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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Obituaries

The Spokesman-Review

LaVelle (Moore) Gornick

Priest River, Idaho

Funeral for G. LaVelle (Moore) Gornick, 84, will be today at 11 a.m. at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Priest River, with burial at Seneacquoteen Cemetery in Vay, Idaho.

Mrs. Gornick, who was born in Rocky Point, Wyo., died Aug. 3.

She attended school in Gillette, Wyo., until the family moved to Jardine, Mont.

In 1939 she married William Gornick in Bozeman, and in 1945 the family moved to the Priest River area.

A homemaker, Mrs. Gornick also helped her husband run a dairy farm for nearly 20 years.

She was a member of the Valley Baptist Church and Edgemere Grange. She served on the board of Seneacquoteen Cemetery, and was treasurer and secretary for the board of the HooDoo Valley Telephone Co.

In the early 1970s she was elected Valentine Homemaker of the Year by KCFA radio, now KMBI in Spokane. She enjoyed teaching women’s Bible study and gardening.

Her husband died in 2002.

Survivors include a son, Gary Gornick of San Lorenzo, Calif.; three daughters, LaFaye Gornick of Post Falls, Marilea Boncz of Meridian, Idaho, and Debra Alexander of Priest River; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Merle Ames

Sandpoint

Memorial service for Merle Ernest Ames, 87, was Monday at the Dover Community Church. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Ames, who was born in Sandpoint, died Thursday.

He graduated from high school and in 1934 from the Idaho School for the Deaf in Gooding, Idaho.

Mr. Ames then worked as a sawyer in the woods of North Idaho and in 1940 married Doris Hammer.

The couple moved to Portland in 1942, and Mr. Ames produced trusses for airplane hangars for timber structures during World War II.

Upon returning to Sandpoint in 1946, he worked as a building contractor for the next 50 years with his brothers, Rolland and Jack Ames.

Mr. Ames was a graduate of the International Correspondence School in architecture and drafting and also was a taxidermist and wood worker.

He was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Sandpoint Carpenters Union and Sandpoint United Methodist Church. He enjoyed hiking, woodworking, fly-fishing, traveling and poetry.

Survivors include his wife; two children, Raymond Ames and Carol Bean; two brothers, Rolland and Jack Ames; a sister, Lorna Popejoy; and six grandchildren.

Dorothy Salmon

Newport, Wash.

No public service is planned for Dorothy Ada Salmon, 95. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Salmon, who was born in Edmonton, Alberta, died Aug. 1.

Her family moved to Victoria, B.C., where she attended schools. By the mid-1920s, they had moved to Washington state.

In 1930 she married Roscoe Post. He died in 1964.

She worked in the meat department at Tradewell Supermarkets in Port Angeles, Wash., and Seattle.

She was a member of the Presbyterian Church and the Women’s Group in Port Angeles.

In 1972 she married Rudolph Salmon. He died in 1977, and she later moved to Pend Oreille County to be near her children.

Survivors include two children, Richard Post and Jean DeWaide, both of Newport; a sister, Vera Lundberg of Port Angeles; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Augusta (Buscheck) Stoddard

Coeur d’Alene

Memorial Mass for Augusta Joan (Buscheck) Stoddard, 87, will be today at 2 p.m. at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Stoddard, who was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Thursday.

She grew up in Chicago and attended Catholic school there.

Mrs. Stoddard worked in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, where she met her future husband, Joseph Stoddard, who was an electrician for the city.

The couple married in 1938 and made their home in St. Petersburg, Fla.

They traveled extensively after their retirement and spent summers in the West, while wintering in Florida.

Her husband died in 1977, and she moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2002 to be near family.

She was a sheriff’s auxiliary volunteer and was involved in a clothing outlet for the needy.

Mrs. Stoddard enjoyed traveling and fishing.

Survivors include a son, Ronald Stoddard of Coeur d’Alene; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

John Ochs

Colville

Memorial service for John Douglas Ochs, 43, was Monday at the Ag-Trade Center in Colville.

Mr. Ochs, a 36-year resident of Colville, died Aug. 3 in a wind-surfing accident near Kettle Falls, Wash. He was born in Auburn, Wash.

He spent his early years in Auburn and moved with his family to Colville, where he began second grade. While in school he played baseball and was a wrestler.

Following high school graduation in 1979, he became active in recreation league sports. He played recreation volleyball, basketball, softball and coached Little League baseball.

Mr. Ochs worked on the family farm for several years before working for Vaagen’s for more than 17 years.

He married Carolyn Kenner in 1987, and the couple made their home in Colville.

He enjoyed hunting, playing golf, fishing and water and snow skiing.

Survivors include his wife; his parents, Jerry and Dorothy Ochs; and two brothers, Greg and Jeff Ochs, all of Colville.

Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children or the Ronald McDonald House.

Reuben Weitz

Colfax

Funeral for Reuben Weitz, 95, will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church. Burial will be at Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Weitz, who was born in Endicott, Wash., died Saturday.

He attended the Willow Creek School near Dusty, Wash., and graduated in 1927 from Endicott High School. He played football in high school.

He began working on the family farm before marrying Clara Schierman in 1932. The couple bought a farm on the North Palouse River near Colfax in 1937 and farmed until 1974, when they moved into Colfax.

