Obituaries
Philip Johnson Colville, Wash.
Memorial service for Philip D. Johnson, 71, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Colville United Methodist Church. Danekas Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Johnson, who was born in Rice, Wash., died Friday.
He graduated from Kettle Falls (Wash.) High School and attended the Montana School of Mines and the New Mexico School of Mines. He graduated from the Missouri School of Mines with a bachelor’s degree.
He worked in the mining industry in Arizona, Illinois and New York and returned to Rice in 1952.
In Rice, he joined his family’s dairy and farming operation. In 1955, he and his wife, Louise (Shake) Johnson, purchased their own farm.
Mr. Johnson went to work for the Stevens County Road Department part time in 1957 and was later appointed county road engineer and then named director of public works.
He obtained his civil engineer’s license in 1960 and his land surveyor’s license in 1965.
He retired in 1982.
He was a member of the Rice Mountain View I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 183, the Retired County Employees Association, Missouri School of Mines Alumni Association and Rice Community Church.
He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Kiki Welfel of Colville and Anita Johnson of Ophir, Colo.; a son, Michael Johnson of Davenport, Wash.; two brothers, Charles Johnson of Olympia and Mic Johnson of Kearny, Ariz.; three sisters, Jean Johnson and Jill Kinder, both of Colville, and Margery McKinney of Reno, Nev.; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Rice Mountain View I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 183.
Edythe ‘Edie’ Morbeck Strohecker Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Edythe “Edie” Lycette Morbeck Strohecker, 90, will be today at 1 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Strohecker, who was born in Yakima, died Wednesday.
She grew up in Spokane and attended North Central High School for two years before moving to Butte, Mont.
She had lived in Seattle and San Francisco before settling in Kellogg in 1948, where she was co-owner of Linfor Lumber Co.
She moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1963 and was active in public education, serving as president of the Idaho Chapter of the American Association of University Women.
Mrs. Strohecker was a member of the P.E.O., the Hayden Lake (Idaho) Country Club and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Don Morbeck and Frank Strohecker. Survivors include two sons, Peter Morbeck of Massachusetts and Jack Morbeck of Seattle; six grandchildren, Marina, Melissa, Elizabeth, Kirsten, Melinda and Spencer, and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Kootenai Medical Center, c/o KMC Foundation, 2003 Lincoln Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Phyllis (Schneider) Foredyce Spokane
Service for Phyllis A. (Schneider) Foredyce, 76, will be Tuesday at noon at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home. Mrs. Foredyce, who was born in North Dakota, died Friday.
She had served as a lieutenant in the Army Nursing Corps and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1954.
She recently moved to the Valley Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Spokane.
Survivors include her husband of 47 years, Myrton; a son, Joseph Foredyce of Liberty Lake; two daughters, Lisa Foredyce and Chris McQuade, both of Texas; and a sister, Eileen Blair of Seattle.
Paul Blum Bayview, Idaho
Service for Paul L. Blum, 71, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Blum, who died Saturday, was born in Sandpoint and was a longtime Bayview resident.
He served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946, and in 1950 married Harriet Olson in Coeur d’Alene.
He worked as an electrical engineer for General Electric for 20 years.
He is survived by his wife; a son, Terry Blum of Spokane; two daughters, Marie Stephenson of Sacramento, Calif., and Paula Blum of Ramona, Calif.; a brother, Martin Blum of Coulee Dam; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Ralph White Pullman
Service for Ralph Raymon White, 90, will be at 2 p.m. today at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash. Burial will be at Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe, Wash.
Born near St. John, Wash., Mr. White died Thursday.
He started working on his family’s and other area farms at age 10.
He graduated from high school in St. John and attended Washington State College and Cheney Normal School. He left school in 1929 to help on his family’s farm.
Beginning in the 1930s, he worked in construction and participated in the rebuilding and expansion project at Rogers Stadium, now Martin Stadium. He also farmed until he was injured in a fall from a horse.
During World War II, he was a plane spotter and worked in a foundry making parts for planes.
In 1942 he married Lola Breeden in Moscow, Idaho.
They farmed together and built apartments in Pullman. They were in the apartment rental business for 34 years.
Mr. White worked in the physical plant at Washington State University from 1948 to 1952 and then worked for the Pullman School District at Franklin Elementary School until 1972.
