Norma Zimmer, the "Champagne Lady" on "The Lawrence Welk Show" for 22 years and a studio singer who worked with Frank Sinatra, among others, died Tuesday, May 10, of natural causes in Brea, Calif. She was 87.Until 1982, when the show ended, Zimmer sang solos, did duets with Jimmy Roberts and waltzed with Welk to the strains of his effervescent dance tunes, dubbed "champagne music." She appeared with the orchestra on the road for three years, then stopped when she decided to raise a family.
Welk's previous Champagne Lady (the title Welk traditionally gave to his orchestra's lead female singer), Alice Lon, was fired in 1959 -- he thought she exposed her legs too much on camera. After protests, however, Welk tried (and failed) to get Lon back. The show experimented with several different singers over the course of a year, and Zimmer officially joined Welk as his Champagne Lady on New Year's Eve 1960.
Born Norma Larsen in Larson, Idaho, she grew up in Seattle. She sang with a succession of vocal groups including the Norman Luboff Choir, the Pete King Chorale and the Ken Darby Singers and appeared on television variety shows during the 1950s.
As part of a quartet called the Girlfriends, she sang backup for Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como and Bing Crosby, including on Crosby's famed recording of "White Christmas."
Zimmer appeared on the orchestra's public TV specials that have aired (along with repeats of the series) since 1987. She also took part in a tribute to Welk and his show held earlier this year at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills.
Zimmer made several film and TV appearances, including one with Crosby in the 1950 film "Mr. Music" and in an episode of "I Love Lucy" and was the voice of the White Rose in the 1951 Disney film "Alice in Wonderland."
Survivors include two sons. Her husband, Randy Zimmer, died in 2008.
Check out a great video clip of Norma here.
June 16, 2011: April 17, 2011 - Arthur A. Hunt: April 13, 2011 - Marilyn Spurr Rall: March 20, 2011 - Byng W. Nixon (Faculty): March 16, 2011:
Ronald W. Douglas
Beloved aunt, uncle, cousins and loving sister Bette Douglas Marshall along with many friends will greatly miss Ron's infectious interest in living.
Wilbur Clarke was born on May 31, 1935 and passed away on Sunday, January 25, 2009.
Wilbur was last known to be living in Morrisville, North Carolina.
[No further obituary was available to the webmaster. If you wish to contribute an obituary or a tribute, please feel free to do so.] March 6, 2011: Louise Marie Shapely Holm, of Everett, passed away Aug. 18, 2007, after a very brave battle with cancer.
Richard Ronald Ploof, 75, died July 3, 2009 in Bothell, WA. He was born on March 28, 1934 in Seattle, WA. No services were planned for Richard. [No further obituary was available to the webmaster. If you wish to contribute an obituary or a tribute, please feel free to do so.]
Richard William Danielson, 73, died August 24, 2008 in Bothell, WA. He was born on December 22, 1934. He was married to
Janine Jacobson Danielson and prior to their residence in Bothell, they lived in Mill Creek, WA. [No further obituary was available to the webmaster. If you wish to contribute an obituary or a tribute, please feel free to do so.] March 3, 2011 - Roy Layne Ray:
Roy Layne Ray was born July 27, 1934 in Miles City, MT to Layne and Bernice Ray. He died in Everett, WA on February 27, 2011.
Roy is survived by his wife, Sharon (Sherry); six children, Bob, Terry, Randy, Sherry, Becky and Cassy; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; brother, Allen Ray; and four nephews.
He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was loved immensely by all who knew him and will be greatly missed.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at New Life Center, 6830 Highlands Drive, Everett, WA. Reception to follow at Fairway Estates Clubhouse.
Donations in Roy's memory may be made to New Life Missions.
Arrangements are under the care of Solie Funeral Home & Crematory. March 3, 2011 - James Tollefson: March 3, 2011 - Fylena (Lena) Dyk: February 18, 2011 - Benjamin Stuart MacWatters:
Benjamin Stuart MacWatters, age 76, died peacefully at his home on October 23, 2010 after a long battle
with Alzheimer’s. Ben was born April 17, 1934 in Richmond, VA to Lester and Teel(Reams) MacWatters and
grew up in Seattle, WA and eventually settled in Mustang in 1976. He served in both the Naval Reserve
and the US Air Force where he manned a radar site in Alaska. He was a graduate of Mercer University
with a career in electronics and computing. After a career spanning 32 years with the FAA, he eventually
retired in 1994. Ben liked spending time in his garden and tinkering with the pool; and enjoyed spending
time with friends, neighbors and family, especially with his grand and great-grandchildren. He was preceded
in death by his parents, four brothers Les, Herman, Chuck and Dick. Survivors include his wife of 55 years,
Rose of the home, three children Kevin, Connie and Ken. Also by grandchildren Alexa, Scott, Katherine
and Stephen, great grandchildren Christian and Adelyn and one brother Ashby. In lieu of flowers donations
may be made to the Alzheimer’s Assn’. in care of the funeral home. Graveside services will be held at 10am
on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at Yukon Cemetery, Yukon, OK under the direction of McNeil’s Mustang Funeral
Service, Mustang, Oklahoma. January 20, 2011 - Marcelle Jean Cole Spath:
A service for Marcelle J. Spath will be held at 11 a.m. today, Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, 925 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim. A reception follows at the church.
