Lemley Chapel

Austin “Bub” James Thomas

Lemley Chapel — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:05:24 +0000

Austin “Bub” James Thomas, age 16, went home to his Lord Jesus Christ on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. He was born August 26, 1995 in Renton, Washington to Jason and Mika Thomas.
Austin was known for his many qualities: He was a protector of his younger siblings whom he adored; his beautiful crooked smile; his huge sense of humor; he would create and deliver impromptu standup comedy routines that kept his family in stitches; his close loving relationship with is grandfather “Papa” Thomas and grandmother Nana Thomas as their Monkey Man; his great love and passion for football and his promise as an athlete as a sophomore at Sedro-Woolley High School. He was already receiving attention from NCAA Division 1 Colleges. He was making plans for a special day with his girlfriend Claire, and that was just another example of his love of life.
Austin was always moving, planning, and looking forward with high energy. He had a warm caring spirit and was very respectful of others. Austin had a strong presence and demonstrated leadership qualities. He was also a scholar who planned an eventual career in sports medicine and or sports marketing after he achieved his football goals.
Austin’s intense, warm, loving spirit naturally developed into a tight bond with each of his parents and siblings. Austin’s parents both recall their first born as their best friend and there are no words to express their grief. Austin was a great brother to his siblings. Alex recalls his big brother coming to his football practices and taking time to lovingly coach his football skills.
Cassie Grace recalls Austin’s ability to make her feel special. She always got his second hug, after Mom got the first, when Austin came off the football field.
Austin is survived by his parents, Jason and Mika Thomas and siblings, Alex and Cassie Grace of the family home in Sedro-Woolley. Grandparents; Ken and Cassie Thomas of Sedro-Woolley, Roger Carpenter of Oklahoma, Linda Sylva of Williston, ND, and Grandma Bama of Phoenix, AZ. Great-Grandparents, Lou Richie of Mount Vernon and Norcella Bowers of Woodinville. Aunts and Uncles, Jolynn and Zach Forest of Marysville, Jessica and Justin Paul of Santa Cruz, CA, Cody Carpenter of Marysville, Tommy Toohey of Minneapolis, MN, Duane and Kristi Thomas of Auburn, and numerous great-aunts and uncles and cousins. He is also survived by his extended football family and friends.
“Bubba loves Momma
Momma loves Bubba”
Funeral Arrangements are under the care of Lemley Chapel, and will be announced in a later edition of the Skagit Valley Herald. A time of visitation will begin 9-5 Monday.

Stan E. Brookings

Lemley Chapel — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:46:15 +0000

Stan E. Brookings, age 77, passed away Tuesday, May 8, 2012. Stan was born on April 21, 1935 in Great Falls, Montana to Gene and Marguerite (Skinner) Brookings.
Stan was an outdoorsman and loved the mountains. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, traveling, and was a great cook. He belonged to the Wildcat Steelhead Club and was a guide on the Skagit River for many years. He was a long time member of the Sedro-Woolley Eagles, and was the President of the Sedro-Woolley Little League for 7 years. Most of all he loved spending special time with his granddaughters.
He worked at Skagit Steel for 27 years in the welding shop and later became a job planner and estimator. Later, he ran a small steel plant in Bellingham. He also worked at Haskell Corporation. After retirement, he worked as a roving security guard for Sierra Pacific, a job he loved. Stan was more than this obituary shows he was a special man and will be greatly missed by many.
He is survived by his wife, Elli; daughter-in-law, Linda Brookings; granddaughters, McKenzie and Haley Brookings; sisters, Ruth Kuske (Edwin), Kathy Mast (Todd); uncle, William Brookings; aunt, Doris Kester; numerous cousins, and many nieces and nephews.
Stan is preceded in death by his parents; son, David Brookings; daughters, Karen and Julianne Brookings; sisters Barbara, and Marilyn Cornwall (John).
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Fish, Dr. Mathey, Burtons Care Center, North Puget Oncology at United General Hospital and Walgren’s Pharmacy for all their help in the past years.
Memorial Services will be held Monday, May 14, 2012 at 11:00AM at Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley with Pastor Jim Cannon officiating. A reception will follow at the Sedro-Woolley Eagles. Inurnment will be at the Saxon Cemetery in Acme at a later date.

