Obituaries
Donald Weger Spokane
No service will be held for Donald L. Weger, 84, at his request. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of cremation.
Mr. Weger, who died Tuesday, was born on Wild Rose Prairie.
He owned and operated a backhoe business and was a retired civilian employee of the Air Force. He had lived in the Spokane and Deer Park area for more than 27 years.
He was a member of the Deer Park Eagles Lodge, the North Star Senior Center,and the Farwell Senior Center.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Weger; one son, Dale Weger; one daughter, Annelle Weger; one stepdaughter, Diane Hoff of Seattle; one brother, Harold Wager of Deer Park; and two grandsons.
Rhea Welch Spokane
Memorial service for Rhea (Johnson) Welch, 89, will be 2 p.m. today at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Butte, Mont., Mrs. Welch died Monday.
A homemaker, she had lived in Spokane for 55 years.
She was a life master and member of the American Contract Bridge League and director of a Duplicate Bridge Club in Spokane for more then 30 years.
Her husband, George Welch, died in 1962.
She is survived by one stepson, Robert Welch of Spokane; and two grandchildren.
Marian Odenrider Davenport, Wash.
Service for Marian L. Odenrider, 92, will be at 11 a.m. today at Wilbur (Wash.) Presbyterian Church. Burial will be at Wilbur Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home, Wilbur, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Odenrider died Tuesday.
She was born in West Plains, Mo., and was a former Wilbur resident. She had recently moved to Davenport, Wash.
A homemaker, she was a member of Wilbur Presbyterian Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 6268, Wilbur Senior Citizens and Lotus Rebekah Lodge No. 290.
Her husband, Edmond Odenrider, died in 1962.
She is survived by one son, Wesley Odenrider of Wilbur; two daughters, Jeanette Kelley of Hartline, Wash., and Bonnie Birchill of Spokane; two sisters, Dorothy Lehrke of Davenport and Della Fraizer of Shelby, Mont.; five grandchildren, eight greatgrandchildren and one great-greatgrandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilbur Presbyterian Church or Wilbur Cemetery Association.
Annie Walling Belvedere, Wash.
Service for Annie V. Walling, 93, will be at 11 a.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Grand Coulee. Burial will follow at the Spring Canyon Cemetery, Grand Coulee.
Mrs. Walling, who died Monday, was born near Inchelium, Wash.
She was a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes and attended Chemawa Indian Boarding School. She and her husband, Delbert Walling, lived in Spokane and Hunters, Wash., before they moved the the Grand Coulee area in 1978. He died in 1989.
She is survived by one brother, George Moore of Nine Mile Falls.
Esther Austin Spokane
Memorial service for Esther E. Austin, 99, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Unity Church of Truth. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Austin, who died Sunday, was born in Grand Rapids, Minn.
A 96-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Austin graduated from Great Northern School and worked as a telephone operator for many years.
She was a member of Unity Church of Truth for 73 years.
Her husband, Lina Austin, died in 1952.
She is survived by one son, Douglas Austin of Spokane; three daughters, Harriet Frank of Worley, Idaho, Phyllis Morris of Greenacres and Louise Winn of Spokane; 11 grandchildren, 21 greatgrandchildren and four great-greatgrandchildren.
Ellis Ritz Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Service for Ellis John Ritz, a farmer, is set for 1 p.m. today at First Baptist Church in Bonners Ferry. Burial will follow at the Grandview Cemetery. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ellis, 87, died Sunday at Kootenai Medical Center.
He was born in 1908 in Dellvale, Kan., and was raised on farms in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.
He married Ruth Holeman in Oberland, Kan. They moved to a farm in Bonners Ferry in 1936 to raise Hereford cattle and chickens.
Mr. Ellis enjoyed gardening and farming. He was a member of the First Baptist Church and the North Bench Grange.
He was preceded in death by his wife.
Survivors include one son, Darrell Ritz of Mica; one daughter, Luanne Melior of Post Falls; one daughter-inlaw, Janet Ritz of Bonners Ferry; two sisters, Avis Galbreath of Anton, Colo., and Nina Hoyer of Cope, Colo.; three brothers, Wayne Ritz of Cope, Chester Ritz of Wenatchee and Clifford Ritz of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren.
