The artistic talents of those laid to rest at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery and Columbarium were celebrated Thursday during the cemetery board’s 33rd annual Walk Back in Time tour.

Edmonds Cemetery Board members and friends served as guides on the one-hour tour that celebrated the lives of artist Ann Rutter, singer John William “Zev” Zevenbergen and his wife, accompanying pianist Elaine Zevenbergen, wildlife photographer and frequent My Edmonds News contributor LeRoy VanHee, and artist Betty June Russell Munson. Also honored was historian (and former cemetery board member) Betty Lou Gaeng, My Edmonds News Looking Back columnist, who died April 17 at age 96. 

Gaeng came up with the idea of honoring creatives as part of this year’s Walk Back in Time event and the profiles below were authored by her.

Ann Elizabeth Chapin Rutter (1933-2014) – Watercolor artist

As a self-taught artist, Ann Rutter was one of those amazing people who instinctively had a gift to see the tranquil beauty of the world around her.

She was born May 2, 1933 in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of Leverett A. Chapin (1900-1982) and Lenore Lampson (1901-1967). Her father was an associate editor of the Denver Post newspaper.

Ann Chapin attended East High School in Denver, graduating in 1951.  She graduated from the University of Colorado, after spending her junior year at the University of Madrid and a senior year as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Munich. Before leaving for Munich, Ann Chapin met John Elliott Rutter, Jr.  Following her return to the U.S., they were married in Denver in 1957.

The couple lived in Edmonds where John Rutter was an attorney. He also served as a Snohomish County Superior Court judge. Two sons were born to them—John E. Rutter III and Daniel Rutter.

As reported in the Seattle Times: “Ann Rutter’s career spanned over 40 years — and she became a highly respected watercolor artist whose Northwest scenes graced the walls of countless homes, with much of her art inspired by the beauty she found in the islands to the north, the farms of the Skagit Valley, as well as the Cascade Mountains. Her work is held in many corporate and private collections and has been honored by the Seattle Boat Show and the Edmonds Art Festival. Her professional memberships included the Northwest Watercolor Society, Seattle Co-Arts, Women Painters of Washington and the American Society of Marine Artists.”

As she traveled, Ann Rutter also captured the special beauty in other parts of the world, including watercolors of Colorado’s scenic wonders, and a lovely watercolor of Venice.

She was well known in the Edmonds art community, where she became a close friend of Bunny Hammersla, who from 1976 to 1984 operated the Hammersla Gallery at 524 Main St. in Edmonds.  Hammersla (1925-2017), herself an accomplished artist, specialized in displaying the works of Pacific Northwest artists — including the watercolors by Ann Rutter. Each week, for several years, the two good friends enjoyed playing Scrabble while having lunch together.

After a lengthy illness, Ann Rutter died April 26, 2014.

John William “Zev” Zevenbergen, Sr. (1926-2010) and Elaine Alida Pappas Zevenbergen (1929-2009) — Together, they made beautiful music

John William “Zev” Zevenbergen, Sr. and Elaine Alida Pappas Zevenbergen – husband (soloist) and wife (accompanying pianist) share a gravestone, reflecting the long-time personal love story, as well as their combined love for music. Cemetery Board Member Richard Marin played a CD recording of the Zevenbergens performing together for those attending the event.

As their shared grave marker shows, John and Elaine Zevenbergen made music a main part of their lives— starting with John as a soloist and Elaine as accompanist. From the time they met following World War II, music defined their lives.

John Zevenbergen’s obituary published in The Seattle Times December 5, 2010, sets the stage for the love story of John and Elaine.

“John (Zev) Zevenbergen was born to John and Kate Zevenbergen in the Dutch community of Lynden, Washington on September 19, 1926. He was baptized at the First Reformed Church of Lynden and spoke Dutch until he learned English in kindergarten. His early years were spent in Lynden where his family owned and operated the largest chicken farm in the Northwest. Throughout his life, John referred to Lynden as God’s Country.  Due to hard times, the family moved to Bremerton where John finished high school at night while working in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.  In 1945, John decided to join the Navy, but had to slouch during the physical to get his 6-foot, 6-inch frame under the height limit.  The slouching was in vain, however, because World War II ended shortly after he finished boot camp, and being honorably discharged, he returned to Bremerton.”

Back in Bremerton, John “Zev” was singing bass in a quartet. He met Elaine Pappas, an accomplished pianist, when she was asked to accompany the singing group. Although they were both engaged to others at the time, for John and Elaine it was love at first sight. They were married in 1950, six months later.  It was a marriage that lasted almost 60 years. They raised their seven children in a house filled with music.

John was said to be the happiest when he was singing with his quartet or their church choir. It was said that when he sang “Danny Boy,” a favorite, there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience.

Even though John loved music, his career had taken a different turn, and in 1952 he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington with a degree in electrical engineering. After graduation, John and Elaine moved to California, where he was an engineer for Hewlett Packard Company. Then in 1957, the family was off to North Carolina, where John worked as the Hewlett Packard representative for Bivens & Caldwell.

However, Elaine missed living near her family, and in 1958, the family moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where John became a research engineer for Boeing Company, working on the Minute Man program. In 1959, John left Boeings and became the marketing general manager at John Fluke Manufacturing Co. He remained at Fluke through the 1970s and into the 1980s until he took early retirement in 1982 to spend more time with his family.

