Obituaries
Anders Tronsen Jr. Lewiston
Private memorial service for Anders H. Tronsen Jr., 75, was held at Pines Baptist Church in Spokane. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tronsen died Friday. He was born in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School.
Mr. Tronsen was a 30-year Lewiston resident and retired in 1981 from Burlington Northern Railroad as a conductor.
He was a member of the Sons of Norway Lodge in Spokane and the Eagles Lodge in Lewiston.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Eldora Tronsen; four daughters, Karen Oldfield of Richland, Nancy Stephens of Puyallup, Wash., Enid Liddell of Odessa, Wash., and Ellen Ballance of Evans, Wash.; one son, Dale Tronsen of Palouse, Wash.; one foster daughter, Rhonda Ellis of Lewiston; two brothers, Torm Tronsen of Miami and Asbjorne Tronsen of Seattle; one sister, Agnes Siverson of Post Falls; 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Tri-State Dialysis Center in Clarkston.
Floyd Linehan Spokane
Funeral Mass for Floyd C. Linehan, 78, is planned for 10 a.m. today at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. Burial will be at Moscow (Idaho) Cemetery. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Linehan, who was born in Pullman, died Friday.
He was a 44-year Spokane resident and had worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for 40 years.
He was a World War II Army veteran and was a member of Eagles Lodge 2.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Florence Linehan; one son, Larry Linehan of Seattle; one daughter, Sharon Gant of Warner Robins, Ga.; one sister, Alice Bilyew of Seattle; one brother, Robert Linehan of Hayden, Idaho; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to a Catholic charity.
Guy Butler Hope, Idaho
Rosary for Guy M. Butler, 84, will be today at 7 p.m. at Coffelt’s Moon Chapel in Sandpoint. Funeral Mass will be Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sandpoint. Burial will follow at the Hope Cemetery. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Butler, a longtime Hope resident, died Sunday.
He was born in Penrith, Wash.
He was a 50-year resident of Hope and married Helen Ponack in 1936. They owned and operated Butler’s One Stop in Hope for 33 years.
Mr. Butler was a member of St. Joseph’s Knights of Columbus and had served on the Parish Council. He was mayor of East Hope and had served on the City Council.
He was also a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clark Fork, Idaho.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Don Butler of Othello, Wash., and Bruce Butler of Spokane; three daughters, Marilyn Arndtson and Joyce Butler, both of Bellevue, Wash., and Kathy Pattee of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Francis Reinhofer Coeur d’Alene
A family gathering and luncheon in memory of Francis J. “Fritz” Reinhofer, 82, will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Rose Lake School in Rose Lake, Idaho. Shoshone Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Reinhofer, who was born in Cataldo, Idaho, died Monday.
He lived in North Idaho most of his life. He married Ada Sexton in 1940.
He had worked as a logger, farmer and miner and had also worked at shipping yards in Portland at one time.
Mr. Reinhofer enjoyed his family, and was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles and a former member of the Kellogg Elks.
He was preceded in death by his wife.
Survivors include two sons, Larry Reinhofer of Cataldo and John Reinhofer of St. Maries; three daughters, Sue Wade of Silverdale, Wash., Wanda Rickett of Superior, Mont., and Julie Baldwin of New Jersey; 10 grandchildren and one niece.
Memorials may be made to the Hunt Cemetery in Kingston, Idaho.
Bob Billingsley Sandpoint
Memorial service for Bob Billingsley, 61, will be today at 11 a.m. at Coffelt’s Moon Chapel in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Billingsley, who was born in Los Angeles, died Friday.
He grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Eagle Rock High School in 1953. He later worked for the Glendale Public Utilities in California and was a sales representative for the Nabisco Co., for 27 years before retiring in 1990.
He moved to Sandpoint and married Lynn Hart in 1990.
Mr. Billingsley enjoyed people and loved playing golf. He was a member of Elks Lodge 1376 in Sandpoint.
Survivors include his wife; daughter, Kim Shmeltz of California; brother, Thomas Billingsley of California; stepdaughter, Shandy Danford of California; and three grandchildren.
Gail Hughes Spokane
Memorial service for Gail J. Hughes, 45, is planned for 7 p.m. today at Liberty Baptist Church. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hughes, who died Friday, was born in Omaha, Neb.
She was a homemaker and had lived in Spokane for 40 years.
