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Obit.00,,i0000 Mencer gets, a split verdict
(Continued from page 8.) because Mencer "wasn't staying
Ruth Van De Riet
Former longtime Shelton resi-
dent Ruth Van De Riet died of
heart failure in Gresham, Oregon,
on December 24, 2006. She was
85 and lived in Shelton 41 years
before moving
to Gresham two
years ago to be
near her daugh-
ters.
She was born
in Washington,
Kansas, on Au-
gust 4, 1921 to
Archibald D. and
Martha (Krebs)
Van Petten.
She earned
a bachelor's de-
gree from Kan- Ruth
sas State Uni- Van De Riet
versify and a
master's degree from Michigan
State University.
She married Harold J. Van De
Riet in Kansas on July 28, 1950.
Mrs. Van De Riet was a faculty
member at Michigan State Uni-
versity and taught high-school
classes in Pigeon, Michigan. She
also worked as a child specialist
for the Community Mental Health
Center in Olympia and was chair
of the Washington State Universi-
ty Cooperative Extension Office in
Shelton from 1977 to 1986, when
she retired. She did some freelance
writing in retirement.
She was a member of the Unit-
ed Methodist Church of Shelton,
American Association of Universi-
ty Women, Mason General Hospi-
tal Auxiliary and worked with the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program
and at the Nifty Thrifty shop.
Surviving are daughters Jeanne
Van De Riet and son-in-law Mal-
colm McCord of Sandy, Oregon,
and Shirley Van Garde and hus-
band Richard of Gresham and
granddaughters Mariah and Au-
rora "Rory" Van Garde.
A memorial service was held at
the Gresham Manor Retirement
Apartments.
Memorial donations may be
made to the Saints' Pantry food
bank, P.O. Box 1064, Shelton.
Inurnment arrangements are
by Evergreen-Washelli, Funeral
Home in SeattLe.
LOW COST
CREMATION
Peggy Coon
Leona Morgan "Peggy" Coon
died of natural causes on Sun-
day, December 24, 2006, at Ma-
son General Hospital. She was
81 and lived in the Shelton area
fbr more than
20 years.
S
, ne was born
in Kelso on Oc-
tober 24, 1925
to Jack and
Thehna (Gates)
Morgan.
She was a
homemaker
who enjoyed
caring for ani-
mals, especially
cats and birds.
She also liked to Peggy
read and watch Coon
ice-skating per-
formances.
She was preceded in death by
lusband Harold "Dick" Coon and
daughter Gall Jobb Burkhardt. '
Mrs. Coon is survived by sons
John Jobb of Chicago, Illinois,
and Michael Jobb of Shelton;
daughter Cindy Jobb-Ilkhani of
Seattle; three grandchildren and
one great-grandchild.
Private services were sched-
uled.
An important legacy
Complete obituary informa-
tion is not only an appropri-
ate tribute to the deceased but
a part of history. The Journal
provides fbrms and is happy to
print infbrmation on the lives
of residents and former resi-
dents.
go in one at a time."
He said they announced their
presence in a very loud voice and
each one yelled "Police, search war-
rant" several times. He said when
he entered the bedroom Mencer was
wearing headphones and did not
respond to commands "to show us
your hands and roll over."
Potts continued, "Deputy Reed
pushed him and stepped back. He
opened his eyes and looked at us. At
one point he lunged toward Deputy
Reed and then he immediately sat
down. We called in a third person,
Deputy McGill, and Deputy Reed
deployed a taser."
DETECTIVE ROBERT Noyes
said he searched the bedroom where
Mencer was found. "I had spoke with
Mr. Mencer. I had escorted him into
the bedroom so he could point things
out," he said, "and claim things that
were his and were not his."
Noyes said he located several
documents with Mencer's name on
them. He said a .22-caliber pistol
that was loaded was found on top of
the stereo next to where Mencer had
been sleeping. The stereo was in an
entertainment center and Noyes
said he found a box of bullets for the
pistol on top of the entertainment
center. Noyes said he found the oth-
er three guns under drawers at the
bottom of a dresser inside the closet
of the bedroom.
