Obituaries for Thurston County Washington

Bak, Mrs. Andrine

Drake, Caroline

Drake, Lyman D.

Dunbar, Ralph

Edgbert, Frank William

Kennedy, William

Miller, Freeman C.

Nisqually Valley News, Yelm, Washington

March 24, 2006

Freeman C. Miller, 87, passed away at the Nisqually Valley Care Center in McKenna, Wash. on March 17, 2006. Freeman was born Sept. 20, 1918, in Millersburg, Penn. to Cyrus E. Miller and Ella Selena Lenker.

During his childhood, Freeman helped his grandfather on his farm in Pennsylvania. He later left grade school to work in a local restaurant.

Freeman joined the United States Army at the beginning of World War II and served stateside as a cook and baker where he rose to the rank of sergeant. After he was discharged from the Army, Freeman worked as a warehouse man for Mt. Rainier Ordinance Depot (Fort Lewis) and later at the Puget Sound Naval shipyard in Bremerton, Wash. He retired after 29 years of service.

While Freeman was stationed at Fort Lewis, he met and married E. Fern McKernan of Tacoma, Wash., on Oct. 15, 1943. They were married 36 years when she passed away on Sept. 23, 1983, while the couple were living in Yelm, Wash. Freeman then met and married Mary Housden, of McKenna, Wash., on April 27, 1986 at the Yelm Prairie Bowling Lanes. Freeman was enthusiastically adopted and lovingly accepted into Mary’s family.

His friends and family will fondly remember Freeman’s delight when he was surrounded by people having a good time, be it a birthday party for a grandchild or a bowling league dinner.

We all cherish the memory of his happy, distinctive laugh ringing out at a backyard barbecue.

Dad was an avid fisherman, and his daughter Mickey fondly remembers bobbing around in Puget Sound every Sunday of her younger years in the 1950s and 1960s while Freeman caught fish and Mickey drowned bait. Dad was also an accomplished bowler, and he and Mary continued to bowl frequently and competitively until shortly before his passing.

Freeman was a meticulous gardener. His lawn was always mowed, his gardens weed-free, and he was a master of the perfectly pruned hedge.

Freeman and Mary had a motor home and traveled the area for many years, camping on local beaches, usually with family. He also enjoyed working on paint-by-number pictures and hooking rugs.

Freeman is survived by: his daughter, Mickey (Don) Pederson of Puyallup, Wash.; his stepdaughter, Diana (Jim) Clevenger, Olympia, Wash.; his stepson, Bill (Donna) Housden, of McKenna, Wash.; two grandchildren, Stephen Smith of Richmond, Va. and Teri King of Fort Hood, Texas; five step-grandchildren, Kari Larson of Doty, Wash., John Housden of Tacoma, Wash, Kristina Reninger of McKenna, Wash., Brenda Linderkamp, Graham, Wash., Nicki Medicus, Georgia, and Dani Frost, Yelm, Wash; also, nine great-grandchildren. Freeman’s younger brother, Kenneth, preceded him in death in 1971.

Dad was a humble, quiet man and requested that there be no services. We will respect that wish.

©Mrs. Carole Dick

CHIEF JUSTICE OF WASHINGTON DIES
Ralph Dunbar Succumbs to a Stroke of Apoplexy This Morning
     Olympia, Wash., Sept. 19-Chief Justice Ralph Dunbar of the Washington state supreme court, died here early this morning after a lingering illness of several weeks. The attending physician said that apparently apoplexy was the immediate cause of death, which occurred shortly after midnight.
     Chief Justice Dunbar had been a member of the state supreme court since Washington was admitted to the Union and served three terms as chief justice. He was nominated without opposition on the non partisan judiciary ticket at the state-wide primary last week to succeed himself.
     Ralph Oregon Dunbar was born in Schuyler County, Illinois, April 26, 1845, and when but 1 year old was taken by his parents across the plains and mountains by ox team to the Willamette valley, Oregon, where his father engaged in farming. He was educated at Willamette University and in 1867 moved to Olympia, where he took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1869. He was appointed clerk of the territorial supreme court in that year and served until 1871, when he moved to Yakima, where he practiced law until 1875, then moving to The Dalles, Or.
     In 1877 he returned to --------- and the next year was elected a member of the upper house of the territorial legislature. He was returned as a member of the lower house in 1885 and was elected speaker. He served as chairman of the committee on public lands in the constitutional convention in 1889 and upon admission of the state to the Union mounted the supreme bench. He is survived by a widow and three children.