He served on Pullman’s Fair Housing Commission in the 1980s.
He was a member of the Colfax Eagles Lodge, the Moose Lodge and several Grange chapters.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Connie White of Pullman; a son, L.R. White of Palouse, Wash.; a sister, Elvira Upton of Spokane; and a grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Southeast Washington Home Health and Hospice.
Henry Ernst Spokane
Memorial service for Henry J. Ernst, a retired doctor of optometry, will be at 11 a.m. today at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Private burial will be held. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of cremation.
Mr. Ernst, 92, died Saturday.
He was born in Eagle River, Wis. and came to Spokane in 1926 after he graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry.
He practiced in Spokane for 50 years.
He married Bertha Swinehart in 1930. She died in 1987.
He was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, the Central Lions Club, the Washington Optometric Association and the Manito Golf and Country Club.
Mr. Ernst is survived by a son, The Rev. Matthew Ernst of Charlotte, N.C.; a daughter, Suzanne Clogston of Orlando, Fla.; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Leona Gasper Spokane
Funeral Mass for Leona A. Gasper, 88, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gasper, who died Saturday, was born in Beloit, Kan.
She was a registered nurse and had lived in Spokane for 57 years.
She was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church.
Her husband, Arnold, died in 1989.
Mrs. Gasper is survived by three daughters, Betty Mason of Pasco, Laura Jones of Spokane and Carol Graham of Livermore, Calif.; two sons, Richard Gasper of Spokane and Roland “Ron” Gasper of West Linn, Ore.; 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Catholic Charities.
John Trosst Spokane
Visitation for John S. Trosst, 88, is scheduled from noon to 9 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Private burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Trosst, who died Thursday, was born in Hungary.
He worked for Consolidated Freightways for 30 years as a truck driver.
He was a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church.
Mr. Trosst was a 53-year Spokane resident and was a resident of the Waterford Retirement Community.
Two wives, Minnie Trosst and Ella Marie Trosst, preceded him in death.
Survivors include a son, Norvel Trosst of Spokane; and a sister, Gertrude of Yakima.
Ralph Beusan Colville, Wash
Service for Ralph S. Beusan, 72, will be at 1 p.m. today at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colville. Cremation will follow. Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Beusan, who died Wednesday, was born in Colville.
He graduated from Northport (Wash.) High School and then served in the Army during World War II, serving in Germany.
In 1947, he married Jean Griesmeyer in Northport.
He worked for the Washington State Highway Department and later in the sawmills in Northport.
In 1960, they moved to Colville where he began working for the Department of Natural Resources at Spruce Canyon Youth Ranch. He also started a logging operation partnership with Lonnie Easley, working for Vaagen Brothers Lumber Mills.
In 1986, he married Irma Carroll in Reno, Nev.
He sold the logging operation and continued to work for Vaagen Brothers until he retired in 1982.
He is survived by his wife; three sons, Bob Beusan of Coeur d’Alene, Bill Beusan of Colville and Andy Beusan of Drake, Colo.; four stepsons, Lawrence Dallman of Post Falls, Steven Dallman of Colville, and Kenneth and Kevin Dallman, both of Kettle Falls, Wash.; four daughters, Mickey Kester of Colville, Mary Ellen Miller of Spokane, Lilly Anne Beusan of Drake and Lisa Beusan of Shelton, Wash.; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and eight stepgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Elva Kaputa Renton, Wash.
Service for Elva Lorraine Kaputa, a former Davenport, Wash., resident, will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Harrington (Wash.) United Methodist Church. Burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in Harrington.
Greenwood Funeral Home in Renton is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Kaputa, 82, died last Tuesday.
She was born in Kelly Hill, Wash.
She received nurse’s training at St. Luke’s Memorial Hospital in Spokane and practiced at Lincoln County Hospital in Davenport.
She moved to Renton nine years ago.
Mrs. Kaputa was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Order of the Eastern Star.
She is survived by two sons, Cameron Kaputa of Harrington and John Kaputa of Bremerton; a daughter, Kay White of Renton; a brother, Walter Shriner of Lewiston; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association.
Gertrude (Townsend) Saxton Spokane
Private memorial service for Gertrude I. (Townsend) Saxton has been held.
Mrs. Saxton, 93, died Saturday.
She was a lifetime Spokane resident.
