Obituaries
Josip Ivanis Spokane
Vigil for Josip Ivanis, 75, will be at 7 p.m. today at the Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Ivanis, who died Monday, was born in Bosnia.
He graduated from the State School of Horticulture in Croatia.
He fled Yugoslavia during World War II and lived in refugee camps in Italy for three years. He later moved to Belgium, where he worked as a coal miner for 10 years.
Mr. Ivanis came to Spokane in 1955 and worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad and later Burlington Northern Railroad. He retired in 1986.
In 1962 he married Margaret Uhlenkott.
Mr. Ivanis was a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Lodge No. 104, and the Eagles Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; three children, Karen of Corona Del Mar, Calif., Barbara Miner, and Dan of Seattle; eight stepchildren, Mark Gibbons, Dave Gibbons of Seattle, Ed Gibbons of Kapa’au, Hawaii, Tom Gibbons of Quilcene, Wash., Karla Gibbons, Gwen McMillen of Spokane, Don Gibbons of Craig, Alaska and Paula Gibbons of Seattle; a sister, Stana Aleksic of Croatia; and 12 stepgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Xavier Parish or the Father Robert Goebel Scholarship Fund at Gonzaga Preparatory School.
Thelma Decker Hopkins Spokane
Visitation for Thelma Decker Hopkins, 80, is scheduled for 2 to 9 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home with burial at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Hopkins, a longtime Spokane resident, died Tuesday.
She was born Lamont, Wash.
Mrs. Hopkins worked at Lakeland Village for 25 years and retired in 1976 as a supervisor.
She was a member of the Antique Doll Association.
Two husbands preceded her in death: Leo Decker and Dwight Hopkins.
Survivors include two sons, James Decker of Spokane and Charles Decker of Post Falls; a daughter, Mary Lee Deerfield of Palm Harbor, Fla.; a sister, Jean Schutte of Spokane; a brother, Willard Bowen of Lamont ; 16 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren
Mabel Ackaret Deer Park
Visitation for Mabel Ackaret, 96, is scheduled for 2 to 9 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Born in Kansas, Mrs. Ackaret died Monday.
She and her husband, Arthur, farmed in New Plymouth, Idaho, before moving to the Spokane area in 1941.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Mrs. Ackaret is survived by five sons, Adelbert, Robert, Raymond, Harold and Leroy Ackaret; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Susan Bergh Spokane
Memorial service for Susan L. Bergh, 80, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North.
Mrs. Bergh, who was born Alton, Iowa, died Saturday.
She graduated from St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Boise and later served as a Navy nurse on the USS Solace during World War II. She attained the rank of ensign.
Mrs. Bergh worked as a registered nurse for the Paulsen Building Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, Burlington Northern Railroad and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
In 1972 she moved to Bremerton and worked for the Naval Hospital. She retired and returned to Spokane 1980.
Her husband, Charles Bergh Sr., died in 1954.
Mrs. Bergh is survived by a daughter, Nancy Burley of Spokane; three sons, Charles Bergh Jr., of Coeur d’Alene, William Bergh of Tenino, Wash., and Robert Bergh of Bonney Lake, Wash.; a brother, Lester Keizer of Benton City, Wash.; a sister, Mae Burke of Boise; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Glenn ‘Bunk’ Kofford Newport, Wash.
Service for Glenn Allen “Bunk” Kofford, 64, was Monday at the Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport.
Mr. Kofford died Thursday. He was born in Billings, Mont.
In 1941 his family moved from Montana to Newport.
He served in the Navy during the Korean War and later worked as a heavy equipment operator for Burlington Northern Railroad. He retired in 1983.
In 1977 he married Vera Klasing in Coeur d’Alene.
He was a member of the Newport Eagles Lodge.
Mr. Kofford is survived by his wife; a daughter, Susan Kofford; a son, Glenn Kofford Jr.; two stepdaughters, Barbara Novak of Spokane and Doris Bray of Newport; a stepson, Steve Bray of Spokane; three sisters, Joanne Richter of Newport, Donna Eastin of Las Vegas, Nev., and SharronGamble of Kettle Falls, Wash.; a brother, James Kofford of Cedar City, Utah; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Bernice ‘Dolly’ Williamson Deer Park
Memorial service for Bernice Mary “Dolly” Williamson, 49, was Monday at the Eagles Lodge in Deer Park.
