Obituaries
Julian ‘Judd’ Empey Spokane
Service for Julian “Judd” Empey, 73, will be at 3 p.m. today at Riverside Mausoleum Chapel. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Empey, who died Saturday, was born in Keene, N.H. He served in the military for 38 years and had lived in Spokane for 11 years. He was a member of the Moose Lodge.
He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Josephine Empey; one daughter, Joan Harris of Marysville, Wash.; one son, Gerald Fox of Memphis, Tenn.; and two granddaughters.
Jessie Barber Spokane
Graveside service for Jessie (Pirie) Barber, 94, was Wednesday at Greenwood Memorial Park.
Mrs. Barber, who died Monday, was born in Fort Collins, Colo.. She was an elementary school teacher and had lived in Spokane for 53 years.
She belonged to Bethany Presbyterian Church, the Order of Eastern Star and Alpha Delta Kappa sorority.
Her husband, James Barber, died in 1966. She is survived by one son, Gerald Barber of Tacoma.
Mavis Esveld Spokane
No service will be held for Mavis Vivian Esveld, 67, at her request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Mrs. Esveld died Friday.
She moved to Spokane from Hayward, Calif., in 1971. She had worked for The Crescent in gift wrap for 15 years before retiring in 1991.
She was a member of the Studebaker Club of Spokane.
Her husband, Hermanus Esveld, died in 1982. She is survived by one son, Charles Esveld, and one daughter, Roben Esveld, both of Spokane; one brother, Robert Madson of Prince George, British Columbia; and one grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronald McDonald House.
Edward Bickerstaff Sun Lakes, Ariz.
Service for Edward C. Bickerstaff, 82, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mr. Bickerstaff, a former Spokane resident, died Friday in Sun Lakes, where he had lived since 1993.
He was born in Circle, Mont.
He and his wife, Francis Bickerstaff, lived in Cataldo, Idaho, where he worked as a logger. In 1943 they moved to Spokane, where he worked at Kaiser Aluminum in Mead. He also worked for Kaiser in India for one year and in Africa, where he and his wife lived for five years. His wife died in 1986.
He is survived by two sons, Jim of Chandler, Ariz., and Ron of Seattle; one sister, Mildred Eborall of Coeur d’Alene; one granddaughter and one great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Dwight Conrad Spokane
Memorial service for Dwight C. Conrad, 80, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Morgan Acres Community Church. There will be private burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born near Midway, N.D., Mr. Conrad died Monday.
He was a crane operator for Kaiser Aluminum at Mead and was a member of the Retired Kaiser Employees Association. He had lived in Spokane for 57 years.
His wife, Margaret Conrad, died in 1988. He is survived by one stepson, Kenneth Varcoe of Spokane; four granddaughters and 15 greatgrandchildren.
Gladys Stevenson Spokane
Private graveside service for Gladys J. Stevenson, 92, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeNorth.
Mrs. Stevenson, who was born in Hillyard, died Saturday.
In the 1930s she worked in the millinery department of The Crescent, and during World War II she worked for Lockwood Studios as an assistant.
She was a member of Westminster Congregational Church.
Her husband, Herbert Stevenson, died in 1942.
She is survived by one brother, Harold Moore of Mead.
Joan Goldberg Valley, Wash.
Service for Joan Kay “Joanie” (Johnson) Goldberg, 52, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Chewelah (Wash.) Civic Center. Burial will follow at Chewelah Memorial Park. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Goldberg died Sunday of cancer. She was born in Spokane and moved to the Chewelah area in 1970. She went to work for United Security Bank in Chewelah when it opened in 1974. She was executive vice president, cashier and chief financial officer and was on the bank’s board of directors.
She was a member of the Chewelah Chapter of Soroptimists International and the Park Avenue Players.
Survivors include her husband, Fred Goldberg; one daughter, Lori Stebbins, one stepson, Thomas Goldberg, one stepdaughter, Kristine Donnelly, and one brother, Gunnard Johnson Jr., all of Spokane; and one granddaughter.
Keith Miller Spokane
Vigil service for Keith F. Miller, 84, will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Miller, who died Tuesday, was born in Spokane.
