John William Firmage Obituary

John W. Firmage

Funeral services for John W. Firmage Jr., 62, were held Thursday at the L.D.S. church. Bishop William Gibbs conducted the rites and burial was in Mountain View cemetery.

Friends who served as pallbearers were J.M. McLennan, James Parr, Herman Seilaff, William Tolar, Mike Zakovich and George White.

Mr. Firmage, a life-long resident of Rock Springs, died at his home at the No. 6 pump station Monday. He had been in failing health for several years.

John William Firmage was born Jan. 27, 1895 in Rock Springs, a son of John Firmage Sr. and Janet Hunter Firmage, pioneer residents of the city. He was a World War I veteran from Sweetwater county.

Mr. Firmage and Florence Cook were married May 14, 1918 in Green River. Mrs. Firmage and their four daughters survive. The daughters are Mrs. Edward (Janet) McPhie of Pinedale, Mrs. August (Ethel May) Bakka of Rock Springs, Mrs. Louis (Esther) Stevens and Mrs. Howard (Florence Jean) Van Valkenburg, both of San Diego. Eight grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Edward (Janet) Hoy or Layton, Utah, also survive.

Mr. Firmage was a longtime employee of Union Pacific Coal company and served as superintendent of the company's pump house at No. 6 for about 15 years.

Ethel Mae Firmage Bakka Obituary 1930-2007

RIVERTON - Funeral services for Ethel M. Bakka, 78, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Bishop Kim McKinnon officiating. Burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery. Viewing will take place today from 7 to 8 p.m., at Davis Funeral Home and from 1 to 2 p.m., Wednesday in the Relief Society Room of the church. She died Jan. 27, 2007, at the Federal Heights Rehabilitation Center in Salt Lake City. She was born Aug. 13, 1930, to John William Firmage and Florence (Cook) Firmage in Rock Springs. She graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1948. She married August E. Bakka on Jan. 4, 1948, in Colorado Springs. The marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on Sept. 25, 1967. They moved to Riverton from Rock Springs in 1958. She was very active in the church, having been president of the Relief Society, teaching Sunday classes for many years and as counselor in the presidency of the young women's organization. She also participated in civic organizations such as the Downtowners Association, where she was past president; was also past president of the Hospital Auxiliary and active in numerous other civic endeavors. She loved to fish, backpack in the Wind River Range, enjoyed various crafts and enjoyed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was employed by Safeway as a bookkeeper for 12 years; managed the family business, Bakka Floor Covering, for 18 years; worked at Wyoming National Bank for three years and managed Books and Briar for 10 years until she retired. Survivors include her husband, "Gus," of Riverton; daughters, Kathy Pease of Rapid City, S.D., Sandy K., Cindy L., and Sherri L.; eight grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren, a sister, Florence Van Valkenburg and her husband of Rock Springs and several nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, a grandson and a great-granddaughter. Memorials may be given to the Riverton Senior Center, in care of Davis Funeral Home, 2203 W. Main, Riverton, 82501. Services are under the direction of Davis Funeral Home.

New York, Passenger Lists, 11 April 1904 Edward and Ellen Unsworth Cook Family

Name:	Florence Cook
Arrival Date:	11 Apr 1904
Birth Date:	abt 1901
Age:	3
Gender:	Female
Ethnicity/ Nationality:	English
Port of Departure:	Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival:	New York, New York
Ship Name:	Umbria
Search Ship Database:	Search the Umbria in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database

1940 United States Census John William and Florence Cook Firmage Family

Name: Florence Firmage Age: 39 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1901 Gender: Female Race: White Birthplace: England Marital Status: Married Relation to Head of House: Wife Home in 1940: Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming Map of Home in 1940: View Map Street: 9th Street House Number: 1087 Inferred Residence in 1935: Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming Residence in 1935: Same House Citizenship: Naturalized Sheet Number: 16A Attended School or College: No Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 7th grade Weeks Worked in 1939: 0 Income: 0 Income Other Sources: No Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John Firmage 45 Florence Firmage 39 Ester Firmage 18 Ethel M Firmage 11 Florence J Firmage 3

