FAGERLIE, Miles E.
Miles E. Fagerlie Miles E. Fagerlie, 83, of Phoenix, went home to be with his Lord on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005, surrounded in love by his family and close friends. Miles was born on Nov. 11, 1921, in Audubon, MN, to Alfred and Vesta Fagerlie, and grew up on a ranch in Montana. He served his country during WWII as an unarmed member of the medical corps in Africa and Italy. In 1948, he moved to Tucson, where he met and married Mertice Van Zandt, the love of his life. Dedicating themselves to serve the Lord as missionaries, they attended Arizona Bible Institute in Phoenix together. In 1954 they went first to Barbados, then, two years later, to Grenada. A skilled carpenter and mechanic who could fix most anything, he helped build numerous churches while discipling a generation of national pastors. In 1968, Miles and Mertice returned to the USA and attended Arizona State University where they earned elementary teaching certificates. They spent the next 19 years loving and educating Navajo children at the Huerfano Berean Mission School in New Mexico. Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1992, he moved to the Phoenix area where all his children and grandchildren now reside. His life's passion was serving the Lord and serving others - only in heaven will his true greatness be known (Matt 23:11-12). In addition to Mertice, he is survived by his 4 children - Susan (Jim) George, Miles (Terri) Fagerlie, Eric (Catherine) Fogerlie, and Sivert (Kelly) Fogerlie - plus 11 grandchildren - Jeremy, Christopher, and Breanna; Nathan, Rachel (Trevor), and Ben; Garrett, Samuel, and Seth; Sarah and Joshua. A celebration of his life was held at NCC (Northwest Community Church, 16615 N. 43 Ave, Phoenix, 85053). Memorial gifts may be given through NCC for the rebuilding of churches in Grenada damaged by Hurricane Ivan. Published in The Arizona Republic on 10/19/2005.

FINLEY, James L.
Jim Finley was born in Tucson, November 22, 1890, the son of pioneer ranching parents who came from Texas to northern Cochise County, as children, in the 1870's by ox teams. His father died while Jim was a small boy. His mother, Mattie RIGGS of the pioneer Sulphur Springs Valley RIGGS died in 1939. At the time if his marriage to Margaret IGO in 1911, Jim owned 35 head of cattle and a homestead claim near Elgin, Arizona. Since the outfit was too small to afford a living, Jim worked part time away from home, while Margaret punched the little bunch of Triangle G cattle. He served as Cattle Inspector and County Ranger and later was elected to eight years on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. In 1923 Jim purchased the old Yerba Buena Ranch on the Santa Cruz River east of Nogales, and the NAN brand of cattle. In 1930, due to partial disability from a rheumatic condition, he sold out. After two years he recovered sufficiently to make ranch and cattle inspections for the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank of Berkeley. In 1935 he bought the old Billy FOURR, Four F Ranch near Dragoon, one of the eldest brands in the state. Appointed to the State Livestock Sanitary Board in 1942, he served six years, four of which he was Chairman. During this period the Foot and Mouth Disease broe in Mexico, making the work of the board especially important. Jim has owned several cow ranches in Arizona and said he "has always had to borrow part of the purchase price, but has never sold an outfit upon which he owed money." Jim and Margaret FINLEY lived on their ranch near Gilbert, where they and their sons, Tom and Jack, operated several thousand acres of farm land, a cattle feed yard, a herd of stock cattle and a well-known band of Quarter Horses. A friendly man himself, Jim said, "A man's most valuable and lasting assets are his good friends." taken from Roscoe G. Willson, Pioneer and Well-Known Cattlemen of Arizona, Volume Two, published 1926.

