Obituaries
Joseph Brown
Margaret “Sid” Brown
Spokane
Memorial service for Joseph E. Brown and Margaret “Sid” (Curtis) Brown will be today at 2 p.m. at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown died May 22 near Ogden, Utah, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. They were both 73.
Mr. Brown, a resident of Spokane for 34 years, was born in Fairmount, W. Va., where he attended high school.
He married Margaret Curtis in 1963.
Mr. Brown served in the Navy for 25 years, retiring in 1967. He then became a real estate agent for James S. Black.
He was a home appraiser in Yuma, Ariz., where the couple spent winters.
Mr. Brown was a member of the Real Estate Brokers Association, Ham on Regal and Polar Explorers.
Mrs. Brown, also a 34-year resident of Spokane, was born in Orofino, Idaho.
She graduated from Orofino High School and the University of Idaho with a degree in education. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Mrs. Brown was an elementary school teacher on military bases in Oxnard, Calif., Spain and Japan.
In her later years she worked as a real estate agent in Spokane.
She was past president of the Realtor Association in Spokane and was a member of the PEO and Ham on Regal. She also did volunteer work for Hospice of Spokane.
The couple are survived by two sons, Curtis and Tom Brown, both of Spokane; and five grandchildren.
Mr. Brown is also survived by a brother, Jim Brown of Richmond, Va.; and a sister, Martha Fryer of Fairmont, W.Va.
Mrs. Brown is also survived by four brothers, Bruce Curtis of Portland, Tom Curtis of Tucson, Ariz., Bill Curtis of Benton City, Wash., and Dick Curtis of Boise.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Timothy Sample
Medical Lake
Memorial service for Timothy D. Sample, 49, will be today at 1 p.m. at Airway Heights Baptist Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Sample, a 39-year area resident, died May 24. He was born in Jamestown, N.Y.
He graduated from Medical Lake High School in 1973 and attended ITT Tech, North Idaho College and Idaho Falls.
Mr. Sample was a computer technician at RSI.
He was a member of Airway Heights Baptist Church and a charter member of Medical Lake Baptist Church.
Survivors include by his wife of 19 years, Jamie; a son, A.J. Sample and a daughter, Catherine Sample, both at the home; two stepchildren, DeeDee Robertson of Tacoma and April Cooper of Spokane; his mother, Carol Rieck of Windang, Australia; a brother, Lawrence Sample of Eure, N.C.; two sisters, Deborah Gill of Coeur dAlene and Rebecka Green of Colorado Springs; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Gideon Memorial Bible Fund, P.O. Box 10652, Spokane, WA 99209.
John Curro
Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for John P. Curro, 76, will be Monday at 1 p.m. at Heritage Place retirement center in Coeur d’Alene. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Curro, who was born in Torre Fara Messina, Sicily, Italy, died Wednesday.
He immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 2 and later served with the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Mr. Curro married Nellie Marshall in 1951, and they lived in California. He moved to Coeur d’Alene 20 years ago after retiring.
During retirement he worked part time as a security attendant for downtown banks.
Mr. Curro was a member of the Retail Clerks Union and New Life Community Church.
He attended Promise Keepers, was active with Christian fellowship groups and ministered to shut-ins at nursing facilities.
He enjoyed Bible studies, collecting miscellaneous items and attending garage sales.
Survivors include his wife of more than 53 years, Nellie; three daughters, Linda Ryberg of Spokane, Christina Heyden, Rathdrum, Idaho, and Jamie Johnson of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Josephine Heuser, of California; two brothers, Frank Curro and Tony Curro, both of Massachusetts; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Louise Braun
Colfax
Private memorial service will be held for Louise Abbot Braun, 69. Bruning Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Braun, who was born in on a homestead in Viola, Idaho, died May 20.
She graduated from Moscow High School and the University of Idaho.
Her teaching career started at Lewiston High School. She also taught in Moscow, at the University of Idaho, in Colfax, Endicott and finally St. John, Wash., where she retired in 1997.
Mrs. Braun taught French, English and drama.
She produced and directed many community plays with her partner, Arden Johnson.
Her hobbies included reading, writing, gardening. After her retirement, she attended Washington State University.
Survivors include her husband, Ronald; two sons, Russell Braun of Redmond, Wash., and Lars Braun of Ellensburg; two sisters, Lucille Baker of Spokane and Cindy Forsyth of Anchorage, Alaska; a brother, Dwight Abbot of Viola, Idaho; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Whitman County Home Health and Hospice or the St. John Library Fund.