Mrs. Spath died Sept. 30, 2009, at the age of 74.
She was born Feb. 12, 1935, in Seattle and attended Lincoln High School.
She graduated from the University of Washington with a teacher's degree in 1956 and began her teaching career in Long Beach, Calif. She returned to the Northwest a few years later and taught home economics at Sequim High School.
She and Myron Spath married in 1962.
The Spaths lived on a dairy farm where they fed the livestock, moved the irrigation system and searched for birthing cows. She enjoyed having her nephews and nieces visit the farm and spend time with her and her husband.
Mrs. Spath is survived by her stepson Terry Spath; brothers Don and Ron Cole; and sisters Vi Somers and Marjorie Scott. January 20, 2011 - Joan Yvonne Brockey Sullivan:
Joan Brockey Sullivan was born April 2, 1935 in Bottineau, ND and passed away
peacefully at her home in Snohomish, WA on October 6, 2008 after succumbing to
lung cancer. She is preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, William Sullivan,
and parents Donna Mabbitt of Council Bluffs, IA and Coyle Brockey of Seattle. Joan
and Bill reared their two daughters in Seattle and often traveled throughout the U.S. in
connection with Bill's job inspecting missile sites for Boeing. Gardening was one of
Joan's passions along with interior design. Inside or out, she never hesitated to tackle
any improvement to her surroundings. Whether the job required painting, digging,
hammering or refinishing, Joan would always complete it with a flourish and her own
stamp of creativity. Joan will be remembered by those who knew her as a kind,
resourceful and loving friend and by her immediate family as a cherished Mother and
Grandmother. She is survived by her daughters, Karen (Mike) Collier of North Bend,
and Susan Palmer of Snohomish; grandchildren: Mike Collier, Jr., Joseph Collier, Kaylie
Collier, Ryan Collier, James Palmer, Kelly Palmer, and Chloe King; sister, Jean Brown of
Woodinville; her brothers, Jerry Brockey of Tucson, AZ and Dale Mabbitt of Bebee, IA,
as well as, Mike Mabbitt, Clarence Brockey and Dorothy Joseph; her uncle, Jack
(Elaine) Reas of Mill Creek; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was
recently preceded death by her long-time companion, Christian Thorsborg. A Rosary will
be held at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 10 at Beck's Funeral Home, 405 Fifth Ave. S,
Edmonds, (425) 771-1234. The Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Fri., Oct. 11, at Holy
Rosary, 630 - 7th Ave. N, Edmonds; with Interment following at Holyrood Catholic
Cemetery in Shoreline. Remembrances may be given to the Providence General
Foundation (specifying New Providence Cancer Center on check memo line), P.O. Box
1067, Everett, WA 98206; or call 425-258-7500.
Mildred Reski Falkenhagen passed away in Renton, Washington on March 24, 2009. She was born in March 1935. We were notified of her passing by her husband Jan. [No further obituary was available to the webmaster. If you wish to submit a tribute, please feel free to do so.]
It appears that John W Chaplin passed away on June 14, 2008 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Our John Chaplin was allegedly born on October 24, 1935. The reported death showed a birthdate of October 24, 1934. If any of you know John and are in a position to challenge his passing, please contact the Webmaster. The John Chaplin who died in Arizona served in the military during the Korean War.
Ruth Benedict Lotzenhiser passed away in Anaheim, California on June 24, 2006. She was born in September 1935. [No further obituary was available to the webmaster. If you wish to submit a tribute, please feel free to do so.]
Arthur A. Hunt passed away in Richmond, Virginia on April 16, 2011 after a 4-1/2 month battle with brain and lung cancer. An obituary will be posted here when available. In the meantime here are the last two entries in his CaringBridge journal:
"Yesterday morning at around 12:15 am, Dad peacefully gave up his brave fight and went to a much better place.He was the best husband, father, granddaddy and father-in-law ever and we are so happy that he is pain free forever. We love you so much Dad and we will miss you."