Debbie Marshall, who was resid-
ing at the York residence on October
17, said the four firearms belonged
to her ex-husband and that she had
brought them to the residence be-
cause she was moving into the bed-
room where Mencer was found. She
said she put them in the bedroom
there at that time."
She said she was there with her
three children in the afternoon and
took the guns into the residence.
She said her son reminded her to
place them in a corner of the closet
with the barrel-ends up. She said
neither York or Mencer were at the
residence when she brought the
guns inside.
SHE SAID SHE had the guns for
two or three years and had recently
taken them out of storage. She said
she could not remember whether or
not she had a box of bullets for the
pistol.
She said she did not inform depu-
ties or the prosecutor's office about
her ownership of the guns until she
filed a declaration on December 18.
"I didn't know where to go to. I just
thought that the day of the search
warrant; I decided to keep my mouth
shut. Then I went on the Internet to
find out how to retrieve firearms,"
Marshall said.
When Deputy Prosecutor Mike
Dorcy asked her why she waited
two months to claim the firearms,
she said, "because I just found out
last week that I could." However,
when he showed her the handgun
which was found in the bedroom
with Mencer, Marshall said it was
not the one she brought into the
residence on October 17, explaining
the pistol she brought there had a
wooden handle and was bigger than
the one he showed her. She said she
put the pistol, which was in a box,
on a shelf in the closet.
Judge James Sawyer read two
stipulations, telling the jury to treat
the written statement the same as
sworn testimony. Detective Bill
Epiphany concert Saturday
The Shelton Children's Choir The youngsters will be celebrat-
will sponsor an Epiphany service ing what their instructor calls a
at 6 p.m. this Saturday, January "festival of light" with excerpts
6, at Faith Lutheran Church at- from "Lessons and Carols" from
1.212 Connection Street on Moun- Kings College Cambridge and var-
tain View in Shelton. ious instrumental selections.
The free concert is open to all.
THREE BEDROOM, one bath house
for rent, Basement, garage, fenced yard
on Cota Street, $950 monthly. Available
January 15th. Call (360) 866-4594 or
(360) 432-0971. Mcl/4-25
FOR SALE by owner. Lease purchase
on Park St. 2 bedroom, new bath, just
painted on inside. Large detached ga-
rage. $121,500. Call (360) 426-1585.
O1/4
FIREWOOD. FREE to anyone who will
help me clean up and burn storm debris
in my field. Several huge trees will turn
into lots of firewood. Call Ray, (360)
426-2509. C1/4
80 HP Mercury with tiller handle and
pump. $2,500 OBO. (360) 427-0574.
L1/4-11
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE Techni-
cian. Temporary, full time, night shift po-
sition, all days of the week and possibly
other shifts. This position is responsible
for custodial duties in general and medi-
cal areas of a 60+ bed hospital. Apply
at or send resume to Mason General
Hospital, H.R. Dept., P.O. Box 1668,
Shelton, WA 98584. (360) 427-9575,
lalvarez@masongeneral.com. M 1/4
TIMBERLAKE 2 bedroom home, $475
monthly. First, last, deposit. Kristian
(360) 710-9114 (cell). $1/4-11
CREDENTIALING SPECIALIST. Up to
full time and up to 1 year, M-F, day shift,
replacing Military Leave Personnel.
Computer exp., Word, Access, Excel,
ability to work well with a variety of peo-
ple, attention to detail, well organized
and ability to multi-task required. Physi-
cian credentialing exp. helpful. Health-
care benefits, and 5 days paid vacation
after 90 days. Pick up application or
send resume to Mason General Hospi-
tal, H.R. Dept., P.O. Box 1668, Shelton,
WA 98584. (360) 427-9575, lalvarez@
masongeneral.com. M1/4
1948 DODGE, very clean, no rust, li-
censed, running good, flat 6-cyl., stain-
less trim, $5,000. Must see to, igeci-
ate. (360) 432-9654 or (360) J56-7132.
Wl/4-25
1975 BLACK EL Camino. 400 .small
block. Right front fender damage.
