved to Lynden’s Homestead-Fieldstone Community, where she made many close friends and served as secretary of the homeowners’ association. Joyce also enjoyed traveling with her sister, Caryl, and visiting friends in Arizona. She will be missed by many.
John Tolsma Sr.
John Tolsma Sr. went to be with his loving Savior on Jan. 10, 2009. He died at his family home in the presence of his wife of 62 years and with some of his children.
He was born in Drechten, the Netherlands, to Harm and Oedske Tolsma on Dec. 7, 1921. He married Jeltje (Jenny) Cnossen on May 9, 1946. In March 1948, they immigrated to California with their oldest daughter. Five more children were born in California, where he soon made a living as a dairy farmer. The family moved to Mount Vernon, in 1960 and to Lynden in 1975. When John was 75 years old, he retired from active farming.
Marion Otter
Marion Otter, 87, passed away at the Christian Health Care Center on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009.
He was born to Harry and Lena (Sparreboom) Otter on Jan. 4, 1922, at the family farm on Bender Road. Marion attended Lynden Christian School and later transferred to Vancouver School for the Deaf, where he excelled in sports. During his adult life he farmed with his brother, John, on Bender Road for 40 years. Marion was a member of First Reformed Church and had resided at the Christian Health Care Center the past 19 months.
Shirley L. Jameson
Shirley L. Jameson, age 88, passed away on Dec. 31, 2008, in Bellingham.
She was born in Milaca, Minn., on Oct. 30, 1920, to Clifford and Agnes Love. Shirley married J. Rhodes Galbraith in Bellingham on Sept. 6, 2003. She was a retired LPN and a member of the Northwest Baptist Church in Bellingham.
Charles Holes
Charles Elwood Holes, of Lynden, passed away on Friday, Jan. 9, 2009.
He was born on Nov. 12, 1916, in Hastings, Mich., to Floyd E. Holes and May (Oliver) Holes. Charles was raised in Middleville, Mich., the third of seven children. He graduated from Middleville High School in 1934. He served his country for four years and was awarded many medals, including the Philippine Liberation with one bronze star. He married Gertrude Adams on Oct. 11, 1946.
Loretta Dennis
Loretta Ashline Dennis, of Lynden, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009. She was 85 years old.
Loretta was a kind, gentle and loving person and loved golf, singing and living at Lynden Manor.
She will be greatly missed by her nephew, Charles Ralph and his wife Carol; great-nieces Shar Ralph and Dee Wagley; and her dear friends, Jan and Gord Bogaard.
A celebration of Loretta’s life will be held at Lynden Manor on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m.
Mary Reid
Mary Reid, of Ferndale, formerly of New York and New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Jan. 1, 2009, at the age of 88.
She will be sadly missed by family and friends in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
A special thank you to the staff at the Louisa House in Ferndale for their care and kindness. Services will be held at a later date in Vancouver, B.C.
You may share your thoughts and memories of Mary in the online guest book at www.molesfuneralhomes.com.
Rachel Anne Vekved
Rachel Anne Vekved, age 7, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009.
A vivacious second grader at Ebenezer Christian School, she loved and knew the Lord and exemplified His attributes. She was a little girl with incredible insight and intuition, who had such care and concern for others. Her interests were many as she loved to read, write, draw pictures, watch movies and socialize. She delighted in people, parties and playing dress-up with her sister, Annie, and friends. She was a wonderful sister to Annie, whom she adored and cared for from the time Annie was born.
Rena Heeringa
Rena Heeringa, age 96, went home to her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009.
A lifelong Lynden resident, she was born on Oct. 6, 1912, to Jacob and Grace (Kok) Haveman. Rena was married to Peter Heeringa on Feb. 17, 1932, in the family home where she lived for 72 years. A charter member of Faith Reformed Church and active in women’s ministries, she was a member of and made quilts for the Lighthouse Mission Auxiliary and volunteered at the Christian Health Care Center calling numbers for bingo. Her hobbies included gardening, crocheting and quilting. Rena enjoyed traveling and her love for the Lord was exemplified as a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
Victoriano “Victor” Salas
Victoriano “Victor” Salas, of Lynden, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009.