Mary (Bailey) Ellison-Davey
Hayden, Idaho
Service for Mary Ann (Bailey) Ellison-Davey, 63, was held Friday with burial at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Ellison-Davey, who was born in Chowchilla, Calif., died May 23.
She married John Ellison in 1956, and the couple later divorced.
She then married Everett Davey.
Mrs. Ellison-Davey moved to Hayden in 2003 and had worked as a chef for several restaurants and was a cook for the school district.
She attended Coeur d’Alene Church of God.
Survivors include her husband, Everett of Arizona; three sons, John Ellison of Post Falls, Dennis Ellison of Grass Valley, Calif., and Timothy Ellison of Coeur d’Alene; a daughter, Denice Calderon of Sun Valley, Nev.; a brother, James Bailey; and eight grandchildren.
George Wall
Priest River, Idaho
Funeral for George Edward Wall, 89, will be today at 2 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Priest River. Cornerstorne Funeral Home of Boring, Ore., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wall, who was born in Butte, Mont., died Tuesday.
For a time he lived in Spokane, where he was an appliance repairman at the Crescent department store, retiring in 1975. He then owned and operated George’s Appliance in Priest River for many years.
Mr. Wall was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Ivy; two daughters, Karen Dawson of Deer Park and Beverly Stewart of Spokane; four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Robert Stutsman
Spokane
No service will be held for Robert Stutsman, 67. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Stutsman, who was born and raised in Spokane, died Monday.
He was a diesel mechanic, working at such places as Darigold, Wendle Ford and Wonder Bread.
His favorite pastime in retirement was riding his bike around the neighborhood, where he grew up.
Survivors include a daughter, Tami Tedrow of Spokane; two sons, Tracy Stutsman of Kansas and Trevor Stutsman of Indiana; three sisters, Mildred Walter, Violet Walker and Bessie Huggar, all of Spokane; four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to Visiting Nurses Association or Cancer Patient Care.
Leola (Olmstead) Thompson
Spokane
Memorial service for Leola Marie (Olmstead) Thompson, 79, will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Thompson, who was born in Tekoa, Wash., died Tuesday.
She held many jobs in addition to being a homemaker.
She enjoyed gardening, fishing and the outdoors.
Survivors include a son, Delbert; a sister, Darlene; three brothers, Mike, Don and Bob; two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Katherine Brantley
Davenport, Wash.
Private service will be held for Katherine Noreen Brantley, 64. Strate Funeral Home of Davenport is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Brantley, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday. She was a longtime area resident.
She was a homemaker.
She was a member of the Poetry Society and the winner of the International Hallmark Award for Poetry. Her poem is displayed at the Poetry Hall of Fame in Florida.
Survivors include her husband, Jerry; a daughter, Becky Clausen of Spokane; four sons, Jerry Brantley of Fayetteville, Ga., Bob and and Sam Brantley, both of Davenport, and Bill Brantley of Centralia, Wash.; a brother, Theodore Braun of Vancouver, Wash.; a sister, Betty Bison of Reardan, Wash.; and 19 grandchildren.
Virgil Garrett
Spokane
Burial for Virgil B. Garrett, 90, will be held in Kelso, Wash. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Garrett, a longtime resident of Spokane, died May 14. He was born in Riverside, Wash.
He attended school in Okanogan, Wash., and served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II as a radio operator who intercepted German communications.
Mr. Garrett worked for the Great Northern Railway as a telegrapher from 1956 to 1966. From 1966 until his retirement in 1979 he worked as a security guard at the Naval Torpedo Station in Keyport, Wash.
He was a member of the Old Time Fiddlers Association.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Nellie, in 1955.
Survivors include a son, Thomas Garrett; his former spouse, Ruth Garrett; and five grandchildren.
Charles Peak
Spirit Lake, Idaho
Memorial Mass and rosary for Charles A. Peak, 80, were at an earlier date. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Peak, died May 20.
He was born in Eau Claire, Wis.
Mr. Peak joined the Marine Corps in 1941 at the age of 17 and married Alice Semanko in 1944.
They lived in Northwestern Wisconsin over the next 20 years and worked primarily as an Horologist watchmaker.
The family moved to Southern California in 1964 and settled in Spirit Lake in 1975.
His wife died earlier.
Survivors include 11 children, Linda Buechner, Rebecca Asbury, Jennifer Buechner, Sally Buechner, Norma Watt, Teri, Elizabeth, Paul, Mark, Marsha and Vince; a brother, Bill; 24 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Jack Hammond
Spokane
No service will be held for Jack W. Hammond, 77.