"We spent the afternoon finalizing plans for Dad's service. It will be Tuesday, April 19th at 11:00 am at St. Matthew's Epsicopal Church, at the corner of Forest and Patterson Avenues here in Richmond."
"We thank you all for the thoughts, prayers and kind messages over these past months. The support and love from so many people from all over has meant more than we can ever thank you enough for."
HUNT, Arthur Adams, 76, a certified financial planner, died Saturday, April 16, 2011 after an extended illness. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Courtney Stormont Hunt; a son, Charlie Hunt and his wife, Malissa, of the Outer Banks of North Carolina; a daughter, Courtney Hunt Edwards and her husband, Tom Edwards, of Richmond; two sisters, Nancy Hunt Turner and Judy Hunt Campbell, both of Seattle; and a brother, James Hunt of San Francisco; as well as five grandchildren, Elizabeth Edwards, Grace Edwards, Jamie Edwards, Whitney Gamiel and Malinda Brothers; and one great-grandchild, Janelle Dunton. Art was a native of Seattle and a cum laude graduate of the University of Washington with a bachelor's of arts degree in economics. While there, he also became a brother of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. A charter and honored member of the Kiwanis Club in Richmond, Art was also a former president of the Richmond Gentry and enjoyed volunteering at Meals on Wheels for many years. He was an avid tennis player and skier and a member of the Three Eye tennis fraternity. A longtime member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, he served on the Vestry, sang in the choir and chaired both the Endowment Committee and TGIF, a weekly prayer breakfast. Art was a principled man of great dignity and a kind, gentle friend to all. Art and Courtney met at Virginia Beach, where Art was an officer in the U.S. Navy. They lived in Bellevue, Washington, before moving to Richmond. Art was a real estate broker and the district sales manager for the Union Envelope Company in Richmond. Services for Mr. Hunt will be held at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church at the corner of Forest and Patterson Avenues on Tuesday, April 19, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the St. Matthew's Endowment Fund or the Salvation Army.
Marilyn Kay Spurr Rall passed away on April 9, 2011. She was born in 1935. Marilyn is survived by her husband Ron Rall and four children. Ron and Marilyn were classmates at Lincoln High. Most of us will remember that Marilyn was our Mrs. Lincoln on T-Day in 1953. Services for Marilyn will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at the Westgate Chapel, 22901 Edmonds Way, Edmonds, Washington 98020
Byng W. NIXON Byng W. Nixon, age 92 passed away on March 17th at the Warm Beach Senior Community Center in Stanwood, WA. He was born to Edith Fernee' and Jesse Dale Nixon on October 30, 1918 in Seattle. Byng attended Seattle Public schools and graduated from Lincoln High School (Seattle) in 1937. He went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship. UW Linemen Glen Conley and Byng Nixon both attended Lincoln High, then UW, and then played on the Tacoma Indians together. They were called "The Birdcage Twins" because they wore facemasks, nothing but a plastic bar, on their helmets. The UW team also played in a bowl game in Hawaii and travelled there by boat which took about a week. During his senior year, Byng married Eudora F. Britten on January 31, 1941. Upon his graduation from UW in 1941, Byng played semi-professional football for the Seattle Bombers and Tacoma Indians while also working at Todd Shipyard. Byng began his teaching career with Seattle Public Schools as a physical education teacher. Byng taught for most of his career at Lincoln High School at which he was the head track and field coach, and asst. football and basketball coach plus the Dean of Students. He retired from the Seattle Public Schools in 1979. Byng spent his time outside of school painting houses, fixing things for his family and friends. He built two homes for his family, one on Camano Island and one in North Ballard. Byng and Eudora enjoyed dancing at the Elk's Club and going on trips to places like Las Vegas, Ireland and China. Byng was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Eudora, his daughter, Patricia L. Ingraham, and his sister, Mickey McAllister. He is survived by his sons, Mike B. Nixon (Amy), Dr. Tim J. Nixon (Beccie) and his daughters, Kathy D. Madigan (Larry) and Maureen L. Setterberg (Dan) and sister-in-law, Patricia Bell (Bob). He has 13 grandchildren: Diane Dixon, Sandra Ingraham, Kathy Dorr, Dan Ingraham, Dave Ingraham, Bill Nixon, Sean Nixon, Kelly Madigan, Megan Madigan, Seth Setterberg, Nick Setterberg, Samantha Nixon and Blake Nixon. Byng also has 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. Our family is very thankful for the wonderful care provided by the Warm Beach Senior Community Center for our father. Viewing, Thursday, March 24th, 4 to 7 pm, Beck's Funeral Home, Edmonds. There will be a celebration of Life at Holy Rosary Church, Edmonds on Friday, March 25th at 10:30 am followed by a reception in the church hall. Flowers are welcome, however, if preferred, donation may be made to the: Hope Heart Institute or the American Heart Association . Sign Byng's on-line Guest Book at www.becksfuneralhome.com
Born to Bill and Delnora Douglas in Seattle, Washington on July 28th, 1935 and passed on September 18th, 2009.
