Obituaries
Theron Hitchcock Spokane
Memorial service for Theron W. Hitchcock, 85, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Private inurnment will be at the Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Hitchcock, who was born in Vivian, S.D., died Friday.
He served in the Navy during World War II.
In 1943 Mr. Hitchcock moved from Sunburst, Mont., to Spokane and worked as building contractor for residential homes for 10 years. He was involved in the development of the Kokomo area in the Spokane Valley, retiring in 1980.
He was a member of several square dancing clubs and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1425.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Edyth Hitchcock.
Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Loretha; two daughters, Alaine Bouchee of Tacoma and Lois Folmer of Spokane; two stepdaughters, Elaine Sherwood and Tudie Hewson, a son, Bruce Hitchcock, and two stepsons, Wayne and Charles Howard, all of Spokane; a sister, Velva La Palla of Hilo, Hawaii; 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Unity Church of Truth.
Virgil Hamilton Meridian, Idaho
Service for Virgil Ray Hamilton, 64, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Shoshone Funeral Home in Kellogg. Inurnment will take place at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg.
Mr. Hamilton, who was born in Oklahoma, died Saturday.
He served in the Army during the Korean War and moved to Meridian, Idaho, in 1961.
He moved to Pinehurst, Idaho, in 1967 and owned Hill Street Shell Station in Kellogg before working as a fuel truck driver for Ross Oil Co., retiring in 1985.
Mr. Hamilton traveled and spent winters in California after his retirement. He later returned to Meridian.
Survivors include his wife, Marianne; a son, Roger Hamilton of Pinehurst; a daughter, Vicki Baer of Meridian; three sisters, Minnie Maples and Jewel Epley, both of Lewiston, and Nina McCoy of Kellogg; and five grandchildren, Leslie, Josh, Randy, Greg and Mark.
Memorials may be made to Horizon Hospice, 1406 E. First St., Suite 107, Meridian, ID 83642.
Richard Waldow Spokane
Visitation for Richard G. Waldow is today from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Hazen & Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church. Burial will be at the Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Waldow, who was born in Miles City, Mont., died Sunday. He was 83.
In 1934 he married Eva Belobraidich in Forsythe, Mont., and they moved to Spokane in 1974 from St. Maries.
He worked for the Milwaukee Railroad for 35 years, retiring in 1975.
Mr. Waldow was a member of the Gethsemane Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife, Eva; three daughters, Carol Hanson of Eugene, Ore., Lynn Mourning of St. Maries and Ardis Norton of Spokane; a son, Gary Waldow of Falls City, Wash.; two sisters, Sophia Kuether and Bernice Swanson, both of Spokane; a brother, Albert Waldow of Miles City; 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gethsemane Lutheran Church.
Grace Woodwick Spokane
Private service for Grace L. (Jones) Woodwick, 89, was Tuesday. Burial was at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Woodwick, who was born in Rockport, Wash., died Friday.
She worked as a sales clerk for J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward and Ben Cohen Jewelers and later worked for District 81 as a cook’s helper and cook.
Mrs. Woodwick was a member of Ivanhoe Chapter No. 80 of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Corbin Senior Center.
Her husband, Edward Woodwick, died in 1990.
Mrs. Woodwick is survived by one son, Larry Woodwick of Ocean Shores, Wash.; two daughters, Nadine Martin and Mavis Wendt, both of Spokane; 12 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Howard Ragsdale Spokane
Service for Howard M. Ragsdale, 80, is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ragsdale, who was born in Hunters, Wash., was a longtime Spokane resident. He died Sunday while visiting his daughter in Fairbanks, Alaska.
He worked as heavy equipment mechanic and was a member of the Eagles Lodge No. 2 and Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church.
Mr. Ragsdale is survived by his wife of 53 years, Elta Ragsdale; two daughters, Ione Wright of Fairbanks and Cheryl Eng of Ritzville, Wash.; a son, David Ragsdale of Spokane; a brother, Sam Ragsdale of Oregon City, Ore.; a sister, Lois Mathers of Milwaukie, Ore.; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church or to the Union Gospel Mission.
Thelma Kamlin Spokane
Burial Mass for Thelma F. Kamlin, 81, be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Charles Catholic Church. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Kamlin, who was born in Greeley, Colo., died Monday.
She was a graduate of Coeur d’Alene High School and worked as a bookkeeper in the banking industry for many years.
Mrs. Kamlin was a volunteer at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane and was a member of the Sacred Heart Guild at St. Charles Catholic Church.
Her husband of 53 years, Vernon Kamlin, died in 1990.
She is survived by a son, Gary Kamlin of Salem, Ore.; two daughters, Karolyn Lee of Spokane and Cheryl Cohrs of Renton, Wash.; two sisters, Lucille Hall of Medford, Ore., and Florence Mayhew of Phoenix, Ore.; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronald McDonald House.