Mrs. Williamson, who was born in Spokane, died Tuesday.
She attended Central Valley High School and Spokane Falls Community College.
She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary No. 3067 and was the current president of the Eagles Lodge No. 3564 Ladies Auxiliary.
Mrs. Williamson is survived by her husband, Albert; four children, Charles Fiorino, James Fiorino Jr., Alex Tiffany and DeAnn Marie Knight, all of the Spokane area; four brothers, Ben Tiffany of Veradale, John Tiffany of Valleyford, Dale Tiffany of Seattle, and Jim Tiffany of Spokane; seven sisters, Flora Jones and Vera Evans, both of Veradale, Dorene Little of Portland, Darlene Peterson of Spokane, Lillian Moore of Aberdeen, Wash., Gwen Shull of Otis Orchards, and Gail Day of Dugway, Alaska; and eight grandchildren.
Erna Stites Spokane
Visitation for Erna J. Stites, 66, is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mrs. Stites, who was born in Hixton, Wis., died Sunday.
She was a 35-year Spokane area resident and a homemaker.
Her husband, Roy Stites, died in 1988.
Survivors include a daughter, Laura Stites of Oldtown, Idaho; two sons, Scott Stites of Spokane and Daren Stites of Newman Lake; a brother, Richard Chrisinger of Springfield, Mo.; and two grandchildren.
Emma Aeschliman Spokane
Service for Emma Leta Aeschliman, 89, is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Burial will follow. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Aeschliman, who was born in the Menno area near Odessa, Wash., died Sunday.
She was a longtime resident of Spokane and a homemaker.
Mrs. Aeschliman was a member of the First Baptist Church.
Her husband of 44 years, Verne, died in 1991.
Survivors include a daughter, Susan Aeschliman of Kent, Wash.; three foster daughters, Sherri Rains of Kent, Terri Miller and Donna Espen, both of Spokane; six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
M.J. ‘Bud’ Volquardsen Metaline Falls, Wash.
Memorial service for M.J. “Bud” Volquardsen, 62, was Monday at the Assembly of God Church in Metaline Falls.
Mr. Volquardsen, who was born in Belcourt, N.D., died Friday.
He worked as an automobile mechanic and later worked for the LaFarge Corp.
In 1955 he married Betty Ann VanDyke. She died in 1983.
Mr. Volquardsen was an honorary member of American Legion Post No. 144.
Survivors include two daughters, Kristle Cole of Newport, Wash., and Karyn Lovell of Metaline Falls; two sons, Russ Volquardsen of Spokane and David Volquardsen of Metaline Falls; and seven grandchildren.
Verles Mealhouse Pullman
No service will be held for Verles H. Mealhouse, 75, at his request. Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Mealhouse, who died Monday, was born in Dysart, Iowa.
He served in the Army in the Pacific Theater during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946.
Me. Mealhouse worked as the parts manager for the Brown and Holter automobile dealership and later worked as a machinist at Washington State University. He retired in 1972.
He married Margie Brooks in Spokane in 1944, and they later moved to Pullman.
In 1966 he married Marion Searles in Colfax. She died in 1987.
Mr. Mealhouse is survived by three sons, Verles Mealhouse Jr. of Clearfield, Utah, Keith Mealhouse of Moses Lake and James Mealhouse of Ramona, Calif.; a daughter, Lynn Mealhouse of Ritzville, Wash.; his companion, Margie Freytag of Kendrick, Idaho; two brothers, Gale Mealhouse of Fridley, Minn., and Dean Mealhouse of Anoka, Minn.; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Palouse.
Athol ‘Bill’ Garing Spokane
No service will be held for Athol C. “Bill” Garing, 87, at his request. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Garing, who was born in Libby, Mont., died Saturday.
He graduated from Ballard High School in Seattle and received a degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington.
He worked for the Bureau of Reclamation at Grand Coulee Dam and later moved to Ephrata, Wash., where he built a home.
In 1960 he moved to Spokane and worked as an engineer for the Air Force. He retired in 1969.
Mr. Garing is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mildred (Everitt) Garing; a son, William Garing of Redmond, Wash.; a daughter, Carolyn Van Leuven of Spokane; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association of Washington.