She is survived by her husband, Reese Hughes; two daughters, Marilyn and Melonie Hughes, both of Spokane; one son, Patrick Hughes of Spokane; her mother, Darlene DeLozier of Bayview, Idaho; and two brothers, Lenny and Terry DeLozier, both of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to Liberty Baptist Church.
Paul Loman Hope, Idaho
A memorial celebrating the life of Paul J. Loman, 69, will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the Gardenia Center in Sandpoint. Interment with military honors will follow at the Hope Cemetery. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Loman, who was born in Sheridan, Wyo., died Monday.
He grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and lived in various cities there before moving to Hope in 1942.
He attended Sandpoint High School and joined the Navy his senior year. He served in the Pacific Theater during World War II on the USS Quincey and was in Tokyo Harbor when the treaty ending the war was signed.
Mr. Loman later attended college at Farragut Naval Base and the University of Idaho and graduated from North Idaho College of Education in Lewiston.
He married Ina Leen in 1948. He owned and operated Loman Tire Center in Sandpoint for many years and later became a real estate associate for Mark Hall and John Butler and Associates.
He enjoyed his grandchildren and fishing.
Mr. Loman was a member of the Metaphysical Church in Sandpoint, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Sandpoint Kiwanis Club and Eagles and Elks lodges.
Survivors include his wife; son, Ted Loman of Tucson, Ariz; daughter, Becky Freeland of Sandpoint; brother, Billy of Utah; sister, Betty Largent of Othello, Wash.; five grandchildren and two grandsons.
James ‘Dick’ Squires Rosalia, Wash.
Service for James “Dick” Squires, 71, is planned for 1 p.m. today at Rosalia Christian Church with burial at Pine City (Wash.) Cemetery. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Rosalia is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Squires, a longtime Rosalia resident, died Saturday. He was born in Pine City, Wash.
He is survived by one son, Gary Squires of Streamwood, Ill.; three sisters, Marilyn Whitman of Vancouver, Wash., Shirley St. John of Rosalia and Dorothy Holloway of Eugene, Ore.; and two grandchildren.
Emma Procopio Spokane, Wash.
Services for Emma Procopio are scheduled for 10 a.m. today, at Hazen & Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Procopio, 76, who was born in South Dakota, died Monday.
A Spokane resident since 1955, she was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Spokane, 2nd Ward.
Her husband, Carmen Procopio, died in 1986.
Survivors include one son, Louis Procopio, and one daughter, Linda Procopio, both of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
William Nyrop Harrison, Idaho
Memorial service for William Donald Nyrop, 43, was Wednesday in Edina, Minn. Werness Bros. Funeral Chapel in Edina was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nyrop, a former professional hockey player, died Sunday of cancer.
He was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Edina High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Notre Dame University in 1974.
He graduated cum laude from Gonzaga University Law School in 1986.
Mr. Nyrop played professional hockey for the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota North Stars. He was a defenseman on three consecutive Stanley Cup championship teams with the Montreal Canadiens from 1976-78.
He was also a member of the Team U.S.A. Hockey Club and had served as captain during the Canada Cup Tournament.
He later moved to Harrison, Idaho, and was a partner in the Nyrop and Lohman law firm in Coeur d’Alene and St. Maries from 1986-92.
Mr. Nyrop was involved in managing and coaching several hockey clubs, including the West Palm Beach Blaze Hockey Club in Florida.
Survivors include his wife, Mandy Kister Nyrop of Harrison; two daughters, Jessica and Hannah; father, Donald Nyrop; and three sisters, Nancy Scherer of Edina, Kathryn Nyrop of San Francisco and Karen Nyrop of Phoenix.
Memorials may be sent to the Colonial Church of Edina, 6200 Colonial Way, Edina, MN 55436.
Rosa Anderson Davenport, Wash.
Service for Rosa V. Anderson, 97, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport. Burial will be at Mountain View Cemetery in Davenport.
Born in Raymond, Ill., Mrs. Anderson died last Thursday at the Spokane Valley Good Samaritan Hospital in Greenacres. She was a former Davenport resident.
She moved from Oklahoma to Montana in 1914 and married Theodore Anderson in 1926 in Lewistown, Mont. In 1938 they moved to Davenport.
A homemaker, she was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the Rebekah Lodge.
Her husband died in 1971.
She is survived by two sons, Melvin Anderson of Spokane and Robert Anderson of Veradale; one daughter, Marjorie Oestreich of Harrington, Wash.; one brother, Woodrow Luking of Sacramento, Calif.; six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church in Davenport.
