Obituaries 5/04/05

Oliver E. Gonzales

Oliver E. Gonzales, 92, died on April 25, 2005. He was born on Jan. 5, 1913, in Minneapolis. He was a resident of Camp Verde and a retired manager of Railway Express, served in the National Guard and a member of the Lions Club.

Gonzales is survived by two daughters, Laura Combs, of Oregon, and Gerry McGuire, of Litchfield Park, and two sons, Wendell DeCross, of Pinetop, and James Gonzales, of Goodyear, a sister, Frances Goodrich, of Minnesota, 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

There will be no visitation and services will be private.

Anna Catherine Compton

Anna Catherine (Zion) Compton, of Cottonwood, died April 30, 2005, after living with ovarian cancer since 1997. She was born in Kingman on Sept. 12, 1921, to James F. and Mable (Hall) Zion, Kay or Katie, as many friends called her, lost her father in a mining accident in Oatman, Ariz., when she was 3. She and her mother moved to the Valley of the Sun, stopping when her mother could find work, such as Florence Junction, where she rode a bus to school in Superior. Eventually they moved to North Phoenix near the Old Mission Dairy.

She graduated from Phoenix Union High School in 1940. At PUHS she was active in drama and participated in several productions. While attending Phoenix Junior College she was in choral. She served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, from 1943-45. In 1939 she met Glenn R. and they married in 1945.

Her crowning achievement was in 1984 when she was elected the first female Department Commander of the American Legion of Arizona. She had previously been the first female Commander of the American Legion, Post 3 in Flagstaff. Nationally, very few women have achieved this. In 1984 she was nominated to be an honorary member of ANAVICUS, Canada's equivalent of our American Legion. She was very active in the Arizona American Legion Boy's State, held annually in Flagstaff since 1947, and a board member since 1984. She was appointed, over the years, to various National American Legion Committees.

She will be greatly missed by her husband of 49 years, Glenn R. Compton, of Cottonwood, sons James, of Mesa, Glenn (Bonnie), of Glendale, and Charles (Debbie), of Flagstaff, and two grandsons Ryan and Stephen, of Glendale, and many, many friends.

Memorial service will be May 4 at 2 p.m. at Mountain View United Methodist Church, 901 S. 12th St., Cottonwood. Internment, May 6 at 11 a.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at 23099 N. Cave Creek Road, in Phoenix. In lieu of flowers, donations to NA Hospice, 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood AZ 86326 or Arizona American Legion Boy's State, 4701 N. 19th Ave., #200, Phoenix AZ 85015.

Frederick W. Bredahl

Frederick Walter Bredahl, 85, of Camp Verde, died May 1, 2005. He was born Aug. 27, 1919, in Yakima, Wash., to Cecil and Adeline Bredahl.

He previously resided in Pennsylvania but had lived in Arizona for 26 years. He was a computer programmer.

Cremation was May 3 at Mountain View Crematory in Prescott. Hepler Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Emma Louise Burnett

Emma Louise Burnett died Feb. 16, 2005. She was born April 3, 1942, in Phoenix.

She is survived by her husband Richard Burnett, daughters Cindy Dobbs and Kristine Kaska, son-in-law Stan Dobbs, stepchildren Rich and Toni Grasser, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She loved peopled and was in turn loved by man. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Willie G. Fuller

Willie Gene Fuller, 76, of Clarkdale, died May 2, 2005. She was born in Jerome on Oct. 25, 1928. She was a lifelong resident of the Verde Valley. She enjoyed visiting old homes and trips to Laughlin, Nev.

She was a 20-year member of the Ladies Auxiliary, VFW Post #7400 and the Jerome Elk Ladies #1361.

Mrs. Fuller was preceded in death by her husband, Kay Fuller. She is survived by her daughters, Christy Fuller and Misha Pippin (and husband Jerry); two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of Cottonwood; her sister, Marjorie Hallett, of Camp Verde, and several nieces and nephews.

A Rosary will be May 5 at Westcott Funeral Home in Cottonwood at 6 p.m. A funeral Mass will be May 6 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Cottonwood Cemetery.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Northern Arizona Hospice, 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood AZ 86326.


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