Obituaries - U and V Surnames
Benton & Franklin Counties
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Robert Edward "Van" Van der Cook decided to pass through the veil on his 74th birthday.
Born September 9, 1929, in Wyandotte, Michigan, he attended Roosevelt High School then the University of Michigan where
he earned his bachelor of science in chemical engineering. an moved to Richland, Washington, in 1951. He married his
wife, Barbara. He worked at the Hanford Project in many areas including laboratories, pilot plants, chemical processing
and plutonium metal fabrication. Van particularly enjoyed working with all the young engineers. He enjoyed skiing,
horseback riding, training and showing dogs. He loved turning wooden bowls. He beloved wife, Barbara Van der Cook
passed through the veil before him. He leaves behind his loving wife, Connie Van der Cook; his stepsons, Robert Rey
Nilsen and Mark Steven Nilsen; his favorite daughter, Kiley Serentiy Rowland; 6 grandsons who loved their "Ompapa",
Luke Nilsen, Nathan Nilsen, Timothy Nilsen, Christopher Nilsen, Robert Lee Nilsen IV, and Osten Hale. Van was a loving
"gift" within himself. We are so thankful for his time with us. Van's personal thanks to miracle doctor - Stephan Smith
who made the rocky path of transition much easier with his personal time, care, and compassion. Visitation will be at
Einan's Funeral Home from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and from noon to 5:00 p.m. Friday. A celebration of Van's life
will be held for fans, friends and family at the Center for Positive Living, 210 E 3rd Av. Kennewick, WA, Saturday.
September 13, 2003, at 3:00 p.m. Express your thoughts and memories in the online Guest Book at www.einansfuneralhome.com
under the obituary section.
A picture accompanies this obituary.
Tri-City Herald, Thursday, 11 September 2003, Page A9
Henry Curtis Voorhees, aged 52, died August 7 at Coulee Dam when
the cabin he was sleeping in caught fire and he was fatally burned. He was born Aug. 24, 1894 at
Denver, Colo., and lived in Kennewick for a time before going to Coulee Dam. He was a veteran of
the First World War and was affiliated with the Elks and Eagles lodges. He is survived by his
widow, Leona Voorhees, who has been living here. Funeral services were held Saturday with the
Rev. Leo Dyson.
The Kennewick Courier-Reporter, Thursday, 15 August 1946, Page Six
Teresa Villarreal, 56, Othello, died Friday at Othello Community Hospital
after a long illness. She moved to Othello 27 years ago and had worked at the Carnation Foods plant. Survivors
include husband, Cleofas, Othello; sons, Leandro, Seattle, Adrian, Cuttler, Calif., Dagoberto, Seattle, Sigilfrdo,
Othello; daughters, Rosalea Gonzales, Oros, Calif., Sylivia Villarreal, Seattle, Dianna Villarreal, Umatilla; and
19 grandchildren. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at the Muscott chapel and funeral mass will be at 10 a.m.
Monday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Othello. Burial will follow at the Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens.
Tri-City Herald, 29 March 1981, Page 42
Funeral services for Walter T. Varney, 79, of 2855 Hidden Valley Ln. were held
today in Cypress Lawn cemetery in San Francisco in the Varney family plot. Mr. Varney died Wednesday after a
lingering illness. He was born Dec. 26, 1888 in San Francisco, the son of Thomas and Ella Varney. Mrs. Varney
and his late wife, Aileen, who died in 1963, lived in San Francisco until 1957. Mr. Varney was founder of Varney
Air Lines, a pioneer mail contracting firm which served the northwest from 1926 to 1933. He was a World War I
Army flier, operated a flying school in San Mateo and an air express ferry in northern California. In October 1925,
he won the Post Office contract to fly the mail from Elko, Nevada to Boise, Idaho and Pasco, Washington. In 1930
United Aircraft and Transport bought Varney Air Lines but continued under the Varney name until 1933, when the name
was changed to United Air Lines. Mr. Varney later joined the staff of Lockheed Aircraft in Los
Angeles and worked there until his retirement in 1951. For the past several years he has made his home here with the
Richard Lambert family. Mrs. Lambert is his daughter and in addition he is survived by two grandchildren, Christopher
and Cynthia, and a sister Mrs. Frank Walsh of Los Altos. Welch Ryce associates were in charge of arrangements.