$2,000 OBO. (360) 868-2061. V/4
UPRIGHT FREEZER, white, $50. (360)
868-2061. V1/4
SHELTON
MEMORIAL
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Complete Line of
Memorial Markers
Available for sale:
Burial and Cremation Lots,
Columbariums, Liners, Vaults
Phone 426-2152 • Fax 426- 5615
All of our staff reside in Mason County, adhere to the highest
standard of ethical practices and are committed to ensuring
that all of your needs are attended to.
Mason County's Only Crematorium
t Our flail service ofti:rs cremation, burial, memorial markers and Purple Cross Burial Insurance
Ron Larson, funeral director, Competitive Pricing
13-year employee Pre-need and at-need arrangements available
Adam reported firing each of the four
firearms and noted each firearm was
in working order. The other stipula-
tion noted Mencer was convicted on
March 7, 2005 of a felony that is not
defined as a serious offense.
TESTIMONY RESUMED on
December 22 with Deputy Reed,
who said he participated as a mem-
ber of the SERT when the warrant
was served. He said he was the first
person through the bedroom door.
"It was open. I observed the defen-
dant laying on a mattress on the
floor under a blanket."
He said he waited for Deputy
Potts and that both of them were
telling him to show his hands and
roll over on his belly. "I noticed he
had headphones on and his eyes
were closed. I didn't know if he was
listening to music or if he was sleep-
ing. I kicked his leg to get his at-
tention. He took off his headphones
and started with profanity toward
me. He was telling me to get out,"
Reed said. He confirmed the use of
the taser to gain compliance.
The defense case began with tes-
timony from Carrie Justus, Mencer's
mother. She said her son had lived
with her at 1426 Ellinor since July 2
of 2006, although she said between
July and August he lived at the
Highland Road residence. She said
he moved back into her residence in
September and that he was living
there on or about October 17.
Mencer testified in his own de-
fense. He said he knew that because
of a felony conviction he was not al-
lowed to have firearms. He said late
on October 16 he went to the High-
land Road residence to get some of
his belongings like the entertain-
ment center and night stand.
"I INTENDED to grab my stuff
and get going. Richie came to my
house to pick me up. He apparently
fell asleep," Mencer said, explaining
he went into the bedroom and went
to sleep. "All I know is I had my
headphones on and I was sleeping.
All I know is I'm being tased and
then I'm being handcuffed."
He said he did not see the hand-
gun sitting on the stereo when he
went into the bedroom because it
was dark and he did not turn on a
light. He said he did not know about
the guns hidden under the drawers
in the closet. "When I went in there
the lights were off. I went in there to
go to sleep. It was dark except from
the light under the door," he said.
Mencer said he had "no idea"
how the box of bullets got into the
room. He said the door to the room
has a padlock which he had to un-
lock when he went in to go to sleep.
He said he did not know Marshall
was at the residence until the morn-
ing when law enforcement officers
arrived. He said when he went to
sleep York and Rodriguez were at
the residence.
Members of the jury were Meghan
Andrews, Karen Rasor, Franklin
Phillips, Raphael Mostel, Claire
Voskuhl, Eugene Stacy, Leonard
Eckroth, Joyce Bryant, Grant Fos-
ter, Doug Traynor, John Devitt and
Thomas Snyder. Sherry Holmes-
Gier was the alternate.
Complete $3 75
360-705-2857
or 1-800-575-8823 24 hours
Always low cost with dignity
AMERICAN BURIAL &
CREMATION S,RWCS
Forest Funeral
O REST
Home
"A reputation built on service"
Professional service,
fair pricing,
attention to details.
At Forest it's not about
the money a family spends,
it's about the
service we provide.
Call on us today
360-427-8044
313 West Railroad Avenue, Shelton, WA
00D(X; JANUARY
L PROGRESSIVE
STOP BY THE CASINO
FOR MORE DETAILS!
