Obituaries

Chester C. Trow Sr.

Chester Carter Trow Sr., 71, passed away Jan. 18, 2008 at home in Erie, Penn. He was born July 21, 1936 in Erie.

Trow and his family transferred to Anchorage in 1963 while serving in the Army. He moved from Alaska in 1966, returned in 1968, and remained until 1981. During this period Trow and his family lived in Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, and Wasilla.

Trow served in the Army from 1963 through 1967 in Kentucky, Germany, Kansas, and Alaska. While in Alaska he worked for Nu-Car Sales as a parts manager, Denali Motors and Domestic Auto as a mechanic, prior to opening his own shop, Wolverine Mechanical, in Palmer.

Trow was preceded in death by his parents Chester Charles and Eugenia (Guarino) Trow, and his infant son Scotty.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joanne (Sallot) Trow of Erie; eight children, Rebecca Buege and Pete Freeze of Bradford, Tenn., Kimberley and Bill VanValkinburgh of Post Falls, Idaho, Elizabeth and David Singer of Wasilla, Chester C. Trow Jr. of Wasilla, Eugenia and Lane Hawkins of Hereford, Ariz., Catherine Trow and Larry Henrichs of Willow, Matthew and Kelly Trow of Peoria, Ariz., Michael Trow of Erie, Penn.; sister Caroline and her husband, Eddie Barrero, of Ocala, Fla., and brother Robert Trow of Aiken, S.C. He is also survived by 24 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, and dear friends.

Per his request there was no service, but memorial donations can be made to VNA Hospice Service of Erie County, 1305 Peach St., Erie, PA 16501, or the family at 4210 Davison Avenue No. 514, Erie, PA.

Margaret Cramer

Margaret “Pauline” Cramer, 82, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her daughter’s home on Feb. 11, 2008. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 501 Bogard Road in Wasilla.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Rupel Cramer, and her grandson Brian Faulk.

She is survived by her children Michael and Debbie Cramer of Washington, Owen and Betty Cramer of Arizona, Martin and Barb Cramer of Washington, and Allison and Jeff Holler of Wasilla; grandchildren Jason Cramer, Jerel Cramer, Mark Cramer, Cara Cramer, Carly Cramer, Morgan Cramer, Christopher Faulk, and Jill Estes. Also her great-grandchildren, Caleb Faulk, Kylee Thompson-Faulk, Cassidy Estes, Josee Mae Estes, Brian Lee Faulk, Jr. and her newest addition, Hunter Cramer.

Her family wrote, “Pauline loved life and the people around her with such passion and sincerity. Her smile and kindness touched so many. All of our lives were blessed just by having her in it.”

Memorial donations may be sent to the Wasilla Area Senior Citizens Center, 1301 Century Circle, as she was an active member there.

Valley Funeral Homes and Crematory of Wasilla and Palmer assisted the family.

Jeremy Luce

Gresham, Oregon resident Jeremy Luce died unexpectedly at his home Feb. 9, 2008. He was 33.

Luce was born in Ft. Lewis, Wash., at Madigan Army Hospital. Luce attended grade school and junior high in Portland and graduated from Tillamook High School in 1992. He was always a loyal friend and loving brother to his sisters Melissa and Kara.

Immediately upon graduation, Luce enlisted in the Navy. After the Navy, he returned to Oregon and eventually settled in the Gresham/Fairview area where he was a popular bartender in several area restaurants.

He is survived by his mother and step-father Rita and Steve Lerwick of Eagle River; father and stepmother David Luce and Kathleen Gibson of Anchorage; sisters Melissa Dittbrender of Wasilla, Kara Lerwick of Eagle River; nephew Jeffrey Dittbrender and two nieces, Bethany and Madelyn Dittbrender of Wasilla; maternal grandmother Evelyn Leahy Hankel of Astoria, Ore.; paternal grandmother Marilyn Scott of Eugene, Ore.; and many aunts, uncles and cousins in Oregon, Washington, Alaska and the East Coast.

Funeral services for Luce were held Feb. 14, at Star Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Astoria. Ore., with the graveside service held at Greenwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jeremy Luce Memorial Fund c/o Hughes Ransom Mortuary, Astoria.