Santa Barbara News Press, 27 January 1967, Page A11
Stella Valenzuela, 72, of Yakima, passed away Wednesday, July 29, 1992, at the Eastern Star Nursing Home.
Mrs. Valenzuela was born in Las Animas, Colo., on July 10, 1920, to Estaban and Pasquela (Olivia) Murillo. Mrs. Valenzuela was a retired
cannery worker. She enjoyed fishing, singing and sewing. She was a member of the St Joseph Catholic Church and the Teamsters Union.
Survivors include: three daughters and sons-in-laws, Rose and Robert Preston of Des Moines, Gloria and Steve Clary of Benton City, Inez
and Ted Fort of Albany, Ga.; a son, Thomas Valenzuela of Arlington; five sisters, Mary Figueroa of Yakima, Lois Apodaca of Moxee, Margaret
Salinas, Dora Murilo and Angie Morton, all of Yakima; brother, Joe Murillo (sic) of Yakima; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Vigil services will be held today, July 31, 1992, at 7 p.m. at the Langevin-Mussetter Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial will be
Saturday, Aug. 1, 1992, at 8 a.m. at the St Joseph catholic Church. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.
Tri-City Herald, Friday, 31 July 1992, Page A11
Mrs Myrtle Vinson committed suicide Sunday afternoon by taking laudanum. She left a note to her husband,
who is a car repairer, that she was tired of living and requested to be buried at Kent, Wash. Mrs Vinson was born in the State of Wisconsin
and was 38 years of age. The remains were taken to Kent Monday. It is reported that the deceased was addicted to morphine, a habit acquired
by prescription. Mr and Mrs Vinson had a number of friends in Pasco who are very much grieved at the sad occurrence.
The Pasco Express, Thursday, 22 October 1908, Front Page
Francis William Van Wormer, 55, a chemical engineer for the Institute of Gas Technology, died Sunday in Arlington, Va.
He lived in the Pasco Richland area between 1954 and 1969 and worked for General Electric, the Atomic Energy Commission and the Battelle Memorial Institute.
He was born in Osborne, Kan., and was a veteran of the Korean War. Survivors include sons Dr Mark E Van Wormer, Clayton, N.M.; Dan H Van Wormer, Seward, Alaska;
daughter Elizabeth Mary Van Wormer, Milledgeville, Ga., and two grandchildren. Funeral services are scheduled at 2 p.m. Friday
in the Clark Mortuary Chapel, Osborne, Kan. Burial with military honors will be in Osborne.
Tri-City Herald, Thursday, 17 November 1983, Page C5
Clark F Vail, 85, of Grand Coulee, died Monday, August 20, 1990, in the Coulee Community Hospital.
He was born June 15, 1905, in Yakima to Arthur and Ora (Forbes) Vail. He moved to Grand Coulee in 1935 and worked on construction of the dam. He was a heavy equipment operator.
He married Opal Flowers in Yakima in 1946. They moved to the TriCities in 1947 and lived there until his retirement in 1981, and they returned to Ground Coulee.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star and the Elks Lodge all in Pasco. He was also a member of the Operating Engineers Union Local 370 in Spokane.
Survivors include his wife, Opal at home, three daughters; Louise Roberts of Grand Coulee, Mickey Wahl of Kent, Barbara Pierce of Grand Coulee, one brother,
Benson Vail of Bozeman, MT, three sisters; Elora Collins of Seattle, Helen Wright of Wapato and Ruth Vail of Hollywood, CA, 10 grandchildren, and 17 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one brother, one sister and a granddaughter. Funeral services were held Wednesday, August 22 at 11 am in the Strate Funeral Home Chapel
in Grand Coulee with the Rev Carl Smith officiating. Burial was in Spring Canyon Cemetery.
Tri-City Herald, 30 August 1990, Page B7
