Obituaries
Bernice Ahrens Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Bernice L. Ahrens, 79, at her family’s request. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ahrens, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Thursday.
A homemaker, she lived most of her life in Kellogg.
She was a member of the Eagles Auxiliary.
Her husband, Clyde “Flukie” Ahrens, died in 1968.
Survivors include one daughter, Willa Poppe of Post Falls; one stepdaughter, Donna Morris of Portland; five sisters, Charlotte Wylie, Virginia Bentz, Betty Tyree, Ethelyn Archer and Alene Smith; and two brothers, Charles and Allen Tyree.
Lyman ‘Bud’ Acre Post Falls
Graveside service for Lyman “Bud” Acre, 71, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Acre died Thursday. He was born in Malden, Wash., served in the Army and logged in the Northwest and Alaska.
He and his wife, Darliss Acre, moved to Alaska in 1975 and to Post Falls in 1978. He retired two years ago.
Mr. Acre was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He enjoyed reading and cardplaying.
He is survived by his wife; one son, David Acre of Coeur d’Alene; one daughter, Marla Hanley of St. Maries; one stepson, Bennie Byers of Kooskia, Idaho; three stepdaughters, Darolyn “Dee” Usrey, Barbara Scott and Karen “Karey” Jensen, all of Post Falls; one brother, Louis Acre of Mankato, Minn.; two sisters, Jean Schooler of Wenatchee and Charlotte Bishop of California; and 14 grandchildren
Frances Weitz Colfax, Wash.
Graveside service for Frances Weitz, 75, is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Dayville (Ore.) Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Weitz died Friday at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
She was born in Priest River, Idaho.
She graduated from Clark Fork (Idaho) High School and moved to Colfax in 1957 with her husband, Otto “Rockie” Weitz.
In Colfax, they operated Weitz Construction Co.
Mrs. Weitz is survived by one daughter, Peggy Carson of Portland; three sons, Terry Weitz of Colfax, Steven Weitz of Rathdrum, Idaho, and Michael Weitz of Anchorage, Alaska; three sisters, Margaret Sjostrom of Newport, Wash., and Barbara Batchelder and Nancy Moore, both of Dayville, Ore.; one brother, Bill Moulton of Dayville; nine grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren.
Letha Barker Spokane
Memorial service for Letha Barker, 88, is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mrs. Barker, who was born in Wilbur, Wash., died Sunday.
A member of the Order of the Eastern Star, she had worked as a waitress at various restaurants.
She is survived by one daughter, Cora Warren of Spokane; four grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilbur Cemetery.
David Murphy Spokane
Vigil service for David James Murphy, 55, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeNorth. Funeral Mass is planned for 11 a.m Friday at St. Charles Catholic Church. Cremation will follow. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Murphy, who was born in Washington, D.C., died Friday.
He served in the military from 1958 until 1961.
Mr. Murphy received a bachelor’s degree from Denver University. He received master’s degrees from Arizona State University and the University of Montana and in 1976 a doctorate from Washington State University.
He worked in health-care administration and personnel management and moved to Spokane from Pullman in 1981.
He worked as a health-care administrator and consultant until 1994.
Mr. Murphy was a member of the Rotary International, the Amnesty International, the National Council of Teachers of English and the American College of Health Care Administrators.
Survivors include his wife, Robyn Violette-Murphy; one daughter, Shelley Violette, and two sons, Norman and Shane Violette, all of Spokane; one brother, Michael Murphy of Wayzata, Minn.; two sisters, Arlene Strong of Seattle and Janet Hawley of Billings, Mont.; and one brother, Carl Williams of Spokane.
Mary Moore Spokane
Funeral Mass for Mary E. (Stippel) Moore, 75, is set for 10 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Private burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Moore, who died Friday, was born in Aberdeen, S.D.
She was a 50-year Spokane resident and was a homemaker.
She was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America.
Her first husband, Joseph Stippel, died in 1974. She later married Charles Moore.
She is survived by four sons, Donald Stippel of South Toms River, N.J., and Joseph, James and Russell Stippel, all of Spokane; six daughters, Judith Hagan and Janet Joireman, both of Federal Way, Wash., Joan Richards and Mardell Grayhek, both of Spokane, Linda Maxa of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Betty Jane Maynard of Las Vegas, Nev.; one brother, Robert Cogley of Cedar Mills, Minn.; one sister, Alice Jorgensen of Hutchinson, Minn.; 28 grandchildren and 15 greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Nettie Hammond Spokane
Service for Nettie V. Hammond, 79, is planned for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Born in Ritzville, Wash., Mrs. Hammond, died Sunday.
A homemaker, she had lived in Spokane for 60 years.
Her husband, Richel, died in 1982.
She is survived by two daughters, Annette Wylie and Karen Woods, both of Spokane; two sisters, Alvina Meyer of Ritzville, and Kathryn Schauer of Emmett, Idaho; two brothers, Paul Kembel of Davenport, Wash., and Fred Kembel of Chelan, Wash.; four grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Rebecca DeChenne Spokane
Memorial service for Rebecca G. DeChenne, 43, was held Monday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North.
