Deaths

• Leandrew Bryant
• Pauline Ruth Koons
• Wanda P. Madina
• Dan Swagerty
• Marjorie Tso-Dodge

Leandrew Bryant

NASCHITTI — Funeral services for Leandrew John Bryant, 37, will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, in Whitewater Community Church. Kevin Yazzie will officiate. Burial will be in Naschitti.

Bryant died Sept. 23, 2011, in Naschitti. He was born June 23, 1974, in Gallup into the One Who Walks Around People Clan for the Towering House People Clan.

Survivors include his parents Willie and Caroline Denetdale, of Naschitti; brothers Leroy Bryant and Leland Denetdale, of Naschitti; and sisters Lanita Denetdale, of Mississippi, Leandrea, Latasha and Lynnette Denetdale, of Naschitti.

He was preceded in death by his sister Lolita Bryant; grandparents Tom and Irene Bryant, Nalis James and Mary Denetdale.

The family will receive relatives and friends at Naschitti Chapter House.

Cope Memorial is in charge of arrangements.

Pauline Ruth Koons

GRANTS — Services for Pauline Ruth Koons, 78, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at 1 p.m. at the Lighthouse Christian Center, 1100 N. Franciscan in Grants. Burial will be held Monday, Oct. 3, 2011, at the Grants Memorial Park.
Koons died Sept. 25, 2011.

Also known as “Sister Koons,” she was a missionary for more than 50 years. Born in 1933 in Birmingham, England, to the Rev. William John and Dora Victoria Ashley-Cole, she attended boarding school in North Wales from the age of 11, during World War II and until the age of 16, when her family moved to the United States in 1949, settling in Portland, Ore. Koons graduated from Franklin High School and earned a teaching degree from Portland State University. After teaching for a year, she attended Prairie Bible Institute in Canada. She was called to serve as a missionary and moved to Houck, Ariz., where she served at Good Shepard Mission and then met her soon-to-be-husband, the Rev. Thomas Koons. They were married for more than 45 years until his death in July 2004. The Koons both served as missionaries with the Assemblies of God in Chandler, Old Sawmill, and Window Rock, Ariz., including Navajo and Crystal, ministering to the Navajo Nation. Sister Koons learned to read and speak the Navajo language and held classes teaching others. She was notorious for handing out gospel tracts and was known by many as the “paper lady.”

Survivors include her sisters Joy Sylvester, of Oregon, Melanie Ashley-Cole, of Washington; brother James Ashley-Cole, of Washington; son Paul Koons, of Tulsa, Okla., and five grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her mother, father and husband.

Compassion Mortuary of Grants is in charge of arrangements.

Wanda P. Madina

GALLUP — Services for Wanda P. Medina, 60, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at St. Francis Catholic Church. A rosary will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, at Rollie Mortuary. The Rev. Larry will officiate. Burial will be at Sunset Cemetery.

Medina died Sept. 26, 2011, in Gallup. She was born Nov. 15, 1950, in Gallup.

Medina graduated from Gallup High School in 1969. She worked at Gallup Head Start from 1991 until 2006.

Survivors include her husband Joe Medina; son Joe Paul Herrera; sisters Geraldine Montoya, Cindy Hausner of Tucson, Debbie Gonzales, Cecelia Aguado, of Albuquerque, and Carol Gonzales; and three grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son John F. Herrera Jr.; grandparents Gabrieal and Pauline Aragon; parents Juan R. Gonzales and Leby Gonzales; brothers Johnny Gonzales and Moses Gonzales.
The family will receive relatives and friends at 1703 Calle Piñon after services.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Dan Swagerty

SUN CITY, Ariz. — Memorial services for Dan Edd Swagerty, 81, will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 8, 2011, at Conchas Lake Park, north of the dam.

Swagerty died Sept. 24, 2011, in Sun City, Ariz. He was born July 2, 1930, in Paducah, Texas.

Swagerty was a long time resident of New Mexico graduating from Tucumcari High School. He also lived in Gallup and Conchas Dam.

Survivors include his wife Jean Ann Swagerty; daughters Kelly Lindsay, Deborah Benham, Linda Busick and brother Charles Swagerty; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Marjorie Tso-Dodge

STANDING ROCK — Funeral services for Marjorie Tso-Dodge, 70, will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Crownpoint. The Rev. Sherman Manuelito will officiate. A rosary will be at 9 a.m. Burial will be on family land in Standing Rock.

Dodge died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in Albuquerque. She was born June 5, 1941, in Standing Rock into the Red Running into the Water People Clan for the Bitter Water People Clan.

Dodge graduated from high school in Oklahoma and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Western New Mexico University, Masters of Arts Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University, and Post Graduate Studies and Educational Specialist Degree in School Administration at New Mexico State University. She retired from Gallup McKinley County Schools as a teacher at Crownpoint Middle School. Dodge received numerous awards and recognition in the education field. Most recently she was inducted into the New Mexico Women’s Hall of Fame 2010 and Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education recognition for her outstanding contributions to education in May 2010. Other awards and recognition include: Appointment to represent San Juan and McKinley counties on the NM Governor’s Council on “Man Power” for Jerry Apodaca and Bruce King administrations; honored as “NMSU Centennial Outstanding Alumna” in 1988 by NMSU; “Distinguished Educator” by Navajo Nation Department of Education; and “Outstanding Educator” by Gallup McKinley County Schools, as well as many others.

Survivors include her daughter Kimberly P. Dodge; brother, Fredrick J. Tso; and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews that she raised. She was preceded in death by her husband Paul A. Dodge; parents John and Nellie Tso and sisters: Evelyn T. Etsitty, Pauline T. Etsitty, and Marlene A. Tso.

Pallbearers will be Marvin. J. Tso, Lyron J. Tso, Fleming Willeto, Ambrose Yazzie, Thomas Mendez, Shane Evans, Michael J. Tso, Fredrick J. Tso, Wilbur Edsitty, Clint Blake, Sherman Blake III, and Wilson Morgan.

Reception will be held at Standing Rock Chapter immediately following burial.

Cope Memorial is in charge of arrangements.