Obituaries
Kimberly Peterson Spokane
Visitation for Kimberly M. Peterson, 25, will be from noon to 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Ms. Peterson, who was born in Richland, died Sunday.
She had been attending Spokane Community College majoring in the medical field.
Ms. Peterson was involved in sports, including basketball and softball.
She was an 11-year resident of Spokane and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Survivors include her fiancee, Norm Thomson of Spokane; two daughters, Dawnielle Peterson and Brittany Taylor, both of Spokane; a son, Taylor Vigneri of Spokane; her father and stepmother, Darrell and Kim Peterson of Newman Lake; her mother and stepfather, Faith and Terry Thompson of Othello, Wash.; nine brothers, Kelly, Loren and Darren Peterson, and Todd and Sean Oakley all of Spokane, Terry Thompson Jr. of California, John and Aaron Thompson both of Idaho, and Jamie Thompson of Walla Walla; and three sisters, Stormy Lloyd of Spokane, Michelle Thompson of California and Kristi Brown of Newman Lake.
Forrest Amsden Spokane
Visitation for Forrest Henry Amsden, 87, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Friday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Luke Lutheran Church. A private interment will precede the service. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Amsden, who was a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Monday.
In 1933 he married Ethel Rhoad. She died in 1994 after 61 years of marriage.
He owned and operated his own custom woodworking shop and was later employed by Exchange Lumber until his retirement in 1977.
Mr. Amsden was a Cougar Club member and a season ticket holder. He was also a member of the St. Luke Lutheran Church and Commercial Traveler’s Club.
Survivors include a son, Forrest Amsden of Medical Lake; a daughter, Jacquelyn Crowe of Spokane; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Velma Weetman Fish Lake, Wash.
Funeral service for Velma A. Weetman, 88, will be at 11 a.m. today at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Cheney Ward. Cheney Funeral Chapel in Cheney is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Weetman, who was born in Eltopia, Wash., died Monday.
The family moved to Oregon and then to Idaho before settling in Alberta.
She moved to the Spokane area in 1938 and in 1941 married Grant Weetman in Coeur d’Alene.
They moved to Fish Lake that same year and she worked as an insurance underwriter.
Mrs. Weetman was a member of the Spokane Insurance Women’s Association, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Cheney Ward, the Cheney Seniors Association and the Fish Lake Homeowners Association.
Her husband died in 1979.
Survivors include five nieces, Elaine Perry of Honeymoon Bay, British Columbia, Judy Omelusik of Vancouver, British Columbia, Donna Hall of Lloydminister, Alberta, Rosemarie Schmierer of Odessa, Wash., and Joy Erickson of Spokane; and a nephew, Dennis Rennie of Parkerville, British Columbia.
John Schnettler Spokane
Vigil service for John D. Schnettler, 58, will be at 5 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at noon Friday at Mary Queen Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Schnettler, who was born in Lewiston, died Friday.
He served in the Army National Honor Guard for 30 years, and had been a resident of Spokane for 50 years.
Mr. Schnettler worked as a general contractor for his own home remodeling business.
Survivors include three sons, Mark, Peter and Harold Schnettler, all of Spokane; three daughters, Angela Phillips of Williamsburg, Iowa, and Theresa Schnettler and Deanna Dalton, both of Spokane; a sister, Sandy McMasters of Reno, Nev.; and eight grandchildren.
June Balcom Spokane
Visitation for June M. Balcom, 75, will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Balcom, a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Monday.
She graduated from West Valley High School, and in 1940 married Cliff Balcom in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Balcom worked for Eastern Washington University for 15 years as secretary for the Political Science Department, before retiring in 1983.
She was a member of the Foothills Rural Association and published the organization’s newsletter.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Bonnie Peery of Valleyford, Wash., and Becky Storey of Washington state; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Estella Bain Harvard, Idaho
Service for Estella Mary Bain, 76, will be at 1 p.m. today at Princeton (Idaho) Nazarene Church. Burial will follow at Mendenhall Cemetery near Onaway, Idaho. Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow, Idaho, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bain, who was born in Hampton, Idaho, died Monday.