He graduated from North Central High School and Washington State University. He was a civil engineer and land surveyor for the state for 22 years before retiring in 1975.
Mr. Miller was an officer of the State Employees Credit Union and worked with the State Highway Department Widows and Orphans Fund. He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish and had lived in Spokane for 52 years.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marguerite Miller of Spokane; one son, Larry Miller, and one daughter, Mary Ann Ashlock, both of Spokane; eight grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or Morning Star Boys Ranch.
Marlin ‘Mike’ Balch Spokane
Memorial service for Marlin L. “Mike” Balch, 79, is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mr. Balch, who was born in Dayton, Wash., died Monday.
He graduated from Washington State University in 1938 and served in the military for four years.
He had lived in Spokane for more than 40 years and retired from Caterpillar Tractor Co. after 37 years.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Helen Balch; one daughter, Linda Ferrante of Bothell, Wash.; two brothers, Roscoe Balch of Roy, Wash., and Glenn Bickelhaupt of Dayton; one sister, Aleta Talbott of Dayton; and two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to Valley Hospital Foundation or the Alzheimer Association.
William ‘Mac’ McMillan Newport, Wash.
No service will be held for William “Mac” McMillan, 92, at his request. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McMillan , who died Saturday, was born in Exeter, Neb.
He moved to Newport in 1967 from Camano Island, where he had raised and trained horses. He was a former Yakima Valley resident.
His wife, Hope, died in 1983. He is survived by one son, James McMillan of Ripley, Ohio; one daughter, Bonnie Evans of Newport; 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one greatgreat-grandchild.
Blonda Heth Spokane
Service for Blonda K. Heth, 80, is set for 2 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Heth, a homemaker, died Sunday. She was born in Bentley, N.D., and had lived in Spokane for 47 years. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church.
Survivors include her husband of 55 years, Clarence Heth; one daughter, Sharon Fritchle of Ritzville, Wash.; one son, Bud Heth of Bremerton; six brothers, Erwin, Elmer, Duart, Rolline, Reinhart and Virden Hoffman; three sisters, Laura Sippert, Hilma Kramer and Alvera Beebe; two granddaughters and one grandson.
Pat Lynch Colville, Wash.
Service for Pat Lynch, 69, will be at 2 p.m. today at Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville. Burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery, Colville.
Mr. Lynch died Sunday. He was born in Tillamook, Ore., and moved to Grand Coulee with his family in 1939.
He served in the Navy from 1942-46, then moved to Ione and worked in mining. In 1966 he and his first wife, Gladys, moved to Colville, where he worked for Boise Cascade. His first wife died in 1984.
Mr. Lynch retired from Boise Cascade in 1987.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda Lynch; two sons, Pat and Leslie Lynch, both of Spokane; one stepson, Ross Nelson of Colville; two stepdaughters, Charlene Sumner of Colville and Lynette Nelson of Soap Lake, Wash.; one brother, Roy Lynch of Moses Lake; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Tony McGraw Wilbur, Wash.
Service for E.A. “Tony” McGraw, 84, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Wilbur Presbyterian Church. Burial will be at Wilbur Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McGraw, who was born in Bollinger County, Mo., died Saturday.
He moved to the Wilbur area in 1932. He served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 until 1946.
He worked as a grader operator for Lincoln County Highway Department.
His wife, Margaret, died in 1988.
Mr. McGraw is survived by one son, James McGraw of Wilbur; one daughter, Patti Kollarsky of Spokane; two sisters, Eulah Halton and Rose Priest, both of Farmington, Mo.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilbur Cemetery Endowment Care Fund.
Wanda Presnell Lacey, Wash.
Service for Wanda Minnie Presnell, 82, was held Monday at Bruning Funeral Home Chapel in Colfax, Wash. Burial was at Colfax Cemetery.
Mrs. Presnell died Thursday at Panorama City Convalescent Center in Lacey, where she had lived since December.
She lived and worked on her family’s farm in the Central Ferry, Wash., area. In 1942 she moved to Colfax and lived there until she moved to Lacey.
She was a member of Colfax United Methodist Church, the Mary Ruth Circle, the United Methodist Women and the Colfax Senior Citizens.