Ann Elizabeth Nelson

Lemley Chapel — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:45:53 +0000

Ann Elizabeth Nelson, age 91, passed away Tuesday, May 8, 2012, culminating a life filled with hard work, adventure, and, most importantly, family. She was born July 28, 1920 in Sedro-Woolley, Washington to Avery and Etta (Robinson) Stiles.
Ann grew up in the Skagit Valley, playing catcher on the softball team before graduating from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1938. She married Frank Gee just before the beginning of World War II. During that time, when many of the men were serving in the war, she worked in the logging industry as a whistle punk, sounding the steam whistle to communicate about logging activities. Frank preceded her in death in 1943.
On November 26, 1947, Ann married Stanley Nelson Jr., owner of Nelson Chevrolet in Sedro-Woolley. In 1951 they, together, built the home that would become the center for family gatherings. Then called the Nelson Hereford Ranch, and now called Foothills Farm, over the years they raised cattle, riding horses, racehorses, Ann’s flourishing vegetable garden, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Ann left her mark on many things, but especially the Annual 4th of July celebration and the heirloom tarheel beans cultivated from seeds given to her by her mother from Sylva, NC.
In 1958, Stan and Ann moved their family to Seattle to run Nelson Chevrolet in Ballard when Stan Nelson Sr. retired.. The Nelson Family is one of the oldest and largest automotive families in the Northwest. As the matriarch, she promoted that all her children grow and maintain the family businesses. With her support and guidance, all 4 children have owned and operate automobile dealerships today. She was especially adamant that her daughters take leadership roles alongside her husband and son. Currently her daughters own and operate Acura of Bellevue and Foothills Toyota Scion in Burlington. She always talked about the business and her wisdom and vision helped guide the family businesses through the challenging economic times of the past few years. She was featured in The Puget Sound Dealer Magazine in the Fall of 2007 as “a Matriarch of the Auto Industry, with the quote “You can do anything you want. Never give up.””
The family continued to split their time, spending weekends and summers at the farm, and building a strong presence in the Seattle community. Ann was a great Husky and Mariner fan, longtime supporter of the Seattle Milk Fund, and member of the Puget Sound Syndicate Investment Club and the Washington Athletic Club.
Throughout her life, Ann maintained a sense of adventure, always trying new things and improving on what had come before. She holds the record for the largest deer killed by a woman in Sedro-Woolley and she once bowled a 299 game. Ann loved horses and even rode one on her 90th birthday. She was always full of advice for her children and grandchildren, and encouraged them both personally and professionally. Her home and her kitchen were always warm and welcoming, full of good food, cheer and love. She was a wonderful model of beauty and strength. Her amazing smile and kind heart will never be forgotten.
She is survived by four children; Stanley Nelson III and wife Robin of Seattle, Barbara Nelson and husband James Bradshaw of Seattle, Fredricka Nelson Bolinger and husband Charlie of Woodinville, and Pamela Nelson and husband Tom Strotkamp of Sedro-Woolley. Eleven grandchildren; Ann-Margaret Nelson Johnson, Stanley Nelson IV, Hilaree Nelson O’Neill, Robert Sesnon, Nelson Haldane, David Bolinger, Liz King, Ericka Sisolak, Charlie Bolinger, and Matt & Tyler Steinman and seven great-grandchildren. Her brother, William Stiles and wife Betty of Sedro-Woolley, sister, Faye Jenson of Salem, OR, and sister-in-law, Bliss Nelson Miller of Bellevue and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Stanley Jr., brother Louie Stiles, and two sisters, Helen Berg and Mabel Cline.
The family would like to extend a special thank you for the care given to Ann by Dr. Werner Samson, Sherry Turner, and the medical staff at the University of Washington Medical Center. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 2:00PM at Foothills Farm on 25292 Hoehn Rd in Sedro-Woolley. Memorials are suggested to Sedro-Woolley High School Alumni Association, Seattle Milk Fund 1130 N Northgate Way Seattle, WA 98133 or Seattle Children’s M/S S200 PO Box 5371Seattle, WA 98145=5005. Arrangements and Services under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

Robert Joseph Rigacci

Lemley Chapel — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:36:49 +0000

Robert Joseph Rigacci, age 90, passed away Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at the Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, Washington. He was born January 7, 1922 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Peter and Enrichetta (Bastiani) Rigacci.
Robert grew up in Milwaukee, WI attending school and in 1940 he enlisted in the U.S. Army serving in the South Pacific during WWII as a Staff Sergeant. Upon his discharge from the service, he attended DePaul University graduating with a B.A. in Business Administration. He then worked as an accountant for a wholesale produce business in Chicago for many years.
Robert was married to Bernice Faber in 1949 in Milwaukee and she preceded him in death in 1994. For the past 14 years, Robert has resided in Sedro-Woolley, WA.
He is survived by his two sons; Michael Rigacci and his wife Nancy of Sedro-Woolley, WA, Peter Rigacci of Mount Vernon, WA and a granddaughter, Ashley Rigacci of Sedro-Woolley, WA. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Bernice and two sisters, Emily Menguy and Iola Regacci.
Inurnment will be at the Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI. Arrangements under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley, WA.

