Deaths

• Begay, Johnny
• Begay, Kee
• Bitsilly, Grace
• James, Rena
• Kruis, Richard
• Touchine, Jerry
• Yazzie, Elias

Johnny Begay

TUBA CITY — Graveside services for Johnny C. Begay, 63, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at Kitsillie, Ariz. Sister Krista McGill will officiate. Burial will be in family plot, Kitsillie.

Begay died April 16, 2008, in Tuba City. He was born Nov. 10, 1944, in Kitsillie, into the Bitter Water People Clan for the Salt People Clan.

Begay attended Northern Arizona University and Northland Pioneer College. He attended college. Begay worked at Page Power Plant, in asbestos removal, Navajo Nation Police and was stationed in Chinle. He lived in Kitsillie area and Black Mesa. He was a Veteran and served in the Army as an Airborne jumper in Vietnam.

Survivors include his wife, Rebecca S. Begay of Tuba City; brothers, Jimmie C. Begay of Cottonwood, Charles Begay of Buffalo, Mo.; sisters, Marie Redhair, Pauline C. Begay, both of Kitsillie.

Begay was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Peter C. Begay.

Pallbearers will be Perry C. Begay, Vernon C. Begay, Burgin Burtel, and James R. Sonny.

Silver Creek Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Kee Begay

CHINLE — Funeral services for Kee T. Begay, 60, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Potter’s House, Chinle. Pastor Artie Aragon will officiate. Burial will be in Community Cemetery, Chinle.

Begay died April 15, 2008, in Phoenix. He was born Nov. 11, 1947, in Chinle, into the Red Bottom People Clan for the Towering House People Clan.

Begay was a lifelong resident of Chinle. He enjoyed being with family and grandchildren. His hobbies included fixing vehicles and carpentry.

Survivors include his wife, Marie Begay; sons, Joseph, Jeremy, Joei Begay; daughter, Josephine Shorty; brother, Alfred Begay of Chinle; sisters, Elizabeth Naize of Cottonwood, Rose Begay of Cottonwood; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild.

Begay was preceded in death by his father, Hosteen A. Begay I; mother, Alsonasbah Begay.

Pallbearers will be Jeremy Begay, Joseph Begay, Joei Begay, Ronald Begay, Edwin Whitesinger, and
Wilmer Begay.

The family will receive relatives and friends at 1/2 mile north of the old Chinle Police Dept. at Segay’s residence.

Tse Bonito is in charge of arrangements.

Grace Bitsilly

NAVAJO — Services for Grace Lillian Bitsilly, 75, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Fort Defiance. Father Gilbert Schneider, OFM will officiate. Burial will be in family plot, Two Grey Hills, N.M. Visitation will be 9 a.m., one hour prior to services.

Bitsilly died April 16, 2008, in Fort Defiance. She was born Nov. 19, 1932, in Two Grey Hills, into the Tangle People Clan for the Ute Tribe.

Bitsilly graduated from Phoenix Indian School and was retired for 34 years from Window Rock School District. She was a model for the Goldwaters store in Scottsdale, Ariz. Bitsilly was a rug weaver and seamstress. She loved traveling with grandchildren to traditional ceremonies. She enjoyed playing bingo and going to casinos.

Survivors include her husband, Hoskie Bitsilly Sr. of Navajo; sons, Benjamin Bitsilly, Micky BItsilly, both of Navajo, Hoskie BItsilly Jr., Jonathan Bitsilly, both of Scottsdale; daughters, Barbara Crawford of Fort Defiance, Sarah L. Bitsilly of Navajo; brothers, Hoskie Brown Sr., Jimmy Brown , both of Two Grey Hills, Harold Brown of Colorado Springs; sisters, Rose Lapaha of Water Hills, N.M., Betty Secatero of Canoncito, Louise Brown, Judy John, Mary Begay, all of Two Grey Hills; seven grandchildren.

Bitsilly was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Nelson Brown, Billy Brown, Frank Brown; sisters, Daisy Cox, Ella Brown; granddaughter, Chelsea Rene Duffel.
Pallbearers will be Kallen Crawford, Nathan Crawford, Darren Delgai, Michael Cox, Ronald Bitsilly, and Larry Jumbo.

The family will receive relatives and friends at Two Grey Hills Chapter House, following services.

Silver Creek Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Rena James

TOHLAKAI — Services are pending for Rena James, 85.
James died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, in Gallup. She was born July 20, 1922, in Twin Lakes, into the Salt People Clan for the Bitter Water People Clan.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Richard Kruis

GAMERCO — Funeral services for Richard Kruis, 90, will be 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Rehoboth. Burial will be in Rehoboth Mission Cemetery.

Kruis died April 14, 2008, in Gallup. He was born May 14, 1917, in Jamestown, Mich.

Kruis attended high school and three years in bible college. He was a missionary on the Navajo Reservation. His hobbies included gardening, fishing, golfing and chess.
Survivors include his wife, Mae E. Kruis; sons, Richard H., Daniel, Robert, Edward, Ronald, Phillip, Brian; daughter, Anna Redsand; brother, John; sisters, Betty Feyen, Mae Keyzer; 33 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren.

Kruis was preceded in death by his daughter Trudy; parents, John and Cora Kruis; sisters, Winnie DeBoer Kruis, Ruth Johnson, Trena Brocrshia, Agens Schuitman, Rosella Rozema; brothers, Walter, Peter.

Pallbearers will be his sons.

The family will receive relatives and friends at Rehoboth Fellowship Hall, following services.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor or charity of choice.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Jerry Touchine

COUSINS — Services are pending for Jerry Touchine, 49.
Touchine died Thursday, April 17, 2008, in Gallup. He was born June 1, 1958, in Black Rock, N.M., into the Edge Water People Clan for the Red Running Into the Water People Clan.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Elias Yazzie

GALLUP — Graveside services for Elias Emerson Yazzie, 10 months, will be 11 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Pinetree Mission Cemetery, Vanderwagen. Burial will be in Pinetree Mission Cemetery.

Yazzie died April 14, 2008, in Gallup. He was born May 21, 2007, in Gallup, into the Salt People Clan for the Seneca-Cayuga of Oklahoma People Clan.

Survivors include his mother, Valerie Jake; brothers, Emery Emerson Yazzie, Gabriel Jake; sister, Vanica Yazzie; grandparents, Marcella Bitsie, Emerson Yazzie Sr., Richard Bitsie, Lester and Selina Jake and great-grandmother Helen Yazzie.

Yazzie was preceded in death by his father, Emerson Yazzie Jr.; great-grandmother, Vivian BItsie; great-grandfather, Andrew Yazzie.

Pallbearers will be Robert Bitsie, Leroy Bitsie, Rydell Jake, and James Yazzie.

The family will receive relatives and friends at Ray and Angie Yazzie’s residence in Vanderwagen, following services.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.