Mr. Weitz was a member of Peace Lutheran Church and a 50-year member of North-South Palouse Grange.

He enjoyed playing cards.

His wife died in 1999.

Survivors include three children, Arlene Hatley and Joann Wood, both of Colfax, and Gordon Weitz of Walla Walla; six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Memorials are suggested to Colfax Cemetery or the Whitman Hospital Foundation.

Alice Barnhart Campbell

Sandpoint

Memorial service for Alice Bennett Barnhart Campbell, 84, will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Campbell, who was born in Ontario, died July 24.

She married Lyle Campbell in 1946, and the couple lived in New York, Colorado and Arizona.

They moved to California, where she worked as the high school registrar for the Fullerton Union School District from 1964 until her retirement in 1981.

The couple lived in Green Valley, Ariz., until moving to Sandpoint in 2002.

Survivors include her husband; two sons, Bruce Campbell of Phoenix and Roger Campbell of Sandpoint; a sister, Grace of Port Richey, Fla.; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Gerald Thompson

Pahrump, Nev.

Private service will be held for Gerald E. Thompson, 83. Pahrump Family Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Thompson, who was born in Washington state, died Aug. 1 in Pahrump, his home for seven years. He was a former 30-year resident of Spokane.

He served in the Army Air Corps and worked in the real estate industry, retiring in 2000. He also owned Thompson Drug Store in Spokane.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia; two daughters, Darlene Hardenbrook and Deanne, and two stepdaughters, Pamela Ludwig and Paula Colkins, all of Washington state.

Memorial contributions may be made to Nathen Adelson Hospice, 1440 E. Calvada Blvd., Pahrump, NV, 89048.

Harold ‘Max’ Norman

Newport, Wash.

Memorial service for Harold “Max” Norman, 75, will be today at 10 a.m. at the Sunset Mausoleum Chapel, Fairmount Memorial Park. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Norman, who was born in Spokane, died Friday.

He was a Spokane-area resident for 65 years before moving to Newport.

In 1948 He graduated from North Central High School. He served in the Navy for four years.

Mr. Norman worked for Arden and Carnation dairies for many years and also worked in the concrete precast industry for several years.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Norma; three sons, Terry, Michael and Robert; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Union Gospel Mission, 1224 E. Trent Ave., Spokane, WA 99202.

Betty Anderson

Spokane

Memorial service for Betty L. (Van Steenkiste) Anderson, 65, will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Inurnment will be Aug. 21 at noon at Wilbur Cemetery, Wilbur, Wash.

Mrs. Anderson, who was born in Wilbur, died Thursday. She was a resident of Spokane for 45 years.

She graduated from Wilbur High School in 1957 and married Lloyd Anderson in 1959

Mrs. Anderson worked as a cook and kitchen manager, and had also worked as a cashier at Zip Trip and 7-Eleven.

She was a foster parent. She enjoyed reading and gardening.

Her husband, Lloyd Anderson, died in 1997.

Survivors include six children, Fred Anderson, Bonita Bateman, Pennyjo Beasley, Sharon Lawson and Wendysue Anderson, all of Spokane, and Teri Harler of Richmond, Va.; a brother, Joseph Van Steenkiste of Ephrata, Wash.; a foster daughter, Marcia Davis of Spokane; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Paul Webb

Post Falls

American Legion memorial service for Paul Harold Webb, 68, will be today at 11 a.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls.

Mr. Webb, who was born in Pennsylvania, died Saturday.

He married Virginia “Marty” Hayes in 1957.

Mr. Webb lived in Billings before moving to Spokane Valley, where he lived for one and a half years.

He settled in Post Falls in 1990 and worked as a computer service sales representative until retiring in 1998.

Mr. Webb was a member of Coeur d’Alene Church of Christ, Post Falls American Legion and the Hayden Lake Eagles Lodge.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Paula Crowder of Dickinson, Texas, and Pamela Johnson of Dauphin, Manitoba; a half-brother, James Webb Jr. of Laurel, Md.; and eight grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to North Idaho Heart Center, 2003 Lincoln Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

Hazel Hunt

Newport, Wash.

Private service was held for Hazel Dorothy Hunt, 81. Private memorial is planned for a later date. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hunt, a 50-year resident of Newport, died Aug. 2.

She was born in Calgary, Alberta, and in her youth worked at Armour Meat Packing in Calgary.

She married Doyle Hunt in 1944, and the couple made their home in Spokane until moving to Newport in 1954.

Mrs. Hunt enjoyed cooking, crocheting, knitting, gardening and working outdoors.

Survivors include her husband; two sons, Donald and James Hunt, and a daughter, Sylvia Betz, all of Newport; three sisters, Margaret Benner and Violet Skarupa, both of Calgary, and Ruby of Niagara Falls, N.Y.; nine grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Dean Kastens

Coeur d’Alene

Memorial service for L. Dean Kastens, 81, will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Chapel in Rathdrum, Idaho. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Kastens, who was born in Anthony, Kan., died July 23.

He served in the Navy during World War II.

He moved to Rathdrum, in 1985, after retiring with more than 37 years in the Parks and Recreation field in Kansas, Colorado, Nevada and California.

He had he worked with the North Kootenai Water District.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Dorothy; eight children; a brother, William Kastens; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho.