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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Obituaries

Wilfred ‘Bill’ McGourin Medical Lake

Service for Wilfred “Bill” McGourin, 85, is set for 10:30 a.m. today at St. Anne Catholic Church in Medical Lake. Private burial will be at the Edwall (Wash.) Catholic Cemetery. Cheney Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. McGourin died Friday at home. He was born in Edwall.

He was a self-employed home builder and a farmer.

He was a member of St. Anne Catholic Church in Medical Lake.

Survivors include his wife, Anita McGourin; two sons, William McGourin of Rosemond, Calif., and Patrick McGourin of Las Vegas, Nev.; two daughters, Maureen Craven of Pocatello, Idaho, and Colleen Casad of Port Orchard, Wash; two stepsons, Gary Mann of Spangle and Jim Mann of Granite Bay, Calif.; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Anne Catholic Church.

Julius Fox Tensed, Idaho

Service for Julius H. Fox, will be at 2 p.m. today at Tensed Community Church. Burial will follow at Goldenrod Cemetery of Tekoa, Wash. Kramer Funeral Home in Tekoa is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Fox, 78, died Friday at home.

He was born near Tensed and graduated from high school in Oakesdale, Wash. In 1939 he graduated from Eastern Washington State College with a degree in history and teaching.

He returned to Tensed and worked in the Fox Sawmill. He later began farming, and he retired in 1989.

He married Dorothy Hering in Tekoa in 1950. She died last year.

Mr. Fox was a member of Tensed Community Church, Tensed Grange and the Tensed Senior Citizens Club.

He is survived by two daughters, Julie Fox and Sheryl Cudmore, both of Spokane; and four grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Tensed Community Church.

Carl Belden Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Service for Carl Elson Belden, 86, was Monday in Bonners Ferry. Bonners Ferry Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Belden, who was born in Wisconsin, died Friday.

He moved to Bonners Ferry in 1929, and he later began a career in the timber industry. He also was a farmer.

He moved to Washington in 1963 and worked for a timber company before retiring in 1975. He moved to Bellingham before returning to Bonners Ferry in 1988.

Mr. Belden was a member of First Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Evelyn; two sons, Carl and David Belden, both of Bonners Ferry; three daughters, Barbara Hedgecock of Bonners Ferry, Mollie Gafford of Portland and Karin Waldman of Spokane; two brothers, Glen and Harry, both of Washington; two sisters, Toni Russell and Lila Sweet, both of Bonners Ferry; 20 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Boundary Community Hospice Services, HCR 61 Box 61A, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.

Emil Mitley Spokane

Committal service for Emil Mitley, 77, was Monday at Riverside Mausoleum Chapel. Memorial service followed at Pilgrim Lutheran Church.

Mr. Mitley, a longtime Spokane resident, died Thursday. He was born in La Crosse, Wis.

He served in the Army from 1939 until 1945.

He had lived in Spokane since 1945 and was the founder of the Staple Supply Co. of Spokane. He worked in the stapling/fastening industry for 35 years.

Mr. Mitler was a member of Pilgrim Lutheran Church.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Marion Mitley; one son, Kenneth Mitley of Post Falls; and two grandchildren.

J. Alice Smith Rathdrum, Idaho

Service for J. Alice Smith, 82, was Monday at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Burial followed at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.

Mrs. Smith, who was born in Spokane, died Friday.

She attended school in Spirit Lake, Idaho, and moved to Rathdrum in 1988.

Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by two husbands, Albert Grunert and Floyd Smith.

Survivors include a son, Kenneth Grunert of Otis Orchards; two daughters, Elaine Bomar of Athol, Idaho, and Janice Scott of Newman Lake; 14 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

Henry Fretwell Post Falls

Graveside service for Henry Fretwell, 80, will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls. English Funeral Chapel of Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Fretwell, who was born in Oregon, died Sunday.

He was a farmer in Boise before moving to the Coeur d’Alene area in 1966. He later worked for Idaho Veneer before retiring.

