From Yavapai County, Arizona:
Ivy Witt
Ivy A. Witt, 94, a former resident of Prescott, died Thursday, June 17, 1999, in Phoenix.
She was born Aug. 13, 1904, in Luna Valley, N.M., to Arthur and Harriet (Laney) Slaughter.
Survivors include her son, James; sisters, Verda Hisey and Vada Bennett; five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, June 23, at Green Acres Chapel of Light in Scottsdale.
Green Acres Mortuary in Scottsdale helped the family with arrangements.
Mildred Velonis
Mildred Velonis, 75, died Wednesday, June 23, 1999, in Prescott.
She was born July 28, 1923, in Chicago, Ill., to James and Mary (Russ) Sinnott.
Mrs. Velonis moved to Phoenix from Chicago on Jan. 1, 1946, following her marriage to her husband, George, on Dec. 27, 1945.
She had strong roots in Phoenix, and her family was one of the founding families of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. She spent a great deal of time and effort working for the Special Olympics. She and her husband, George moved to Prescott in 1983, and were members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and strong members of the Adoration Team.
Mrs. Velonis was a well-organized, independent and strong-willed lady who instilled these tenets into her children. She insisted in the importance of every family member attending Mass, and encouraged each to live their own lives. She was a caregiver to all.
Survivors include her husband, George; sons, Tim, Jim, Ted, Chris, Vince and Tom, all of Phoenix, Greg of Bedford, Texas, and Victor of Prescott; daughters, Linda Velonis of Santa Monica, Calif., Marie Carbajal of Bagdad, and Kathy Velonis, Diane Velonis and Helen Cotter, all of Prescott; brothers, Richard Sinnott of Chicago, Ill., and Herbert Sinnott of Rock Falls, Ill.; sister, Beatrice Langendorf of Villa Park, Ill.; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today, with rosary at 7 p.m., at the Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home, 303 S. Cortez St.
A celebration of life service will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 150 Fleury Ave.
Concluding services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Redwood Memorial Gardens, on Fain Road, in Dewey.
Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Vincent de Paul Society, 150 Fleury Ave., Prescott, AZ 86301.
The Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Gerald O'Connell
Gerald Patrick O'Connell, 84, died Wednesday, June 23, 1999, in Cordes Lakes.
He was born April 10, 1915, in Absorakee, Mont., to Patrick Aloysius and Katherine Marie (Vontz) O'Connell.
Mr. O'Connell married Rita Harriet Wood on June 20, 1937. They lived in Rawlins, Wyo., until 1981. He was a petroleum transport operator for more than 50 years, and owned his own company for several years before his retirement. He and his wife moved to Cordes Lakes in 1981.
His hobbies included hunting and fishing. He enjoyed playing cards with his family and friends. He was proud of his family and his home.
Survivors include his wife, Rita of Cordes Lakes; sons, Gerald and Robert, both of Rawlins, Wyo., and David of Evanston, Wyo.; daughter, Kathy of Fort Collins, Colo.; sister, Kathleen Bunn of Tulare, Calif.; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, three sisters, and a grandson.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Community Bible Church of Cordes Lakes, 20049 E. Club Lane. Cremation was private at Bradshaw Crematory in Prescott Valley.
The Arizona Wakelin Bradshaw Chapel helped the family with arrangements.
Ted Suliga
Ted Suliga, 67, died Tuesday, June 22, 1999, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
He was born Sept. 10, 1931, in Rybnik, Poland, to Anton and Rosa (Klatschka) Suliga.
Mr. Suliga served in the U.S. Army with the occupation forces in Germany following World War II.
He was a retired sausage maker with Oscar Meyer. He moved to Phoenix from Hollywood, Calif., on March 26, 1978, and opened his own deli, Oltime Sausage. He moved to Chino Valley on Jan. 28,
1994. He was a member of the Bobby Bisjak American Legion post in Chino Valley. He enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Rita of Chino Valley, whom he married Oct. 4, 1958; sons, Kenneth of Simi Valley, Calif., and Thomas of Scottsdale; daughter, Sylvia Vila of Phoenix; brother, Trautel Suliga of Braunschweig, Germany; sisters, Elisabeth Brandt of Badkissingen, Germany, and Adeltraut Reinecke of Salzgitter, Germany; and four grandchildren.
