History of WSFDA

History

The first meeting of the Association was called by the State Board of Health for the purpose of having the Funeral Directors take an examination for licensed embalmers. This meeting was held in Tacoma, at which time the present Association was formed, and committees were appointed to draft a constitution and bylaws. The officers elected were E. R. Butterworth of Seattle, president; Alex Turnbull of Spokane, 1st vice-president; J. F. Jerread of Everett, 2nd vice-president; H. L. Mead of Centralia, secretary; C. L. Hoska of Tacoma, treasurer. The first annual convention was held that same year (1902) in Spokane in October, at which time the Constitution and By-Laws were adopted. The second convention with an examination for licensed embalmers was held in Yakima. Among those taking the exam were: C. O. Lynn, Tacoma, L. L. Bruning, Colfax, and E. S. Hennessey, Spokane.

Perhaps the most important step taken by the Association was at the Thirty-Third Annual Convention held in Tacoma on August 8-9, 1934, when definite plans for an Executive Office were promulgated and a Board of five Trustees elected to serve in the interest of this contemplated program of establishing a permanent business executive office. Board members elected were: John E. Brummey, chairman; Chas Fickel, secretary; Ray Lee, F. L. Christmand, and E. S. Hennessey. The chairman of this board was to be elected annually, and one new member each year to serve for a five-year period. A change in the by-laws was made later so that the President of the Association was also to be the chairman of the board, and this is still in effect at the present time.
L-R: Members who took the Embalmers Exams: C. O. Lynn, Tacoma; L. L. Bruning, Colfax; and Emmett Hennessey, Spokane

