Obituaries
Robert Otness Moscow, Idaho
At his request, no service will be held for H. Robert Otness, 87. Burial will be at Moscow Cemetery. Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Moscow, Mr. Otness died April 21.
He graduated from Moscow High School in 1926 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Idaho.
He left Moscow in 1935 and attended New York University on a scholarship. He also attended Columbia University and the New School for Social Research.. He received a doctor of clinical psychology degree from New York University in 1939.
He worked at the Training School of Vineland, New Jersey, a private school for the study and training of mentally deficient persons. He was chief clinical psychologist.
He entered the Naval Reserves starting in 1943 and in 1945 was transferred to the Naval Training Center in Farragut, Idaho. The next year he was discharged and went to work as an associate professor in the psychology department at Washington State College.
He later worked as the director of research and training at the Rainier State School in Buckley, Wash., and returned to Moscow in 1950.
He accepted an associate professorship at the University of Idaho in the psychology department and held that position until 1971, when he retired as professor emeritus.
Mr. Otness organized many conferences on the mentally retarded, physically crippled and the speech, hearing or sight impaired. He spoke to numerous community groups and was an advocate for improving the plight of the mentally and physically disabled through education and awareness.
He was a member of numerous psychological councils and Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa. Following his retirement he continued to teach honors classes at the U of I. He was a charter member and served on the first board of directors of the U of I Retirees Association.
He and his wife, Lillian, traveled in Europe and Asia and throughout the Western United States, and performed a magic act as “Zingo and Lingo,” with the Spokane Magic Club.
His wife, Lillian Otness, died in July of 1994. He is survived by one son, Robert Otness of California; and one sister, Ruth Nonini of Moscow.
Memorial contributions may be made to Latah County Historical Society.
Earl Spencer Spokane
Service for Earl D. Spencer, 71, is planned for 1 p.m. today at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward Five. Burial will be Wednesday at Annis (Idaho) Little Butte Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Spencer, who was born in Annis, died Wednesday.
He had lived in Idaho Falls, for 30 years. He worked at Jack and Jeans Bakery, Smith Chevrolet and the Atomic Energy Site in Idaho Falls. He moved to Spokane 10 years ago.
He held many positions in the church.
He was a World War II and Korean War Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Zelma Spencer; three sons, Randy of Liberty Lake, Rick Diane of Salt Lake City, and Stan of Rochester, N.Y.; two daughters, Erlene Clifton of Veradale, and Annette Carter of Hamilton Square, N.J.; one brother, Jack Spencer of Boise; one sister, Dorothy Mumford of Meridian, Idaho; 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Harriett Lasswell Sacramento, Calif.
Service for Harriett Lasswell, a former Spokane resident, will be at 2 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mrs. Lasswell died April 22 in Sacramento, where she had lived for the last four years.
She was born in Minneapolis.
She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and attended Cheney Normal School.
In Spokane, she and her husband, William Lasswell, were members of the Spokane Club and the Spokane Country Club. Her husband had owned Lasswell Milling Co., in Spokane, Newport and Idaho. He died in 1979.
She is survived by two sons, William Lasswell Jr., of Sacramento and Roger Lasswell of Los Angeles; one sister, Blandy Damm of Seattle; two grandsons; 10 greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Carl Litzenberger Endicott, Wash.
Service for Carl Raymond Litzenberger, 95, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Trinity Lutheran Church in Endicott. Burial will be at Endicott Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home, Endicott, is in charge or arrangements.
Mr. Litzenberger died Wednesday in Colfax at Whitman Hospital. He was born in Endicott.
He was both an airline and private pilot and served as the private pilot for the governor of Pennsylvania in the 1930s. During World War II he was a pilot and instructor for Graham Aviation.
He returned to Endicott following the war and began farming.
He was a member of the Endicott Gun Club.
He is survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to to Endicott Emergency Medical Technicians, Colfax Ambulance, or Whitman Hospital Foundation.
Frank Lang Medical Lake
Service for Frank M. Lang, 88, will be at 10 a.m. today at Lake City Assembly of God in Medical Lake, where he was a member. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home in Medical Lake is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Everett, Wash., Mr. Lang had lived in Spokane for 10 years and had previously lived in Medical Lake for 30 years.
He died Wednesday.
He worked as a carpenter in the construction industry and had worked on Coulee Dam. He retired in 1974.
He was also involved in building First Assembly of God, Glad Tidings Church, Riverview Assembly of God and North Hill Assembly of God.
He was a member of Carpenter’s Union Local 98.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Hazel Lang; two sons, John Lang of Canby, Ore., and George Lang of Medical Lake; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Pershing Hulskamp Spokane
Vigil service for J. Pershing Hulskamp, 76, is planned for 7 p.m. today at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hulskamp died Thursday.
He was born in Fairfax, Minn.
He served in the Navy during World War II and in the Korean War.
He was the men’s clothing buyer for The Crescent for 30 years and retired in 1983.
He was active in the Boy Scouts and was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jeanne Hulskamp; two sons, John Hulskamp Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., and Robert Hulskamp of Redmond, Wash.; one daughter, Sharon Brentjes of San Ramon, Calif.; one brother, Robert Hulskamp of Lewiston, Minn.; two sisters, Dorothy Gerardy of Duluth, Minn., and Holly Laubacher of Oxnard, Calif., and three grandchildren.
Ivie Rodenbough Colville
Service for Ivie I. Rodenbough, 101, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Colville United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Cedonia (Wash.) Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Chapel, Colville, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rodenbough, an 84-year Stevens County resident, died Thursday.
She was born in Waverly, Wash.
She and her husband, Harry Rodenbough, moved to Colville in 1953. Her husband died in 1969.
She was a member of Colville Christian Church.
She is survived by one son, Maynard Rodenbough of Cedonia; three daughters, Lois Peters of Rice, Wash., Epal Egland of Colbert, and Maxine Pitts of Everett, Wash.; 18 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren and 37 great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Colville Christian Church or Cedonia Community Church.
Jane Nack Chewelah
Service for Jane Nack, 71, is set for 2 p.m. today at Schanzenbach Funeral Home, Chewelah. Burial will follow at Chewelah Memorial Park.
Mrs. Nack died Wednesday.
She was born in Los Angeles.
She served in the Marine Corps during World War II.
She and her husband moved to Chewelah from Parkdale, Ore., in 1983.
Survivors include her husband of 49 years, Robert Nack of Chewelah; two sons, Kevin Nack of Chewelah, and Kim Nack of St. Louis; two daughters, Carol Ann Fredekind of Post Falls, and Laurie Stokes of Chewelah, and 13 grandchildren.