Obituaries
Elizabeth VanderGaag Spokane
Vigil service for Elizabeth E. “Betty” VanderGaag, 66, will be at 6:30 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for noon Thursday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mrs. VanderGaag, a 52-year Spokane resident, died Saturday.
She was born in Kenmare, N.D. She graduated from Marycliff High School and was a homemaker.
She was a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish.
Survivors include her husband of 45 years, John VanderGaag; two sons, Thomas and Kevin VanderGaag, both of Spokane; three daughters, Vicki Hawkins of Kennewick, and Susan Gallagher and Sandra Bradshaw, both of Spokane; two brothers, Vernon Mullin of Downey, Calif., and Bud Mullin of Spokane; one sister, Charlotte Warner of Spokane; and 11 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions be made to Gonzaga Preparatory School, 1224 E. Euclid, Spokane, WA 99207.
Esther Wyborney Wilbur
Service for Esther I. Wyborney, 82, will be at 1 p.m. today at Wilbur Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at Wilbur Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Wyborney died Saturday. She was born in Wilbur.
She and her husband, Lester Wyborney, lived and farmed in the Wilbur area until the late 1970s, when they moved into Wilbur. Her husband died in 1989.
She was a member of Wilbur Lutheran Church, Wilbur Senior Citizens, the Rebekah Lodge, Wilbur Grange and Grand Coulee Eagles Lodge.
She is survived by one son, Harry Wyborney of Bellevue, Wash.; three brothers, Roy Kunz of Okanogan, Wash., and Gordon and Frank Kunz, both of Wilbur, Wash.; one sister, Hazel Wall of Spokane; eight grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Wilbur Swimming Pool Fund, Wilbur Cemetery Association, or Wilbur Emergency Medical Technicians.
Grace Evans Coeur d’Alene
Graveside service for Grace R. Evans, waitress and cook, is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Forest Cemetery, Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d’Alene, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Evans, 87, died Saturday at Kootenai Medical Center.
She was born and raised in Thompson Falls, Mont., and worked at several restaurants in the Silver Valley.
She married Glen Evans in 1950 and they moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1970. He died in 1976.
She attended the First Baptist Church and was a member of the senior citizens clubs of St. Maries and Coeur d’Alene, the Rambling Rovers and the American Association of Retired Persons. She enjoyed dancing and traveling.
Survivors include one son, Leo Heart of Snohomish, Wash.; one daughter, Joy Sturman of Kingston, Idaho; 17 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Harry Wetmore Spokane
Memorial service for Harry Davis Wetmore, 88, will be at 1 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.
Mr. Wetmore, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., died Saturday.
He and his wife, Nellie Wetmore, moved to Spokane in 1934 from Texas. He worked for Washington Water Power Co. and retired in 1971.
He was a member of Manito United Methodist Church, the Washington Water Power Trailblazers, Tyrian Masonic Lodge 96, and the Spokane Consistory of Scottish Rite Bodies.
His wife died in 1988.
He is survived by one son, Roderick Wetmore of Elkton, Md.; one daughter, Betty Rosenberry of Spokane; one brother, Sherman Wetmore of Galveston, Texas; five grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Excelsior Youth Center, 3754 W. Indian Trail Road, Spokane, WA 99208.
Sister Grace Sullivan, S.P. Spokane
Funeral Mass for Sister Grace Sullivan (Sister Mary Ellen), 95, will be at 9:30 a.m. today at Mount St. Joseph Convent. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Sister Sullivan died Monday. She was born in Shelby, Mont.
She entered the novitiate in Seattle in 1925. She professed her first vows in 1927 and her final vows in 1930.
She had been a teacher in public schools before becoming a Sister of Providence. She taught in Montana, Wallace, Sprague, Wash., and Colfax, Wash. She retired to Mount St. Joseph in 1991.
She is survived by two sisters, Antonete “Bunt” Pauli of Great Falls, Mont., and Sister Angela Ann Sullivan, S.P., of Spokane.