Since college his career was international banking which provided Ron with rich knowledge and appreciation of the world's history and cultures.
At Ron's request there will be no services.
Born April 23, 1935 in Anacortes, Louise lived in Clinton for 22 years.
She is survived by son, Glenn and his wife Vanessa Martin; eight grandchildren, Sean, Joshua, Cody, Colvin, David, Ian, Peter and Julia Jean; as well as her brother, Louis Shapley.
A graveside service was held on Friday, Aug. 24 at Restlawn Memorial Park in Edmonds. Arrangements were under the care of Beck’s Funeral Home, Edmonds.
Arlene Rowena Gaskell Bristow, 73, of Renton died Feb. 13, 2009, in Renton. She was born Sept. 23, 1935, in Seattle.
Bristow lived in Renton and Maple Valley for more than 40 years. She worked as an administrative assistant at Valley Medical Center.
She was preceded in death by her husband Clifford Bristow.
Survivors include her sons Bob Bristow of Renton and Trent Hurley of Prescott, Ariz.; stepsons Doug Bristow of Sumner and Robin Nelson of Post Falls, Idaho; stepdaughter Pamela Bristow of Yakima; brother John Gaskell of Olympia and sister Beverly Simmons of Camano Island.
A private cremation was held.
A Celebration of Life will be held March 6 at 2:45 p.m.
Burial will be at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent.
Memorials should be made to King County Humane Society.
Arrangements were by Faull-Stokes Mortuary, Renton.
JAMES L. TOLLEFSON ~ FEB 1935 - SEPT 2010 He's rounding third, headed for Home!... James L. Tollefson, beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on September 18, 2010. He was 75 years old. Jim joined the Air Force after high school and went on to become a navigator of KC-135s and OV-10s. He retired as a Major after 23 years of distinguished service to his country, including combat operations in Vietnam. In 1979, he joined the California Department of Food & Agriculture, Division of Measurement Standards until his retirement in August, 1997. Jim was an avid softball player, and during his retirement years he played on numerous championship teams in the Modesto and Sacramento areas, where he was known for his hustle and high batting average. Second base will not be the same without him; and if you were impressed by his batting, just imagine the grounders he will be beating out in that Better Place. Jim will be remembered mostly for the caring and devoted relationship he shared with his wife and best friend of 26 years, Chris. Jim and Chris were always seen together in and around Modesto, whether running errands, working out at the gym, or eating at their favorite restaurants. Their families ask that you remember them both in your prayers; that Jim's generous, honorable and well spent life is celebrated and his many wonderful traits are carried forward by his loved ones; and that Chris is comforted in her loss, and quickly regains her vibrant spirit and love of life. A memorial service will be held in his honor at the San Joaquin Valley Veteran's Memorial on October 7, 2010 at 2:00pm. Please consider a donation in Jim's remembrance to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (www.themmrf.org) ... He slides at the plate, safe by a mile!
Lena B. Dyk, 83, of Ellensburg died May 21, 1999 in Ellensburg.
Born in Manhattan, Montana, she lived most of her life in Seattle until moving to Ellensburg two years ago. Previously, she had worked for the state Department of Health.
Survivors include four brothers, Egbert of North Carolina, and Martin of Ellensburg, Dick of Seal Beach, Calif., and Robert Dyk of Spokane; six sisters, Lucille Morgan of Ellensburg, Nettie Miller of Lakewood, Colo., Ruth Johnson of Grants Pass, Ore., Esther Stout of Kirkland, Rhoda Ensign of Yakima, and Dorothy Moulton of Portland, Ore.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Steward and Williams Chapel in Ellensburg, Washington.
[Note: Lena graduated with the Lincoln High Class of 1953 at the age of 36 after completing a correspondence course. She resided at Firland Sanatorium. I can't imagine any of us actually knew Lena, but she was one of us.]
