Bruce Willard
Bruce Willard passed away Aug. 9, 2014 in Arizona, where he had been undergoing cancer treatment. Born July 24, 1935 in Oakfield, Wisc.,
Bruce was a Homer resident since 1946. He was a true Alaskan.
He homesteaded with his wife Linda in 1959, was a commercial fisherman, big game guide, company commander of the local National Guard, a longshoreman and a cattle rancher. He was on the board of directors of the Alaska Farm Bureau and a strong supporter of Alaska agriculture.
Bruce is preceded in death by his father George (Jess) Willard, his mother Alyce Willard, and sons Bruce Douglas and Jess Robert. He is survived by his wife Linda, sister Joann Butt, daughters Tammy Hagan and Kristin Willard, grandchildren Trisha Jones, Corissa Martin, Lacy Cissney, Connor, Devin, Jake and Allie Gleason, Caroline Gardner, Rebecca Willard, and great grandchildren Riley and Chase Jones, Charity and Thomas Martin, and Timmy and Emma Cissney.
Bruce will be greatly missed by his family, friends and all who knew him. We take comfort that he is now with The Lord.
Memorial services will be announced and held at a later date.
Anchor Point and Homer area resident Richard F. Kettell, 65, passed away Monday, Aug. 11, 2014 at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer. No services are planned at this time.
Richard was born Nov. 6, 1948 in Elmira, N.Y. He attended two years of college, majoring in English, and served in the U.S. Marine Corp during Vietnam beginning in 1968.
Richard was wounded and honorably discharged in 1972, after a year recovering in the hospital. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal for his service.
After leaving the military, Richard and his young family traveled across the country and eventually ended up in Alaska in 1976. They lived in Tanana for a time, then in the Homer and Anchor Point area. Richard also spent some years in Texas driving across the country as a truck driver.
Richard loved history, literature, music, driving and watching NASCAR. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Jeanne Kettell, and grandsons, Bruce and Salem, all of Anchorage; his son, John Kettell and granddaughter, Emmalin, both of Homer.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.