Sandra “Sandi” Cobb

Lemley Chapel — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:22:04 +0000

Sandra L. Cobb, age 63, of Mount Vernon, passed away May 4, 2012, at Skagit Valley Hospital. She was born July 11, 1948, in Coupeville, Washington, to Roger and Millie (Bailey) Jensen.
Sandi grew up in Sedro-Woolley, was involved in the Order of the Rainbow Girls, graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School, and Skagit Valley College, with an Associate of Arts Degree. For many years she was a member of Soroptimist International. She was a proud cancer survivor. She married Donald Cobb, January 8, 2006, in Mount Vernon. Sandi worked for 20 years at Bendix/ Skagit Steel, and 21 years at Skagit Valley Hospital, retiring in 2011.
Sandi is survived by her husband, Donald Cobb; son, Jeffrey, and his wife, Jodi Sass; stepson-in-law, Andy, and his wife, Heather Boderick; grandsons, Jason, Jared, and granddaughter, Brookie; sisters, Terie, and her husband, Shay Walker, and Karen Kelly; many nieces, nephews and wonderful friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
A Remembrance Service will be held at the family home, 634 N. Waugh Road, Mount Vernon, from 3:00 to 6:00, Friday, May 11, 2012, with Pastor Diane Bobko officiating. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Skagit Valley Hospital Cancer Care Unit.

Lowal Henderson Bullard

Lemley Chapel — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:00:28 +0000

Lowal Henderson Bullard, age 85, passed away Thursday, May 3, 2012, at the Mira Vista Care Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. He was born December 29, 1926 in Lorraine, Texas to H. Lonnie and Ruth (Anderson) Bullard.
Lowal left Texas with his family at age 10 and moved to the San Joaquin Valley, California area residing there until serving with the U.S. Army as a Sergeant shortly after WWII. After his discharge, he returned to California where he was employed as a farm worker. He was married to Catherine Mynear on August 12, 1948, in Escalon, CA, and in 1966 they moved to Skagit County. Lowal began working as a cabinet maker and in 1972, he established his own cabinet shop serving clients in the Sedro-Woolley and Darrington area.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, woodworking, especially making wooden toys for his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and gardening, where he was known for his tomatoes and onions. Lowal loved the Lord and enjoyed having Bible discussions with his family and friends.
Lowal is survived by his wife, Catherine Bullard of the family home in Sedro-Woolley; 8 children, Deborah Harrold (Mike) of Bow, William Bullard (Anne) of Anacortes, Carolyn Moore (Duane) of Alamo, TX, Jack Bullard of Sedro-Woolley, Chuck Bullard (Mary) of Burlington, Brad Bullard of Big Lake, Ruth Spaeth (Mark) of Concrete, and Sheila Millholland of Sedro-Woolley; 23 grandchildren and 25 great- grandchildren; his sister, Velma McLennan of Edmonds and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Tom, and 11 brothers and sisters.
Funeral Services will be Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 11:00AM at Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley with Chaplain Wayne Stiles officiating. A reception will follow at the Sedro-Woolley Community Center. A private family graveside inurnment service will be held at a later date at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery. Visitation is available on Monday and Tuesday from 9AM to 5PM at Lemley Chapel. Memorials are suggested to North Puget Oncology at United
General Hospital

Lawrence William LaPlante

Lemley Chapel — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:34:20 +0000

Lawrence William LaPlante, age 76, passed away Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at Burtons Care Center in Burlington, Washington. He was born July 3, 1935 in International Falls, Minnesota to Donald and Vivian (Ponsford) LaPlante.
Lawrence grew up in Bremerton, WA, graduating from Bremerton High School in 1954. He moved to Seattle and later to California working as a chef in the restaurant business. He returned to Seattle and later moved to Skagit County in 1984 where he and his partner Einar Storakers operated the Conway Tavern for 6 years where they were famous for their “Champ Burger”. They later purchased the North Cascade Inn in Concrete on Hwy 20 operating it for 15 years.
Lawrence was very knowledgeable about plants, flowers, and trees and was quite a green thumb. He enjoyed traveling and was a member of the Concrete Lions Club.
He is survived by his sister, Shirley Young, of Rockport and his partner Einar Storakers of Sedro-Woolley as well as numerous nieces and great nieces.
A Private Family Inurnment Service will be held at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Bremerton at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

Edwin Earl Oliver

Lemley Chapel — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:44:33 +0000

Edwin Earl Oliver, 75, a resident of Mount Vernon, passed away at his home, surrounded by his loving family, on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
Ed was born on December 29, 1936 in Bellingham, WA, the son of William & Hazel (McCoy) Oliver.
As an infant the family moved to Sedro-Woolley where Ed was raised and attended school.
Ed worked at Safeway and Tradewell for a while until he began working at Skagit Steel where he was a furnace operator making 105mm shells during the Vietnam Conflict. Ed then went to work for WRP as a shake sawyer & filer for 23 years, when he left the mill he began his own trucking company, E & L Trucking Co. which he operated for 15 years. After retirement he enjoyed boating and fishing, but mostly spending time with his family.
Ed is survived by his loving family.
Memorials in Ed’s name are suggested to Hospice of the Northwest, PO Box 1376, Mount Vernon, WA 98273.
Private family services were held at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley

Wesley H. Allen

Lemley Chapel — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:48:33 +0000

Wesley (Wes) H. Allen, 67, a lifetime resident of Sedro-Woolley, died peacefully at his home on April 21, 2012 after a 4 year cancer battle. Wes was born on April 30, 1944 the son of Shirley and Clarice (Tiny) Allen.