1902

Past Presidents

1902 ~ E. R. Butterworth ~ Seattle 1947 ~ D. L. Reynolds ~ Bremerton 1992 ~ Doug Twibell ~ Olympia
1903 ~ W. H. Mock ~ Bellingham 1948 ~ Robert Groseclose ~ Walla Walla 1993 ~ E. H. “Jack” Rothwell ~ Spokane
1904 ~ J. W. Cookerly ~ Walla Walla 1949 ~ Frank T. Walters ~ Tacoma 1994 ~ A. J. Dionne ~ Yakima
1905 ~ C. C. Mellinger ~ Tacoma 1950 ~ Dan Hennessey ~ Spokane 1995 ~ Charles Hennessey ~ Spokane
1906 ~ S. M. Smith ~ Spokane 1951 ~ Walter J. Precht ~ Everett 1996 ~ Howard E. Fear ~ Seattle
1907 ~ Joseph N. Jurue ~ Medical Lake 1952 ~ C. G. Hoerling ~ Centralia 1997 ~ Russell C. Weeks ~ Enumclaw
1908 ~ Conrad L. Hoska ~ Tacoma 1953 ~ John C. Gilchrist ~ Pt. Orchard 1998 ~ Russell C. Weeks ~ Enumclaw
1909 ~ O. W. Stone ~ Davenport 1954 ~ Paul H. Pugsley ~ Spokane 1999 ~ Virginia Mahan ~ Walla Walla
1910 ~ W. R. Whiteside ~ Aberdeen 1955 ~ Emmett Drummey ~ Seattle 2000 ~ Janet Roy-Knautz, CFSP ~ Yakima
1911 ~ J. F. Jones ~ Buckley 1956 ~ Donald C. Keith ~ Yakima 2001 ~ Robert M. Moles ~ Ferndale
1912 ~ George MacMartin ~ Walla Walla 1957 ~ W. C. Merchant ~ Clarkston 2002 ~ David Rill ~ Pt. Orchard
1913 ~ L. S. Mellinger ~ Tacoma 1958 ~ Oliver W. Jacobson ~ Seattle 2003 ~ Robert Anderson ~ Seattle
1914 ~ J. E. Truner ~ Harrington 1959 ~ Theo B. Gaffney ~ Tacoma 2004 ~ Brian Curnow ~ Sumner
1915 ~ L. M. Gaffney ~ Tacoma 1960 ~ John E. Westford ~ Bellingham 2005 ~ Dennis Niva, CFSP ~ Port Angeles
1916 ~ C. G. Chittendent ~ Kent 1961 ~ Stuart N. Adams ~ Seattle 2006 ~ Gary Mers ~ Spanaway
1917 ~ W. E. Stoddard ~ Gifford 1962 ~ C. E. Gilman ~ Spokane 2007 ~ Dennis Murphy ~ Spokane
1918 ~ T. Frank Koepfle ~ Seattle 1963 ~ C. Nathan Lynn ~ Tacoma 2008 ~ James Thomason, CFSP ~ Tacoma
1919 ~ L. L. Bruning ~ Colfax 1964 ~ W. George Hoffner ~ Seattle 2009 ~ Donald Oberg ~ Everett
1920 ~ N. B. Challacombe ~ Everett 1965 ~ Ralph H. Danekas ~ Ritzville 2010 ~ Cameron Smock ~ Seattle
1921 ~ Claude M. Vasser ~ Pomeroy 1966 ~ B. Amon Mueller ~ Kennewick 2011 ~ Cameron Smock ~ Seattle
1922 ~ A. A. Collins ~ Seattle 1967 ~ Wilbert F. Lewis ~ Seattle 2012 ~ Rick Phillips ~ East Wenatchee
1923 ~ D. W. Jones ~ Wenatchee 1968 ~ Donald G. Helton ~ Auburn 2013 ~ Dan Bunnell ~ Vancouver
1924 ~ C. O. Lynn ~ Tacoma 1969 ~ C. E. Hennessey, Sr. ~ Spokane 2014 ~ Jon Gordon ~ Lynnwood
1925 ~ J. B. Hazen ~ Spokane 1970 ~ Royal Keith ~ Yakima 2015 ~ Rick Little ~ Longview
1926 ~ W. J. Knapp ~ Vancouver 1971 ~ Brewer B. Thompson ~ Tacoma 2016 ~ Robert H. Goff, CFSP
1927 ~ Ray B. Lee ~ Pasco 1972 ~ Roger W. Hulbush ~ Burlington 2017 ~ Craig Corbeill ~ Colfax
1928 ~ E. B. Kong ~ Tacoma 1973 ~ Willard A. Walter ~ Wenatchee 2018 ~ Matt Mahan ~ Walla Walla
1929 ~ C. M. Phillips ~ Wilbur 1974 ~ Jerome V. Faull ~ Renton 2019 ~ Lisa Devereau ~ Vashon
1930 ~ J. E. Drummey ~ Seattle 1975 ~ Chalmer M. Nance ~ Yakima 2020 ~ Lisa Devereau ~ Vashon
1931 ~ E. S. Hennessey ~ Spokane 1976 ~ L. William Rill ~ Pt. Orchard 2021 ~ Jessica Wakefield, CFSP ~ Renton
1932 ~ C. C. Pinnick ~ Hoquiam 1977 ~ Robert D. Larrabee ~ Clarkston 2022 ~ Jessica Wakefield, CFSP ~ Renton
1933 ~ C. E. Smith ~ Spokane 1978 ~ Willard W. Brown ~ Chehalis 2023 ~ Jamin Mohler, CFSP ~ Moxee
1934 ~ Gene Whiteside ~ Aberdeen 1979 ~ Robert L. Moles ~ Ferndale 2024 ~ Jamin Mohler, CFSP ~ Moxee
1935 ~ H. A. Shaw ~ Yakima 1980 ~ Glen Strate ~ Davenport  
1936 ~ E. R. Warnica ~ Olympia 1981 ~ Ian D. Morrison ~ Seattle  
1937 ~ Frank Hennessey ~ Wenatchee 1982 ~ Larry G. Krivoshein ~ Walla Walla  
1938 ~ Martin L Dawson ~ Elma 1983 ~ John C “Joe” Merritt ~ Wapato  
1939 ~ Merle W. Chapman ~ Yakima 1984 ~ John M Lynn ~ Tacoma  
1940 ~ Lorene C. Howden ~ Seattle 1985 ~ Gary L Wright ~ Wenatchee  
1941 ~ Irwin H. Jones ~ Wenatchee 1986 ~ Kenneth L. Ellertson ~ Vancouver  
1942 ~ K. A. Knapp ~ Vancouver 1987 ~ James C. Shipman ~ Marysville  
1943 ~ Earl Colman ~ Hoquiam 1988 ~ Bert Butterworth, Jr. ~ Seattle  
1944 ~ W. S. Tinsley ~ Spokane 1989 ~ Donald G. Strate ~ Davenport  
1945 ~ Beri Wells ~ Seattle 1990 ~ Virgil L Umbarger ~ Yakima  
1946 ~ W. R. Goodrich ~ Colfax 1991 ~ James R. Strait ~ Tacoma  

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