Obituaries
Thomas Midgley
Cheney
Memorial service for Thomas Keith Midgley, 78, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cheney. Cheney Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Midgley, who died Saturday, was born in Salt Lake City.
His family moved to Ogden, Utah., and in 1944 he graduated from Ogden High School.
He served in the Navy as seaman second class during World War II. After his honorable discharge, Mr. Midgley earned an associate degree in business administration from Weber State College in Ogden.
He then served a two-year mission in New England. Mr. Midgley later attended Brigham Young University. He graduated with a bachelor of science in education, with minors in geology, history and archaeology, and received a master of science degree in history, counseling and guidance.
While at BYU he met Elaine MacArthur, and they were married in 1950.
Mr. Midgley taught in Utah public schools until 1962 when he and his family moved to Bloomington, Ind. He completed his doctoral degree in audio visual communications at Indiana University in 1964.
He accepted a position at Eastern Washington State College in 1965. He was the head of the AV Center for many years and taught in the education department. He retired in 1994.
Mr. Midgley was active in the Mormon Church, teaching classes and served as a stake missionary. He was an Eagle Scout.
Survivors include his wife; two children, Darlene Isaacson of Bellevue, Wash., and Daniel Midgley of Perth, Australia; a sister, Betty Ellsworth of Provo, Utah; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Edwina ‘Lea’ Wright
Spokane
Visitation for Edwina L. “Lea” Wright, 68, will be Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Funeral will be next Friday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at the Marshall (Wash.) Cemetery.
Mrs. Wright died Friday. She was born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where she graduated from high school.
She was a licensed practical nurse in home health care for many years.
She moved to Spokane from Fresno 16 years ago.
Survivors include four sons, Michael Whipkey of Spokane Valley, Ron and Kenny Rasmussen, both of California, and Denny Rasmussen of Spokane; two daughters, Deborah Parmaly of California and Glory Ward of Coeur d’Alene; two brothers, David and Frank Wright, and a sister, Dawn Hudleston, all of California; 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Donald Pence
Spokane
Memorial service for Donald L. Pence, 66, will be today at 1 p.m. at Cheney Funeral Chapel.
Mr. Pence, a longtime resident of Spokane, died Sunday. He was born in Venton, Iowa.
He worked as a truck driver in construction.
Survivors include his wife, Leona; four sons, Norman Pence of Longview, Wash., and Sam, Clarence and Jeff Pence, all of Spokane; a daughter, Dawne Bliesner of Longview; two sisters, Audrey Copeland of Four Lakes and Sherrie McNall of Cheney; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Cecil Johnson
Spokane
Visitation for Cecil P. Johnson, 90, will be today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home. Funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sunset Chapel, Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mr. Johnson, who died Sunday, was born in Pocatello, Idaho.
He came to Spokane as a young boy and attended Bemiss and Longfellow elementary schools, and was attending Hillyard High School when the school had a fire. He graduated with the second class from Rogers High School.
He married Marian Ponto in 1939.
He helped build the Trentwood rolling mill and worked for Burlington Northern Railroad for 30 years, retiring as a locomotive engineer in 1979. He built three of his homes. He also had a barbershop in his home.
Mr. Johnson was a member of Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church where he was a choir member and soloist for 45 years. He also sang in the church group Just For Fun, which sang in retirement homes.
His wife died in 1997.
Survivors include two children, Sandy McNeil of Mead and Jeffery Johnson; a brother, Les Johnson; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Virginia (Holt) Simmons
Sandpoint
Memorial service for Virginia Eunice (Holt) Simmons, 87, will be held at a later date. Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Simmons, who was born in Alameda, Calif., died Dec. 24.
She grew up in Northern California and briefly attended college before theology school for several years.
She married Donald Simmons in 1939. She worked as a youth director at Eden Congregational Church in Hayward, Calif., during the 1960s.
The couple moved to Sandpoint in 1991 to be near family.
At the age of 82, inspired by others experiencing a rise in their kundalini energy, she wrote the book, Reflections of a Mystic Grandmother. The book depicted her life and spiritual journey.
She was active in Sandpoint Sunday service at the Gardenia Center and enjoyed cooking, and learning about theology, spirituality and metaphysics.
Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Donald; a daughter, Dona Cook of Careywood; and two grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Sandpoint Sunday Service, c/o Gardenia Center, 400 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 93964.
Margaret Tasch
Newport, Wash.
No service will be held for Margaret Tasch, 97, at her request. She will be inurned next to her husband in Chicago at a later date. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Tasch, who died Saturday, was born in Lefor, N.D.
She married Martin Tasch in Chicago in 1939. He died in 1965, and she moved to the Newport area about nine years ago to be closer to her family. Prior to that she had lived in Spokane for 10 years, moving there from San Francisco.
For many years Mrs. Tasch worked as a sales clerk for the Montgomery Ward Co..
Survivors include a daughter, Marjorie Gannon of Newport; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Helene (Mondich) Huffine
Metaline Falls, Wash.
No service will be held for Helene (Mondich) Huffine, 77. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.
Mrs. Huffine, a longtime resident of Metaline Falls, was born in Ione, Wash. She died Dec. 26.
She graduated in 1945 from Holy Names Academy in Spokane and in 1946 married Davie Huffine.
She was a homemaker but also worked as a part-time cook on and off throughout the years.
She was past president of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 144, past president of District 8 American Legion Auxiliary, and was active with Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
Her hobbies included cooking, gardening and volunteer work. She received a 2,000-hour service pin from the American Legion and a 1,000-hour service pin from the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Survivors include her husband; three sons, David Huffine Jr. of Thorn Bay, Alaska, Steve Huffine of Ketchikan, Alaska, and George Huffine of Metaline Falls; two brothers, Peter Mondich of Corvallis, Ore., and George Mondich of Metaline Falls; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Grace (Thomas) Tuson
Coeur d’Alene
Private service for Grace LaVernon (Thomas) Tuson, 94, will be held. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Tuson, who was born in Wardner, Idaho, died Dec. 26.
She grew up in Kellogg, and played basketball and in 1928 graduated from high school there. She graduated from the University of Idaho in 1932 and was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.
She taught English at Kellogg High School for several years before marrying Bill Tuson in 1938.
They were involved in various civic activities and were boosters of Kellogg High School and the University of Idaho.
They moved to Coeur d’Alene from Kellogg in 1982.
Mrs. Tuson was a member of the Kellogg Emmanuel Episcopal Church and was active with the 3 Cs charities.
She taught her grandchildren how to dance, and enjoyed her book club and playing bridge. As a young woman she traveled to Europe alone.
Her husband died in 2001.
Survivors include three daughters, Gay Scholes of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Judy Martin and Susanne Tuson Beresford, both of Spokane; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Joan Setterlund
Spokane
Visitation for Joan L. Setterlund, 72, will be today from 2 to 7 p.m. at Hennessey Valley Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Paschal Roman Catholic Church, with burial at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Mrs. Setterlund, who was born in Hudson, Wis., died last Friday. She was a resident of the Spokane area for 50 years.
She was a homemaker and was a member of St. Paschal Catholic Church, St. Andrews Society and Altar Society.
Survivors include two sons, Robert Setterlund of Spokane Valley and John Setterlund of Anchorage; three daughters, Cherie Setterlund of Spokane Valley, Debbie Flaim of Anchorage and Rebecca Rodenbough of Colville; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Spokane.
Richard Cary
Priest River, Idaho
Funeral for Richard William Cary, 88, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Priest River.
Mr. Cary, who died Tuesday, was born in Sullivan Creek, Mont.
He was drafted in the Army and served during World War II.
In 1939 he married Rachel Dailey in Sandpoint.
He moved to Priest River in the 1930s where he worked as a logger. He also worked on area dams including Fort Peck in Montana and the Albeni Falls Dam near Priest River. His logging career included horse logging, working for McDonald, Diamond, McFarland, and he retired from Merritt’s Lumber Mill in 1965.
Mr. Cary enjoyed fishing for mackinaw at Priest Lake, tinkering and building things.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Claude Cary of Nordman, Idaho, Wayne Cary of Kingston, Wash., and Tim and Jim Cary, both of Priest River; a brother, George Cary of Pismo Beach, Calif.; 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels.
Harold ‘Andy’ Andre
Coeur d’Alene
Private service for Harold “Andy” Andre, 100, will be held. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Andre, who was born in Selmeth, Ill., died Dec. 22.