Victor was born on March 23, 1919, in Monterrey, Mexico. He was preceded in death by his wife, Angelita Cruz Salas, in 1984; and a son, Juan Salas, in 1993.
Kenneth Wymer
Kenneth Wymer, 78, of Mount Vernon, went home to be with his Lord on Jan. 19, 2009, in Poulsbo, Wash.
He was born to Jesse Joe and Eliza Wymer in Wenatchee on March 14,1930. He was a graduate of Nooksack Valley High School. He married Marjorie Romberg on Oct. 9, 1948, with whom he celebrated 60 years of marriage. He graduated from Practical Bible Training Institute and Liberty University. Before trusting Christ as his Savior and being called to the ministry, Ken was a section foreman on the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Roger Allen French
Longtime Alaskan, favorite son, adored brother, wonderful uncle, loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather Roger Allen French passed away on Jan. 15, 2009, in Seattle after a valiant and courageous fight with cancer.
Roger was born in Grand Island, Neb., in 1935. In 1949, he moved with his family to Alaska. They lived in Sitka and Ketchikan for a time, settling in Anchorage in 1951. Roger graduated from Anchorage High School in 1954 and attended the University of Washington that fall. During summer break, he worked for the Alaska Railroad and met the love of his life, Suzie. After a stint in the army during the Korean War, they spent the next 48 years together, most of them in Sitka, enjoying the beauty and good life that Alaska had to offer. Roger retired from the pulp mill in Sitka after many years, where his quick wit and intelligence served him well in all his various capacities.
Bernard Statema
Bernard Statema, age 86, of Lynden, went to be with his Lord on Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at Lynden Manor.
A son of John and Katie (Hasper) Statema, he was born in Emmons County, N.D., on July 6, 1922. He married Ruth Kortlever in Lynden on Sept. 22, 1948, and in 1953 the family moved to Lynden, where he operated a dairy farm on the Double Ditch Road. In 1976, Bernie retired from dairy farming and earned his Real Estate Brokers License and worked in the Everett area. He and Ruth returned to Lynden in 1983 and Bernie worked at the Whatcom County Assessor's Office for a few years.
Mark Francis Coppinger
Mark Francis Coppinger, age 86, of Nooksack, died on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009.
He was born on June 18, 1922, in Ripon, Calif., to Mark A. and Edith (Reffner) Coppinger, and as a young man broke horses for Emerick Bridal Cattle Company in Sonora, Calif. Mark served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942 to 1945 in the South Pacific and was in the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine, D Company, participating in the initial invasion at Guadalcanal. In 1950, he was employed by Seattle City Light as a timber cutter during the construction of Ross Lake Dam. In 1989, Mark retired as a cement truck driver from Pacific Ready Mix in San Jose, Calif. He has resided in Nooksack the past eight years and was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Hazel Virginia Hesselgrave Beltz
Hazel Virginia Hesselgrave Beltz passed from this world peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009, in her home with her family at her side.
Born in Sumas on April 22 to Laura and James Carl (JC) Hesselgrave, Hazel had a life-long passion for flashy horses and Harley motorcycles. She was known for her daring adventures even as a child, riding tandem ponies and being the Junior Rodeo Queen in her hometown. She fearlessly faced life, finding no spirited horse too much to back away from as she did with all the challenges of her long, rich life. As a young woman, she barely survived a tragic motorcycle accident that took the life of her sister-in-law and left her semi-conscious for a year and with painful injuries she would stoically bear throughout the rest of her life. She faced life and death with her famous smile that would melt the sternest heart.
Willemina Van Straalen
Willemina I. Van Straalen passed away on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009, at the age of 86.
She was born on Feb. 12, 1922, in S’Gravenzande, the Netherlands. Her childhood and young adult years were spent in Holland, where she was a member of the Reformed Congregation of The Netherlands. She married Arie Van Straalen on Aug. 23, 1945. In 1949, they immigrated to the United States, residing in Chino, Calif. In 1975, they returned to Holland where Arie died in 1992. Following her husband’s death, Willemina moved to Lynden to be near family.
Howard Nachtrieb
Howard A. Nachtrieb, age 95, of Bellingham, died on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.
Funeral arrangements are pending with Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Lynden.