LUDO RETURN THIS COUPON TO THE LUCKY
, JANUARY PROGRESSIVE
*CASH BASH*
NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY: ST ZIP
EMAIL:
ng
Deck
ack
Page 10 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, January 4, 2007 ,,,
Obit.00,,i0000 Mencer gets, a split verdict
(Continued from page 8.) because Mencer "wasn't staying
Ruth Van De Riet
Former longtime Shelton resi-
dent Ruth Van De Riet died of
heart failure in Gresham, Oregon,
on December 24, 2006. She was
85 and lived in Shelton 41 years
before moving
to Gresham two
years ago to be
near her daugh-
ters.
She was born
in Washington,
Kansas, on Au-
gust 4, 1921 to
Archibald D. and
Martha (Krebs)
Van Petten.
She earned
a bachelor's de-
gree from Kan- Ruth
sas State Uni- Van De Riet
versify and a
master's degree from Michigan
State University.
She married Harold J. Van De
Riet in Kansas on July 28, 1950.
Mrs. Van De Riet was a faculty
member at Michigan State Uni-
versity and taught high-school
classes in Pigeon, Michigan. She
also worked as a child specialist
for the Community Mental Health
Center in Olympia and was chair
of the Washington State Universi-
ty Cooperative Extension Office in
Shelton from 1977 to 1986, when
she retired. She did some freelance
writing in retirement.
She was a member of the Unit-
ed Methodist Church of Shelton,
American Association of Universi-
ty Women, Mason General Hospi-
tal Auxiliary and worked with the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program
and at the Nifty Thrifty shop.
Surviving are daughters Jeanne
Van De Riet and son-in-law Mal-
colm McCord of Sandy, Oregon,
and Shirley Van Garde and hus-
band Richard of Gresham and
granddaughters Mariah and Au-
rora "Rory" Van Garde.
A memorial service was held at
the Gresham Manor Retirement
Apartments.
Memorial donations may be
made to the Saints' Pantry food
bank, P.O. Box 1064, Shelton.
Inurnment arrangements are
by Evergreen-Washelli, Funeral
Home in SeattLe.
LOW COST
CREMATION
Peggy Coon
Leona Morgan "Peggy" Coon
died of natural causes on Sun-
day, December 24, 2006, at Ma-
son General Hospital. She was
81 and lived in the Shelton area
fbr more than
20 years.
S
, ne was born
in Kelso on Oc-
tober 24, 1925
to Jack and
Thehna (Gates)
Morgan.
She was a
homemaker
who enjoyed
caring for ani-
mals, especially
cats and birds.
She also liked to Peggy
read and watch Coon
ice-skating per-
formances.
She was preceded in death by
lusband Harold "Dick" Coon and
daughter Gall Jobb Burkhardt. '
Mrs. Coon is survived by sons
John Jobb of Chicago, Illinois,
and Michael Jobb of Shelton;
daughter Cindy Jobb-Ilkhani of
Seattle; three grandchildren and
one great-grandchild.
Private services were sched-
uled.
An important legacy
Complete obituary informa-
tion is not only an appropri-
ate tribute to the deceased but
a part of history. The Journal
provides fbrms and is happy to
print infbrmation on the lives
of residents and former resi-
dents.
go in one at a time."
He said they announced their
presence in a very loud voice and
each one yelled "Police, search war-
rant" several times. He said when
he entered the bedroom Mencer was
wearing headphones and did not
respond to commands "to show us
your hands and roll over."
Potts continued, "Deputy Reed
pushed him and stepped back. He
opened his eyes and looked at us. At
one point he lunged toward Deputy
Reed and then he immediately sat
down. We called in a third person,
Deputy McGill, and Deputy Reed
deployed a taser."
DETECTIVE ROBERT Noyes
said he searched the bedroom where
Mencer was found. "I had spoke with
Mr. Mencer. I had escorted him into
the bedroom so he could point things
out," he said, "and claim things that
were his and were not his."
Noyes said he located several
documents with Mencer's name on
them. He said a .22-caliber pistol
that was loaded was found on top of
the stereo next to where Mencer had
been sleeping. The stereo was in an
entertainment center and Noyes
said he found a box of bullets for the
pistol on top of the entertainment
center. Noyes said he found the oth-
er three guns under drawers at the
bottom of a dresser inside the closet
of the bedroom.
Debbie Marshall, who was resid-
ing at the York residence on October
17, said the four firearms belonged
to her ex-husband and that she had
brought them to the residence be-
cause she was moving into the bed-
room where Mencer was found. She
said she put them in the bedroom
there at that time."
She said she was there with her
three children in the afternoon and
took the guns into the residence.
She said her son reminded her to
place them in a corner of the closet
with the barrel-ends up. She said
neither York or Mencer were at the
residence when she brought the
guns inside.
SHE SAID SHE had the guns for
two or three years and had recently
taken them out of storage. She said
she could not remember whether or
not she had a box of bullets for the
pistol.
She said she did not inform depu-
ties or the prosecutor's office about
her ownership of the guns until she
filed a declaration on December 18.
"I didn't know where to go to. I just
thought that the day of the search
warrant; I decided to keep my mouth
shut. Then I went on the Internet to
find out how to retrieve firearms,"
Marshall said.
When Deputy Prosecutor Mike
Dorcy asked her why she waited
two months to claim the firearms,
she said, "because I just found out
last week that I could." However,
when he showed her the handgun
which was found in the bedroom
with Mencer, Marshall said it was
not the one she brought into the
residence on October 17, explaining
the pistol she brought there had a
wooden handle and was bigger than
the one he showed her. She said she
put the pistol, which was in a box,
on a shelf in the closet.
Judge James Sawyer read two
stipulations, telling the jury to treat
the written statement the same as
sworn testimony. Detective Bill
Epiphany concert Saturday
The Shelton Children's Choir The youngsters will be celebrat-
will sponsor an Epiphany service ing what their instructor calls a
at 6 p.m. this Saturday, January "festival of light" with excerpts
6, at Faith Lutheran Church at- from "Lessons and Carols" from
1.212 Connection Street on Moun- Kings College Cambridge and var-
tain View in Shelton. ious instrumental selections.
The free concert is open to all.
THREE BEDROOM, one bath house
for rent, Basement, garage, fenced yard
on Cota Street, $950 monthly. Available
January 15th. Call (360) 866-4594 or
(360) 432-0971. Mcl/4-25
FOR SALE by owner. Lease purchase
on Park St. 2 bedroom, new bath, just
painted on inside. Large detached ga-
rage. $121,500. Call (360) 426-1585.
O1/4
FIREWOOD. FREE to anyone who will
help me clean up and burn storm debris
in my field. Several huge trees will turn
into lots of firewood. Call Ray, (360)
426-2509. C1/4
80 HP Mercury with tiller handle and
pump. $2,500 OBO. (360) 427-0574.
L1/4-11
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE Techni-
cian. Temporary, full time, night shift po-
sition, all days of the week and possibly
other shifts. This position is responsible
for custodial duties in general and medi-
cal areas of a 60+ bed hospital. Apply
at or send resume to Mason General
Hospital, H.R. Dept., P.O. Box 1668,
Shelton, WA 98584. (360) 427-9575,
lalvarez@masongeneral.com. M 1/4
TIMBERLAKE 2 bedroom home, $475
monthly. First, last, deposit. Kristian
(360) 710-9114 (cell). $1/4-11
CREDENTIALING SPECIALIST. Up to
full time and up to 1 year, M-F, day shift,
replacing Military Leave Personnel.
Computer exp., Word, Access, Excel,
ability to work well with a variety of peo-
ple, attention to detail, well organized
and ability to multi-task required. Physi-
cian credentialing exp. helpful. Health-
care benefits, and 5 days paid vacation
after 90 days. Pick up application or
send resume to Mason General Hospi-
tal, H.R. Dept., P.O. Box 1668, Shelton,
WA 98584. (360) 427-9575, lalvarez@
masongeneral.com. M1/4
1948 DODGE, very clean, no rust, li-
censed, running good, flat 6-cyl., stain-
less trim, $5,000. Must see to, igeci-
ate. (360) 432-9654 or (360) J56-7132.
Wl/4-25
1975 BLACK EL Camino. 400 .small
block. Right front fender damage.
