Obituaries

Dec 31, 2014

STARLING J.T. PROFFIT Memorial services for longtime Cortez resident, Starling J.T. Proffit will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 8 at the Ertel Memorial Chapel. Star was born on August 22, 1927 in Camargo, Okla. the son of David B. and Beulah I. (Brown) Proffit. He passed away on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at Mercy Regional Medical Center...

Dec 30, 2014

EARL ORIS HUTCHINSON Memorial services for lifelong Cortez resident, Earl Oris Hutchinson will be held at a later date. Earl was born on September 6, 1920 in Lakeview, Colo. the son of Howard Arthur and Flossie (Walton) Hutchinson. He passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at the Vista Grande Inn at the age of 94. Earl was an Army...

Dec 29, 2014

DAVID CHARLES YELINEK, SR. Private memorial services for longtime Cortez resident, David Charles Yelinek, Sr. will be held. David was born on September 16, 1928 in Phoenix, Ariz. the son of Charles Frank and Chloe (Choate) Yelinek. He passed away on Monday, December 29, 2014 at the Valley Inn. David was 86 years old. David was a United States Air...

Dec 29, 2014

BETTY GRACE ALEXANDER Betty Grace Beers Alexander, 90, passed away on December 29, 2014 in Cortez. She was born on May 23, 1924 in Mancos, to Clarence Roy Beers and Hattie Ann Lucas Beers. Betty grew up in Mancos where she graduated from Mancos High School in 1942. After high school, she attended Colorado Woman's College in Denver, Colo. where...

Dec 25, 2014

JEANNE MARLENE KNAPP Memorial services for Jeanne Marlene Knapp will be held at a later date. Jeanne was born June 24, 1932 in Muscatine, Iowa the daughter of Jay and Edith Christensen. She passed away Thursday, December 25, 2014 at the Vista Grande Inn at the age of 82.

Dec 23, 2014

WILLIAM RONALD LANIER William Ronald (Ron) Lanier, age 74, passed away on Tuesday, December 23, 2014, in Durango, Colo., with his family by his side. Ron was born in Hinton, Okla. on October 10, 1940 to parents, Orville (Buck) and Bertha (Armstrong) Lanier. He was the middle child of two other brothers, Gerald and Steve Lanier, and was a graduate...

Dec 21, 2014

JEAN OLIVE CLARK Private Celebration of life services for Cortez resident, Jean Olive Clark will be held at a later date. Jean was born on April 8, 1933 in New Castle, Colo. the daughter of Floyd and Vonda (McNeece) Yandell. She passed away on Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Madison House Assisted Living at the age of 81. Surviving Jean...

Dec 21, 2014

NELDA RUTH WALLACE Nelda Ruth Wallace was born on December 17, 1919 in Gunnison, Colo. the daughter of Harry and Margaret (Mendenhall) Dunn. She passed away on Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Vista Grande Inn. Nelda was 95 years old. After graduating from Western State College with her teaching degree, Nelda became a Second Grade Teacher. She taught for 10...

Dec 21, 2014

MARY JANE MILLARD Graveside services for lifelong Stoner resident, Mary Jane Millard will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 26 at The People's Cemetery in Dolores. Following Interment services a Celebration of Life Service and gathering will be held at the Lewis Arriola Community Center. Mary Jane was born on December 21, 1922 at the Millard family Ranch...

Dec 18, 2014

ERIC VON FISH GRAY Funeral services for lifelong Mancos resident, Eric Von Fish Gray will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, December 26 at the Ertel Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at the Arriola Cemetery. Pastor Jeff McDonell will be officiating. Eric was born on November 20, 1980 in Cortez, the son of Vergil Elmer and Myrtle Lorraine (Fish)...

Dec 15, 2014

CLARENCE JOHN RICKEL Memorial services for Clarence John "Cal" Rickel will be held at a later date. Cal was born on December 1, 1919 in Mandan, N.D. the son of Clarence Earl and Otilia Clarenca (Strand) Rickel. He passed away at his home in Cortez on Monday, December 15, 2014 at the age of 95. Working primarily in the construction...

Dec 12, 2014

RANDON ARCHIBEQUE Funeral services for lifelong Cortez resident, Randon Archibeque will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 22 at Rock Springs Community Church. Pastor David Ramsey will be officiating. Private interment services will follow at Cortez Cemetery. Randon was born on May 20, 1980 in Durango the son of Bobby Gene and Vicki Dianne (Baskett) Archibeque. He passed...

Dec 12, 2014

Dec 10, 2014

RAYMOND CLARE GERLACH Funeral services for longtime area resident, Raymond Clare Gerlach, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 20 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Empire Street Chapel. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery. Clare, as he was known to family and friends, was born in Johnson County, Kans. on February 9, 1918...

Dec 8, 2014

William Stewart Waschke Funeral services for William Stewart Waschke will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 13 at the Dove Creek First Southern Baptist Church. Interment will follow at the Dove Creek Cemetery. William "Willie" Stewart Waschke left this life on December 8, 2014, in Monticello, Utah, at age of 84. Willie was born in Colorado Springs, Colo....

Dec 8, 2014

SHERRI GAY YATES Funeral services for longtime Cortez resident, Sherri Gay Yates will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 12 at the Arriola Bible Church. Mr. Joel Jarrett will be officiating. Sherri was born on January 31, 1947 in Lexington, Ky. the daughter of Carl Elwood and Hazel (Ellis) Lytle. She passed away on Monday, December 8, 2014...

Dec 8, 2014

JOHNNIE LEE COULON Johnnie Lee Coulon was born December 15, 1949 in Sweetwater, Texas and lost her battle with cancer December 8, 2014 at Mercy Hospital in Durango, Colorado surrounded by her adoring husband and children. She will be laid to rest in Cuthbert, Texas, where her heart has always been, on Saturday December 13, 2014. Johnnie's happy and joyful...

Dec 5, 2014

EDDIE JOE GILLILAND Graveside Inurnment services for lifelong Cortez resident, Eddie Joe Gilliland will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 12 at the Summit Ridge Cemetery. Eddie Joe was born on October 3, 1933 in Mancos the son of Edward Martin and Mary Elizabeth (Aulston) Gilliland. He passed away on Friday, December 5, 2014 at Southwest Memorial Hospital...

Dec 3, 2014

ROBERT LEWIS MAYNES Funeral services for lifelong Cortez resident, Robert "Bob" Lewis Maynes will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 8 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Pastor Barr Chittick will be officiating. Interment will follow at the Lebanon Cemetery. Bob was born on February 23, 1926 in Oxford, Colo. the son of Ernest Lewis and Hazel (Eley) Maynes. He...

Dec 2, 2014

ETTA LAVERNE CALHOUN Funeral services for lifelong Cortez resident, Etta LaVerne Calhoun will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 6 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Road M Chapel. Bishop Vaughn Cook will be officiating. Interment will follow at the Cortez Cemetery. A visitation has been scheduled before the service from 9 a.m. until...