He was preceded in death by his first wife of 49 years, Hattie, in 1984. Survivors include his wife, Etta; two sons, Dennis Fretwell of Oregon and Lance Fretwell of Colorado; four daughters, Georgia Johnston of Oregon, Sue Preckel of Boise, Ann Hess of Denver and Tami Jones of Post Falls; three sisters, Winifred Jagler of Cheney, Roberta Johnson of Boise and Isabelle Altig of Oregon; 21 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, P. O. Box 592, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

Racheal Smith Bellevue, Wash.

Service for Racheal Larine Smith, 79, was Monday at Green Funeral Home in Bellevue. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. today at Fairmount Memorial Park in Spokane.

Mrs. Smith, a former longtime Spokane resident, died Thursday. She was born in Pullman.

She worked as a sales clerk for The Crescent in Spokane for 30 years and was a homemaker. She moved to Bellevue in December.

Her husband of 51 years, Donald Smith, preceded her in death.

Survivors include two sons, Gary Smith of Spokane and George Smith of Kent, Wash.; one sister, Eula Chilcott of Kellogg; 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.

Robert Cole Spokane

Visitation for Robert R. “Bob” Cole, 51, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Service is planned for 11 a.m Wednesday at the funeral home, with burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

Born in Spokane, Mr. Cole died Friday of a heart attack.

He was raised in Springdale, Wash., and graduated from Mary Walker High School.

After graduation, he worked for Gladding McBean and later, Interpace Corp. He later moved to Yakima, where he drove for What a Way to Go horse transportation.

He returned to Interpace Corp. as a manager and owner in 1985 and sold it to Mutual Materials in 1990. He continued to work as plant manager. Mr. Cole was a member of Spokane Valley Eagles Lodge 3433, Valley Elks Lodge 2328 and the National Rifle Association.

He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Darlene Cole; two sons, Kevin Carter and Robert Cole Jr., both of Spokane; five sisters, JoAnn Brown of Hamilton, Mont., Betty Walker and Margaret McDermott, both of Spokane, Phyllis Leland of Colfax, Wash., and Louise Sweat of Chewelah, Wash.; and four grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, N.E. Chapter, 9 S. Washington, Suite 215, Spokane, WA 99204.

Raymond ‘Deke’ Ash Palouse, Wash.

Graveside service for Raymond E. “Deke” Ash, 90, will be held at a later date. Kramer Funeral Home of Palouse is in charge of cremation.

Mr. Ash, a lifetime Palouse resident, died Friday.

He graduated from high school in Palouse and worked as a projectionist at the Congress Theater in Palouse for several years.

In 1941 he joined the Army and later served in the Army Reserve.

Mr. Ash worked at the Ankcorn Hardware Store in Palouse as a sales clerk from 1945 to 1976 and also worked as a custodian at the Palouse schools.

He was a member of the Methodist Church, Moscow Elks Lodge and the American Legion.

He is survived by several nieces and nephews, Wilma and Sandra Pearson, Jackie Collier, Teresa Kimberling and Charlotte Reeves, all of Colfax, Wash; Sharon and Chuck Montgomery, both of Pullman; Lorna Goddard of Clarkston, Wash., Merri Lewis of Garfield, Wash., and Chuck Rayburn of Fresno, Calif.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Palouse Senior Citizens or Palouse Emergency Medical Services.

Henry Porret St. Maries

Service for Henry C. Porret, 84, will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Mr. Porret, a lifetime St. Maries resident, died Monday.

He was born and raised in St. Maries and worked as a school bus driver before serving in the Army during World War II.

He returned to St. Maries in 1945 after his military discharge and farmed and worked in the timber industry before retiring in 1985.

Mr. Porret was a member of the Omega Gospel Hall Church.

Survivors include three brothers, Daniel and Edmund, both of St. Maries, and Richard of Portland; one sister, Lillian Porret of St. Maries; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Hilda Phillips Garfield, Wash.

Memorial service for Hilda Phillips, 91, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Garfield. Her ashes will be buried at West Hills Memorial Cemetery in Yakima at a later date. Kramer Funeral Home of Palouse, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Phillips, who died Friday, was born in Belfair, Wash.

In 1930, she married Carl Wicklund, and they settled in Monroe, Wash. He died in 1948.

