Christmas Fund 1997 Couple Donates To Yule Fund In Memory Of Former Barber

Sarah and Frank Wasicek Jr. are ready.

As far as they’re concerned, Christmas can come any time to their house at 1727 E. Thurston.

With their gift of $100 to The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund, the couple wrote: “The candles are up, all 166 of them; the lights are bright, even on the front door; and the tree is full of tinsel. Now it is time for another Christmas tradition - the donation to the Christmas Fund.”

Our kind of people.

The Wasiceks donated their gift “in memory of our ex-barber and friend, Virgil Krous,” and challenged other former customers and friends of Krous to donate.

Krous, who operated Virgil’s Barber Shop for 42 years, retired only a few years before his death last month. He was 84.

The Wasiceks also wrote, “It makes us feel good that every dollar will be used to help someone. As we are retired, it really matters to us how the money is spent.”

Other gifts on Tuesday came from the Bunch family, 3305 W. Wellesley, who gave $90 “in loving memory of our sons, Christopher and Vincent.”

Gifts of $75 each came from retired Maj. and Mrs. E.C. Looker Jr., 102 N. Clinton Road; John and Kathleen Roche, Liberty Lake; and Lloyd and Shirley Seehorn, Rockford, “in memory of our daughter Donna Harris, and my mother, Alice Twitchell, who believed so much in this project,” and the late Beverly Fyfe.

An anonymous gift of $60 also arrived Tuesday.

Contributions of $50 each came from B.J. and R.W. Siers, 6008 N. Lindeke; Lucille Montgomery, 6625 N. Austin Road; Richard and A. Maren Wands, 1115 E. 16th; Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Rogers of Rogers’ FotoArt, 3326 E. 28th; Bill and Helen Yokum, 4017 N. Calispel; Kristine Nestoss, Greenacres; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Duncan, 5018 S. Morrill Lane; Cindee and Jeff Corrick, 5008 S. Madelia; Cleo Fasules, 3405 W. Bruce; and Carl and Agnes Hoglin, 714 E. 31st.

Martha and David Jones, 2520 E. Ninth, also sent $50 with this note: “It is impossible for us to have our wish. Not true for others. Please grant the wishes you can.”

The Joneses are the parents of Cooper O’Neil Jones, the 13-year-old boy who was killed in a car-bicycle accident near Cheney last July. Cooper’s goal was to become an Olympic cyclist and had set his sights on the 2008 Summer Olympics. He once wrote, “I’ll be the one with the chunk of gold around my neck.”

Other gifts of $50 came from Barbara Crawford, 1612 W. Gordon; the Retired Iron Workers; Raelee Easton, 8119 E. Grace; Dan and Celeste Sterrett, 2608 W. Lacrosse; Mr. and Mrs. K.D. Bockmeyer, 5922 N. Oak; Robert and Helen Deno, 204 S. Fiske; and Jerry Hubbard, 6906 E. Sixth, “in memory of my beloved wife, Joanne.”

Gail, Mike, Gabrielle and Davita Gurian, 417 W. 32nd, also gave $50 in recognition of those “who enrich our children’s lives - their teachers”: Mrs. Knight, a Montessori teacher at Balboa Elementary, and Sheila, Andrea, Pat and the staff at Woodland Montessori, wrote Michael Gurian.

Other $50 contributions came from Dale Gilbert, 6105 E. 15th Lane; John and Arlene Hundahl, 5919 W. Excell; members of the Little Spokane Garden Club; Marilyn Mortensen, 1704 N. Willow Road, “in memory of my husband who wanted all children to have a merry Christmas”; Karin Overbeck, Deer Park; Janet and Keith Walker, 8710 N. Kelly Court; and five anonymous donors.

Howard and Joanne Grimsrud, 1204 E. 38th, donated $45.

Lauren and Kiley Schatz, 3009 W. Rosewood, wrote: “Dear Christmas Fund - Instead of giving to our teachers, Mrs. Amos and Ms. Banicki of Balboa Elementary School, we are donating money to the Christmas Fund. Merry Christmas.”