1930 United States Census for John William and Florence Cook Firmage Family

Name: Florence Firmage Gender: Female Birth Year: abt 1901 Birthplace: England Race: White Home in 1930: Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming Map of Home: View Map Marital Status: Married Immigration Year: 1904 Relation to Head of House: Wife Spouse's Name: John W Firmage Father's Birthplace: England Mother's Birthplace: England Occupation: Education: Military service: Rent/home value: Age at first marriage: Parents' birthplace: View image Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John W Firmage 35 Florence Firmage 29 Janette Firmage 10 Ester Firmage 7

1920 United States Census for John William and Florence Cook Firmage Family

Name: Florence Firmage [Florence Firman] Age: 19 [18] Birth Year: abt 1901 [abt 1902] Birthplace: England [Pennsylvania] Home in 1920: Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming Race: White Gender: Female Relation to Head of House: Wife Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: John W Firmage Father's Birthplace: England [Pennsylvania] Mother's Birthplace: England [Pennsylvania] Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John W Firmage 24 Florence Firmage 19 [18]

1901 England Census for Edward and Ellen Unsworth Cook Family

1901 England Census about Florence Cook Name: Florence Cook Age: Under 1 Month Relation: Daughter Father's Name: Edward Cook Mother's Name: Ellen Cook Gender: Female Where born: Leigh, Lancashire, England Civil parish: Leigh Ecclesiastical parish: Pennington Christchurch Town: Leigh County/Island: Lancashire Country: England Street Address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Leigh Sub-registration district: Leigh ED, institution, or vessel: 22 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 48 Piece: 3594 Folio: 165 Page Number: 8 Household Members: Name Age Edward Cook 24 Ellen Cook 23 Florence Cook Under 1 Month

John William and Florence Cook Firmage Headstone

Birth:  Mar. 31, 1901 Lancashire, England Death:  Dec. 3, 1980 Rock Springs Sweetwater County Wyoming, USA Rock Springs Daily Rocket Miner, Dec 13, 1980 FLORENCE FIRMAGE Funeral services for Florence Firmage, 79, 1616 Pioneer Drive, Rock Springs, were held Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on White Mountain Blvd. Bishop James Curry conducted the services and burial was in the Mountain View Section of the Rock Springs Municipal Cemetery. Pallbearers were Robert L. Van Valkenburg, Robert W. Van Valkenburg, Dale Seipp, Calvin Potter, Andy Legerski and Cornell Nate. Honorary pallbearers were Lyman Fearn and Evan Graham. Mrs. Firmage died at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Kimberly Manor Nursing Home. A resident of Rock Springs since 1904, Mrs. Firmage had been in ill health the past one year. She was born in Leigh Lancashire, England on March 31, 1904, the daughter of the late Edward and Ellen Unsworth Cook. She attended schools in Rock Springs and married John William Firmage Jr. in Green River on May 4, 1918. Mrs. Firmage was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Survivors include four daughters, Mrs. Howard (Florence Jean) Van Valkenburg of Rock Springs, Janet McPhie of Boise, Idaho, Mrs. August, (Ethel Mae) Bakka of Riverton and Mrs. Don (Esther) Woodyatt, of Evanston; two brothers, Harold Cook of San Diego, Calif., and Tom Cook of Ogden, Utah; one sister, Dolly Brown, of Rock Springs and several grandchildren; great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John and three brothers, Arthur, Paul and Albert Cook and a sister, Mae Faddis. Family links:  Parents:   Edward Cook (1875 - 1928)   Ellen Unsworth Cook (1876 - 1953)  Spouse:   John W Firmage (1895 - 1957)  Children:   Florence Jean Firmage Van Valkenburg (1936 - 2012)* *Calculated relationship   Burial: Rock Springs Cemetery Rock Springs Sweetwater County Wyoming, USA Plot: O'Donnel 216-1-2

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Obituary - Florence Jean Firmage

On April 9, 2012 Grandma Van Valkenburg passed away. We were able to attend her funeral which was sad, yet beautiful. There was a peaceful spirit that attended the entire proceedings. We love you Grandma!