He graduated in 1962 from Sedro-Woolley High School and later that year married his high school sweetheart, Peggy Nicholson.

Wes worked as a pattern maker and foundry manager for 26 years at Skagit Corporation. In 1992, after Skagit closed, he purchased a foundry, Baywood Inc., located in Bellingham, WA. With 5 years of growing and expanding operations behind him, in 1998, Wes moved the company to his hometown of Sedro-Woolley into one of the vacant buildings where Skagit operated. He sold Baywood and retired in 2006. In the fall of 2009 he and Peggy traveled with their RV for 3 months stopping in several locations around the country to explore and visit extended family.

Wes enjoyed fishing, RVing with the Skagit SAMS Club, golfing, woodworking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. Wes is survived by his wife of 49 years, Peggy; a son, Rod (Nancy); daughter, Kristie Fine (Jim); daughter, Kerri Helgeson (Roger); grandchildren; Andrea, Wesley, Alicia, Zack, Cole and Katie; a sister, Shirley Mae Armfield and 3 nieces, Karen Adams, Joyce Bryant and Debbie Fernie. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Sonny, and a niece Lynne Armfield.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Wes’s longtime friend, Bud Ashe, who has been by his side throughout this journey and to Roberta of Hospice of the Northwest.

Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 1:00 PM at Lemley Chapel in Sedro-Woolley with Pastor Gary Stanton of Faith Baptist Church in Kent, WA officiating with interment to follow at Greenhills Cemetery in Burlington. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to: Skagit Special Olympics for Zack Helgeson PO Box 1162 Mount Vernon, WA 98273, Hospice of the Northwest, or the Cancer Care Center, Mount Vernon, WA.

Edwin P. Webb

Lemley Chapel — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:02:16 +0000

Edwin P. Webb was born August 19th, 1922 in Isonville, Kentucky. He passed away peacefully at Birchview Care Center in Sedro-Woolley on April 19, 2012.
In 1941, he enlisted in the Army where he served four years spending time in Germany. In 1948, he married Velva Allen. They had 2 children, Vicki Webb Jones, and Daryl Webb.
Edwin loved to fish and hunt spending a lot of time with his fishing buddies over many years at the fishing shack in Lyman and going deer hunting every year with his son Daryl. He was also an avid gardener and every year he grew a huge garden that supplied vegetables for many.
Edwin is survived by his daughter, Vicki Webb Jones of Mount Vernon, WA; son Daryl Webb and companion Mary of Lyman, WA; sister Gwendolyn and husband Willie Kazee; brother, Lamoine and wife Cheryl Webb; grandsons, Michael and wife Cyndee Conatser, of California, Douglas Jones, Mount Vernon, WA; great grandchildren, Jaci Conatser and Dylan Conatser, of California; nephews Neal Kazee, Michael Webb, Brian Webb and Ronnie Webb, Jr., all of Ohio; special niece, Marsha (Kazee) Copher and numerous great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Alice Webb; wife Julie Webb; brothers, Ronnie and Eugene Webb and a nephew Kevin Webb.
In addition, we would gratefully like to thank the wonderful staff at Birchview for their wonderful care of Dad during his time there.
The Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 11:00AM at Lemley Chapel followed by a Graveside Committal at Lyman Cemetery. A time for visitation will be held on Monday, April 23, 2012 from 9:00AM to 5:00PM at Lemley Chapel.

Fusako “June” Bates

Lemley Chapel — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:28:41 +0000

Fusako “June” Bates, 80 a resident of Sedro-Woolley, passed away on Thursday, April 12, 2012 at the Birchview Memory Care Center in Sedro-Woolley.

She was born in Japan on June 30, 1931.

June married Glenn Bates in Japan and when he retired from the Air Force in 1973 they returned to the U.S. and made their home in Sedro-Woolley.

June worked as a packer for the Sakuma Brothers Berry Farm in Burlington for many years. She is survived by family in Japan and many friends in the Skagit Valley. Private inurnment will be at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

David E. “Dave” Wells

Lemley Chapel — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:25:17 +0000

David Edward “Dave” Wells, age 68, passed away April 9, 2012.
He was born November 14, 1943 in Everett, WA to Claude and Edith (Jorgensen) Wells.

Dave was raised and attended school in Marysville.
Dave married Donna M. Berry November 26, 1966 in Everett, WA and together they
made their home in Bellingham where he worked for several years at Georgia Pacific until he retired.

Dave and Donna shared retirement residing in Sedro Woolley.
Dave was preceded in death by his wife Donna in 2008. He is survived by his children, Debbie (Wells) Sears and her husband Mark and their son Josh of Ferndale, Dann Wells of Bellingham, Deon Wells of Seattle and his 97 year old mother, Edith Wells, of Sedro-Woolley.

Dave enjoyed the past two years with his dog, Annie.
At Dave’s request there will be no services. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Arrangements are under the direction the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley, WA.