He lived on the family homestead in Mott, N.D., and later worked breaking horses for the U.S. Cavalry.
He married Evangeline Babcock and the couple farmed next to his parents during the Great Depression era.
He and his wife moved to Spokane in 1936. He began working as a carpenter’s helper and eventually owned Andre Construction.
In 1943 he married Muriel Benedict. She died in 1985.
Mr. Andre had trained as a Navy Seabee during World War II .
He retired and moved to Coeur d’Alene to oversee a construction project for Virgil Carroll.
Mr. Andre enjoyed fishing for mackinaw at Loon Lake, Wash., hunting for elk in the Blue Mountains and dancing at the Worley Club.
Survivors include a daughter, Kay Robbins of Kirkland, Wash.; a sister, Gene Miller of Modesto, Calif.; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Wesley Connaughty
Athol, Idaho
Memorial service for Wesley Thomas Connaughty, 78, will be held at a later date. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Connaughty, who was born in Winona, Minn., died Dec. 23.
He grew up in Minnesota and worked as a farmer and also constructed silos.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, he settled in Indiana and worked as the supervisor of a building crew. He later worked in a similar position in Kentucky until his retirement.
He moved to Athol 20 years ago.
He wife of 51 years, Irma, died in 1998.
He was a member of the Athol American Legion and Spirit Lake First Lutheran Church.
Survivors include six children, Michael Connaughty of Rathdrum, Dan Connaughty and Ginger Thramer, both of Eugene, Ore., Jane Thomas and Kelly Connaughty, both of Bardstown, Ky., and Thomas Connaughty of Galveston, Texas; a sister, Betty Elinghuysen of Minnesota; 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Betty Holman
Spokane
Funeral for Betty Holman, 85, will be today at 11 a.m. at the Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Odessa, Wash. Strate Funeral Home in Davenport is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Holman, who was born in Fresno, Calif., died Monday.
She taught school in Odessa for 16 years and was a member of the National Retired Teacher Association. She also was a member of the Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Odessa Grange, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, church choir, Women’s Guild and Golden Oldies. She also was a church organist for many years.
Her husband, Henry, died in 1990.
Survivors include two sons, Gary Holman of Spokane and Craig Holman of Lamona, Wash.; two sisters, Dorla Pries of Fresno, Calif., and Barbara Menzmer of Ukiah, Calif.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Karen Ingle
Spokane
Memorial service for Karen Graham Heyn Ingle, 46, will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mrs. Ingle, who died Sunday, was born in Moses Lake.
She graduated from high school in Moses Lake and attended nursing school, receiving her licensed practical nursing degree before moving to Spokane where she worked for Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane County Blood Bank, Planned Parenthood, Department of Social and Health Services and other organizations in the Spokane area.
Survivors include two sons, Jonathan and Isaacc Heyn, and a daughter, Samantha Heyn, all of Spokane; her father, Gale Graham; two brothers, Gary Graham of Spokane and Mike Graham of Vancouver, Wash.; and a stepsister, Michelle Long.
John ‘Bob’ Burton
Spokane
No service will be held for John R. “Bob” Burton, 78. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.
Mr. Burton, who was born in Tekoa, Wash., died Dec. 29. He was a resident of Spokane for 54 years.
In 1944 he graduated from Jenkins High School in Chewelah. He served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946, achieving the rank of radioman 3c. He received the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, the American Area Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Mr. Burton was a millwright for 42 years, and retired from JELD-WEN in 1992.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Evelyn; and two brothers, Lloyd Burton of Arlington, Va., and Floyd Burton of Lakewood, Wash.
William Thompson
Spokane
Memorial service for William Henry Thompson, 73, will be today at 3 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.
A 32-year resident of Spokane, Mr. Thompson died Wednesday. He was born in Hayes, Neb.
He served in the Army from 1952 to 1973 and served in the Korean War. When he retired from the military, he worked for the Cheney School District as a bus driver.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Beverley; a son, Ronald Thompson of Spokane; three daughters, Shelley Smith of Casper, Wyo., Angulia Barringer of Medical Lake and Jeanette Letts of Spokane; two sisters Angulia and Twilla; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.