Rolf Michaelsen Colville, Wash.
Service for Rolf A. Michaelsen, 82, is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville. Burial will be at Mountain View Park Cemetery in Colville.
Mr. Michaelsen, who was born in Alameda, Calif., died Saturday.
In 1966 he and his wife, Myrtle, moved to Colville from Eastsound, Wash. He was a farmer and also worked for Boise Cascade for 10 years.
Survivors include his wife; five daughters, Beverly Thibert of Colville, Barbara Grove and Carolyn Michaelsen, both of Seattle, Marilyn Scholt of Australia and Eileen Paul of Spokane; three sons, Randy and Irving Michaelsen, both of Colville, and Rolf Michaelsen Jr., of Kettle Falls, Wash.; 14 grandchildren and numerous greatgrandchildren.
Katherine Weitz Endicott, Wash.
Graveside service for Katherine Weitz is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at the Endicott Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Weitz, 94, was born in Medina, N.D.
She died Monday at Whitman Convalescent Center.
She graduated from Endicott High School and was a domestic worker for several families until she married Daniel Weitz in 1922.
Mrs. Weitz was a member of Endicott Congregational Church and Colfax Senior Citizens.
Her husband died in 1969.
Survivors include one daughter, Joyce Montoya of Endicott; two sons, Douglas and Daniel Weitz, both of Endicott; one granddaughter and two great-granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Endicott Cemetery or Endicott Congregational Church.
Maurice Stilson Waverly
Memorial service for Maurice B. Stilson, 88, is set for 2 p.m. today at United Church of Tekoa (Wash.). Kramer Funeral Home of Tekoa is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Stilson, a former longtime Tekoa farmer, died Friday.
He was born in Colfax, Wash., and moved to Tekoa as a child with his family. He graduated from Tekoa High School.
He farmed with his father, and in 1943 he married Anona Pugh in Spokane.
They lived on the family farm and he continued to farm until he retired in 1987. They moved to Waverly in 1993.
He was a member of the United Church of Tekoa and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years; two daughters, Kathleen Dixon of Auburn, Wash., and Marsha Slack of Vallejo, Calif.; and one sister, Marian Staton Fanning of Ephrata, Wash.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Tekoa Ambulance Fund or United Church of Tekoa.
Dorothy Fadeley Spokane
Memorial service for Dorothy M. Fadeley, 82, will be at 2 p.m. today at Northside Church of Christ. Graveside service will follow at 3 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Scranton, Pa., Mrs. Fadeley died Saturday.
She moved to Spokane in 1967 and worked for Fairchild Air Force Base at the Survival School in a custodial position until 1975.
Her husband, Raymond Fadeley, died in 1991.
She is survived by one son, Raymond Fadeley, and one daughter, Valerie Naker, both of Spokane; one brother, Ted Bant of Philadelphia; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Winifred ‘Wynn’ Anderson Spokane
Memorial service for Winifred K. “Wynn” Anderson, 67, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Millwood Community Presbyterian Church with inurnment at Pines Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Anderson, who died Dec. 27, was born in Naches, Wash.
She had worked as a secretary at Washington Water Power until 1963 and was a homemaker. She had lived in Spokane for 40 years.
She was a member of the Exchange Club and volunteered with Inland Empire Blood Bank and the March of Dimes.
She is survived by one son, Calvert Anderson of Spokane; and one brother, Robert Myrick of Naches.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Ruth (Doerr) Collard Sacramento, Calif.
Memorial service for Ruth (Doerr) Collard, 91, will be today in Sacramento with burial at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery in Spokane. W.F. Gormley and Sons Funeral Home of Sacramento is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Collard died Dec. 27 in Sacramento, where she had lived for the past 12 years.
She was born in Spokane. Her father had owned Doerr’s Jewelry Store on Riverside Avenue across from The Crescent in the 1800s.
A homemaker, she was a former Liberty Lake and Spokane resident.
Survivors include three daughters, Elaine Berry of Eugene, Ore., Mary Cronick of Sacramento and Lorene Gigler of Spokane; 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Rolf Jurgensen Wilbur, Wash.
Services for Rolf K. Jurgensen are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Wilbur Lutheran Church in Wilbur, Wash. Burial will be at the Wilbur Cemetery.