Katia Vanessa Lugo

Lemley Chapel — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:14:58 +0000

Katia Vanessa Lugo, age 32, a resident of Burlington, passed away on Thursday, April 5, 2012 at Skagit Valley Hospital surrounded by her loved ones.
She was born May 14, 1979 in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico the daughter of Domingo Lugo and Maria Socorro Bernal.
She will always be remembered as a happy person who loved to seek new adventures. She loved the outdoors and spending time with her children, family and friends. She was a great mother, daughter and friend.
Katia is survived by her son, Anthony Fleming; daughters, Dulce McClure and Aurora Katis Cruz; parents, Domingo Lugo and Maria Socorro Bernal; brothers, Noe Bustamante and Joe Lugo; uncle, Josafat Bernal; and Katia’s companion, Eloy Santiago Dominguez Cruz.
She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Maria Engracia Bustamante Villareal; and uncle, Adalberto Bernal.
A special thanks is given to her friends and loved ones who have supported her and have offered her love and care. Thanks to all her friends for always being there for her.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 5:30pm at the Christ the King Church, 988 Fountain Street Burlington, WA. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

Dallas E. Johnson

Lemley Chapel — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:32:56 +0000

Dallas E. Johnson, age 58, of Sedro-Woolley, passed away April 4, 2012. He was born June 30, 1953, in Burlington, to David and Lillian (Tyree) Johnson.
He was married to Shirley Shultz in Salem Oregon, July 19, 1980. Dallas loved his kids and grandkids. He was the Coffee Ministry at His Place Community Church. Dallas loved his job and “the guys” at Skagit Redi-Mix/ Smokey Point Concrete, where he worked for 27 years. He enjoyed day trips, traveling throughout the area, visiting farmers’ markets, and considered himself a “Thrifty Trifler” at 2nd hand stores. He enjoyed fishing, but was an avid NRA lifetime member, a gun enthusiast who reloaded and even picked up brass at the gravel pit. He enjoyed The History and Military Channels, Axemen, Pawn Stars and Sons of Guns.
Dallas is survived by his wife of 31 years, Shirley; daughters, Rochelle Johnson, Wendy and her husband, Jorge Martinez and Babette Gray; son, Adam Johnson and his fiancé, Misty Jones; mother, Lillian Johnson; grandchildren, Zachary, JR, Cheyenn, Chailinn, Michelle and Lucian.
He was preceded in death by his father, David and daughter, Devin Renae.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at His Place Community Church, 1480 S. Burlington Blvd., Burlington, with Pastor John Birk presiding. Memorial contributions may be made to North Puget Sound Cancer Center, Sedro-Woolley. Cremation arrangements are under the care of Lemley Chapel

William G. Vroman

Lemley Chapel — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:58:12 +0000

William George Vroman II, AKA Bill “Hippie” Vroman, was born in Naples, Italy on December 19, 1957. He passed away on Tuesday, April 4, 2012, after working in the morning sun.

Bill was proud to be a master carpenter. Through a lifetime of experience, he could creatively build anything. When Bill wasn’t challenging his mind and body at work, you could find him enjoying his favorite music. He boldly sang every song from the John Prine era.

Bill and his beloved dog, Hercules, were inseparable. Above anything else, he deeply loved his daughter, Kendra. Though Skagit County was his home, Bill has friends and family across the country who love and will miss him. There will be a Celebration of Life in the coming weeks.

Cremation arrangements are under care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

Lilla Mae Queen

Lemley Chapel — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:36:29 +0000

Lilla Mae Queen, age 92, passed away on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at Where The Heart Is in Burlington, Washington. She was born in Caney Fork, North Carolina on March 15, 1920 to Tyrell and Lorena (Cook) Corne.

Lilla Mae attended school in North Carolina and graduated from Cullowhee High School in 1938. She married Huff Queen in Clayton, Georgia in 1940 in a double wedding with Spurgeon and Edna Queen. They lived in Caney Fork, NC until 1952 when the family moved to Lyman, WA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Huff in 1992, and two brothers, Lawrence and Floyd Corne. Lilla Mae is survived by her son David Queen and wife June of Sedro-Woolley, WA, daughter, Doris Groves and husband Bob of Demotte, IN, and son, W.L. (Dub) Queen and wife Marti of Burlington, WA. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Scott Groves (Donna) of IL, Kenneth Groves (Lori) of IN, Matthew Queen of Sedro-Woolley, WA, Caryn Belisle (Rodney) of Bellingham, WA, and Brian Queen (Erika) of Mount Vernon, WA. Also nine great-grandchildren and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Lilla Mae was a member of the Hamilton Baptist Church for many years. Her interests were “family first”, cooking, canning, quilting, sewing, and growing her beautiful flowers.

The family is grateful for the loving care and friendship she received at Where The Heart Is.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, April 9, 2012 at 11:00AM at Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley with Pastor Ron Edwards of the Hamilton Baptist Church officiating with burial to follow at the Hamilton Cemetery. A reception will follow the services at the Hamilton Baptist Church. Memorials are suggested to the Hamilton Baptist Church.