BETTY JANE KEEL

Betty Jane Keel, 78, passed away peacefully Feb. 8, 2008 of natural causes at her Big Lake home.

A visitation will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary Chapel. A celebration of her life will be held afterward at 3:30 p.m. at Gary Crochet’s residence, 990 North Tom Watson Place in the Mission Hills Subdivision of Wasilla.

Keel was born Betty Jane Hayes on Sept. 16, 1929 to Leon Hayes and Esther Sherman Miller in Binghamton, NY. She gave birth to Elaine Rose Hayes on Dec. 30, 1948, Stephen Leroy Hayes on Oct. 1, 1951, and Linda Faye Hayes on Jan. 7, 1957. She met Staff Sgt. James R. Keel in the NCO Club in Maryland in 1960 and married on April 26, 1961. They moved to Salina, Kan., Schilling Air Force Base, where she gave birth to twins James and William Keel on Aug. 12, 1962 and Michael Douglas Keel on Feb. 23, 1964. Being the wife of a military man, they moved from base to base until November 1972 when they made the journey north to Alaska. They lived in Anchorage until December 1982 when they decided to make the Valley their home.

Keel enjoyed racing micro midget cars in her youth. Her greatest hobby seemed to be collecting owls. Her family wrote, “She has thousands of owls and no two are alike. Betty was a true grandma in every sense of the word; she gave so much of herself, and she was always giving and giving with out ever asking for anything in return.”

Keel loved to do crossword puzzles. She would sit at the kitchen table before the sun would rise and work on her puzzles. Then she would watch the sun rise over the Chugiak Mountains. She also enjoyed playing pinochle and listening to country music. Most of all she loved spending time with family and friends.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, James R. Keel of Big Lake. Her siblings Richard L. Hayes, Robert Lester Hayes, Raymond Norman Sherman of Delaware; Harry Hayes, Kenneth Hayes, Ruth Miller, Susan Taylor of New York; Linda Winter of San Antonio, Texas; Harriet Ludwig and Marian Huggins of Louisiana; and Millie Sherman of Delaware. Her children Elaine Vibbert of Paxton, IL, Stephen Hayes of Greenwood, Del., Linda Stehman of Harrisburg, Pa., James Keel of Big Lake, William Keel and Michael Keel of Anchorage. Her grandchildren David Vibbert, Justin and Jeremy Anderson, Jamie Burton, Cheree Keel and Terry Keel, Tyler Keel, Ashley and Fuchsia Keel. Her great-grandchildren Jacob Vibbert, Shayne Marie Keel-Casqueira and Shelby Elizabeth Burton.

Memorial donations can be made to Big Lake EMS, Fire & Rescue, P.O. Box 520869, Big Lake, AK 99652. Local arrangements were provided by Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary.

Eileen M. Westfall

Eileen Marie (Toby) Westfall passed away Feb. 12, 2008, at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with her family and several friends at her side. A memorial service was held Thursday evening at the Birch Harbor Baptist Church.

Westfall was born July 2, 1946 in Streator, Ill., to Andrew and Eleanore (Schmitt) Guyon. She graduated from Saint Mary’s Academy in Nauvoo, Ill. In September 1965, she married Jim Westfall and did some extensive traveling around the United States and Europe with the military, while raising a family and acquiring a host of lifelong friends. In 1986, Westfall moved to Fairbanks, then to the Wasilla area in 1989. She was an active member of the Birch Harbor Baptist Church where she made many friends

She was preceeded in death by her father, a sister, and her son.

She is survived by her daughter Amy (James) Wiertz, granddaughters Sarah and Cassandra, and grandson Matthew of Grand Ridge, Ill.; mother Eleanore Guyon of Wenona, Ill.; sisters Elise (Jerry) Cusac of Rutland, Ill., and Eleanore (Richard) Sharisky of Streator; and brother Dale Guyon of Wenona. She also leaves many nieces and nephews.

The family requested any donations be made to a charity of the giver’s choice. Arrangements were handled by Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary.