Obituaries - P Surnames
Benton & Franklin Counties
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Jens Pedersen Dies in Pasco Hospital
Jens Pedersen was born in Denmark, March 24, 1862 and died in Pasco, April 2, 1931. Notwithstanding that every one
knew he was a very sick man, his death came as a shock to many. For years he had charge of the park and has cared
for it faithfully. After the war he solicited money and purchased a large flag. A pole was raised and every day for
several years Jens, as he was familiarly called, raised that flag. He was a lover of flowers and was always glad to
show his pond lilies and other flowers. Many who did not have their own fruit will remember how willingly he gave
them all the fruit they could carry home. He was particularly interested in bees and his honey was of the best. He had
a great many friends but no near relatives. His funeral was held Monday at the Methodist church. Rev. J.B. Pennell
officiated. Burial took place in Rest Haven cemetery.
From a collection of miscellaneous obituaries found in a scrapbook in the Richland Family History Center
9 April 1931
Infant Dies
The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Burford Persinger died at the Pasco hospital Tuesday night. He was a twin and would
have been one year old Sept. 5. The funeral will be Friday from the Mueller chapel.
The Kennewick Courier = Reporter, Thursday, 15 August 1946, Page Six
Joe M. Pixler, age 85, of Pasco, died Sunday, March 29, 1998 at Beverly Health and
Rehabilitation Center in Pasco. Joe was born October 19, 1912 in Jewell County, Kansas to Earl and Mattie Pixler.
Joe served in the U.S. Navy Seabees in the Solomon Islands from 1943 until December 1945. Following his honorable
discharge from the Navy, he married Melba Myers on April 12, 1946 in Mankato, Kansas. Joe started working for Guy F.
Atkinson Co. out of San Francisco, CA at Harlan County Dam in Franklin, NE in 1949. He worked on dams on the Snake and
Columbia Rivers, plus several other Atkinson projects across the United States, retiring in 1979 after 30 years of service.
Pasco had become his permanent residence in February 1976.
One of Joe's great loves was belonging to the Washington State Old Time Fiddlers, of which he was a member since 1972.
He loved to fish and collect Indian artifacts, and he especially loved hunting for arrowheads. His hobbies included
gardening, music and wood crafting.
Joe is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Melba; daughter, Janet Scheel,
and her husband, Chuck; and son, Steve Pixler, all of Pasco; grandchildren, Bernadette Kaneaster and husband, Jay and Steven
Pixler, Jr., all of the Tri-Citites, and Michael Scheel and wife, Tonya and their children, Joshua and Isaiah Scheel, all of
Walla Walla, WA; sister, Naomi Pixler, of Lebanon, KS; brothers, Wayne and his companion, MaryLou, of Mt. Grove, MO and Billy
and Oleta Pixler, brother-in-law, Everett and Ila Myers and mother-in-law, Susie Samuels, all of Smith Center, KS; and numerous
nieces and nephews. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Mattie Pixler. He will be greatly missed by his
family and friends who were all touched by his kindness and unselfishness. He was a devoted husband and father who gave
his all to his family.
"We love you so much, dad, and we miss you, but we know you are at peace now in Heaven."
The holy rosary will be recited Wednesday, April 1, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. at Mueller's Greenlee Funeral Home, 1608
West Court Street, Pasco. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, April 2, 1998 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's
Catholic Church, Pasco. Burial will be held Thursday, April 2, 1998 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Pasco.
Burial will follow at City View Cemetery in Pasco. Viewing will be Wednesday, April 1, 1998 from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
and Thursday from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. at Mueller's Greenlee Funeral Home.
Tri-City Herald, Tuesday, 31 March 1998, Page A7
John Pilcher, 70 years old, passed away Saturday morning at the Pasco hospital, the result
of a heart attack following pneumonia. Funeral services for him were held Sunday, with the Rev. Ralph Logston of Spokane in
charge. Burial took place Monday at Mr. Pilcher's old home in Dixie, Washington. He had lived in Kennewick for three years
with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sanders.
The Kennewick Courier=Reporter, 2 January 1930
Anne Peterson, 96, a resident of Burlingame for 17 years, died Feb. 21 at her home after
an illness. She was a native of Washington state. She had been postmistress at Snake River, Wash., for 27 years, and was
a member of the Catholic Daughters at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, and of the Senior Citizens of Burlingame. Survivors
include a son, Robert of Seattle, two daughters, Margaret Morshik of Burlingame and Helen Stippich of Kennewick, Wash.; three
grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. The rosary will be recited Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at
Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church. Private interment will be in Pasco, Wash.
San Mateo Times, Tuesday, 6 March 1984, page D5
Cecil L Poe, 72, of 1290 Evergreen, Sweet Home, Ore., died Tuesday following an auto accident.
He was born in Covina, Calif., and lived in the Tri-Cities from 1943 to 1950. He worked in overseas construction form 1950
until 1969 with Morrison Knudson Construction Company of Boise, Idaho. He was a member of the Sweet Home Elks Lodge and Benton
City Masonic Lodge No 277&AM. Survivors include wife Eltie; daughters Dicksy Brown, Richland; Virginia Morrison,
Kennewick; four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Services are scheduled Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Sweet Home
Elks Lodge, 440 Osage St. Burial will be in the Gilliland Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Diabetes Association or
Sweet Home Elks Lodge. Steckly-Tracewell Funeral Home, Sweet Home, is in charge of arrangements.
Tri-City Herald, Thursday, 17 November 1983, Page C5
Janice Lucille “Jan” Palin, beloved wife of Weaver Palin, passed away on Saturday,
December 19, 1992, at University Hospital in Seattle. She had been ill with cancer for the past year. She was born January
28, 1931, at Ekalaka, Montana. She married Weaver Palin in Hamilton, Montana, on February 19, 1989 and they have resided in
the TriCities since 1970. Until recently, Jan had been employed by Ben Franklin Bank in Pasco. She was a member of the
Jehovah Witnesses congregation in Pasco. Jan is preceded in death by her mother and father, Lottie and Frank Heckathorn
and a sister, Leona Rose. She is survived by her husband, Weaver Palin; two daughters, Pam Munsch and Janey Townsend of
the TriCities; four grandchildren and one great grandson; brother, Ed Heckathorn of Ft Meyers, Florida; sisters, Vema Wear
of Ekalaka, Montana, Catherine Pendergraft of Corvallis, Montana, Beverly Garrard of Corvallis, Montana, Vera Coleman of
Seattle, Washington, Rie Sage of Missoula, Montana and Jane Roberts of Richland, Washington. Jan was a beautiful, warm
and caring person who will be dearly missed by everyone whose life she touched. Services will be held at the Kingdom Hall,
316 North 11th , Pasco, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23. The family has requested that memorial contributions be made
to the Pasco Kingdom Hall.
Tri-City Herald, 22 December 1992, Page A11
Zona Delilah Pettigrew, formerly of Pasco, passed away on December 6, 2004 at
Vacaville, California. Zona was born January 2, 1921 to William Harrison Hatfield and Zona Letitia Hatfield in
Pendleton, Oregon. The family moved to a homestead at Hatfield, near the town of Tulelake, California. There she met
her husband of 65 years, John W Pettigrew. They moved to the Columbia Basin in 1963, where they farmed in the Basin
City area until they moved to Pasco in 1973. They moved to Woodland, California, in 2000 to live with their oldest
daughter, Jeanne. She is survived by her son, John d Pettigrew (Judy) of Pasco; daughter, Donelle Bomben (Tim Reese)
of Brentwood, California, and daughter, Jeanne Pettigrew of Woodland, California; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Two sisters, one brother and numerous nieces and nephews also survive her. A graveside service and inurnment will be
held at a later date in Merrill, California.
Tri-City Herald, 15 December 2004, Page A13