Oakland Tribune, Oakland California September 19, 1912

©Shauna Williams

Frank William Edgbert

Obit: Frank William Edgbert died 04 January 1935
Frank W. Edgbert, 89, Civil War veteran and pioneer of the Sound country, died at his home, Thomas and Conger streets, Friday evening.
Mr. Edgbert came to this state 46 years ago and engaged in business at Arcadia, operating a general store there until 17 years ago, when he retired and came to Olympia to reside. He was born in the state of New York August 10, 1845.
In early life Mr. Edgbert went to Chicago, and at the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted in the 91st Illinois Infantry. He had the distinction of being with the troops that participated in the funeral services for the martyred president, Abraham Lincoln. Following the war, Mr. Edgbert located in Indiana, and came from there to this state.
He was a member of the local post of the G. A. R., and his death further depleted the fast thinning ranks of the corps. Mrs. Edgbert died here in 1929. Surviving are two sons, Charles R., and Frank William, five daughters, Mrs. Irene (Hugh) Bridges, Mrs. Nellie (Wallace) Lott, Mrs. Emma (George) Green, Mrs. Clara (Henri) Schlottmann and Mrs. Florence (George) Carlo, and 27 grandchildren, all residents of the county. Mr. Edgbert was a member of the Christian Missionary Alliance congregation. The body is at the Mills parlor.
Obituary published in "The Daily Olympian," Olympia, Thurston County, Washington of 05 January 1935

EDGBERT FUNERAL WILL BE TUESDAY
Funeral services for Frank William Edgbert, 89, pioneer and Civil War veteran, will be held from the Mills chapel Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 with interment in the I.O.O.F. cemetery where full military honors will be accorded. Mr. Edgbert is survived by two sons, five daughters, 27 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Mr. Edgbert engaged in business at Arcadia 46 years ago and was postmaster there for a number of years, and in early days traded extensively with the Indians. He retired 17 years ago and came to Olympia to live.
Note: Frank William Edgbert was the son of Fletcher William Edgbert and Almira Watson. He was born on August 10, 1845 in Harrisburg, New York. He married Delia Vianna Sharp on September 2, 1875 in Grundy County, Illinois.
from "The Sunday Olympian" of 06 January 1935

©Clara Jacobson

MRS. ANDRINE BAK DIES AT AGE OF 92

Mrs. Andrine Bak, 92, resident of this county for the past nine years, passed away early Sunday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. N. B. Helland, near Deep Lake, in the Plum Station neighborhood.

Mrs. Bak was a native of Norway and came to this country 48 years ago.

Surviving besides her daughter, Mrs. N. B. Helland, are ten grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

Furneral services will be held from the Warnica and Warnica Funeral home Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Rev. Sayler officiating.

From: The Daily Olympian

©Kim Torp

Caroline Drake

The Olympia Daily Recorder, June 27, 1904

Mrs. Caroline Drake, 65 years old, died at her residence, 1010 Columbia street, at 4 o'clock this morning. The funeral will be held in the Presbyterian church at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, June 29, interment being in the Masonic cemetery. Deceased was a native of Indiana and came to Washington thirty years ago. She leaves a family of ten children, all of whom reside in Thurston County.

Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy

Lyman D. Drake

Obit: The Morning Olympian of Friday, October 20, 1899

DEATH OF LYMAN DRAKE
Caused by a Fall He Received at South Union on Wednesday

Lyman D. Drake, the well known resident of South Union, died at 5 o'clock on Wednesday evening as the result of a fall he received but three hours before. Mr. Drake was a brick mason by trade and was engaged in constructing a chimney on a house belonging to D. R. Burdick, at South Union. Mr. Drake was at work on a scaffolding about twelve feet from the ground when it gave way, throwing the unfortunate man heavily on his head and shoulder. The result evidently was that his spine was broken. The immediate effect was that he lost his eyesight, but he retained consciousness until his death.

He was at once picked up and taken to the house but continued to grow worse. Three hours afterward he was moved to the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. J. Abbott, but died soon after being moved. He was 72 years of age and a wife and ten children, four boys and six girls, survive him. The funeral will be held this forenoon at 11 o'clock from the South Union church and interment will be in the Masonic cemetery.

Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy

NAME: William Kennedy

COUNTY: Thurston

STATE: WA

NEWSPAPER: Daily Olympian

DATE: March 29, 1980

William Kennedy

Dr. William Kennedy, 82, died Thursday, March 27, in the Washington State Soldiers’ Home in Orting. He was born on Dec. 25, 1897, in Woods, OR, and had lived in Olympia from 1947 to 1964. Dr. Kennedy was a dentist and was retired. He was a 60-year member of the Tillamook Masonic Lodge F and AM. Surviving are his wife, Christel, Olympia; one son, Robert, Venice, CA; one daughter, Margaret Kennedy, Portland, OR; a stepdaughter, Magdalena Spicher, Olympia; also eight grandchildren. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, April 1, at 1 PM in the Washington State Soldiers’ Home in Orting. Rev. Archie Freeman will officiate. Burial will follow in the Soldiers’ Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Hill Funeral Home, Puyallup.

Submitted by Kathie Marynik