Marian Price Grant Howe

Marian Price Grant Howe released her soul to heaven early on the morning of March 7, 2002, while holding the hand of her granddaughter Dea. Her large multinational group of family and friends will miss her dearly.

Marian was born Sept. 9, 1922, in Capitan, N.M. She was the first daughter of Dr. Thomas Jackson Price and Mary Geneva Howard Price. During the Great Depression, the family moved to their home in Tucson, where Marian grew up.

When Marian was in college she married Jim Sam Grant, a young officer from the local base. In February of 1941 they had a daughter, Joyce Denise Grant, in Denver.

When WWII broke out, Jim was sent overseas as a bombardier on a B-17. His plane disappeared early in 1942. He was presumed dead. More than 48 years after Jim’s disappearance, his plane was found crashed into the side of a mountain in the jungle of New Guinea. In 1990 the remains of the crew were brought to the United States and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

In early 1944 Marian married Norman Edgar Howe just 17 days after meeting him. He was the pilot of a B-24 during the war. On Dec. 24, 1944, Marian had their only son, Norman Nils Howe, in Tucson. By then Norm’s plane had been shot down over Germany. His back was broken and he was put in a German prison camp until the war was over.

Norm and Marian were reunited when the war ended in 1945. Their youngest daughter, Cheri Lynnette Howe, was born in 1946 in Bryan, Texas.

In 1951 Marian and her family moved to the south end of Whidbey Island. By the late 1960s and ’70s the couple’s children were grown. Marian and her friends began implementing some social programs on South Whidbey. First, they opened a crisis line and a Help House to provide counseling and other aid for many young people who had moved to the island. Among other things, they listened to the kids and and helped the local police learn to listen, too.

They later opened a senior center in Bayview to help serve the many needs of the retired residents on Whidbey. They established a Meal on Wheels program, with serving sites on Whidbey and Camano islands. They established an outreach program sending social workers out to find any seniors in need of services. Then also established senior housing projects throughout the county for people who were not ready for nursing home care but who needed an interim form of housing to better meet their needs.

In 1980 Marian lost her partner in life, when Norman died on her birthday. This was just one year after her battle with breast cancer and was at the end of his 10-year battle with colon cancer. After Norman’s death, Marian began to travel to see different people and cultures around the world. She traveled throughout Europe and Asia.

In the remote villages of the Philippines, Marian found many honest, hard-working but poor families she was sure she could help. She came back to Whidbey and formed a nonprofit organization called Shalom Circle. She gathered a board of her friends to help, began fund-raising projects and opened a thrift store in Freeland to help finance some programs to help the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. Marian spent 10 years fund-raising and making annual trips to help Philippine people in need.

Marian’s deteriorating heart condition prevented her from continuing her trips to the Philippines. In 1992 she bought a house with her daughter in Olympia. Marian continued until her death in helping some of the village children in need.

Marian was preceded in death by first her husband, Jim, her second husband, Norman; her oldest daughter, Denise; a son, Norman Nils; her older brother, Jack; her younger sister, Anne; and her parents.

She is survived by her youngest daughter, Cheri Howe of Olympia; a sister, Lynne Sutton of Modesto, Calif.; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; as well as countless “adopted” children and grandchildren from many parts of the world.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. March 17 in the parish hall at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church, 910 Bowkers St. SE, Lacey.

In lieu of flowers, Marian has requested donations be made in her name to St. Benedict’s or to Hospice of Thurston County.

Elna Josephine Eckloff

Elna Josephine Eckloff, 81, died peacefully on March 7, 2002, in Freeland.

She was born March 15, 1920, on the high mesa in Cedaredge, Colo., to Enoch and Adolfinna Warila. She moved to Ishpeming, Mich., as a child and graduated from high school there.

In 1947 she married Eldred Eckloff. They had two daughters, and moved to Renton in 1958. After retirement from Szabo Food Service in 1979, Eldred and Elna moved to Freeland.

Elna was a busy, productive person who had an enormous energy and joy for life. She was a talented homemaker, gardener, seamstress, painter, and maker of apple dolls and rugs. She will be missed by many because of her wonderful smile and kindness to all. Elna was a lot of fun.

She is survived by her husband, Eldred, of Freeland; two daughters, Mary Friar and Carol Eckloff and her husband, Norman Bagley, all of Bellingham; five grandchildren, Matthew and Joe Friar, Molly and Sarah Bagley, and Michelle Snyder and her husband, John; and a great-grandson, Josh Snyder.

