Obituaries
Henry Higgins Spokane
Vigil service for H. Henry “Hank” Higgins, 66, will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Friday at the church with burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Born in Spokane, Mr. Higgins died Sunday.
He graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory School and Gonzaga University. He received his doctorate of law from Gonzaga University Law School in 1956.
He practiced law for several years and then became a real estate developer and was involved as an entrepreneur in restaurants and bowling centers.
He coached girl’s softball at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School for more than 20 years and was a member of that Catholic parish.
He had served as Tom Foley’s campaign coordinator in 1964.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Lou Higgins; one son, H.T. Higgins of Spokane; one daughter, Terry Higgins of Seattle, and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Spokane Area Chapter, P.O. Box 3705-TA, Spokane, Wash., 99220.
Ruby Rihtarschih Tensed, Idaho
Memorial services for Ruby M. Rihtarschih, 65, will be today at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in St. Maries. Yates-Hodge Funeral Home of St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rihtarschih, who was born in Michigan, died Sunday.
She married Lando Rihtarschih in Washington in 1950 and later moved to Wallace, where she was a homemaker. She moved to Oregon after her husband’s death in 1986.
In 1991, she moved to Tensed.
She enjoyed crocheting and knitting and working crossword puzzles.
Survivors include one son, Larry Rihtarschih of Winnemucca, Nev.; four daughters, Lynne Christman of St. Maries, Cindy Sandoval of Spokane, Sue Kamps of Anaconda, Mont., and Janice Rossiter of Beaverton,Ore.; two brothers, Leonard Mitchell of Wisconsin and Alvia Mitchell of Nevada; two sisters, Phyllis Boursaw and Donna Gross, both of Michigan; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Frank Brice Grand Coulee, Wash.
Service for Frank M. Brice, 85, will be at 11 a.m. today at Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Coulee, Wash. Burial will follow at Spring Canyon Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home, Grand Coulee, is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Brice died Saturday at Coulee Community Hospital.
He was born in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School.
He worked as a machinist in Spokane before he moved to the Grand Coulee area in 1934. He was the second machinist hired for construction on the Grand Coulee Dam and also worked on the Chief Joseph Dam.
He worked as a machinist for the Bureau of Reclamation from 1941 until he retired in 1972.
He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Coulee, Grand Coulee Seniors, and was a a retired member of the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department and the Machinist Union.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Evelyn.
Kathryn LeMonier Spokane
Vigil service for Kathryn W. LeMonier, 89, is set for 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Jump Off Joe Catholic Church in Valley, Wash., with burial at Jump Off Joe Cemetery.
Mrs. LeMonier, who died Sunday, was born in Aurora, Mo.
She had lived in Spokane for 58 years and worked as a supervisor for a telephone company.
She was a member of St. Joseph Altar Society and the Telephone Workers of America.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, John LeMonier of Spokane; two daughters, Mary Gardiner of Spokane, and Natalie Lemmore of Wilmington, Del.; three sisters, Josephine Swanson, Sue Fanks, and Christine Wycoff, all of Spokane; six grandsons; one granddaughter; two great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter.
Bonnie Peterson Spokane
Memorial Mass for Bonnie E. Peterson, 52, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Private inurnment will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Peterson died Sunday.
She was born in Rawlins, Wyo.
She had lived in Spokane for 36 years and had worked as a food technician at a creamery.
Survivors include one daughter, Christine Peterson of Spokane; two sons, William Peterson of Chicago, and Ronald Peterson II of Juneau, Alaska; her mother, Mary Romans of Spokane; four sisters, Ester Phinney of Laramie, Wyo., Rosalie Grevstad of Reno, Nev., Joanne Skaufel of Spokane, and Lucille Gomez of Forest Grove, Ore., and one brother, Rand Martinez of Spokane.
Ramona Ryder Spokane
Graveside service for Ramona F. “Mona” Ryder, 56, is set for 2 p.m. today at Riverside Memorial Park. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ryder, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Sunday.
She graduated from Rogers High School and operated Mona’s Daycare for 20 years.
She is survived by two sons, Wayne and Chris Ryder, both of Spokane; one daughter, Kathrine Ryder of Spokane; four sisters, Charlotte Crumley of Clancy, Mont., Gloria Cline of Nome, Alaska, Sandra Danilson and Dollie Weller, both of Spokane; two brothers, Emery Lipps of Seattle, and Gerald Lipps of Deer Park; and six grandchildren.
Mike Deymonaz Spokane
Vigil service for Mike Deymonaz, 62, will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Charles Catholic Church. Memorial Mass is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at the church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Deymonaz, who was born in Yakima, died Sunday at home.
He had lived in Spokane for 19 years and was a fireplace salesman.