Nellie Kilgore Libby, Mont.
Service for Nellie B. Kilgore, 80, is set for 2 p.m. today at HennesseySmith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Born in Soldier, Idaho, Mrs. Kilgore died last Friday.
She and her husband, Thomas Kilgore, farmed in the Mount Spokane and Deer Park areas for many years. She also had been employed as a nurse’s aide at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane and Tri-County Hospital in Deer Park.
She had lived in the Libby, Mont., area for the last 25 years.
She was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters.
Her husband, Thomas Kilgore, died in 1990.
She is survived by three sons, William Kilgore of Libby, Carl Kilgore of Oroville, Wash., and Jim Kilgore of Wasilla, Alaska; six daughters, Pat Rogers of Libby, Ruth Johnson of Wasilla, Carol McKee and Katherine Poffenroth, both of Newport, Wash., Nancy Mann of Anchorage, Alaska, and June Griffin of Missoula; 25 grandchildren and 38 greatgrandchildren.
Marilynn Jennings Bundy Shelley, Idaho
Service for Marilynn Grace Jennings Bundy was held last Friday at the Latter Day Saints Church in Shelley. Interment was at Rose Hill Cemetery in Idaho Falls.
Mrs. Bundy, 55, died April 10 of a heart attack on her way to work at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.
She was born in 1939 in Idaho Falls. She grew up in Rigby, Idaho, and graduated from the high school there. She attended Ricks College and Spokane Falls Community College. She graduated with an insurance specialist certificate and an associate degree in applied science word processing.
In 1966 she moved to Spokane and lived there for 18 years. In 1984 she moved to Shelley.
Mrs. Bundy was active in the Mormon Church. She served as a primary teacher, den leader, young women’s teacher and sports director. She enjoyed baseball, gardening, crocheting and genealogy.
Survivors include four sons, Leland, Laurence and Jeffery Bundy, all of Idaho Falls, and Michael Bundy of Shelley; four daughters, Mary Bundy of Salt Lake City, Laurel Nebeker of Spokane, LeeAnn Bundy of Rexburg, Idaho, and Lynette Bundy of Shelley; one brother, David Jennings of Rigby; four sisters, Dorothy Layton of Rigby, Joan Ireland of Meridian, Idaho, and Karen Smith and Virginia Jensen, both of Idaho Falls; and four grandchildren.
Edna Foster Spokane
Memorial service for Edna K. Foster, 78, is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Private burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mrs. Foster, who died Tuesday, was born in Paha, Wash.
She had lived in Spokane since 1932 and was a clerk at The Crescent from 1955 until 1982.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Delmar Foster of Spokane; one son, Richard Foster of Centralia, Wash.; two daughters Delores Gumenberg and Virginia Toland, both of Spokane; one sister Rachel Kison of Ritzville, Wash.; three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Linda Lewis Spokane
Service for Linda DeLois (Ates) Lewis, 48, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Born in Tyler, Texas, Mrs. Lewis died Saturday.
A longtime Spokane resident she was a member of the Mount Olive Baptist Church.
She is survived by two sons, John Davis and Andre Ates, both of Spokane; one brother, John Ates, and one sister, Willie Davis, both of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Wilferd Bowles Spokane
Service for Wilferd “Will” Bowles, 63, is set for 2 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Private burial will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Bowles, who died Tuesday, was born in Pataha, Wash.
He had lived in Spokane for more than 40 years and was a salesman for Spokane Forklift until 1992.
He served with the Marine Corps during the Korean War.
He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Nyla Bowles; one son, Cory Bowles of Mead; one brother, Virgil Bowles of Pomeroy, Wash.; one sister, Maureen Patty of Lewiston; and one grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to SpokAnimal Care or to Spokane Youth Hockey.
Sammie Jones Jr. Oldtown, Idaho
Private cremation service was held for Sammie Jones Jr., 65. Inurnment will be held at a later date in Toutle Lake, Wash. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Jones, who died Monday, was born in Mabton, Ark.
