Ariel McNamara

LEXINGTON -- Ariel McNamara, 82, of Arapahoe, died Monday (Feb. 2, 2004) at Tri-County Hospital in Lexington.

She was born Oct. 25, 1921, to John E. and Ruth A. (Branstine) Davis on the family farm south of Orleans in the Eldorado Township of Harlan County.

The family farmed in Harlan and Furnas Counties. She attended school in Stamford and graduated from Stamford High School with the class of 1938. She then pursued higher education in Chilliccothe, Mo., where she studied business.

Following her education she resided in Ogden, Utah and was employed as a bookkeeper for the Ogden Stock Yards Company.

On June 7, 1952, she married George Forest "Bush" McNamara. The couple made their home in Ogden. The couple retired in Arapahoe.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George; three brothers and two sisters.

Survivors include two brothers, Roy Davis of Omak, Wash., and George Davis of Orleans and six sisters, Truth Sturtevant of Beaver City, Mary Koening of Greeley, Colo., Dorothy Caswell of Aurora, Colo., Jean Wills of Temple, Texas, Winnie McGarvey of Bountiful, Utah and Shirley Jacobsen of Medford, N.Y.

Mass of Christian burial was Tuesday, 1 p.m., at St. Germanus Catholic Church in Arapahoe with the Rev. Robert Barnhill officiating. Interment was at the Orleans Cemetery in Orleans.

A memorial has been established in her memory.

The Mitchell Funeral Home of Orleans is in charge of the arrangements.