She married Walter Phillips in 1950, and they lived in Yakima. He died in 1974.

Mrs. Phillips worked as a baby sitter and housekeeper for several families in the Yakima area before moving to Garfield in 1976.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Union Pacific Oldtimers Club and Vasa Order of America.

Survivors include one son, Edmund Wicklund of Marysville, Calif.; one daughter, Mary Ann Storms of Garfield; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Garfield United Methodist Church or Garfield-Farmington Emergency Medical Technicians.

Louise Hemmerling Odessa, Wash.

Service for Louise Hemmerling, 100, is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Heritage United Church of Christ in Odessa, where she was a member. Burial will be at the Odessa Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Odessa is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hemmerling, who died Saturday, was born in Russia.

She married Emanuel Hemmerling in 1913 in Odessa and was a homemaker.

Her husband died in 1973.

She is survived by three sons, Clarence and Ivan Hemmerling, both of Odessa, and Robert Hemmerling of Spokane; one daughter, Viola Lightbody of Spokane; one sister, Emma Lane of Auburn, Calif.; 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Heritage United Church of Christ.

Mable Olmstead Spokane

Memorial service for Mable E. Olmstead, 75, will be at a later date. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Olmstead, who died last Tuesday, was born in North Dakota.

She worked as a nurses’ aide in various nursing homes in the area.

Her husband, James Olmstead, died in 1963.

Survivors include one daughter, Debbie Boatsman of Greenaces; one stepson, Ralph Olmstead of Ocean Shores, Wash.; and one sister, Dovie Shatto of Tacoma.

Ruth Heathman Hartline, Wash.

Funeral Mass for Ruth A. Heathman, 89, is set for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Hartline. Burial will follow at Almira (Wash.) Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Heathman, who was born in Tekoa, Wash., died Saturday at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake.

She moved to Spokane when she was 5. She received a teaching certificate from Holy Names Academy and began teaching in Creston, Wash., when she was 19.

In 1929 she married Earl Heathman in Wilbur, and they farmed and raised cattle on their ranch near Hartline.

Mrs. Heathman was a violinist and soloist and performed at many functions in the Hartline area.

She was a member of the Catholic Church.

Her husband preceded her in death.

Survivors include one son, John Heathman of Hartline; one brother, Ray Nixon of Seminole, Fla.; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Josephine Redmond Spokane

Funeral Mass for Josephine R. Redmond, 91, was Monday at St. Charles Catholic Church. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Born in Spokane, Mrs. Redmond died March 25.

She graduated from Hillyard High School and worked as a hostess in the tea room of the Palace Department Store. She also worked at Natatorium Park.

She married Edward Redmond in 1939 in Walla Walla. They settled in Walla Walla before returning to Spokane in 1943.

She was an original member of St. Charles Catholic Church.

Her husband died in 1967.

Mrs. Redmond is survived by one son, Patrick Redmond of Spokane; one daughter, Jackie Coulter of Port Townsend, Wash.; 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Delroy ‘Roy’ Taskey Spokane

No service will be held for Delroy “Roy” Taskey, at his request. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Taskey, 87, died Wednesday. He was born in St. Cloud, Minn., and was raised in North Dakota.

He had lived in Spokane for 60 years.

He worked as a truck driver for Safeway for 20 years and then worked at Lakeland Village as a painter before retiring in 1974.

Mr. Taskey was a member of the Teamsters Union and was a square dance caller.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Selma Taskey; one son, Ronald Taskey of Orlando, Fla.; one stepson, Robert Whipple of Spokane; three sisters; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Helen Nixon Chewelah, Wash.

Private family graveside service for Helen Irene Nixon, 86, will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane. Schanzenbach Funeral Home of Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Nixon, who died Sunday, was born in Malden, Wash.

She graduated from Kinman Business University and had worked as a secretary for several years.

She moved to Chewelah in 1975.

Her husband, Orris Nixon, died in 1975.

She is survived by one daughter, Janet Greenaway of Chewelah; and two grandsons.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Joseph’s Long-Term Care Unit in Chewelah.

, DataTimes