Eddie Aldridge

Lemley Chapel — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:54:25 +0000

Eddie Aldridge, 77, a longtime resident of the Rockport community, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, March 31, 2012.

He was born on August 23, 1934 in Avery County, North Carolina, the son of Thomas Edgar & Naomi (Wiseman) Aldridge. His parents passed away when he was a young boy so he stayed with family until joining the U.S. Navy in 1951.

After his discharge in 1953 he returned briefly to North Carolina before moving to Rockport, Washington.

On January 4, 1954 he was united in marriage to Carolyn Johnson (a longtime friend from North Carolina), in Rockport and for 45 years they made their home and raised their family in Rockport until her death in 1999.

Eddie worked as a log truck driver for many years, driving truck for several logging companies in the Skagit Valley. He later began working for Dewey Hyatt and One Way Construction, working for 20 years as an excavator operator until 2004; he then worked for Wilder Construction until his retirement in 2008. Eddie was a member of the Operating Engineers Union, Local 302.

After Carolyn’s death, Eddie met Mildred Reece, who had become his weekend companion for 12 the past years, and together they enjoyed going to the casinos and on week-end road trips. Eddie also enjoyed fishing, he was a huge NASCAR fan but mostly he enjoyed the get together’s at his home with all his family.

Eddie is survived by his children and their spouses, Bucom & Janet Aldridge of Rockport, Debbie & Randy Martin of Marblemount, Brian & Darlene Aldridge of Sedro-Woolley, Jackie & Pam Aldridge of Birdsview, Joey & Cindy Aldridge of Newhalem and Dana Aldridge of Rockport. His longtime companion, Mildred Reece of Darrington; 3 sisters-in-law, Evie Johnson (Marv), Violet Johnson and Phyllis Reynolds (Dan). 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews & cousins. Besides his wife Carolyn, he was also preceded in death by his parents, Thomas & Naomi Aldridge; his mother & father-in-law, Jack & Bernice Johnson; 2 grandsons, Chad Aldridge and Jeremiah Johnson and 2 brothers-in-law, Sonny Johnson and Pudge Johnson.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank Eddie’s Guardian Angel, his granddaughter, Sue Ann.

Funeral Services for Eddie will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 1:00 PM at Lemley Chapel. Interment will follow at the Forest Park Cemetery in Concrete. A potluck fellowship will follow graveside services at the Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport. Visitation is available Tuesday thru Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to noon.

Robert Shannon

Lemley Chapel — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:56:25 +0000

Robert Ray “Bob” Shannon, age 66, a lifetime resident of Sedro-Woolley, passed away on Friday, March 30, 2012.

Bob was born on June 23, 1945, in Sedro-Woolley the son of Ray and Fern (Sorensen) Shannon. He grew up in Sedro-Woolley, graduating Sedro-Woolley High School in 1963, and then attended Skagit Valley College.

He joined the Army in 1966, serving in Vietnam, being promoted to Sergeant, until his discharge in 1968.

Bob was a 20 year member of the Moose Lodge in Mount Vernon and was also a member of George Baldridge Post 43 American Legion.

He worked 32 years for Alf Christianson Seed Company as a field & production manager, retiring in 2011.

Bob was an avid hunter and fisherman, fishing in Alaska from August to October last year. Friendship of many years was of major importance to Bob and he cherished the moments he spent with his friends.

He is survived by his sister, Barbara Gidos, of Everett; niece, Andrea O’Brien and her husband, Art, and their children, Alexa and Austin, of Edmonds; cousins and numerous friends. Bob was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, Dave Gidos.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 PM, Friday, April 6, 2012, at Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley, with Pastor Dennis Spinnie officiating. A Committal Service will follow at Union Cemetery with Military Honors. A time of visitation will be available from 9:00 to 5:00 Wednesday and Thursday at Lemley Chapel.

Walter Whitney

Lemley Chapel — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:03:02 +0000

Walter Stanley Whitney, age 81, of Lyman passed away March 29, 2012. He was born September 29, 1930, in Lillooett, British Columbia, Canada, to Edward and Alvira (Means) Whitney.

Walt is survived by his wife of 46 years, JoAnn; daughter, Iona (Larry) Bridgman; son, Kenneth Borgman; daughter, Ruth (Jay) Bennett; son, Todd Borgman,; daughter, Diana Borgman; daughter, Sharon (Frank) Knight; son, Edward Whitney; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Henry and William, and sister, Thelma Whitney.

A Graveside Service will be held at 1:00 PM, Thursday, April 5, 2012, at Hawthorne Memorial Park, Mount Vernon. At the request of the family, a potluck will follow at the family home.