A Christian burial service, with full military honors, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday at National Memorial Cemetery, 23029 N. Cave Creek, in Phoenix, with Deacon Bill Davis of Sacred Heart Catholic Church presiding.
The Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
William Chapman Jr.
William A. Chapman Jr., 98, died Saturday, June 19, 1999, at his home in Chino Valley.
He was born June 19, 1901, in Omaha, Neb., to William A. and Elizabeth (Lewis) Chapman Sr.
Mr. Chapman worked with the Frigidaire Division of General Motors, retiring in 1964. Following his retirement, he worked for the Del E. Webb Development Corp. as a consultant. He was a founding pioneer in development of the Walter O. Boswell and Del E. Webb Memorial Hospitals.
He served as an officer in the Naval Reserve.
He was a member of the Congregational Church of Sun City, the Lions Club and the Masonic Order. He was president of the General Motors Retirees Club of Arizona, in 1984; served as president of the Boswell Board of Directors, from 1968 to 1974; vice-chairman of the Del E. Webb Memorial Hospital Board, from 1983 to 1988; and served on the Boswell Memorial Hospital Board in 1971. He founded the William and Margaret Chapman Scholarship Fund, which provides money for deserving graduates to further their education.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth; stepdaughter, Marilyn Briel-Trinka; six step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Congregational Church of Sun City, 18401 N. 99th Ave., in Sun City.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Arizona Humane Society, 9226 N. 13th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021; or the Chapman Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1278, Sun City, AZ 85372.
Sunland Mortuary in Sun City helped the family with arrangements.
George Gossick
George R. "Joe" Gossick, 88, of Dewey, died Tuesday, June 22, 1999, in Prescott Valley.
He was born Oct. 11, 1910, in Amarillo, Texas, to Clark and Myrtle Gossick.
Mr. Gossick and his wife, Mary, were married in 1970 in Glendale, Calif. He worked in the aerospace industry for many years, and worked with the astronauts in NASA's Apollo Program. He enjoyed walking, fishing, and working around the house. He was very loving and caring, and enjoyed visiting with his neighbors.
Survivors include his wife, Mary of Dewey; son, John of Chillicothe, Mo.; brothers, Richard of Prescott and Lee of Tullahoma, Tenn.; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Private family services will be held.
Margaret Thifault
Margaret T. Thifault, 76, of Prescott Valley, died Saturday, June 19, 1999, in Prescott.
She was born July 12, 1922, in Detroit, Mich.
Mrs. Thifault was a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Survivors include her husband of 58 years, Oliver, of Prescott Valley; son, Dennis of Woodland Park, Colo.; brothers, Harry, Jim, and Ski, all of Michigan; sister, Martha Orsk, also of Michigan; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Her son, Richard, preceded her in death in 1996.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 6933 Horizon Lane in Prescott Valley.
Sunrise Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Violet Read
Violet Fabian Read, 62, died Thursday, June 17, 1999, at her home in Prescott.
She was born Nov. 22, 1936, in Romania, to Mihay and Amalia (Fejes) Fabian.
Mrs. Read moved to Prescott from Sun City five years ago. She worked at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix as a respiratory therapist. She volunteered with the Sun City Animal Rescue Shelter, and Meals on Wheels. She enjoyed needlepoint and sewing, and she truly loved animals.
She is survived by her daughter, Beatrix Gallivan of Tucson; and one grandchild. Her husband, Richard, preceded her in death on Aug. 7, 1997.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 3, at the Adair Funeral Home, 1050 N. Dodge Blvd., in Tucson.
Hampton Funeral Home helped the family with local arrangements.