A memorial service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland at 1p.m. March 16. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, Alzheimers Association of Washington, or the Bayview Senior Center’s Time Together Program at 14594 SR 525, Langley, WA, 98260.

Maurice Filmore Bolgen

Maurice Filmore Bolgen, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died March 5, 2002.

Bolgen was born Feb. 6, 1921, in Hedgesville, Mont. He served in World War II as a radio operator for the Army Air Corps for five years.

Bolgen and wife of 60 years, Pat, moved to Whidbey Island in 1982. He worked for South Whidbey Senior Services at Brookhaven, where he was site manager and “chef adored” for 20 years.

He is survived by his wife, Pat; two daughters Marney Petty and husband Clarence of Vancouver, and Candy Haebigon and husband Dan of Bothell; two sons, B.J. and wife Susan of Bothell and Doug and wife Patty of Briar; 14 grandchildren, Alan, Pam, Mike, Vicki, Mich, Tracy, Stephanie, Daniel, Eric, Brett, McKennon, Jeff, Aaron and Heath; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Arnie, of Sedro Woolley; and a sister, Thelma, of Vallejo, Calif.

A remembrance will be held at Brookhaven in Langley at 1:30 p.m. April 5.

Donald Oliver Bruneau

Donald Oliver Bruneau returned to his heavenly home March 9, 2002, after a short battle with a rare brain disease, CJD.

He was born June 24, 1934, in Milwaukee, Wis., the youngest son of Pierre Edmond and Violet Mae Bruneau.

Donald lived in Wisconsin with his family for the first few years of his life, until they moved to Greenwood, North Park and Seattle in 1940, Silverdale, West Allis, Wis., and in 1946 to Redmond, where his parents established the Skyline Poultry Ranch. Donald worked with his family on the egg farm throughout his youth. He graduated from Lake Washington High School in Kirkland in 1952. In 1955 he married his sweetheart, Joyce Rasmussen. He learned the craft of upholstery as a boy from his grandparents and began work in that business in 1955. Donald was on active duty in the Navy 1958-60 on the USS Burton Island, an icebreaker assigned to the Pacific.

After military service, Don returned to the upholstery industry, where he worked until retiring in July 1999. His work is in many of the finest homes in the Seattle area. He was a great craftsman and one of the top upholsterers anywhere.

Other than family, Don’s greatest enjoyment came from fishing. He was always sure to plan family trips near an ocean, lake, river or stream. One of his favorite experiences of life was working on a commercial fishing vessel with his son Jon in Alaska. He was a member of The Fishing Club of Whidbey Island and greatly enjoyed the camaraderie with his fellow fishermen on South Whidbey.

Donald loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. During summer months he spent endless hours at sporting events with his children. He was an avid baseball fan and participated in Little League with his sons as coach and as president of the Little League organization in Redmond.

In 1978 Donald was baptized and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been an active member since. Donald loved his church, family, fishing and friends. He loved life and and found much pleasure and joy in each day.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He leaves his wife, Joyce; three children, Jon Andre Bruneau of Rockford and his wife, Francesca, and their daughters, Alaska Jean and Cheyanna Joy Bruneau; Janice Renee Williams of Twin Falls, Idaho, and her husband, Aaron, and their five children, Tearsa Monet, Drey Soren, Taft Paxman, Tavin Bruneau, and Tilmann Brigham Williams; and son Jock Michael Bruneau of Oak Harbor; and a brother, Pierre Edmond Bruneau Jr., and his wife, Bernadine, of Bothell.

Services celebrating his life will be at 1 p.m. March 16 at the LDS Church, 5425 S. Maxwelton Road, Langley. Viewing will be at noon, with interment immediately following at Bayview Cemetery. Viewing also will be 7-8:30 p.m. March 15 at Visser Funeral Home, Langley.

Lois R. Lechelt

Lois R. Lechelt, 85, passed away March 8, 2002.

She was born June 27, 1916, in Seattle, where she lived most of her life, before retiring on Whidbey Island. She moved to Lynnwood in 1995 and most recently lived in the Josephine Sunset Home Suites in Stanwood.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Merle Lechelt, and a sister, Doris Watson. She leaves three daughters, Judy and husband Chuck Barnes, Janet and husband Ed Berry, and Jolene and husband Bill Rod; a brother, Earle Wakefield, and his wife, Dora; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a memorial at the Josephine Suites at 1:30 p.m. March 14 and a celebration of life service for her family and friends at 1 p.m. March 16 in Edmonds.