Bruce Eugene Harshman

Lemley Chapel — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:25:46 +0000

Bruce Eugene Harshman, age 88, a longtime Lyman resident, passed away on March 25, 2012, at his home. He was born on October 2, 1923, in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, to Ralph and Vera (Fox) Harshman.
During World War II, Bruce was a paratrooper, serving at the Battle of the Bulge and at Normandy, receiving the Purple Heart.
After the war, on March 2, 1946, he was united in marriage to June Kom, in Thompson Falls, Montana.
Bruce worked building dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, sometimes commuting many miles to come home for a day off. The family moved to Hamilton in 1975, and finally to Lyman in 1988.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mount Vernon Stake. He loved fishing, going so far as to make his own poles and even lures.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 66 years, June, of the family home; four children, Daniel Harshman and his wife Arlene, of Hayward, CA, Christine Olson, of Lyman, Catherine Staley and her husband Robert, of Marysville, WA, and Michael Harshman and his wife Twila, of Kennewick, WA; a half-brother, Eugene Harshman, a half-sister, Roberta Marshall and 2 nieces, Pamela and Denise Sato, all of Tacoma, WA; 9 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents; step-mother, Viola Fowler; sister, Mildred Sato, and half-sister Judy Taylor.
A Graveside Service with Military Honors will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, March 29, 2012, at the Hamilton Cemetery with Brother Scott Farmer dedicating the grave.

Lester LeRoy Hart

Lemley Chapel — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:17:49 +0000

Lester Leroy Hart, age 80, passed away Sunday, March 25, 2012 at the Life Care Center of Skagit Valley in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. He was born November 11, 1931 in Hitchcock, South Dakota to Joseph and Edith (Avery) Hart who passed away when Lester was a young child. Lester was raised by his Aunt Clara (Mom) and Uncle Roy Hart (Dad).
Lester grew up in South Dakota and in 1951 he was married to Margaret Bruer in Huron, South Dakota. In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps serving during the Korean Conflict where he was wounded thereby receiving the Purple Heart Medal and the Korean Service Medal with two stars. After his discharge, Lester moved to Minnesota in 1956 and resided there until moving to Skagit County in 1965.
Lester worked as a certificated heavy duty mechanic in the trucking industry for many years. He enjoyed playing pool with various pool leagues, fishing and he loved to travel. In 1992, Margaret passed away and on March 17, 2002 he was married to Mary Hart in Sedro-Woolley. Lester was a member of George Baldridge Post #43 American Legion.
He is survived by his wife Mary Hart of Sedro-Woolley. His son, Danny Hart of Oak Harbor and four daughters, Laurie Pudlik and her husband Jeffrey of Sedro-Woolley, Mary Hart and her fiancee Rual Negron of Marysville, Eileen King and her husband Scott and Tracey Tomlin all of Oak Harbor. Three step-children, Cheryl Jensen of Sedro-Woolley, Carl Hart Sr. and his wife Evette of Enumclaw, and Brian Hart of Puyallup. Five grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and three step-great-grandchildren. His sisters, Jean Cooper of Lexington, NC, Karen Sieber and her husband Gary of Bath, SD and Anita Rawstern of Huron SD and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Lester was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Margaret,an infant daughter, Baby Girl Hart, a sister, Wilma Stanek and a brother, Arwayne Hart.
Graveside Memorial Inurnment Services will be held on Friday, April 6, 2012 at 1:00 PM at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery with Pastor Jim Cannon of Christ the King Church officiating with full military honors to follow. A reception will follow the services at the Legion Hall. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Life Care Center of Skagit Valley for the special love and care that was given to Lester. Memorials are suggested to the Heart Fund. Arrangements and Services are under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

Alvaro Serrano

Lemley Chapel — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:10:06 +0000

Alvaro Serrano, also known as Spooky, age 33, a resident of Sedro-Woolley, passed away unexpectedly on Friday March 23, 2012.

He was born on July 19, 1978 in Tijuana, Mexico, but has resided in Washington State since he was a baby. Spooky worked many different odds jobs. Most recently he worked as a car detailer out of his home. He loved working on and fixing up low rider cars.

He went to Ferndale High School and spent his younger years in the Grandview, WA area.

He was a beloved husband, father and son. Even though sometimes it was hard to get him to smile for pictures, he was quick to smile in person. He was loved and adored by many people, he will be greatly missed.

Spooky was a caring person with a big heart. He was fun spirited. He was always trying to make someone laugh but serious at times. He loved spending time with the family, going camping, on hikes, to the beach, spending time outdoors and hanging with the kids. He will be deeply missed by more people then we can imagine. He was most happy being busy. He was our go to guy if we needed help with anything like your car washed or detailed. If you needed help moving, fixing anything, yard work, painting, working on your trailer, he was always there with a smile and quick to help out wherever and whenever. He was quiet, and did not talk much till he got to know you, but then he was a chatter box.

“Thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday and days before that too. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, with which I will never part. God has you in his keeping. I have you in my heart.”

Spooky was preceded in death by his grandparents, Natividad Zepeda Cervantes & Carmen Zepeda Garibay, Miguel Serrano & Eladia Garibay; his siblings, Alma Serrano & Marisol Cesar and his niece, Heaven Castaneda Serrano.