Ronald Swensen Spokane
Service for Ronald Jorgen Swensen, 61, is planned for 1 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mr. Swenson, who was born in Spokane, died Friday.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1951 and served in the Army during the Korean War.
He retired from Boge Bros. Bakery and opened his own business, Custom Pools and Spas.
He was a Norwegian ski jumper and was active with the Spokane Ski Racing Association.
He is survived by four daughters, Lynn Buchheit of Spokane, Caron Bear of Bothell, Wash., Kristin Swensen of Liberty Lake and Kjelli Swensen of Seattle; two stepsons, Larry McFarland of Spokane and Eric McFarland of Boise; one sister, Shirley Ann Randolph of Yuba City, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.
Lorraine Braman Spokane
Service for Lorraine L. Braman, 63, is set for 10 a.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mrs. Braman died Monday.
She was born in Spokane and had lived in Hillyard for more than 27 years.
She is survived by her husband, Ivan Braman; three daughters, Sue Verhaag and Tina Fields, both of Spokane, and Lisa Meaders of Anchorage, Alaska; three sons, Rory and Eddie Braman, both of Spokane, and Leroy Braman of California; one stepson, Donny Braman of Yakima; one sister, Lila Parson of Post Falls; two brothers, Loren Kerr of California and Harry David of Newport, Idaho; and 18 grandchildren.
Lester Case Spokane
Graveside memorial service for Lester N. Case, 77, will be at 11 a.m. today at Greenwood Memorial Park. Cremation will precede. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Case died Sunday.
He was born in Moxee, Wash., and had lived in Spokane for 34 years.
He worked for 15 years as an electrician with the Odessa Trading Co.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Eunice Case; one daughter, Barbara Case of Elk; three sons, Lloyd Case of Spokane, Denny Case of Tacoma and Don Case of Marina Del Ray, Calif.; one sister, Thelma Bender of Moses Lake; 13 grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren.
Georgia Dean Colbert
Service for Georgia Wilmetta Mae Dean, 96, is set for 1 p.m. Thursday at Colbert Chapel. Burial will follow at Peone Prairie Cemetery in Mead. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dean, who was born in Kosciusko County, Ind., died Monday.
She was a longtime Colbert resident and moved with her family from Montana on the Immigrant Train in 1918.
She was a member of the Colbert Chapel and taught piano in the Colbert area. She had served on the Colbert and Mead School District boards and had worked as a housekeeper.
Her husband, Jacob Dean, preceded her in death.
She is survived by two sons, Orval and Herbert Dean, both of Colbert; two daughters, Helen Brakefield of Colbert and Evelyn Allen of Spokane; 15 grandchildren, 16 greatgrandchildren and three great-greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Colbert Chapel.
Ethel Samansky Spokane
Graveside service for Ethel L. Samansky, 94, is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Fairview Cemetery in Rockford. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Samansky, who died April 7, was born in Spokane.
She was a hairdresser in Spokane. She had lived in Florida and returned to Spokane 10 years ago.
She is survived by her relative Virginia Carlock of Cocoa, Fla.
Jennie Proctor Spokane
Service for Jennie R. Proctor, 93, is set for 1 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Wayside Cemetery.
Born in Buckeye, Wash., Mrs. Proctor died Sunday.
She had lived in Spokane for more than 50 years and was a homemaker. She was a member of the Methodist Church.
She is survived by two daughters, Dorothy Woodworth and Marcella “Sally” Nelson, both of Spokane; five grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and four greatgreat-grandchildren.
Agnes Newcombe Spokane
Service for Agnes F. Newcombe, 80, will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Sunset Mausoleum at Fairmount Memorial Park with burial to follow. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Newcombe died Monday.
She was born in Jameston, N.D.
A homemaker, she had lived in Spokane for more than 49 years.
Mrs. Newcombe was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1474 Auxiliary.
