From Yavapai County, Arizona:
Russell Lassey
Russell E. Lassey, 80, of Salem, Ore., died in Salem on Saturday, Jan. 3, 1998.
He was born May 21, 1917, in Onega, Kan., and grew up in Colorado.
He moved to a farm in Phoenix, where he met and married Elvira Shaw on Sept. 18, 1943.
Mr. Lassey served in the U.S. Army in the Caribbean and European Theaters of World War II, and was instrumental in the liberation of a labor camp near Nordhausen, Germany. He then moved to Imperial, Calif., in 1946, where he owned and operated a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant, until moving to a cattle ranch in central Idaho in 1960. He then moved to Great Falls, Mont., in 1970, where he owned and operated a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant, until retiring to Prescott in 1984. He settled in Salem, Ore., in 1993. He enjoyed his family and gardening.
Survivors include his wife, Elvira of Salem, Ore.; sons, John of Bow, N.H., and Stephen of Great Falls, Mont.; daughters, Susan LeSuer of Calais, Minn., Jean Arana of Salem, Ore., and Marcia Clark of Dallas, Ore.; brothers, Newell and Norman, both of California; sisters, Nellie Lang of Hemet, Calif., and Betty Weeks of Phoenix; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 630 Park Ave., with Pastors Bruce Humphrey and Laura Eisenhower officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to services.
Sunrise Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Maria Suarez
Maria Alicia Suarez, 57, died Friday, Jan. 2, 1998, at her home in Prescott Valley.
She was born Oct. 21, 1940, in Havana, Cuba, to Gabriel and Alicia (Fiallo) Fernandes. She moved to the United States from Cuba in 1961. She married Aquilino Suarez in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 21, 1970. She moved to Prescott Valley from Wisconsin in 1991.
Mrs. Suarez was a nurse at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. She was a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Survivors include her husband, Aquilino, of Prescott Valley; and son, Gabriel of Prescott.
Memorial services will be at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Prescott.
Sunrise Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Lilburn Murphy
Lilburn P. Murphy, 83, died Sunday, Jan. 4, 1998, at Yavapai Regional Medical Center.
He was born Feb. 10, 1914, in Peoria, to Arthur and Clearsa Ann (Phelps) Murphy.
He owned and operated Murphy Landscaping for many years before retiring in 1979. He also worked in the mines in Miami, Ariz., from 1936 to 1938, and in the Grand Canyon area, building trails and doing other work during the 1930s.
He was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps of Arizona.
Mr. Murphy enjoyed playing several musical instruments. He married Gladys E. Swingle on Nov. 7, 1936, in Phoenix. They moved to Mayer in 1979.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys of Mayer; daughter, Janet Martin of Mayer; sisters, Jewel Burke of Phoenix and Dorothy Bates of San Bernardino, Calif.; brother, Jesse of Phoenix; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A son, Fred, preceded him in death.
Visitation will be from 12 to 2 p.m. Saturday at Sunrise Funeral Home in Prescott Valley. Graveside services will be private.
Sunrise Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Freda Walker
Freda Brogden Thompson Walker, 76, died Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1998, at the Arizona Pioneers' Home.
She was born June 6, 1921, in Penrith, England. She married Kenneth Walker, who was serving with the U.S. Air Force, on Nov. 8, 1945. She came to America on April 1, 1946.
Mrs. Walker was a wonderful mother and wife. She accepted the Lord as her savior in Moline, Kan., in 1946. She will be remembered as a loving wife, excellent mother, and Christian lady.
Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Kenneth; sons, Alan, Eric and Kevin; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her daughter, Sandra, preceded her in death on Feb. 9, 1993.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Victorian Chapel of Hampton Funeral Home, 240 S. Cortez St., with Pastor W. Berry Norwood officiating. Interment will be in the Arizona National Cemetery in Phoenix.