Rock Springs - Florence Jean Firmage Van Valkenburg, 75, of Rock Springs died Monday April 9, 2012 at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County following a lengthy illness. She was a life-long resident of Rock Springs.

She was born August 26, 1936 in Rock Springs, the daughter of John William and Florence Cook Firmage. She was the fourth of four daughters.

She married Howard Ray Van Valkenburg on July 4, 1954 in Rock Springs. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on October 16, 1967. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings in the church including Primary, Sunday School, Young Women and Relief Society. She also served in the Vernal Utah LDS Temple for twelve years. She had been employed for many years as a secretary for Sweetwater School District #1. Her interest included camping, backpacking, reading, family history, and especially spending time with her family and friends.

Survivors include her husband of nearly 58 years, Howard Ray Van Valkenburg of Rock Springs; three daughters, Debra Kay Pence and husband Gary of Waukee, Iowa, Rae Lynn Marostica and husband Marty of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and Gayle Kendall of Rock Springs; brother-in-law Gus Bakka; 12 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Janet PcPhie and husband Edward, Esther Woodyatt and husband Don, and Ethel Mae Bakka.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 14, 2012 at the Rock Springs LDS Stake Center, 2055 Edgar St., Rock Springs. Friends may call 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, April 13, 2012 at Fox Funeral Home, 2800 Commercial Way, Rock Springs and one hour prior to the services Saturday at the church. Interment will take place in the Rock Springs Municipal Cemetery, Rock Springs.

Learn more about Florence on the Firmage Family History website:

https://sites.google.com/site/firmagefamilyhistory/families/firmage/florence-jean-firmage-vanvalkenburg.

Edward Cook and his daughter Florence at around the time they came to the United States. Edward was about 28 years old.



These shoes were worn by Florence Cook, daughter of Edward and Ellen Unsworth Cook, when she came to the United States from England in 1904. She was 3 years old.

Janet Margaret Firmage McPhie
(Obituary printed 11/22/2002 in the RocketMiner, Rock Springs, Wyoming)

CASPER — Janet Margaret Firmage McPhie, 82, died at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002, at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper following a six-month illness with cancer.

Mrs. McPhie was born Sept. 26, 1920, in Rock Springs, the daughter of John William Firmage and Florence Cook, longtime residents of Rock Springs. She attended schools in Rock Springs and graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1938. She married Edward George McPhie on April 9, 1939, in Manila, Utah.

They made their first home in Rock Springs and later moved to Reliance where Mr. McPhie worked in the coal mine. Because of an accident in the mine, it became necessary for him to find another source of work and they later moved to Pinedale.

They lived in Pinedale where their two sons grew up and attended school.

Mrs. McPhie’s interests included cooking and taking care of her family. After Mr. McPhie suffered a heart attack, they moved to Boise, Idaho, to be close to his doctor. He died in Boise on Sept. 25, 1979, and she continued to make her home there.

She was employed at the Boise State College and at Harmon’s Travel Agency. Because of declining health, she moved to Casper in 1997 to be near her son, Gary Lee and wife Noreen and made her home with her grandson, Gary Alan McPhie.

Mrs. McPhie was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She is survived by her son, Gary Lee McPhie and wife Noreen of Casper; five grandchildren, Gary Alan of Casper, Kaylynn and Laurie Ann of Ogden, Utah, and Shawna K. and Timothy Edward of Albuquerque, N.M.; three great-grandchildren, Mikaela and Parker Todd Bingham and Matthew Child of Ogden; two sisters, Jean Van Valkenburg and husband Howard of Rock Springs and Ethel Bakka and husband August of Riverton; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Edward George McPhie Jr. who died Sept. 5, 2002, and his wife Paula; one sister, Esther Stevens Woodyat; and one nephew, Gerald Appelhans.

She will be laid to rest next to her husband in Pinedale. Graveside services will be conducted by her brother-in-law Howard Van Valkenburg at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002.