Frances Dohrman Tensed, Idaho
Service for Frances M. Dohrman, 87, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Tensed Community Church. Burial will follow at the Freeze Cemetery north of Potlatch, Idaho. Kramer Funeral Home in Tekoa, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dohrman, who was born in Mace, Idaho, died Monday.
In 1926 she married George Dohrman in Newcastle, Wyo. They lived in California before moving back to Wyoming.
During World War II they moved to Seattle, and she worked for Boeing from 1945 to 1947.
They moved to Morton, Wash., and operated a sawmill and later moved the business to Tensed. It was destroyed by a fire in 1970.
Mrs. Dohrman was a member of the Tensed Community Church.
Her husband of 66 years, George, died in 1993.
Mrs. Dohrman is survived by two sons, Stuart Dohrman of Tensed and Wayne Dohrman of Priest Lake, Idaho; three daughters, Ruthie Rosenberry of DeSmet, Idaho, Juanita Dalrymple of Seattle, and Phyllis Zigalla of Grayland, Wash.; two sisters, Irene Cool of Gerber, Calif., and Helen Crowley of St. Onge, S.D.; 23 grandchildren; 55 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Mildred Noble Spokane
No service will be held for Mildred L. Noble, 85, at the family’s request. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Noble, who was born in Laclede, Idaho, died Sunday.
She had lived in Spokane for more than 50 years and worked as a beautician.
Survivors included a sister, Dorothy Meyer of Sacramento, Calif.
Charles Blake Spokane Memorial service for Charles R. Blake, 72, is set for 2 p.m. Friday at the Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. There will be private inurnment at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Blake, who was born in Saguache, Colo., died Friday.
He graduated from Central Valley High School and served in the Army during World War II. He was involved in the Battle of the Bulge.
Mr. Blake worked as a bus driver for School District 81.
He is survived by a brother, Donald Blake of Yreka, Calif.; three sisters, Ruth Arnold of Salem, Ore., June Harris of Canyon Country, Calif., and Jo Taylor of Spokane.
Jane Newbry Genesee, Idaho
Memorial service for Jane W. Newbry, 42, was Sunday at the Valley Lutheran Church in Genesee.
Mrs. Newbry, who was born in Dickinson, N.D., died June 16.
She graduated from North Central High School and attended Concordia College in Morehead, Minn., and Eastern Washington University.
In 1978 she married William Newbry in Spokane.
She worked as a registered nurse for the Shriners Hospital for Children and Deaconess Medical Center.
In 1984 she moved to Genesee and worked for St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and Valley Medical Center’s Children’s Clinic, both in Lewiston.
Mrs. Newbry is survived by her husband; a daughter, Meagan Newbry of Genesee; her mother, Winifred Donahoo of Spokane; and a brother, Tom Hansel of Post Falls.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Genesee Education Foundation in care of the Genesee School District.
Charlie Verhaag Spokane
Graveside service for Charlie Verhaag, 77, was held Monday at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mr. Verhaag, who was born in Oak Harbor, Wash., died Fridy.
He served in the Army during World War II and later worked as a butcher for Hygrade Meats.
He was a 70-year Spokane resident and a member of the Retreads.
Mr. Verhaag is survived by two sons, Wayne Verhaag of Springdale, Wash., and Ron Verhaag of Vancouver, Wash.; five daughters, Bonnie Reynolds, Hazel Williams, Esther Johnson and Donna Morley, all of Spokane, and Kathy Mielke of Colbert, Wash.; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Kathryn Winn Spokane
No service will be held for Kathryn E. Winn, 82, at her request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Winn, who was born in Colville, Wash., died Monday.
She had lived in the Spokane area for 55 years and worked as a dental assistant.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, George; two sons, Dick Winn of Chattaroy and Clark Winn of Issaquah, Wash.; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Sylvia Morgan Lodi, Calif.
Private memorial service for Sylvia E. Morgan, 70, will be held at a later date. Sunset Lawn Funeral Home in Sacramento, Calif., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Morgan, who was born in Rifle, Colo., died Thursday.
She was a former longtime Spokane resident and worked as a waitress.
She moved to California in 1974 and maintained her residence in Spokane.
Mrs. Morgan is survived by her husband of 52 years, Birtye; a daughter, Karen Wolfe; a son, Richard Morgan; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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