Hampton Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
CORRECTION
Freda Walker
Freda Brogden Thompson Walker, 76, died Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1998, at the Arizona Pioneers' Home.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Victorian Chapel of Hampton Funeral Home, 240 S. Cortez St., with Pastor W. Berry Norwood officiating.
Interment will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Arizona National Cemetery in Phoenix.
Hampton Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Clara Meyer
Clara Meyer, 90, died Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997, at Mountain View Manor.
She was born Jan. 30, 1907, in DuBois, Ill., to Mitchel and Mary (Bonk) Smelter.
Survivors include her daughter, Mary Sieh of Prescott; sisters, Rose Barthel of Long Lake, Ill., and Mary Przygoda of St. Louis, Mo.; and brother, Joseph Smelter of Tamaroa, Ill.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Sunday at Mountain View Manor, 1045 Sandretto Drive.
Hampton Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
Jerry Smith
Jerry Smith, 41, died Sunday, Dec. 21, 1997, in Valencia, Calif.
He was born Dec. 28, 1956, in Prescott, to Grace and Wally Smith. He attended Sacred Heart School and graduated from Prescott High School and Yavapai College.
Survivors include his wife, Marion; son, Zachary; brother, Brian; sisters, MaryPat and Anita; and mother, Grace.
A Memorial Mass will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, at Sacred Heart Parish Center.
Services were held Monday, Dec. 29, at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, Calif.
Rose Hills Memorial Park Mortuary in Whittier, Calif., helped the family with arrangements.
Gifford Franks
Gifford Lloyd Franks, 95, a Prescott resident for the past 80 years, died Saturday, Jan. 3, 1998, at Prescott Samaritan Village.
He was born April 1, 1902, in Clarkfield, Minn. He spent the early years of his life on a small homestead farm in Goldendale, Wash. Upon the death of his father, in 1911, the family moved to Canon City, Colo., before settling in Prescott in 1917.
Mr. Franks, while still in high school, took an afternoon job behind the soda fountain at the Owl Drug and Candy Company on Montezuma Street. He later went to work for the Santa Fe Railroad as a clerk, at the historic Depot on Sheldon Street. In 1921, he entered the U.S. Postal Service, working as a mail clerk at the Prescott Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fort Whipple, before becoming superintendent of mails at the Prescott office on Goodwin Street. After 44 years of service, he retired in 1965 as assistant postmaster.
During his many years of community activity, Mr. Franks served as chief of Smoki, president of the Public School Board, member of the zoning commission for the City of Prescott, member of the Federal Draft Board, and leader in Boy Scouts of America.
Mr. Franks was especially devoted to church work and, as a founding member, he helped to establish the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wisconsin Synod, now located on Smoke Tree Lane.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Edna, a retired registered nurse whom he met while working at Fort Whipple; daughter, Jeanne of Westminster, Calif.; son, Richard of Cleveland, Ohio; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 231 W. Smoke Tree Lane. Concluding services will be at Mountain View Cemetery, with the Rev. Thomas Rothe officiating.
Memory Chapel Mortuary helped the family with arrangements.
Wayne Noll
Wayne E. Noll, 65, died Sunday, Jan. 4, 1998, at Yavapai Regional Medical Center.
He was born June 28, 1932, in Norman, Okla., to Cessna Edward and J. Rebecca (Stewart) Noll. He moved to Wilmot from Riverside, Calif., in November 1990.
Mr. Noll was employed by the Riverside Press Enterprise newspaper in Riverside, Calif., starting as electrician. He retired as plant engineer after 37 years.
He was an outdoorsman at heart who loved to go four-wheeling, fishing, hunting and camping. He was especially proud of his wife, Mary, and his family, and greatly treasured his friends.
Survivors include his wife, Mary; sons, Mike (Carne) Noll of Dayton, Nev., John Noll of Carson City, Nev., and Keith Chermar of Portland, Ore.; daughters, Linda Beck of Carson City, Nev., and Annette Meyers of Corona, Calif.; sister, Maxine Treece of San Diego, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
At Mr. Noll's request, no services are planned.
Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home helped the family with arrangements.
