Obituaries
Richard Jones Spokane
Memorial service for Richard Lee Jones, 49, is set for 7 p.m. today at Hennessey Valley Funeral Home. Mr. Jones, who died Wednesday, was a lifetime Spokane resident.
He was a laborer and was a member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees No. 338. He was also a member of the Eagles Lodge and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He served in the Army during the Vietnam War.
He is survived by his wife, Colleen Jones of Spokane; two daughters, Lisa Schoenberger of Seattle, and Cindy Jones of Spokane; his mother, Josie Jones-Spalinger of Loon Lake; two sisters, Victoria Pringle of Medical Lake, and Susan Herman of Anchorage, Alaska; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Kidney Foundation.
Fred Cunningham Spokane
Memorial service for Fred J. Cunningham, 80, is set for 10 a.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home.
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Mr. Cunningham died Thursday.
He worked on the construction of Boulder Dam before he enlisted in the Navy. He served in the Navy from 1941 until 1943.
He married Helen Noble in 1940 in Lewistown, Mont.
They moved to Spokane in 1953 and he worked for Verne W. Johnson & Sons Construction and H. Halverson Construction as a contract administrator.
He was a member of the Elks Lodge and the Moose Lodge and was captain of his neighborhood block watch.
His wife, Helen, died in 1985.
Survivors include one son, Phil Cunningham of Spokane; two daughters, Nannette Crane and Erin Williams, both of Spokane; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army or Hospice of Spokane.
Lois Kruse Spokane
Visitation for Lois M. Kruse, 88, is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with burial to follow at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Kruse died Thursday.
She was born in Pendleton, Ore., and graduated from high school there.
She had lived in the Spokane valley for 54 years.
She and her husband lived in Greenacres from 1941 to 1967 where they operated Kruse Korner Grocery Store and Restaurant. She made homemade pies and was well known for them. She had also worked at Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and in Minnesota as a cook. She worked at the Lamplighter Restaurant which is now the Red Lion Restaurant, as a cook, at the Holiday Hills Resort and at Valley View Golf Course.
She was named Senior Citizen of the Year in 1984 at the Bowdish Center and worked at Valley Hospital and Medical Center as an auxiliary volunteer.
Her husband, Frank Kruse, preceded her in death.
Mrs. Kruse is survived by one son, Donald Kruse of Tempe, Ariz.; two daughters, Shirley Payne of Liberty Lake, and Blanche Steele of Fruitland, Wash.; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
James Harris Medical Lake
Graveside service for James R. Harris, 62, was Saturday at Fairview Cemetery in Cheney.
Mr. Harris, who was born in Omak, Wash., died Wednesday at home.
He retired from Boeing in Renton, Wash., in 1971, and had lived in Medical Lake since 1984.
He was an Army veteran of the Korean War.
He resided in Medical Lake since 1984.
Mr. Harris is survived by his wife, Irene Harris; four sons, Robert Harris of Grand Junction, Colo., Douglas Harris of Medical Lake, Mark Harris of Yakima, and Brian Harris of Auburn, Wash.; one daughter, Lisa Harris of Yakima; one stepdaughter, Connie Auyeung of Marysville, Wash.; four stepsons, Kenneth Wilson of Cheney, Gilbert Wilson of St. John, Wash., and Robert and John Wilson, both of Medical Lake; two brothers, Bill Harris of California, and Raymond Harris of Okanogan, Wash.; two sisters, Margorie Wilson of Quincy, Wash., and Carol Edwards of Brewster, Wash.; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Elsie Johnson Coeur d’Alene
Service for Elsie M. Johnson, 94, will be today at 10 a.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Johnson, who was born in Missouri, died Wednesday.
She travelled to Kansas by covered wagon and then by train to Idaho, homesteading in Weippe.
She graduated from high school in Fraser, Idaho, and later graduated from the Lewis and Clark Normal School.
She married Floyd Whaley in 1924 and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1929.
She taught school throughout North Idaho for 25 years, before retiring in 1962.
Her first husband died in 1944 and she married Peter Johnson in 1947. Her second husband died in 1960.
Mrs. Johnson enjoyed hunting and traveling, and was a member of the First Assembly of God Church. She was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, the American Legion Auxiliary, the A.A.R.P., Senior Center and the Retired Teachers Association.
Survivors include one a son, James Whaley of Coeur d’Alene; one daughter, Betty Brueggeman of Coeur d’Alene; one brother, Harry Johnson of California; one sister, Bertha Woolsey of Coeur d’Alene; six grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
George Hoffman Sprague, Wash.
Graveside funeral service for George G. Hoffman, 51, was Saturday at Macabee Cemetery in Sprague.
Mr. Hoffman died Wednesday.
He was born in Spokane.
He was a longtime Sprague resident and worked for the state highway department for 20 years.
He served in the Army during the Vietnam War and was a member of the Sprague Gun Club.
Mr. Hoffman is survived by his wife, Linda Hoffman; three sons, Kristopher and Scott Hoffman, both of Spokane, and Wesley Wiebe of Sprague, Wash.; one daughter, Melinda Wiebe of Sprague; his father, Bud Hoffman of Sprague and one brother, Roy Hoffman, both of Sprague.
Erhardt Pfenning Osburn, Idaho
Service for Erhardt Fred Pfenning, 72, will be Tuesday at the Bethany Lutheran Church of Osburn. Burial will follow at Shoshone Memorial Gardens in Pinehurst, Idaho. Shoshone Funeral Service of Wallace is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pfenning, who was born in North Dakota, died Thursday.
He married Pauline Horning in 1960 and moved to North Idaho in 1961 from North Dakota. He had worked at the Eagle Sawmill, the Burns-Yakks Sawmill of Polaris, and the Northwest Timber Sawmill in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Pfenning enjoyed playing cards, camping, fishing and spending time with his family and friends. He was a member of the Bethany Lutheran Church of Osburn.
Survivors include his wife, at home; three sons, Clarence Weil of Wallace, and Kevin and Keith Pfenning of Coeur d’Alene; one daughter, Clarice Priebe of Osburn; one brother, Walter, of North Dakota; four sisters, Elma Lapp, Bertha Wolf and Irene Flemer, all of North Dakota, and Ardella Weigum of Arizona; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Eugene MacDonald Coeur d’Alene
Service for Eugene W. “Sandy” MacDonald, 81, will be today at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. MacDonald, who was born in Minnesota, died Thursday.
He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1923 and served in the Army during World War II in the European Theater.
He married Mary Quinn in 1947.
Mr. MacDonald attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Coeur d’Alene and graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School. He went on to attend Gonzaga University and the Gonzaga School of Law. He served as a Kootenai County probate judge and later as the Coeur d’Alene postmaster, retiring in 1971.
Survivors include his wife, at home; two sons, Robert of Spokane and Don of Coeur d’Alene; one daughter, Maureen of Portland; and seven grandchildren.
Hilma Elberling Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Hilma B. Elberling, 76, will be Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Elberling, who was born in North Dakota, died Wednesday.
She moved to Coeur d’Alene with her family in 1935 and attended school, graduating from Coeur d’Alene High School. She worked as a clerk at Woolworth’s in Coeur d’Alene.
She married Irving Elberling in 1942. They later moved to Tacoma, where they owned and operated a bakery. In the early 1950s, she returned to Spokane and was a homemaker. She moved to Post Falls in the 1980s.
Mrs. Elberling was preceded in death by her husband.
Survivors include three brothers, Elton, Delmar and Lloyd Gittel, all of Coeur d’Alene.
Memorials may be made to Coeur d’Alene Homes, 704 Walnut Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
, DataTimes