She is survived by one son, Darrell Presnell of Lacey; two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Colfax United Methodist Church Building Fund.
Margaret Gronnebek Spokane
Memorial Mass for Margaret E. Gronnebek, 73, was Monday, at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Mrs. Gronnebek, who died Friday, was born in Veradale.
She was the office manager for Crystal Cleaners for 29 years.
Mrs. Gronnebek was a member of the Eagles Lodge and the Gonzaga Booster Club.
Her husband, Jeppe Gronnebek, died in 1992.
She is survived by three sons, Rock Gronnebek of Liberty Lake, Jim Gronnebek of Las Vegas, Nev., and Mike Gronnebek of Spokane; a brother, Richard Schroeder of Spokane; two sisters, Marie Romain of Veradale and Mary Ann Agnew of Spokane; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Bessalee Bacon Colville, Wash.
Memorial service for Bessalee Bacon, 82, is set for 4 p.m. Friday at Danekas Funeral Chapel.
Mrs. Bacon, who was born in Boston, died Tuesday.
She and her husband, Dick Bacon, moved to Spokane from California in 1954. They also lived in Pasco and Seattle before settling in Colville in 1972.
In Colville, Mrs. Bacon worked at Fonk’s Variety Store and in the Forest Service seniors program before retiring in 1991.
Her husband died in 1975.
She is survived by two daughters, Joan Fox and Carol Simpson, both of Colville; one sister, Dorothy Crannell of Malden, Mass.; six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Myles Flynn Spokane
Funeral Mass for Myles Francis Patrick Flynn, 86, was held Monday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with burial at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery.
Mr. Flynn, who died Thursday, was born in Sumpter, Ore., and had lived in Spokane for 22 years.
He was a concrete inspector in the construction field.
His wife, Bonnie Flynn, died in 1977. He is survived by one sister, Nora Brakel of Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Care Center or North Central Care Center.
Doris Anderson Spokane
Private service for Doris B. Anderson, 79, will be at a later date. Inurnment will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Miss Anderson, lifetime Spokane resident, died Friday.
She is survived by a cousin, Carol Henricksen Riffel of Otis Orchards.
Wayne Kelly Spokane
Memorial service for Wayne Arthur Kelly, 63, is set for 10 a.m. Saturday in the chapel of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kelly, a 30-year Spokane county resident, died Sunday. He was born in Evanston, Ill.
He served as an Air Force pilot in the Korean War.
He had worked for several years at Spokane Memorial Gardens and at the House of Mai Tai restaurant.
Mr. Kelly is survived by his wife of 27 years, Sue Yoshida Kelly of Spokane; three brothers, Arthur Kelly of Ithica, N.Y., Robert Kelly of Los Angeles and James Kelly of Las Vegas, Nev.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans Auxiliary Fund in care of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Betty Smith Spokane
Memorial service for Betty L. Smith, 70, will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North.
Born in Republic, Wash., Mrs. Smith died Monday.
She graduated from Republic High School in 1942. During World War II, she was a sheetmetal worker at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma. She moved to Spokane in 1947.
She was a 35-year member of Shadle Park Presbyterian Church.
Her husband, Henry Smith, died in 1993. She is survived by one daughter, Sandra Marvel of Spokane; one sister, Katherine Williams of Quincy, Wash.; one brother, Donald McKay of Hutchinson, Kan.; two grandsons and two stepgranddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Elda Keim Spokane
At her request, no service will be held for Elda Keim, 91. HennesseySmith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Keim, who was born in Springfield, Minn., died Sunday.
She had lived in Spokane for 65 years and was a homemaker.
She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Howard Keim; and two sisters, Caroline Paulsen of Springfield, Minn., and Bessie Martin of Ellenton, Fla.
Doris Hahn Spokane
At her request, no service will be held for Doris Hahn, 93. HennesseySmith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hahn, who was born in Cloquet, Minn., died Saturday.
She had lived in Spokane for 75 years and was a waitress.
Her husband, Grant Hahn, preceded her in death.
She is survived by a brother, Dayton Carlson of Spokane.