Mr. Jurgensen, 85, a lifetime Wilbur resident, died Dec. 27 in Spokane.
Mr. Jurgensen graduated from Wilbur High School in 1930.
He was a member of the Wilbur Lutheran Church and Danish Brotherhood Lodge.
His wife, Evelyn, died in December.
Survivors include two daughters, Nerisa McConnell of Houston and Pat Angstrom of Spokane; two sons, Gordon Jurgensen of Puyallup, Wash., and Grant Jurgensen of Veradale; two brothers, Elmer Jurgensen of Seattle, and Luby Jurgensen of Davenport, Wash.; two sisters, Aletha Conover of Montabello, Calif., and Tina Goings of Medical Lake; 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Wilbur Lutheran Church or the American Diabetes Association.
Clara Esvelt Colville, Wash.
Service for Clara C. Esvelt, 82, is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Cremation will follow. Danekas Funeral Chapel of Colville is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Esvelt, who was born in Post Falls, died Sunday.
She graduated from high school in Post Falls and from Cheney Normal School. She taught elementary school for several years in Republic, Tum Tum and Evergreen, Wash., and Spokane.
She married Howard Esvelt in 1938 in Sandpoint. They moved to Daisy, Wash., where they farmed for more than 35 years.
In 1972 they retired and moved to Colville. They spent winters in California. Mr. Esvelt died in 1995.
Mrs. Esvelt was a member of Stevens County Advisory Board, Stevens County Dairy Wives, Daisy-Gifford Home-Ec Club and the Stranger Creek Grange.
Survivors include six sons, Robert, Chris and Fred Esvelt, all of Daisy, Larry Esvelt of Spokane, Richard Esvelt of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Jack Esvelt of Colville; one brother, Wesley Beck of Spokane; four sisters, Alice Anderson and Lucille Webster, both of Spokane, Celia Wamba of Issaquah, Wash., and Norene Anderson of Coeur d’Alene; 17 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Howard and Clara Esvelt Scholarship in care of the Kettle Falls Scholarship Fund.
Rita Gronenthal Spokane
Service for Rita M. Gronenthal, 83, is 2 p.m. Friday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South with burial at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Gronenthal, who was born in Garfield, Wash., died Monday.
She graduated from Pullman High School and LaSalle University in Philadelphia with a degree in accounting.
She retired from James S. Black and Co. as an accountant.
She was a member of the Audubon Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Grand Cross of Color of the International Order of Rainbow Girls and was a volunteer at Deaconess Medical Center and for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
Her husband, William Tate, died in 1955.
She is survived by one daughter, Mary Cravens of Spokane; two sons, William Tate of Aloha, Ore., and John Tate of Spokane; and six grandchildren.
Tena Schaaf Rockford
Rosary for Tena D. Schaaf will be said at 7 p.m. Friday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Burial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rockford. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Rockford.
Mrs. Schaaf died Saturday in California.
She was born in Spokane and had lived most of her life in Rockford.
Her husband, John, died in 1990.
Survivors include one son, George Schaaf of Modesto, Calif.; two daughters, Ilene Bobst of Escalon, Calif., and Alene Willmschen of Rockford; one brother, Elmer Thorson of Spokane; one sister, Marie Blaue of Spokane; two brothers, one sister, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Allene Stuart Spokane, Wash.
Service for Allene M. Stuart, 81, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Stuart, a 20-year resident of Spokane County, died Sunday.
Survivors include her husband of 62 years, Herman Stuart; one brother, Buck Wilson of Seal Beach, Calif.; one sister, Vesta Lee Jones of Texas; one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter.
Algot Arntson Spokane
Service for Algot Arntson, 83, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Zion Lutheran Church with burial at Pines Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Hamlet, N.D., Mr. Arntson died Sunday.
He worked at Inland Empire Paper Mill for 35 years and had lived in Spokane for 65 years.
He served in the Army during World War II.
Mr. Arntson was active in the Boy Scouts of America, foster parenting and Valley Shared Ministries.
His wife, Muriel Arntson, preceded him in death.
He is survived by one daughter, JoAnn Greenan of Spokane; two sons, Charles Arntson of Spokane and Richard Arntson of Auburn, Wash.; two brothers, Albin Arntson of Spokane and Eddie Arntson of Seattle; four sisters, Alvina Johnson, Ragna Verith, Clara Arntson and Olive Palmer, all of Spokane; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
, DataTimes