$2,000 OBO. (360) 868-2061. V/4
UPRIGHT FREEZER, white, $50. (360)
868-2061. V1/4
SHELTON
MEMORIAL
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Complete Line of
Memorial Markers
Available for sale:
Burial and Cremation Lots,
Columbariums, Liners, Vaults
Phone 426-2152 • Fax 426- 5615
All of our staff reside in Mason County, adhere to the highest
standard of ethical practices and are committed to ensuring
that all of your needs are attended to.
Mason County's Only Crematorium
t Our flail service ofti:rs cremation, burial, memorial markers and Purple Cross Burial Insurance
Ron Larson, funeral director, Competitive Pricing
13-year employee Pre-need and at-need arrangements available
Adam reported firing each of the four
firearms and noted each firearm was
in working order. The other stipula-
tion noted Mencer was convicted on
March 7, 2005 of a felony that is not
defined as a serious offense.
TESTIMONY RESUMED on
December 22 with Deputy Reed,
who said he participated as a mem-
ber of the SERT when the warrant
was served. He said he was the first
person through the bedroom door.
"It was open. I observed the defen-
dant laying on a mattress on the
floor under a blanket."
He said he waited for Deputy
Potts and that both of them were
telling him to show his hands and
roll over on his belly. "I noticed he
had headphones on and his eyes
were closed. I didn't know if he was
listening to music or if he was sleep-
ing. I kicked his leg to get his at-
tention. He took off his headphones
and started with profanity toward
me. He was telling me to get out,"
Reed said. He confirmed the use of
the taser to gain compliance.
The defense case began with tes-
timony from Carrie Justus, Mencer's
mother. She said her son had lived
with her at 1426 Ellinor since July 2
of 2006, although she said between
July and August he lived at the
Highland Road residence. She said
he moved back into her residence in
September and that he was living
there on or about October 17.
Mencer testified in his own de-
fense. He said he knew that because
of a felony conviction he was not al-
lowed to have firearms. He said late
on October 16 he went to the High-
land Road residence to get some of
his belongings like the entertain-
ment center and night stand.
"I INTENDED to grab my stuff
and get going. Richie came to my
house to pick me up. He apparently
fell asleep," Mencer said, explaining
he went into the bedroom and went
to sleep. "All I know is I had my
headphones on and I was sleeping.
All I know is I'm being tased and
then I'm being handcuffed."
He said he did not see the hand-
gun sitting on the stereo when he
went into the bedroom because it
was dark and he did not turn on a
light. He said he did not know about
the guns hidden under the drawers
in the closet. "When I went in there
the lights were off. I went in there to
go to sleep. It was dark except from
the light under the door," he said.
Mencer said he had "no idea"
how the box of bullets got into the
room. He said the door to the room
has a padlock which he had to un-
lock when he went in to go to sleep.
He said he did not know Marshall
was at the residence until the morn-
ing when law enforcement officers
arrived. He said when he went to
sleep York and Rodriguez were at
the residence.
Members of the jury were Meghan
Andrews, Karen Rasor, Franklin
Phillips, Raphael Mostel, Claire
Voskuhl, Eugene Stacy, Leonard
Eckroth, Joyce Bryant, Grant Fos-
ter, Doug Traynor, John Devitt and
Thomas Snyder. Sherry Holmes-
Gier was the alternate.
Complete $3 75
360-705-2857
or 1-800-575-8823 24 hours
Always low cost with dignity
AMERICAN BURIAL &
CREMATION S,RWCS
Forest Funeral
O REST
Home
"A reputation built on service"
Professional service,
fair pricing,
attention to details.
At Forest it's not about
the money a family spends,
it's about the
service we provide.
Call on us today
360-427-8044
313 West Railroad Avenue, Shelton, WA
00D(X; JANUARY
L PROGRESSIVE
STOP BY THE CASINO
FOR MORE DETAILS!
LUDO RETURN THIS COUPON TO THE LUCKY
, JANUARY PROGRESSIVE
*CASH BASH*
NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY: ST ZIP
EMAIL:
ng
Deck
ack
Page 10 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, January 4, 2007 ,,,