Spooky leaves behind his wife, Erin and their three children, Christian, Isaac, & Alysiana; his parents, Angelita Serrano-Zepeda & Miguel Serrano-Garibay; niece’s, Cassandra Serrano and Samantha Serrano Perez; his mother & father-in-law, Rhoda & Tim Haussler; his sister-in-law, Rianne Chase & her fiancé Trevor Vance; niece, Ally; his brother, Victor (Michelle) Serrano & their four children, Jasmine, Aracelly, Gissele & Victor Jr.; his sister, Vanessa (Carlos) Castaneda & their three children, Alma Monique, Bianca, & Carlos Jr., and his, brother Miguel Serrano. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends & family; familia Zepeda, Garibay, Serrano, & Fernandez.

Viewing for friends and family will be held on Tuesday, March 27th and Wednesday the 28th from 9 to 5, followed by a Memorial Service on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 3:00pm at Lemley Chapel in Sedro-Woolley. A Celebration of Life will be held after the service at the Sedro-Woolley Eagles.

Keith Gordon Brink

Lemley Chapel — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:19:11 +0000

Keith Gordon Brink, age 71, a lifelong resident of the Sedro-Woolley area, passed away on March 19, 2012 at his home. He was born July 16, 1940 to Henry and Grace (Joosten) Brink in Lancaster County, Nebraska, and grew up in Sedro-Woolley. He wrestled for Sedro-Woolley High School, and liked fishing and crabbing in the area. Keith was a 50 year member of the Labor Union, Local #901, in Mount Vernon, working for Snelson Company for 32 years, before retiring in 1994.
Keith is survived by his son, Bill Brink; daughter, Judy and husband Donald Brock; grandchildren, Derek Reed and Caitlynn Brock, all of Sedro-Woolley; nieces, Angie and Robin; nephew, Brandon, and numerous cousins.
Keith is preceded in death by his parents.
A Graveside Inurnment Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Hawthorne Memorial Park, Mount Vernon.

Daniel Ray Wenrick

Lemley Chapel — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:01:08 +0000

Daniel Ray Wenrick, 54, a lifelong resident of Sedro-Woolley, passed away at his home on Friday, March 16, 2012.
Dan was born on March 25, 1957 in Sedro-Woolley, the son of Richard & Annie (Knuth) Wenrick. He was raised and attended school in Sedro-Woolley.
As a teenager Dan began working in the logging industry, working as a choker setter for several logging organizations in the Skagit Valley for about 15 years. He then worked for several years in the San Juan Islands as a technician for Scanam Fish Farms, tending to and raising salmon, and then worked in the construction industry laying underground utilities until health concerns forced his retirement.
He enjoyed being in the outdoors and fishing whenever possible.
On May 28, 1984 he was united in marriage to Shirley Briggs in Mount Vernon and they made their home in Sedro-Woolley.
Dan is survived by his wife, Shirley and son, Daniel Jacob “DJ” Wenrick. of Sedro-Woolley; his daughter, Brenda in Alaska and son, Michael in New Mexico and step-daughter, Michelle in Bellingham; his mother, Annie Wilson of Sedro-Woolley; brother, Tom Wenrick (Lanell) of Sedro-Woolley; 3 sisters, Teri Spelhaug (David) of Mount Vernon, Susan Blizzard (Bob) of Big Lake and Christie Brink (J.R.) of Burlington; several grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father and step-mother, Richard and Margaret Wenrick and his step-father, Bob Wilson.
Graveside services will be held at the Saxon Cemetery on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 2:00 PM with Pastor Jim Cannon officiating. Visitation is available at and services under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley

Judith (Judy) Gayle Fredrickson

Lemley Chapel — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:23:29 +0000

Judith (Judy) Gayle Fredrickson, age 65, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 after a lengthy illness at her home in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. She was born March 15, 1946 in Sedro-Woolley, Washington to Aurel (Wink) and Eleanor LaCasse. She graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1964. Judy spent most of her life in Sedro-Woolley, but called Clallam Bay, WA her home for a number of years.
One of her accomplishments and greatest joys was her daycare, where her life touched many children’s lives, and theirs touched hers as well. Judy was a member of the Clallam Bay Red Hat Society and the Bazaar Crafters. She loved to sew and spent many hours making various crafts. She was also a wonderful cook and made fabulous pies and cakes, how appropriate that she passed on National Pi (Pie) Day! However, her greatest love in life was being a mom and grandma to all around her.
Judy is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Patricia (Patty) and Kevin Tyler of Smyrna, TN: sons, Dennis Fredrickson of Sekiu, WA and Glen Pizzuto of Port Angeles, WA. Her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and John Dills of Sedro-Woolley, WA and her brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Nancy LaCasse of Montesano, WA. She is also survived by six grandchildren and many others who called her “Grandma Judy” throughout the years, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Judy was preceded in death by her parents and a nephew.
A gathering of friends and family will be held in July in Clallam Bay during Fun Days and Sedro-Woolley on a date to be announced later. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity that benefits children or a food bank, taking care of others was something she was very passionate about. Arrangements and cremation under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.