She grew up in the Princeton-Harvard area and graduated from Potlatch (Idaho) High School. Mrs. Bain worked as a housekeeper and cook, and was also a homemaker.
She was a member of the Harvard Ladies Aid and was a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.
Her husband, Charles, died in 1988.
Survivors include a son, Doug Bain of Rathdrum, Idaho; two sisters, Medine Leef of Harvard and Margaret Burris of Bucoda, Wash.; one grandson, one stepgranddaughter and one great-grandson.
Karen ‘Penny’ Thompson Colbert
Service for Karen L. “Penny” Thompson, 58, is planned for 10 a.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Thompson, who was born in Portland, died Monday.
She worked as a buyer for F.W. Woolworth’s in Las Vegas for five years and was employed at Woolworth’s in Spokane for two years.
Mrs. Thompson was a resident of Colbert for 52 years.
Survivors include her husband, Richard; a son, Jeffrey Thompson of Colbert; three daughters, Kim McArthur of Spokane, Angelia Scott of Seattle and Laurie Cuneo of Colbert; her stepfather, Don Lewis of Spokane; a brother, Randy Lewis of Deer Lake; four sisters, Kathy Murfin, Linda Lewis and Judy Labreche, all of Spokane and Pam Dusten of Alaska; and seven grandchildren.
Verda Whissiel Spokane
No service will be held for Verda Leon Whissiel, 90, at her request. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home - North is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Whissiel, who was born in Park City, Utah, died Monday.
In 1927 she married Harold Whissiel in Butte, Mont.
They owned and operated Whissiel’s Grocery Store and Laundromat in Butte from 1947 to 1970.
Mrs. Whissiel also taught ceramics and crafts. She retired and moved to Spokane in 1970.
She was a member of the Women’s Bowling League for more than 60 years.
Her husband died in 1987.
Survivors include a son, Robert Whissiel of Chelan, Wash.; a brother, Elmo Daniels of Butte, Mont.; two grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Barbara (Fulwiler) Prague Spokane
Vigil service for Barbara Jean (Fulwiler) Prague, 53, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mrs. Prague, a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Sunday.
She graduated in 1962 from Marycliff High School.
Mrs. Prague worked for Alderwood Manor as a certified nursing assistant for almost 20 years.
She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, St. Joseph’s Altar Society and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court Washington 196.
Survivors include three sisters, Helen Whitney of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., and Lois Stadtmueller and Rita Kresek, both of Spokane.
Barbara ‘Bobbee’ Chapman Coulee Dam, Wash.
Graveside service for R. Barbara “Bobbee” Chapman, 75, will be at 11 a.m. today in the Spring Canyon Cemetery in Grand Coulee. Funeral service will be at 11:30 today at the Coulee Dam Community Church in Coulee Dam.
Mrs. Chapman, who was born in LaCrosse, Wash., died Monday.
She graduated in 1940 from LaCrosse High School.
In 1948 she married Robert Chapman in LaCrosse and they moved to Coulee Dam that same year. She was a homemaker.
Her husband died in 1997.
Survivors include two sons, Steven and David Chapman both of Grand Coulee; a daughter, Sandee Lust of Medical Lake; a brother, Howard Wigen of LaCrosse; two sisters, Joyce Manning of Coulee Dam and Irene Beaton of Spokane; and seven grandchildren.
Dan Savas Spokane
Graveside service for Dan P. Savas, 69, will be 11 a.m. today at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Savas, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
He spent his youth in Haugen, Mont., and graduated from North Central High School.
Mr. Savas was a veteran of the Korean War and was a retired locomotive engineer with Burlington Northern Railroad.
Mr. Savas was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
Survivors include his wife, Maxine; and two sisters, Dena Wagner of Sacramento, Calif., and Sue Ladas of Youngstown, Ohio.