John was a sports fan and seldom missed a sporting event, especially when his children and then his grandchildren were involved.

The family enjoyed fishing, crabbing, clamming, and just being at their cabin at Useless Bay on Whidbey Island, or at LaPush on the Washington coast for fishing, and camping at Mora Campground at Washington’s Olympic National Park near Forks.

On May 22, 2009, just 18 days before John and Elaine’s 60th anniversary, Elaine passed away. She was 80 years old.

Elaine Alida Pappas was born in Bremerton on January 3, 1929, the daughter of Andrew and Rena Pappas.  She graduated from Bremerton High School and attended the University of Washington.  And, of course, it was her talent as an accomplished pianist that led to her marriage to John Zevenbergen.

On Nov. 23, 2010, John William Zevenbergen, Sr. at the age 84, lost his battle with cancer, and died with his family at his side.

LeRoy VanHee (1935-2020) – Photographing the wildlife of Edmonds

LeRoy VanHee spent his retirement years in documenting wildlife in Edmonds.  He could be seen most mornings, walking his circuit along the waterfront and marsh with his Canon camera in hand.  He died at home on March 21, 2020, following a short illness.

LeRoy contributed his photos to the Edmonds Department of Parks and Recreation, which has used them on the Wildlife of Edmonds poster and a bird information display at Hickman Park.  He collaborated with Carol Riddell on the early Bird Lore columns at My Edmonds News. Carol said she started the column to share LeRoy’s bird photos with the Edmonds community. He posted some of his favorite photos on Flickr.  More of his photos can be enjoyed on his Facebook page.

LeRoy was born in 1935 in Plentywood, Montana and his family moved to other locations in the state. After his 1953 graduation from Missoula County High School in Missoula, Montana, LeRoy joined the U.S. Navy. He served two years as an electronics technician, mostly stationed at the U.S. Naval Base at Yokosuka, Japan.

Following his honorable discharge from the Navy, LeRoy studied electrical engineering at the University of Washington and Montana State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Puget Sound.  LeRoy took his first job at Boeing and then worked at other companies. He spent the final 20 years of his career as a Quality Assurance Specialist, U.S. Department of Defense, at Boeing.

A mutual friend in Seattle introduced LeRoy and his wife, the former Lorie Hutcheon.  After marrying in 1960, they lived in Seattle, then Lynnwood.  They finally settled in Edmonds, where they have lived for the last 41 years.  Lorie said that one of LeRoy’s fat home pleasures was to stand in their backyard and photograph the Olympic Mountains, particularly when there were dramatic light and cloud formations.

Granddaughter Brittany Conner recalled, “My grandpa was a man of few words, but when he spoke, I would always listen. Most of the time when I would call my grandparents, my grandpa would answer. He would say, ‘Hey Britt, here’s grandma.’  Sometimes he would ask how I was doing, but mostly he handed the phone to grandma.”

Lorie added that Lee (her name for LeRoy) did all the remodeling in their home. “Not knowing anything about carpentry, it didn’t always turn out right.” His famous words were, “We can’t do anything about it now.”

Daughter Valerie Magrini remembered the funny picture she took of her father at the Woodland Park Zoo birdhouse. A bird flew and landed on top of LeRoy’s signature floppy hat and wouldn’t leave.

Betty June Russell Munson (1923-2017) – A talented and versatile artist in watercolors, oil and acrylics. 

Born Betty June Russell in Mulino, Clackamas County, Oregon on Dec. 22, 1923, she was the daughter of Marvin and Elsie Russell.

Betty attended Naselle High School in Naselle, Pacific County, Washington, where she and Frans Dale Munson were high school sweethearts their junior and senior years.  They were married March 4, 1945 in Portland while Frans was on leave from the Merchant Marines, where he served as a chief steward.  At the time, Betty was working as a clerk-typist for the U.S. Army Engineers and was living in Portland, Oregon.

In 1950, Betty and Frans lived in Astoria, Oregon, where she worked as a stenographer for the city’s newspaper, and Frans was driving a truck for a wholesale oil company.  They lived in several places before moving to Edmonds about 1981, where they first lived in North Edmonds, later moving to 9th Avenue South.

Betty was very talented and made most of her own clothes. When she found a pattern she liked, she would take it home and after dinner go downstairs and start sewing. She would often complete her sewing project by 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. and then head for bed — finished except for the buttons.

She was considered a talented and versatile artist in oils, watercolors and acrylics, and belonged to several galleries — the last being Gallery North in downtown Edmonds on Main Street, as well as the Collage Society of Washington.

She was especially proud to be one of the Northwest artists chosen to show her artwork at the well-known Frye Gallery in downtown Seattle.

After almost 10 years of constant care at Sunrise in Edmonds, Betty died Feb.y 19, 2017 at the age of 93.  She and Frans had been married for almost 72 years. Her ashes are interned at Edmonds Memorial Cemetery.

Betty Lou Gaeng’s contributions to the history of Edmonds, as well as the Edmonds Cemetery Board, were also recognized during the event. My Edmonds News founder and publisher Teresa Wippel, who published Betty Lou’s Looking Back columns, read an essay that Gaeng wrote describing her life growing up in Lynnwood and Edmonds, and her work as a writer, historian and geneaologist.