Mr. Hammond, who died Tuesday, was born in Pullman.
He lived in Kalispell and Deer Park before moving to Spokane in 1946.
He served in the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II.
He graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1949 and married Betty Simpson that same year.
Mr. Hammond then went to work in the mortgage and insurance industry and retired from Pioneer Title in 1989.
His hobbies included studies of European and Washington history, family genealogy and reformed theology. He enjoyed jazz music and gardening.
His wife died earlier.
Survivors include two sons, Floyd and Doug Hammond; his companion, Jean Barrett; and five grandchildren.
Abner Wamsley Jr.
Spokane
No service will be held for Abner M. Wamsley Jr., 44. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wamsley, who was born at Fairchild Air Force Base, died Tuesday. He was a lifelong resident of Spokane.
He attended Lewis and Clark High School and served in the Marine Corps.
Mr. Wamsley was a salesman for Meili’s Truck Accessory Center for 14 years.
His hobbies included rock climbing.
Survivors include a son, Ryan of Spokane; his mother, Margarete, and four brothers, Ralf, Mike, Andre and Robert, all of Spokane; and a sister, Erika; and two grandchildren.
Delma Daman
Deer Park
Graveside service for Delma Alice Daman, 78, was Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Pines Cemetery Chapel in Spokane.
Mrs. Daman died Friday.
She was born in Colville, and her family lived in small communities in Eastern Washington before settling on a farm near Tensed, Idaho. She graduated from Plummer High School.
She married Ernest Daman in 1944, and they farmed in Connell, Wash., before moving to Omak, Wash., where they also managed a roller skating rink.
Eventually they moved to Twisp, Wash., where they owned and operated a grocery store. In 1965 they moved to Deer Park, where they raised cattle and farmed.
Her husband died in 1988.
Mrs. Daman enjoyed her flower and vegetable gardens, crocheting afghans and playing card games. She was also an avid reader.
For the past seven years she had lived at Pine Crest Manor.
Survivors include a daughter, Judie Burdette of Chewelah, Wash.; a sister, Melita Johnson of Potlatch, Idaho; two half-brothers, Daren Mumau of Valleyford and Arlynn Mumau of Moscow, Idaho; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Richard Breckenridge
Sandpoint
No service will be held for Richard G. Breckenridge, 73. Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Breckenridge, who was born in Boise, died May 23.
He grew up in Boise, Horseshoe Bend and Weiser, Idaho, and graduated from Weiser High School in 1950.
Mr. Breckenridge then studied printing at Idaho State College in Pocatello for two years.
He worked at Swifts Beef Packing Plant and the Idaho Statesman in Boise.
He then began working at Sears Automotive, where he later retired.
Mr. Breckenridge lived in Florence, Ariz., for eight years prior to settling in Sandpoint to be near family.
He enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing.
Survivors include three children, Wende Ellis of Sandpoint, and Richard Breckenridge and Ken Phippen, both of Boise; a sister, Anamae Ledington of Boise; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to any Parkinson’s Disease or spinal-chord injury research group.
Bonnie (Parks) Seliga
Wallace
Service for Bonnie (Parks) Seliga, 70, will be at a later date. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Seliga, who was born in Drumright, Okla., died Monday.
She married John Seliga in 1950, and the couple lived in various places while he served with the Marine Corp.
They retired to California in 1971 and moved to Montana in 1978. They moved to the Silver Valley in 1992.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Seliga enjoyed bowling, collecting dolls and elephant items, shopping in secondhand stores and attending swap meets and garage sales.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Stephanie Curby, of Pulaski, Va., and Patty Kramer of Troy, Mont.; a brother, Everett Parks of Kansas; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Bette (Wells) Welter
Sandpoint
Private service for Bette (Wells) Welter, 81, will be held. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Welter, who was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, died May 22.
She grew up in Twin Falls and graduated from high school there.
She married Howard Malone in 1945 and moved to Sandpoint in 1950. Her husband preceded her in death.
She married M.H. “Bud” Welter in 1966. He also preceded her in death.
Mrs. Welter worked as a veterinarian assistant for Dr. Aiken for 10 years before retiring in 1971.
She enjoyed gardening, flowers, canning food, craftwork, making latch-hook rugs and reading.
She played in several Sandpoint bowling leagues.
Survivors include two children, Marcia Malone of Ponderay, Idaho, and Bill Malone of Sagle, Idaho; a stepdaughter, Diane Oldham of Oldtown, Idaho; a brother, Roy Wells of Covington, La.; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.