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Mathis, Newton Eugene Saturday, 27 Nov 2004
Newton Eugene Mathis, 88, of Bainbridge Island died Nov. 27 at Messenger House.
He was born Jan. 30, 1916, in Butler, Okla. His father and uncle worked on neighboring farms, where he learned to pick cotton and make ice cream when hailstorms delivered ice.
They moved to California when “Newt” was age 7, and he grew up in the rich farm country of California’s Central Valley, working crops, picking fruit and fishing the rivers of the Sierra Nevada.
The habit of hard work and love of farming and the outdoors continued throughout his life.
After graduating from high school in San Jose, Calif., his plans to study agriculture were disrupted by the Depression.
While working at a linoleum factory in Emeryville, his continual stream of suggestions for improvements earned him the name of “Engineer Mathis.”
It was there that he met Kathryn McNeely. Although they got lost finding the minister’s house, they were married
in May 1938.
Between the births of their two sons, Newt realized his dream of owning a place in the country where he could raise a garden and keep a milk cow and chickens.
On the farm he called “Tollgate, ” he and his wife raised a family in a lifestyle that was mostly self-sufficient.
He became a timber faller in the day of hand saws, double-bit axes and spring boards.
With the evolution of the chain saw, he continued his innovation by inventing new ways to use that tool to control falling a tree.
His specialty became removing difficult and dangerous trees around vacation cabins, homes and power lines.
Retirement meant that timber falling was no longer an occupation. He continued to be very active cutting wood, building a greenhouse, gardening and helping his neighbors.
In 1979, he and his wife moved to Trinidad on the north coast of California to escape the Sierra snow, and in 1995 they followed their family to Bainbridge Island.
He enjoyed talking with anyone from any walk of life, and never tired of retelling stories that gained embellishments over the years.
He had many friends and acquaintances, some of whom discovered upon meeting that both knew Newt.
He is survived by his wife Kathryn of Bainbridge Island; sons Perry of Falls Church, Va., and Paul of Bainbridge Island; and granddaughters Hillary of Tucson, Ariz., and Brenda of Bainbridge.
A private family memorial is planned. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Bainbridge Island, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Espelund, Rose Joyce Thursday, 09 Dec 2004
Former Bainbridge Island resident Rose Joyce Espelund, age 81, died Dec. 9 at her home outside Poulsbo.
She was born Oct. 1, 1923, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, to Hector and Emma (King) Gagne.
At age 3, she moved with her family to Minneapolis, Minn.
Following graduation from high school, she married
Jim Nelson with whom she had one daughter, Mary Margaret Miller. Later she married
Albert Lawrence Nelson in 1950. They had one daughter, Michele.
Joyce lived on Bainbridge Island from 1954 until 2002 when she moved to Poulsbo. She enjoyed music, art, nature and animals. She gave to people and charitable organizations.
She is survived by two daughters, Michele Dean, Poulsbo, and Mary Margaret “Marge” Miller, Thompson Falls, Mont.; one sister, Pat Dwyer, Bainbridge Island; one granddaughter, Sandra Stall, Long Beach, Calif.; and three great-grandchildren.
At her request there will be no services. Remembrances can be made to Heifer International, 2015 J. St., Suite 106, Sacramento, CA 95814 or the Salvation Army USA Western Territory, 180 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.
Ferson, E. Elaine Monday, 06 Dec 2004
Former Bainbridge resident E. Elaine Ferson, 86, of Poulsbo, died Dec. 6 in Bremerton.
She was born July 22, 1918, in Blue River, Wis., to John B. and Maude (Hood) Gassere.
She was raised in Wisconsin, and earned a degree in art education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
As Mrs. Gordon Kelley, she raised five children at Fletcher Bay, all of whom graduated from Bainbridge High School.
When her children were grown, she was manager and co-owner with husband Don Ferson of the Inquisitors Club, later called the Share the Ride Club, a travel service for senior citizens that operated in the Seattle area.
She was an avid reader and enjoyed English literature, and she made two trips to England in her later years. She was a devoted mother and grandmother.