Their $10 accompanied another $34 from their parents, Ray and Liz, “in memory of Karen Schatz Dunning, our sister and aunt.”

Rupert Spearman, 2903 E. 25th, gave $40.

Dolly Dokken, 84-1/2 and living on Social Security, wrote about not being able to find anything “worth buying for my friends” for the $10 limit she had set for each.

She decided her money would go further and bring her friends more pleasure by donating it to the Christmas Fund in their names.

So, from Dolly Dokken, merry Christmas to Marion Scholaht, Merle and Donna Brown, Trevor Rendal and Sandy Rendal. “Maybe some child won’t go hungry and will have a toy.”

Donna Fremstad, 2809 W. Everett, gave $35. Gifts of $30 each came from Gary Fiscus, Liberty Lake; A.W. Leaming, 4229 E. 29th; Dan and Judy Thomas, Mead, hoping “it will put a toy under the tree for a child”; and four anonymous donors.

After much shopping, Tiffany LaMonte, 427 W. Bellewood, and her fiance, Walt Stuns, couldn’t find “perfect” gifts for two babies on their Christmas list.

Then LaMonte read about the Christmas Fund “and realized that donating (to it) is the perfect gift. I pray these two little boys never know the heartache of not having enough.”

Their $30 gift was made in the names of Austin Lee and George Ekas.

Contributions of $25 each came from Agnes Ambler, 7124 E. Ninth; Dorothy Soberg, 911 E. Beacon; Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Tracy Jr., 11816 N. Atlantic; and Carrie J. WelchVanKoten of Downstairs Designs, 3810 E. 35th.

Erin McGrail, E427 18th, wrote: “Dear Christmas Fund 1997 - I would like to contribute $25 for people who need to buy presents.”

Other $25 gifts came from Allen and Martha Hibbard, 11904 E. Alki, “so some of the needy in our community can experience a blessed Christmas”; Barbara Klante, 2921 W. Rosewood, in memory of her mother, Zella Cowden; Betty and Sherm Blake, 3419 E. Montgomery; Robert Small, 1515 E. 38th; Robert Strupp, Liberty Lake; and Ernie and JoAnn Brenden, 1129 W. Central, “in memory of our grandson, Scott, so others may enjoy the holidays he loved so much.”

The Reids, 2908 W. Euclid, also donated $25 as did the Mandicks, 15317 N. Cincinnati; J.A. Lorean, 3915 E. 30th; Tracy Howe, 4623 N. Royal Court; Glenis Brantley, 5407 N. Elm; and Jim, Barb, Jennifer and Katie Ford, Mead, “in loving memory of our grandfather, Mark Stull, brother Richard Ford and dear friend Ralph Coldwater.”

The Fords also wrote, “The Christmas Fund … shows that Spokane really does have compassion for its fellow mankind. We pray your goal is reached again this year and praise all volunteers for the long hours they put in.”

Jeanne Wennes, 608 S. Stevens, also gave $25, as did five anonymous donors.

Gifts of $20 each came from James Repp, Spokane; Kathleen Winters, Cheney; James and Margaret Lync, 112 W. 22nd; Bonnie and Amer Colegrove, 4914 N. Normandie; and three anonymous donors.

Nelou Fennessy, 1515 E. Rockwood Blvd., wrote that her grandmother, Mrs. Eshrat Ganji, had given her $20 to give to someone in need.

Fennessy said she admires the community support of the Christmas Fund and decided “that would be where my grandmother’s donation would be most helpful.”

Two anonymous gifts of $15 were received, including one from a person from Mead who wrote: “Because I was there once.”

Giving $10 were Helene McCune, 1724 W. Cleveland; Mildred Beaudreau, 1230 E. Heroy; and the Rogers children, Brandon, 1, and Tai, 8 months.

, DataTimes