Jeanne Marjorie Drews
Jeanne Marjorie Drews (nee Ellis), 81, died peacefully in her sleep March 15, 2002.
Mrs. Drews was born Sept. 18, 1920, in Philadelphia. She completed high school and business college before joining the staff at Hannahman Hospital in Philadelphia. She worked alongside her sisters in a war plant during World War II.
Mrs. Drews resided in Clinton for the past five years. She and Roger were residents of River Vale, N.J., for 40 years. Mrs. Drews was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Westwood, N.J., where she served on St. Martha’s Guild. She was formerly employed as a cashier/bookkeeper at Pascack Valley Medical Center.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Roger, of Clinton; a daughter, Constance (Dennis) O’Hara of Clinton; three granddaughters, Ricki (Matt) Wilson of Snoqualmie, Caren O’Hara of Seattle, and Jean Anne Carrafiello of Orlando, Fla.; two grandsons, Robert in Tennessee and Joseph of Orlando, Fla.; and a son-in-law, Ralph Carrafiello, also of Orlando. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sandra Jean Carrafiello.
Funeral arrangements are by Visser Funeral Home, Langley, and Bateman Funeral Home, Newport, Ore. Interment will be at Eureka Cemetery in Newport. At the request of the family, no services will be held. Donations in her memory may be sent to the American Cancer Society.
Richard F. O’Donovan
Richard F. O’Donovan died March 18, 2002, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.
He was born June 7, 1921, at Fort Knox, Ky. He was a veteran of World War II and served as a Navy signalman on the island of Eniwetok in the South Pacific. After the war, he joined the Maryland National Guard, in which he served for a number of years. In 1968, he transferred to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, where he worked as a missile systems computer operator.
After retirement, O’Donovan began studying karate. In 1994 he became a third-degree black belt certified instructor. Eager to continue his involvement with martial arts, he established the Soo Bahk Do Whidbey Island Karate School. Assisted by his partner, Bill Blogett, an equally certified instructor, Richard continued teaching until January of this year, at which time he became too ill to attend the classes, which meet twice a week in Freeland.
O’Donovan is survived by his wife, Valentine “Val” Dmitriev-O’Donovan, whom he married he 1993. He is also survived by three children, Jeffrey Donovan of Burbank, Calif., Virginia Donovan of Okanogan and Deborah Alger of Fort Wayne, Ind.; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to WAIF, P.O. Box 1108, Coupeville, WA 98239. A private memorial service will be held at a future date. Arrangements and cremation are under direction of Burley Funeral Chapel.
Erna Schoonover
Erna Schoonover went to be with the Lord on March 12, 2002.
She was born June 9, 1911, in Lincoln, Neb. She married Milo Schoonover in 1931 and at that time lived in Havelock, Neb. They had one son, Ken.
In 1948 they moved to Kirkland, Wash. In 1968 Erna lost her beloved husband to cancer. In 1986 Erna and her sister, Grace Rea, moved to Whidbey Island to be close to family.
Erna was a secretary at RKO and then Universal Film Exchange on film row in Seattle, where she retired in 1974.
She was a member of South Whidbey Assembly of God, and of The Artists of South Whidbey and South Whidbey Senior Center.
She loved to travel, crochet and knit. She was an avid seamstress, craftmaker, painter, hatmaker, quilter, and made a great lemon meringue pie. She was truly blessed in her 90 years on earth.
She is survived by a son, Ken, and his wife Leona of Warden and Yuma, Ariz.; grandchildren Kris and Fred Brown of Clinton, Kathie Pynn of Langley, Ken and Beth Schoonover of Clinton; great-grandchildren Stephanie and Rickey Wright, Kevin Brown, Derek Pynn, Kelsey, Matthew and Seth Schoonover; and a great-great-grandson, Avery. She leaves behind many wonderful friends.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. April 6 at South Whidbey Assembly of God. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to South Whidbey Assembly of God.
Howard Earl Siebold
Howard Earl Siebold, 92, died at Careage of Whidbey March 19, 2002. Mr. Siebold retired as head of the engineering department at Liquid Controls in North Chicago in 1975.
Affectionately dubbed “Mr. Begonia” on South Whidbey Island, he was known here, and in Fort Bragg, Calif., for his lifelong passion — the care and hybridizing of tuberous begonias. In 1996 the American Begonia Society awarded him the Alfred D. Robinson Hybridizing Medal of Honor for his fragrant begonia Sweet Dianne. In 1999 the society published his book “Tuberous Begonias and How to Grow Them,” a concise 46-page manual, complete with color photos.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Ruth Mae (Fainter). He is survived by a son, Richard E. Siebold of Union, W. Va.; a daughter, Carole (Siebold) Hansen of Langley; three grandchildren, Luke E. Siebold, Dianne C. Siebold and Jens E. Hansen; and two great-grandchildren, Jamie Marie and Shane Siebold.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. March 25 at St. Augustine’s in the Woods Episcopal Church, 5217 S. Honeymoon Bay Road, Freeland. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his memory to Friends of Friends.
Maurice Filmore Bolgen
Maurice Filmore Bolgen, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died March 5, 2002.
Mr. 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.
He and his 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.
Mr. Bolgen is survived by his wife, Pat; two daughters, Marney Petty and husband Clarence of Vancouver, Wash., and Candy Halligan and husband Dan of Bothell; two sons, BG and wife Susan of Bothell, and Doug and wife Patty of Briar; 14 grandchildren, Alan, Pam, Mike, Vicki, Mick, Tracy, Stephanie, Daniel, Eric, Brett, Mackinnon, Jeff, Aaron and Heath; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Arnie, of Sedro Woolley; and a sister, Thelma, of Vallejo, Calif.
A remembrance in memory of Maurice will be held at Brookhaven Hall, Langley, at 1:30 p.m. April 5.
