KERKES, Mitchell (Miev)

Mitchell Kerkes, 83, of Wickenburg, passed away on Aug. 2, 2002. Mitch was born in Golden State, a small mining settlement north of Wickenburg, in 1919. When Mitch was 7 years old the Kerkes family moved to Wickenburg so the children could attend school. Mitch served two years in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1948, Mitch married Ila McConnell and they had two girls, Ronna and Linda. Mitch owned his own painting business and was a bartender at the La Cabana. In 1963 he took a job with the Wickenburg School District as Maintenance Director, retiring in 1983. He also worked for Dallas and Edie Gant at Rancho de los Caballeros, and continued to work for Rusty Gant after Mitch retired from the school district. In total, he worked for Los Caballeros for about 50 years. Mitch was a member of the Wickenburg Elks Lodge, an honorary member of the Wickenburg Volunteer Fire Department, a lifetime donor to United Blood Services, and was an avid hunter and woodchopper. Mitch is survived by his wife, Ila; their daughters, Linda Kerkes Melendez of Wickenburg and Ronna Murray of Glendale, Ariz.; son-in-laws Tony Melendez of Wickenburg and Doug Murray of Glendale; and three grandchildren, Lindsay Kerkes Melendez of Wickenburg and Matt and Kristen Murray of Glendale. He is also survived by three sisters, Annie Passey of Waddell, Sarah Roehlk of Sun City, and Mary Pouquette of Williams; and six nieces."Daddy, you will always remain in our hearts and will be missed at the deer and quail camps and the Easter picnics." Services will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Wickenburg at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002, with burial to follow in the Wickenburg Municipal Cemetery. The family requests that any memorials be made to Hospice at Sun City West, Team 1 Staff, 21739 N. 151st Ave., Sun City West, Ariz. 85375. All arrangements were handled by All Care Cremation and Burial Services of Phoenix. Taken from Wickenburg Sun dated 08-07-2002