Armand ‘Mac’ McEwen Spokane
No service will be held for Armand “Mac” McEwen, 83, at his request. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McEwen, who was born in Endicott, Wash., died Monday.
He worked as a reporter for many years in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C., and the Associated Press in New York.
After his retirement, he returned to Spokane, where he has lived for the past 34 years.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Evelyn.
Bessie (Schlechter) Baylon Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Memorial service for Bessie (Schlechter) Baylon, 87, will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Bonners Ferry Free Methodist Church. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Baylon, who was born in Mountain Home, Idaho, died Feb. 3.
She graduated from high school in Mountain Home and then received a Life Teachers Certificate from Albion State Normal School.
Mrs. Baylon taught school and received her bachelor of science degree in education in 1966 from the University of Idaho.
In 1968 she was hired to teach elementary school on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific.
After a three-year appointment, she returned to Bonners Ferry where she served as principal of the Northside and Southside Elementary Schools and taught until her retirement in 1975.
Mrs. Baylon also established and ran an upholstery business for several years.
She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association and was involved in many education-related projects.
Survivors include three daughters, Jean Marie Ginder of Massena, N.Y., Bette Kuennen of Libby, Mont., and Susan Anderson of Issaquah, Wash.; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Hilda Thomas Silverton, Idaho
Service for Hilda Thomas, 89, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wallace Funeral Chapel. Burial will take place at Shoshone Memorial Gardens in Pinehurst, Idaho.
Mrs. Thomas, who was born in North Dakota, died Tuesday.
She lived in Hayden, Idaho, before moving to the Silver Valley in 1929. She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Thomas studied with and attended the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Osburn, Idaho.
Her husband, Math, died in 1993. Survivors include four sons, Donald Thomas of Spokane, Ronald Thomas of Post Falls, LeRoy Thomas of Osburn, and Richard Thomas of California; two brothers, John Adam of Hope, Idaho, and Dan Adam of Coeur d’Alene; four sisters, Leona Howerton and Alvina Fields, both of Coeur d’Alene, Juanita Fallis of Sequim, Wash., and Mabel Jess of California; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Wayne Thomas Spokane
Memorial service for Wayne W. Thomas, 65, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mr. Thomas, who was a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Saturday.
He graduated in 1951 from North Central High School and served in the Air National Guard during the Korean War with the 116th Fighter Squadron in England.
Mr. Thomas worked as a machinist for Burlington Northern Railroad for 40 years and retired in 1994.
He was a member of the International CBX Owners Association and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 637.
His wife, Marguerite Thomas, died in 1995.
Survivors include a sister, Arlene Pandelis of Spokane; a brother, Burven Thomas of San Jose, Calif.; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Clara Ledgerwood San Diego
Service for Clara Kay Ledgerwood, 89, was Jan. 26 at the Glen Abby Little Chapel of Roses at the Glen Abby Memorial Park and Mortuary in Bonita, Calif.
Mrs. Ledgerwood, who was born in Rosalia, Wash., died Jan. 20.
In 1926 she married Kenneth Ledgerwood.
She was a 52-year Spokane resident and worked at several Spokane establishments including the Manito Country Club and The Desert Inn Hotel.
Mr. and Mrs. Ledgerwood moved to San Diego in 1977 from Spokane.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Kenneth Ledgerwood of San Diego; a sister, Ruby Matthews of Spokane; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Al Scheibner Odessa, Wash.
Funeral service for Al Scheibner, 92, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Christ Lutheran Church in Odessa. Burial will follow at the Odessa Cemetery in Odessa.
Mr. Scheibner, who was born in Wilbur, Wash., died Monday.
He graduated in 1923 from Wilbur High School, and served 23 years on the Lincoln County Planning Board.
Mr. Scheibner was a member of the Christ Lutheran Church, the Odessa Grange, and also served on the county Board of Adjustment.
He worked as a rancher and farmer.
His wife, Ella, died in 1990.
Survivors include numerous nieces and nephews.
, DataTimes