ARDELLA R. NELSON HAGEN

Funeral services for Talkeetna resident Ardella Rose Nelson Hagen, 79, were conducted Aug. 11, 2010, at Talkeetna Baptist Church with Pastor Wes Hudson officiating. Burial was at the Talkeetna Baptist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were sons Vaughn and Robert Spiker; grandsons Brian and Samuel Chavez; son-in-law Burt Durham; and friend Todd Condon.

Ardella died at home on Aug. 11 after a short bout with cancer.

She was born Nov. 1, 1930, in Formosa, Kan. She received her PHT at University of Idaho–Moscow and had lived in Idaho, Nevada, Kansas, Georgia and Colorado. She first came to Alaska in 1959 and left about 1964, then returned in 1991 and lived here until her passing.

Ardella was a birch bark basket-maker and performed community service as an election official in Talkeetna. She enjoyed gardening, basket-making and rug-making, and won several purple ribbons from the Alaska State Fair. She was a member of the Uppper Susitna Seniors.

According to her family, “She was always willing to share her knowledge.”

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Hagen.

Ardella is survived by daughter Lucinda (Burt) Durham of Talkeetna; sons Robert (Barbara) Spiker of Fresno, Calif., and Vaughn (Sharon) Spiker of Ola, Idaho; sister Joy (Rusty) Larkin of Cambridge, Idaho; brother Vaughn (Beth) Nelson of Kennewick, Wash.; grandchildren Samuel Chavez and Nadyne (Adam) Burra of Reno, Nev., Brian Chavez of Talkeetna, Louis Spiker of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Willis (Erin) Spiker of Demming, N.M; great-grandchild Tharon Chavez of Talkeetna; and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

The family has requested memorial contributions be directed to the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-4999.

Local arrangements by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel & Crematory, Wasilla.

CHERENE D. RUTH

Former Wasilla resident Cherene D. “Cherie” Ruth died Aug. 11, 2010, at Chester River Hospital Center in Chestertown, Md. She was 43.

Cherene was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., to Charles David Hughlett and Carol Allen Kinnecom. Her family moved to Alaska in 1982 and she was a 1985 graduate of Lathrop High School in Fairbanks. On July 14, 1990, she married John Ruth, and they made their home and started their family in Fairbanks and Wasilla.

In 1995, they moved to Chestertown, where Cherie raised and educated their children.

In addition to her husband and parents, she is survived by her children, J.J. Ruth, Krista D. Ruth and Brandie D. Ruth, all of Chestertown; sister, Christie Westman of Andover, Minn.; and brother, Craig Hughlett of Colorado Springs.

Funeral services will be held on Monday in Chestertown. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to an educational fund set up for her children at Peoples Bank Chestertown, MD 21620. Arrangements by Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, fhnfuneralhome.com.