Mrs. DeChenne, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Thursday.
She worked for The Spokane Club as a night auditor from 1986 to 1994.
Mrs. DeChenne was a member of the auxiliary of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 45.
She is survived by her husband of 13 years, Terry DeChenne; one daughter, Staci Richards of Yucaipa, Calif.; three stepdaughters, Heidi DeChenne and Heather DeChenne, both of Spokane, and Ronica Hood of Reno, Nev.; her mother, Roberta Spencer of Weippe, Idaho; one brother, Rick Wilson of Spokane; one sister, Cynthia Mellon of Spokane; and eight grandchildren.
Virginia Huggins Spokane
Memorial service for Virginia Lois Huggins, 66, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Spokane Unitarian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Huggins, who died Friday, was born in Harlowtown, Mont.
She moved to Seattle with her family in 1943. She received degrees in English and education from the University of Washington in 1952.
She and her husband, Charles Huggins, moved to Spokane in 1959. She taught at Linwood Elementary School and North Central and Ferris high schools before retiring in 1979.
Mrs. Huggins was a member of the Nature Conservancy, the Unitarian Church, the International Toastmistress Club and the American Association of University Women.
Survivors include her husband; one son, Randy Huggins of Spokane; one sister, Harriet Bower of Martinez Lake, Ariz.; and two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Unitarian Church Building Fund or to the Nature Conservancy of Washington, 217 Pine St. No. 1100, Seattle, WA 98101-1572.
Marjorie Dumaw Spokane
Graveside service for Marjorie L. Dumaw, 75, will be at 2 p.m. today at the Newport (Wash.) Cemetery. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home of Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dumaw died Sunday.
She was born near St. Maries and had lived in Spokane since 1964.
Her husband, Edwin Dumaw, died in 1981.
She is survived by three sons, Barry Dumaw of Newport, and Dennis and Patrick Dumaw, both of Spokane; four daughters, Sharon Vegele and Judy Dumaw, both of Spokane, Karen Reed of Fort Sill, Okla., and Merri Monson of Oakesdale, Wash.; one sister, Mary Robertson of Sherwood, Ore.; one brother, Edward Hoisington of Redding, Calif.; 24 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Dee ‘Daisy’ Johnson Spokane
Service for Dee L. “Daisy” Johnson, 87, was Monday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home with burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Johnson, who was born in Lalanda, N.M., died Thursday.
She had lived in Spokane since 1947 and was a homemaker.
She was a member of Knox Presbyterian Church and the Eagles Auxiliary.
Her husband, Fred Johnson, died in 1986.
Survivors include one brother, Henry Buss of Port Gamble, Wash.; one sister, Billie Fiscler of Seattle; three granddaughters and six greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Dorothy Bischoff Spokane
Graveside service for Dorothy Bischoff, 88, is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeNorth is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bischoff, who was born in Little Rock, Ark., died Friday.
She moved to Walla Walla as a child with her family and graduated from Walla Walla High School.
In 1928, two years after she married Harry Bischoff, she moved to Spokane.
She was a homemaker and a member of the Eagles Auxiliary.
Her husband died in 1979.
She is survived by one daughter, Elaine Beers of Spokane; one brother, Frederick Bennett of Walla Walla; three grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Thomas Shea Spokane
Funeral Mass for Thomas Conrad Shea, 81, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Shea, a 56-year Spokane resident, died Friday.
He was born in Castor, Alberta.
He retired from Spokane County as a traffic engineer.
Mr. Shea was a member of the Gonzaga Prep Boosters, the Spokane County Retirees Association and St. Aloysius Catholic Church.
He is survived by one son, Michael Shea of Bellingham; one daughter, Dianne Hammer of Spokane; one sister, Alice Haynes of Spokane; six grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Gonzaga Prep Foundation.
Michael Birr Moscow, Idaho
Private graveside service for Michael David Birr, 43, will be at the Pullman City Cemetery. Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Birr, who died of a heart attack, was found dead on Thursday.
Born in Pullman, he worked as a maintenance person for Eastside Market Place in Moscow.
He was a member of the Catholic Church.
He is survived by one daughter, Shawna of Reno, Nev.; his parents, Richard and Anna Birr of Colfax, Wash.; four brothers, Christopher and Richard Birr Jr., both of Spokane, Robert Birr of Oregon City, Ore., and Stephen Birr of Pullman; and three grandchildren.
C.E. ‘Brick’ Hanson Spokane
Memorial service for C.E. “Brick” Hanson, 80, was Monday at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mr. Hanson, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
He was a musician and operated Brick Hanson Auto Glass and Trim.
He was a member of the Sundance Men’s Golf Club.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Audrey Hanson; one stepdaughter, Carol McInelly of Shelton, Wash.; and one stepson, David Mather Jr. of Bothell, Wash.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Marilyn Mellen Spokane
Memorial service for Marilyn Joy (Bouge) Mellen, 58, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mrs. Mellen died Saturday.
She was born in Spokane and had lived here for 40 years.
She had worked for Seafirst banks in Seattle and Spokane.
Survivors include her brother, Leonard Bouge of Veradale.