She is survived by sons Kirk Wollin of Indianola, Paul Kelley of Kent, and Michael Kelley of Renton; daughters Marsha Pellegrini of Bremerton and Sally Duckworth of Poulsbo; grandchildren Aimee Wollin, Sonia Wollin, Dominic Pellegrini, Kelley Duckworth Krause, Tessie Duckworth and Hannah Duckworth; great-grandchildren Rowan McConnell and Tucker Krause; and sister Fay Lafayette of Minneapolis, Minn.
Services were Dec. 13 at First Baptist Church on Bainbridge Island, with arrangements by the Stone Chapel. An online memorial is at www.lewischapel.com.
Mathis, Newton Eugene Saturday, 27 Nov 2004
Newton Eugene Mathis, 88, of Bainbridge Island died Nov. 27 at Messenger House.
He was born Jan. 30, 1916, in Butler, Okla. His father and uncle worked on neighboring farms, where he learned to pick cotton and make ice cream when hailstorms delivered ice.
They moved to California when “Newt” was age 7, and he grew up in the rich farm country of California’s Central Valley, working crops, picking fruit and fishing the rivers of the Sierra Nevada. The habit of hard work and love of farming and the outdoors continued throughout his life.
After graduating from high school in San Jose, Calif., his plans to study agriculture were disrupted by the Depression. While working at a linoleum factory in Emeryville, his continual stream of suggestions for improvements earned him the name of “Engineer Mathis.”
It was there that he met Kathryn McNeely. Although they got lost finding the minister’s house, they were married
in May 1938.
Between the births of their two sons, Newt realized his dream of owning a place in the country where he could raise a garden and keep a milk cow and chickens. On the farm he called “Tollgate, ” he and his wife raised a family in a lifestyle that was mostly self-sufficient.
He became a timber faller in the day of hand saws, double-bit axes and spring boards. With the evolution of the chain saw, he continued his innovation by inventing new ways to use that tool to control falling a tree. His specialty became removing difficult and dangerous trees around vacation cabins, homes and power lines.
Retirement meant that timber falling was no longer an occupation. He continued to be very active cutting wood, building a greenhouse, gardening and helping his neighbors.
In 1979, he and his wife moved to Trinidad on the north coast of California to escape the Sierra snow, and in 1995 they followed their family to Bainbridge Island.
He enjoyed talking with anyone from any walk of life, and never tired of retelling stories that gained embellishments over the years. He had many friends and acquaintances, some of whom discovered upon meeting that both knew Newt.
He is survived by his wife Kathryn of Bainbridge Island; and granddaughters Hillary of Tucson, Ariz., and Brenda of Bainbridge.
A private family memorial is planned. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Bainbridge Island, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Larkey, Carl Leroy Sunday, 28 Nov 2004
Carl Leroy Larkey, 51, of Bainbridge Island, died Nov. 28 at Western State Hospital, Lakewood, from conditions related to the cancer that was diagnosed in November 2003.
He was born Sept. 26, 1953 in Shattuck, Okla., and attended schools in Colorado. At an early age he started working in the lumber industry in Montana, Idaho and finally in Forks, Wash.
In the late 1980s, a disabling timber falling accident abruptly ended his chosen career.
He was known for his generosity and willingness to help others, the family said.
He is survived by daughters, Lonnell of Poulsbo, and Tessa and Daneahe, both of Keyport; brothers Mike, Mark and Steve, and sisters Linda and Teresa, all of Montana, sister Carol of Colorado and sister Kathy of Oregon; and parents Charles and Beverly Larkey of Fowler, Colo.
A memorial gathering and luncheon for family and friends will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 12 at the Raven’s Nest Facility behind Clearwater Casino, Suquamish Although none are requested, any donations that are received will be applied to Carl’s disposition arrangements by his caregiver and executor, Paul See, Bainbridge Island.
Robison, Barbara L. Thursday, 02 Dec 2004
Former Bainbridge Island resident Barbara L. Robison, age 66, died Dec. 2 at Tuality Hospital in Hillsboro, Ore.
She was born April 23, 1938 in Melbourne, Australia, to George and Florence (Foley) Clough.
She met her husband Don Robison on a blind date in Melbourne in 1964. Two weeks later they were married
and returned to Hawaii, where Don had his business.
In 1995, they bought a home on Bainbridge Island where they spent half the time.
In 2002, failing health forced Barbara to move closer to her son, Joel, in Portland.
She was interested in painting and pottery. She gave great parties and enjoyed “all the finer things in life, ” including her dogs.