She had worked for Wright’s Department Store as a buyer for more than 20 years and had operated Saxton’s Grocery on the North Side, with her husband, for more than 26 years.
They sold the store in 1976.
Mrs. Saxton was a member of Millwood Presbyterian Church.
Her husband, Melvin Saxton, died in 1982.
Survivors include a daughter, Velda Carlson of Spokane; two granddaughters and two great-grandchildren.
Della (Candler) Rigg Spokane
Visitation for Della Orma (Candler) Rigg is scheduled from noon to 9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mrs. Rigg, 73, died Saturday.
She was born in Kendrick, Idaho.
She worked in the post office at Hanford during World War II and moved to Spokane in 1945.
Mrs. Rigg had worked at The Crescent and was a graduate of the nursing program at Spokane Community College. She worked as an orthopedic licensed practical nurse at Sacred Heart Medical Center for 10 years before retiring in 1986.
She had also worked for the West Valley School District as a classroom aide at Centennial Middle School and was a volunteer at the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop.
Her husband, Harry, died in 1990.
Mrs. Rigg is survived by three sisters, Bonnie, Betty and Billie, all of California; a brother, Neil of Potlatch, Idaho; three sons, Darrell Bowen of Denver, and Harry and Steven, both of Spokane; three daughters, Barbara Halbig of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Sandra Heiydt of Cheney and Mary Collins of Spokane; 14 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
Earl Deno Spokane
Service for Earl F. Deno, 64, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Deno, 64, died Saturday.
He was born in Tensed, Idaho, and was a longtime Spokane resident.
He worked for Fruitland Express and had served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955.
He is survived by two daughters, Lori and Janice; a son, Gene; five sisters, Luella Vollmer, Eileen Salter, Ruth Hainline, Pearl Fleming and Dorothy Masingale; two brothers, Robert and Glen Deno; and four grandchildren.
Mary Batey Selah, Wash.
No service will be held for Mary M. Batey, 98, at her request. Keith and Keith Funeral Home in Yakima is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Batey, a former Spokane resident, did Saturday.
She was born in Palouse, Wash., and lived there until 1917, when she married Ray Batey.
The couple settled in Spokane.
Mr. Batey died in 1952, and Mrs. Batey stayed in Spokane until 1993.
She was a member of the Spokane Women’s Bowling Association and the Wandermere Women’s Golf Club.
She volunteered for the American Red Cross during World War II and also volunteered with the Air Force Ground Observers Corps.
She is survived by a son, Don Batey of Selah; two daughters, Joan Cameron of Republic, Wash., and Sally Pederson of Seattle; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Emily Kelly Spokane
Private service for Emily C. Kelly, 83, was held. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Born in Raymondville, Texas, Mrs. Kelly died Saturday.
She had lived in Spokane since 1946 and was a homemaker.
She was a member of the Hillyard Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary.
Survivors include a daughter, Joyce McEachran of Spokane; four sisters, Curly Lozano of Harlingen, Texas, Julia De La Rosa of Milwaukee, Kena Perez of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Connie Flores of Puyallup, Wash.; and four grandchildren.
Rose Mary Orsi Spokane
Vigil service for Rose Mary Orsi, 99, is set for 6 p.m. today at HennesseySmith Funeral Home. Service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Cross Cemetery Chapel with burial to follow.
Mrs. Orsi, who was born in Italy, died Wednesday.
She immigrated to Spokane when she was 13.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband, Ceasar, preceded her in death.
She is survived by two sons, Joe Orsi of Spokane and Tony Talarico of Clarkston, Wash.; two daughters, Dorothy Dalbec of Seattle and LaVerna Knappert of Chula Vista, Calif.; a sister, Theresa Naccarato of Spokane; eight grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Holy Family Hospital cancer ward.
Delsa Jude Spokane
Service for Delsa F. Jude, 87, is set for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Born in Wayne County, W.Va., Mrs. Jude died Saturday.
She was a homemaker and had lived in Spokane for more than 30 years.
She was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene.
Her husband, Christopher Jude, died in 1978.
She is survived by three sons, Donald Jude of Las Vegas, Nev., and Carl and James Jude, both of Spokane; two daughters, Alice Koch of Spokane and Jean Fogg of Hendersonville, Tenn.; two brothers, Leland Salmons of Ohio and Grady Salmons of Ky.; 17 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
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