FLAHERTY, Joseph Edward
Joseph Edward Flaherty of Mesa, Arizona passed away on September 18, 2005 surrounded by his devoted R.I. family and Arizona friends. He was the son of Edward Andreas and the late Evelyn (Black) Andreas. Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1944, he served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. Joe received his bachelor's degree from RI College and then relocated to Arizona where he obtained a Masters in Economics at the Arizona State University. For the past 26 years, Joseph worked for the Arizona State Government in the Department of Transportation. Besides his parents, Joseph leaves behind a brother, Raymond Flaherty from Connecticut, three sisters Catherine Oneppo, Joyce Hedden and Jane Leveille all of Warwick, RI and seven nieces and nephews. He also leaves his Arizona family Jerry and Sandy Haupt and Mike Mayer of Tempe, Arnold Burnham of Phoenix, Norman Selover of Goodyear, Wade Morgan and Chris and Jonnalee Holmes of Knoxville, Tenn. Many considered Joe their best friend. His love for baseball, football, actively playing softball up until the last couple of years, along with annual Vegas trips with his circle of friends, will always keep him in our hearts. A VA Ceremony with full military honors will be held on November 12th in Scottsdale, Arizona. Arrangements were made through the Allen Funeral Home in Mesa. Published in The Arizona Republic on 9/23/2005.

FONG, Henry, Sr.
Henry Fong Sr., 53 of Phoenix, Az was born August 2nd, 1952 passed away November 1st, 2005, with his family and friends around him after a courageous battle with diabetes. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1973. Henry ran a successful liquor store business in South Phoenix and was actively involved in various charitable organizations. He will be remembered by his leadership, integrity and goodwill. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, two son's Henry Jr. and David, two brothers Danny and Al Jr. and one sister June. Visitation and funeral services were held at Greenwood Memory Lawn 719 N. 27th Ave. Phoenix, Az. Published in The Arizona Republic on 11/9/2005.

FRY, Donald, The founder of Fry's Supermarket chain
Donald Fry founded Fry's Food Stores with his brother, Charles, in California and expanded into Arizona in 1960. The chain had about 100 stores when it was sold in 1972. Kroger now owns the chain. FRY first opened a meat market while in his 20s. After service in an Army armored cavalry unit during World War II, he married and returned to his home state of Oklahoma, where he managed a supermarket. He earned a business administration degree at the University of California, Berkeley, then settled in California and worked in meat markets before founding the first Fry's store. He moved to Arizona in the late 1950s. According to family members, Donald Fry, who had Parkinson's disease, died at the age of 92 in January 2006 after developing pneumonia,

FULLER, Willys Darwin
Willys Fuller, best known as "Wid", was a cowman. In 1847, at the age of 12 he drove a cow all the way from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake Valley. "Wid" was born in New York, November 10, 1835. His family moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1844 and in 1847 made the long trek to Salt Lake. His father, Elijah FULLER, joined the Perrigreen Sessions Company for the overland trip, carrying all the family's possessions in a wagon pulled by two yoke of oxen. Young Wid, on foot, drove the family cow. In later years he was give to saying that he knew every foot of the 1,000 miles from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake because he has stepped off the entire distance. Arriving in the great Salt Lake Valley the family found it difficult to eke out a living. During the first years the bulbs of the sego lilies, dug with a sharpened stake, often constituted the main part of their fare. As he grew up, Wid began freighting from Council Bluffs and San Pedro to Salt Lake and soon owned three eight-horse teams and six wagons. In 1867 he married Anne CAMPKIN and settled in Dixie in southern Utah where he lived until 1880. His wife had died in 1878, so in 1881 he pioneered Pine country, under the Mogollon Rim, with his four sons and two daughters and the cattle and horses from his Dixie ranch. Here in the little settlement of Pine, "Wid" FULLER helped dig out the first irrigation ditches and became one of the best known cattlement in the region as well as a community leader. In 1910 he turned his interests over to his son, Alfred, and retired. He died on June 20, 1920. Two sons, Frank FULLER and Alfred FULLER and many other descendents survived this hardy pioneer. A grandson, also known as "Wid" lived at Camp Verde, Arizona. Read about the pioneer trek from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake taken from Roscoe G. Willson, Pioneer and Well-Known Cattlemen of Arizona, Volume Two, published 1926.

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