She is survived by two sons, Joel Robison, Forest Grove, Ore.; Jud Robison, Kailua, Hawaii; one daughter, Brooke Robison, Hillsboro, Ore.; one brother, Barry Clough, Melbourne, Australia; and three grandchildren, Chloe, Tyler and Rowan.
Her husband Don preceded her in death in 1999.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 8 at Port Madison Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at Port Madison (Kane) cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.
Olsen, Muriel Daggett ‘Mike' Friday, 19 Nov 2004
Former Bainbridge Island resident Muriel Daggett “Mike” Olsen, 82, died Nov. 19 at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton after a brief illness.
She was born Oct. 10, 1922 in Lynn, Mass., to Bertha Toske and James Daggett.
She graduated from Saugus, Mass., High School in 1939 and Fisher Business School (now Fisher College) in 1940.
She enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard (SPAR) in 1943, with basic training at Hunter College, New York City. Her duty station was USCG HQ, in the Alaska Building in Seattle, where she served as a storekeeper for two years.
She moved to Bainbridge Island in 1952 and to Poulsbo in 2000.
She graduated from Olympic College in 1977, and worked from then until 1984 as secretary and bookkeeper at the Bloedel Reserve. She was a past commander at American Legion Post 172, Winslow, and was also involved in Legion Auxiliary Post 245, Poulsbo, as well as Navy League and Sons of Norway.
She is survived by her sons James Springer of Suquamish, Roy (Kathy) Springer of Hermiston, Ore., and Charles Olsen of Port Orchard; grandsons Steven (Brenda) Springer of Oak Harbor and Mark Olsen of Issaquah; two great-grandchildren, Steel and Sierra Springer; and a niece, Daryll Wasson.
She was preceded in death by her husband Albert Olsen, and her sister Evelyn Donnelly.
Burial will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 3 at Crown Hill cemetery in Seattle, with arrangements by Miller-Woodlawn of Bremerton. Services will follow at 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Gamble.
There will also be a reception from 2-6 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Legion Hall on Bucklin Hill Road, Bainbridge Island. Donations may be made in her name to military relief efforts, to the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial, or to the American Cancer Society.
Fields, Carole Ann Saturday, 20 Nov 2004
Carole Ann Fields, 69, died Nov. 20, after a 27-year battle with a brain tumor. She died peacefully at her home on Bainbridge Island with her family at her side.
She was born April 15, 1935, in Aberdeen, Wash., the only daughter of Waldemar and Taimi Kaiyala. After a brief marriage to Keith Belcher, she married
Eddie Fields in 1965.
Eddie and Carole resided for a short time in Vancouver, Wash., but moved to Bainbridge Island to raise their family in 1968.
She is survived by her husband of 39 years and full-time caregiver Eddie Fields; daughter Pam Kumpf, Suquamish; sons Kevin Belcher, Seattle, and Craig Belcher, Kent; and grandchildren Sasha Hinners of Kingston, Kyle, Collin and Allison Belcher of Seattle, and Jackson and Thomas Belcher of Kent; and one great-grandchild, Hunter Hinners of Kingston.
An open house will be held from 12-4 p.m. Dec. 4 at the family home. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made in Carole’s name to Hospice of Kitsap County, P.O. Box 3416, Silverdale, WA 98383-3416.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.
Brein, Nathan Saturday, 12 Feb 2005
Bainbridge Island resident Nathan Brein, age 94, died Feb. 12 at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
He was born May 10, 1910, in Philadelphia, Pa., to David and Rose (Kaplan) Brein.
After attending Temple University in Philadelphia, he worked in the family business until joining the Marine Corps for service during World War II. He served in the South Pacific as a platoon sergeant and was wounded during combat in Okinawa.
Once he returned stateside and recuperated from his battle wounds, he joined the USO as a comedy writer, later writing for the young comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
When the Lewis/Martin partnership dissolved, he moved to New York and wrote for Martha Rae and other nightclub comics.
He later opened a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. After successfully operating the restaurant for 15 years, he retired with his wife, traveled and played golf.
In 2004 he moved to Bainbridge Island to be near his children.
He is survived by his son Jeff Brein and daughter Dinah Brein, both of Bainbridge Island; and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 12 p.m. Feb. 16 at Congregation Kol Shalom.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.