He and his family moved to Oldtown, Idaho, in 1977, from St. Maries. He worked as a carpenter and a logger and retired from the Bonner County Landfill in 1992.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Ruth Jones; two daughters, Claudiette O’Connell of Fernwood, Idaho, and LaRue Wyneloop of Newport, Wash.; one son, Christ Jones of Newport; one sister, Sharon Beare of Memphis, Tenn.; three brothers, Paul Beare of Idaho Falls, and Stanley and Robert Beare, both of Arkansas; and five grandchildren.
William Herrington Spokane
Service for William J. “Bill” Herrington, 94, is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will be in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Mr. Herrington, who was born in Princeton, Mo., died Tuesday.
He served in the Army during World War I and had worked for the Milwaukee Railroad.
He retired in 1965 and moved to Spokane.
Mr. Herrington was a member of First Church of the Nazarene.
His first wife died in 1973. He married Ada Yocam in 1975.
He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Bernice Stuffelbeam of Amarillo, Texas, and Madeline Moughler of Ottumwa, Iowa, and three sons, Clifford, Paul and Phillip Herrington, all of Spokane; 13 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the building fund at First Church of the Nazarene 9004 N. Country Homes Blvd., Spokane, WA 99218.
Rev. Joseph Maguire, S.J. Seattle
The Rev. Joseph Maguire, known for his love of music and his devotion to students at Bellarmine Prep and Seattle University, died Tuesday.
Father Maguire, 67, had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer several months ago, said Seattle University spokesman J. Paul Blake.
While he remained close to his family in Spokane and taught and studied in Oregon, California and New York, the Rev. Maguire centered his life at Tacoma’s Bellarmine Prep and Seattle University, where he had spent most of the past 40 years.
He performed weddings for the schools’ alumni, baptized their children and buried their parents. He sometimes performed as many as three weddings in a single weekend, according to a Seattle University release.
Music was always a part of Father Maguire’s life. He made several recordings and sang Mass at services, wedding and funerals.
“Those who sing, pray twice,” Father Maguire was fond of saying.
The Rev. Maguire was born in Spokane. His father died when he was 5, and he and his mother and siblings struggled through the Depression on the family’s 640-acre farm.
“In the early days we didn’t have electricity, but we always had plenty of food,” he recalled recently.
Maguire won a music scholarship to Gonzaga University. He was a premed student - dating, managing the Glee Club, supporting himself by performing in the community - when a priest suggested he consider the priesthood.
Father Maguire joined the Jesuit order shortly after his 1950 graduation with a bachelor’s degree in biology.
“I think most priests regret not having children,” he once said. “Certainly my 44 years in the Jesuits have been most rewarding. I can’t imagine a more wonderful life.”
The Rev. Maguire began his work at Seattle University in 1965, serving as director of campus ministry until 1980. He lived in the dorms with students, whom he considered his extended family.
In 1980 he returned to Bellarmine Prep, where he had taught from 1957 to 1960, to serve as rector of the Jesuit community.
He was instrumental in building a log-cabin-villa retreat at Gig Harbor, Wash.
In 1987 he returned to Seattle University.
The Rev. Maguire is survived by his brother, Jack; four sisters, Marion Denenny, Marguerite Brislawn, Madeline Dellwo and Kathleen Barbour; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
The school has established a fund to build and endow the Father Joseph Maguire Center for Campus Ministry in the new $22 million university center. Construction of the center is scheduled to begin in 1997.
Funeral Mass in Spokane will be at 4:30 p.m. Monday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will be at Mount St. Michael’s Cemetery in Spokane.
Vigil service was Thursday at Seattle University, a funeral Mass will be said today at St. James Cathedral in Seattle, and a memorial Mass will be Monday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Tacoma.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Father Joseph Maguire Center for Campus Ministry, University Relations, Seattle University, Broadway and Madison, Seattle, WA 98122-4460, or the Oregon Province Jesuit Fund, 2222 Northwest Hoyt, Portland, OR 97210.