Joseph Johnson Spokane
Memorial service for Joseph Milton Johnson, 74, will be at 4 p.m. Friday at Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Johnson, who was born in Tulsa, Okla., died Sunday.
He served during World War II as a naval aviator.
In 1947 he graduated from Tulsa University with a business degree and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
He married Mildred Dabbs in 1951, and they moved to Spokane in 1963 from Peoria, Ill.
Mr. Johnson worked for Bower Machinery until 1981 and was a member of Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church.
He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Dee Johnson of Spokane and Kimla Johnson-Koziuk of Sherwood, Ore.; a son, Ike Johnson of Maine; and six grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the church building fund.
Nedra Fox Spokane
Service for Nedra M. Fox, 79, will be 2 p.m. Friday at the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Burial will be at the Fairmount Memorial Park. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fox, who was a 30-year Spokane resident, died Tuesday.
She was born in Bentley, Ill. She married Donald Fox in Reno, Nev., in 1950. He died in 1995.
She was a homemaker and was a member of the Nine Mile Falls Community Church.
Mrs. Fox is survived by a daughter, Debra Tobler of Nine Mile Falls; three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Nine Mile Falls Community Church.
Rayfield La Mere Spokane
Memorial service for Rayfield J. La Mere, 76, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2218. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. La Mere, who was born in Shankin, Mont., died April 28.
He was a 19-year Spokane resident and worked as a general laborer.
He served in the Army from 1942 to 1946.
Survivors include a cousin, Paula Ellery of Spokane.
Connie O’Brien Spokane
Memorial service for Connie Marie O’Brien, 55, will be at 10 a.m Saturday at the Heritage Funeral Home.
Mrs. O’Brien, who was born in Spokane, died Tuesday.
She was a graduate of West Valley High School and was a homemaker. She had lived in Colville for the past 17 years.
Mrs. O’Brien is survived by her husband of 23 years, Ronald; a son, Bryan Hobbs of Placerville, Calif.; three stepdaughters, Ronna Carlson, Kelli Collins and Michelle “Micki” O’Brien, and her mother, Josephine Allison, all of Spokane; two sisters, Geni Cummings of Elk and Marge Glaze of Portland; a brother, Dan Allison of Spokane; and 10 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sacred Heart Medical Center Development Fund.
Charles Walker Spokane
No service is planned for Charles Henry Walker, 93, at his request. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Walker, who was born in Plattsmouth, Neb., died Monday. He was a 60-year Spokane resident and had worked as an apparatus serviceman for Pacific Northwest Bell for 23 years. He retired in 1968.
Mr. Walker was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and the Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Edith Walker; a stepson, Edwin Lindquist of Spokane; and a stepdaughter, Barbara Stinson of Anchorage, Alaska.
Betty Banks Spokane
Visitation for Betty Jean Banks, 73, will be today from noon to 8 p.m. at the Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Banks, 73, died Monday.
She was lifetime Spokane resident and a homemaker.
Her husband, William Banks, died in 1987.
Mrs. Banks is survived by two sons, Robert and William Banks Jr., both of Spokane; a daughter, Brenda Irmer of Waterville, Wash.; a sister, Carol Walters of Spokane; five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Grace Slawter Spokane
Memorial service for Grace W. Slawter, 83, is planned for 4 p.m. Friday at the Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeNorth.
Mrs. Slawter, who was born in Washtucna, Wash., died Sunday.
She graduated from high school in Washtucna.
She moved to Spokane in 1933 and attended the Kelsey-Baird Secretarial School. She worked as a legal secretary from 1949 until 1959 and then took a secretarial and bookkeeping position with the Ziegler Lumber Co. She had not yet retired.
Her husband, Homer Slawter, died in 1949.
Survivors include two daughters, Grace Cole of Boise and Mary Ziegler of Colbert; a son, James Slawter of Spokane; one sister, Esther Day of Pasco; nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Washtucna High School.
Nellie Hinton Deer Park
Service for Nellie Emma Hinton, 82, is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park. Burial will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Hinton, who was born in Manhattan, Mont., died Monday.
She was a 20-year Deer Park resident and was a former Spokane resident.
Mrs. Hinton was a cook for many years in Spokane nursing homes, and was a member of the Royal Neighbors Lodge.
Her husband, Harry Hinton, died in 1976.
Survivors include a son, Thomas Taylor of Deer Park; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grandma’s Place Care Center.
Lyle Fox Spokane
Service for Lyle A. Fox, 89, will be at noon today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mr. Fox, who was born in Glen Elder, Kan., died Monday.
He was a 47-year Spokane resident and had worked at Kaiser Aluminum in Trentwood for 15 years. He retired in 1967.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Betty Fox; two daughters, Karen Fox of Federal Way, Wash., and Sharon Franklin of Mead; two brothers, Virgil Fox of Oklahoma and Raymond Fox of California; a sister, Geneva Cain of Nebraska; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contribuations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, Washington State Chapter.
, DataTimes