She is survived by her husband, Robert Newcombe; one daughter, Jaquelyn Dehn of Spokane; one sister, Margaret Mosher of Spokane; two brothers, Kenneth DeVolve of Spokane and Elmer DeVolve of Mountlake Terrace, Wash.; two grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.
LaDonne Krause Spokane
Service for LaDonne G. Krause, 42, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Born in Deer Park, Mrs. Krause, died Sunday.
She was a homemaker.
She is survived by two daughters, Tahnya Ader of Nine Mile Falls and Lorry Krause of Spokane; and two brothers, Charles Alsup Jr. and Gordon Vanderberg, and two sisters, Cherrie Platt and Avalon Anselmo, all of Spokane.
Ted Fowler Jr. Spokane
Private service for Ted Fowler Jr., 58, was held Saturday.
Mr. Fowler, who died April 13, was born in Oakland, Calif.
He served in the Marine Corps from 1953 until 1955.
He had worked in the Sunshine Mines in Idaho in the early 1970s and later worked as a ranchhand. He was a 21-year Spokane resident.
Mr. Fowler is survived by one daughter, Theodora Fowler of Spokane; one son, Theodore “Jones” Fowler of Anchorage, Alaska; one stepdaughter, Nichole Speer of Moses Lake; their mother, Kathy Riley of Spokane; and one sister, Patricia Majors of Beaver Dam, Wis.
A.C. ‘Del’ Lawrence Spokane
Service for A.C. “Del” Lawrence, 82, is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Born in Pasco, Mr. Lawrence died Saturday.
He graduated from Pasco High School in 1930 and from Washington State College in 1937.
He had lived in Spokane for 49 years. He worked for West Coast Telephone from 1937 until 1939 and then worked for the Federal Communications Commission before retiring in 1972.
He was a ham radio operator and a member of Sunrise Church of Christ.
He is survived by his wife, Goldie Lawrence; three daughters, Judith Adam, Susan Axton and Kathy Holmes, all of Spokane; five sisters, Elma Rolfe of Sacramento, Calif., Ruth Winegar, Marie Bell and Marjorie Cochran, all of Seattle, and Effie Simpson of Renton, Wash.; and seven grandchildren.
Mildred Mesenbourg Spokane
Funeral Mass for Mildred (Kirk) Mesenbourg, 85, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mesenbourg, who died Friday, was born in Sprague, Wash.
She graduated from Cheney Normal School in 1928 and began teaching in Ruff, Wash. She later taught in Washington, Oregon and Montana.
She traveled with her husband, Anthony Mesenbourg, who worked for Northern Pacific Railroad, and taught wherever they were sent. They moved to Spokane in 1962. Her husband preceded her in death.
She was a member of the Spokane Chapter of Composers, the Authors, Artists of America, and of St. Aloysius Parish.
She is survived by one sister, Louise Beyer of Spokane.
Bertha Walters Spokane
Memorial Mass for Bertha Walters, 99, will be held in June. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Walters died Sunday, one day before her 100th birthday.
She was born in Toledo, Ohio, and had lived in Spokane since 1984.
Her husband, Theodore Walters, died in 1957.
She is survived by two daughters, Carolyn Reed of Spokane and Joyce Robertson of Rolling Hills, Calif; four grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Care Center.
Lewis Bonwell Spokane
Private burial will take place in White Bird, Idaho, for Lewis James Bonwell, 81.
Mr. Bonwell, a former Spokane resident, died March 24.
He was born in Douglas, Wash.
He had lived in Spokane for about 20 years.
He served in the First Cavalry during World War II.
Mr. Bonwell is survived by one son, Richard Bonwell of Fairbanks, Alaska; four daughters, Lydia Rhoades of White Bird, Roberta Hallquist of Seattle, and Carolynn Jones and Laurie Bonwell, both of Valdez, Alaska; one brother and three sisters; 10 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.