Survivors include his wife of 14 years, Shirley; six sons, Mike Deymonaz of Seattle, Bill and Dan Deymonaz and Brad Sams, all of Spokane, Jeff Deymonaz of Greenacres, and Scott Sams of Tacoma; four daughters, Cathi Gee of Mead, Diane Ampi of Red Bluff, Calif., Siouxsie Deymonaz of Boise, and Jennifer Hornbeck of Spokane; one brother, Jerry Deymonaz of Phoenix, and 11 grandchildren.
Blanche Berg Davenport, Wash.
Service for I. Blanche Berg, 88, was held Tuesday at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Burial was at Colfax Cemetery.
Mrs. Berg, a former Colfax resident, died Thursday at Lincoln Nursing Home in Davenport.
She was born near Diamond, Wash.
She and her husband moved to Colfax from Diamond in 1944 and a year later moved to Pullman, where they lived until 1971. They lived in Wilbur until 1994 when they both moved to the Lincoln Nursing Home.
She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Edwell; one daughter, Auda Heaton of Moses Lake; one son, Robert Berg of Pullman; two sisters, Ellen Elliott of Potlatch, Idaho, and Joyce Downey of Colfax; 13 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Frank Horwath Spokane
Service for Frank C. Horwath, 75, was Monday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Burial was at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mr. Horwath, who was born in Curlew, Wash., died Thursday.
He had lived in Spokane for 65 years and worked at the Inland Empire Paper Co. mill for 25 years.
Mr. Horwath was the proprietor of the West Valley Conoco service station.
He served in the Coast Guard during World War II.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Pearl; one son, Frank Horwath of Spokane; two daughters, Barbara Sierra and Kay Bower, both of Spokane; two brothers, Arthur Horwath of Spokane and George Horwath of Cody, Wyo.; and seven grandchildren.
Howard Iltz Spokane
Graveside service for Howard H. Iltz, 69, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Iltz died Sunday.
He was born in Odessa, Wash., and had lived in Spokane since 1960.
He worked as assistant postmaster in Odessa for 10 years and served two years in Army.
He later worked as a civilian at Fairchild Air Force Base as budget officer for 25 years. He retired in the late 1980s.
He was a member of the American Legion Post 110, Brotherhood of Friends, and the Chewelah Gun Club.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jackie Iltz; one son, Craig Cowan of Salem, Ore.; one daughter, Judith Cowan of Post Falls; one sister, Emma Crow of Coeur d’Alene; one brother, Samuel Iltz of Odessa, and one grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Hospice of Spokane or the Union Gospel Mission.
John Johnson Spokane
Memorial service for John D. Johnson, 46, is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday at Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Johnson, who was born in Littlefork, Minn., died Monday at Sacred Heart Hospital.
He moved to Spokane in 1961 and graduated from North Central High School.
He served in the Navy for three years.
He worked at Gonzaga University as an electrician for the last 12 years.
He is survived by his wife, Karen Johnson; one son, Joseph Johnson, and one daughter, Elena Johnson, both of Spokane; one stepson, Jordan Gross, and one stepdaughter, Laura Gross, both of Spokane; his father, John Johnson of Spokane; six sisters, Barbara Marabello, Norma Wilmot, Linda Lyon, Annette Johnson and Jeanette Johnson, all of Spokane; and two brothers, James and Michael Johnson, both of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gonzaga University Scholarship Fund.
Dora Thomas Fairfield
Graveside service for Dora Rachel Thomas, 94, is set for 10 a.m. Thursday at the mausoleum at Pines Cemetery in Spokane. Kramer Funeral Home in Tekoa, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Thomas died Sunday at Fairfield Good Samaritan Center.
She was born in Richmond, Ore., and moved to Beaver Creek, N.C., as an infant.
In 1912, her family homesteaded in Heglar, Idaho.
She worked at the Heglar and Rockland, Idaho, post offices until she married Oron Thomas.
In 1928, she and her husband moved near Tensed, Idaho, and farmed. In 1947, they moved to St. Maries, where her husband was the sheriff and she was acting matron at the county jail.
They returned to farming near Tensed in the late 1950s. Her husband died in 1965.
Mrs. Thomas has lived at the Fairfield Good Samaritan Center for the last 23 years.
She was a charter member of the Tensed Grange.
She is survived by one daughter, Donna Jean Carnegie of Spokane; eight grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren.
James Toole Spokane
Memorial service for James C. Toole, 65, will be at 3 p.m. today at Gretna Green Chapel. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Toole, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Sunday.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and Eastern Washington University.
He was a life insurance underwriter for more than 40 years and had worked for North Coast Life Insurance Co., for 10 years. He retired in 1990.
He was a member of the N.A.L.U. of Spokane.
He served in the Navy and the Navy Reserve.
He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Arlene Toole; two daughters, Rae Ann Toole of Spokane, and Lurena Cathey of Boise; four sons, Michael Toole, Burton and Chip Gasaway, all of Spokane, and Rick Toole of Kennewick; one sister, Patricia Cook of Seattle, and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Kidney Center, 101 W. 8th Ave., Spokane, WA 99204.
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