Obituaries

January 29, 1930 - November 20, 2005

Parents were Ruby Frances Bradshaw and Earl Frank Ecklund. Grandparents were Minnie Willis and William Bradshaw, and Anna C. Olson and Frank Emil Ecklund. The Bradshaws derive from England via Pennsylvania in 1723. The Ecklunds came from Finland and Sweden to Seattle in 1899.

The Ecklund family lived in the Broadview area from 1927, moving to California in 1937, returning to Leschi in 1938, and settling in Sunset Hill in 1946.

Ralph joined Boy Scout troops 123 and 57. He was confirmed at Plymouth Congregational Church.

Dante Evans was born Thanksgiving Day, 1915, in Lehi, Utah. He died Nov. 25, 2005, in Seattle the day after his 90th birthday.

Dante briefly attended Brigham Young University. He retired from Boeing in 1983 after 43 years as a machinist. There he designed and built the first mouse watering device for the early space program. Other jobs included concrete puddler, laborer, and guide on Hoover Dam, as well as a short stint as a cowboy.

Dante married Florence Peterson on Dec. 14, 1944.

Lisa Marie Vagar (Simpson), born Feb. 1, 1965, left us for a peaceful reunion with her grandmother on Nov. 18, 2005.

Her two-year battle with cancer showed she had an amazing courageous strength.

Ruby passed away peacefully at the Knight Adult Family Home on Nov. 13, 2005. She was 85 years old.

Ruby was born in Epping, North Dakota, on July 18, 1920, to Jens and Ragnhilde Hovland. After high school graduation she left home to work for the Erickson family in Williston, N.D. She married Ernest Richard Dehnert on June 30, 1946. in Epping and shortly thereafter moved to West Seattle. Ruby and Ernie made their home in Burien, and were married for 59 years.

Ruby loved spending time with her family.

Edward C. Fordham, 96 years of age, was born in 1909 and passed away Nov. 22, 2005, at Wesley Homes Health Center in Des Moines.

Edward is survived by his wife Annabell, two sons, Eugene E. Fordham of Renton, and LeRoy McDowell of Kalispell, Montana, and two daughters, Delores Jaber of SeaTac and Judith Mellem of Coos Bay, Oregon. Edward has several grandchildren and great-grandsons and daughters.

Edward will be buried at Fairview Cemetery in Flathead County, Montana.

Vernon Kenneth Wining, born Dec. 2, 1925, passed Nov. 5, 2005, at age 79.

A two service, two-war veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy as a corpsman in the Pacific during World War II and as an Army medic in the Korean War. He was most proud of his Navy career and was put to rest with a Navy Honor Guard on Nov.

Mabel Louise Smith, 89, born on Sept. 12, 1916, in Brainerd, Minn., and a long-term resident of Des Moines, passed away on Nov. 5, 2005, at Judson Health Care Center.

Mabel is survived by her daughter, Joyce (Dave) Sweetman, and granddaughter Michelle (Tim) Hupperten, both of Federal Way.

Mabel was preceded in death by her son, Gary, and husband, Bob.

A memorial service was held Saturday, Nov. 12, at Riverton Crest Cemetery.

The one we love is safe now, free at home in the arms of our Lord.

August 22, 1909 - November 10, 2005.

Virginia was born and raised in Nebraska, the seventh of 11 children. She outlived them all.

As a young woman, she taught in country schools. In 1941 she moved to Washington with her husband, Delmar, and two daughters. with the exception of five years in Victoria, B.C., she lived the rest of her life in Washington. She enjoyed the outdoors, working in her garden, needlework, puzzles, family gatherings, and camping. She kept careful records of her family’s history in photo albums.

Kenneth Eugene Leingang, age 72, of Roseburg, Ore., passed away on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005, at his home. He was born March 27, 1933, in Mandan, North Dakota, to Florian “Dutch” and Eva (Barth) Leingang. A graduate of Highline High School, class of 1951, and Eastern Washington University, class of 1955, he enjoyed a stellar career as a teacher and high school administrator in Washington and California for almost 30 years before moving to Oregon.

Mr.

Norman Bjelland was born in Fosston, Minn., on July 19, 1921, and died in Burien on October 30, 2005.

He was an avid hunter and fisherman all of his life. He served as President of the Highline Sportsman’s Club for 10 years and was a founding member and club historian for the Western Washington Walleye Club. He was active in Boeing Rod & Reel and Trout Unlimited. He served in the U.S. Army at Adak, Alaska. Norm worked at Boeing for 40 years, 20 years of which he was in management.

Norm is survived by his wife of 20 years, Alice L.