Obituaries
John ‘Jack’ Robideaux Coeur d’Alene
Private graveside service for John A. “Jack” Robideaux, 76, will be today. Memorial service will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Robideaux, who was born in Spokane, died Saturday.
He grew up in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School. He later began a career in the automotive sales business at Kauffman Buick.
He served with the Army during World War II and became a Buick dealer in Colfax, Wash., after his military discharge.
He worked as an automotive dealer for 44 years and founded Robideaux Motors in Coeur d’Alene in 1960.
Mr. Robideaux was a member of the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association, Rotary Club, Elks Lodge, Hayden Lake Country Club and the First Presbyterian Church.
He was past president of the Colfax and Coeur d’Alene chambers of commerce and the Coeur d’Alene Automobile Dealers Association.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Jeri; three sons, Tom of Sandpoint, Bob of Spokane and John Jr. of Coeur d’Alene; two sisters, Mary McCandless and Margaret Hallstein, both of Spokane; one brother, Jay Robideaux of Rathdrum, Idaho; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Alexia Asplund Potlatch, Idaho
Service for Alexia Asplund, 87, is set for 1 p.m. today at the Presbyterian Church in Potlatch. Burial will follow at the Potlatch Cemetery. Kramer Funeral Home of Palouse, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Asplund, who died Thursday, was born in Sweden.
She came to the United States in 1926 and settled in St. Maries. She married Elof Asplund in 1932 in Spokane, and they made their home in Potlatch.
She was a homemaker and was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Potlatch and the Potlatch Senior Citizens.
Her husband died in 1978.
Mrs. Asplund is survived by one sister-in-law, Ellen Wicklund of Wilmington, Del.; several nieces and nephews; and one cousin, Vera Alsterlund of Potlatch.
Memorial contributions may be made to Potlatch Presbyterian Church, Grace Lutheran Church or the American Cancer Society.
Leona Guenther Spokane
Visitation for Leona Guenther, 82, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Private inurnment service will be held at a later date.
Mrs. Guenther, who was born in Oregon, died Friday.
She moved to Waverly, Wash., with her family when she was very young and graduated from high school there.
She married Cecil Guenther in 1933.
In Spokane, she worked at Davis Nursing Home, Cook’s Drug Store and Low Cost Market. She was also a homemaker.
Her husband died in 1986.
Mrs. Guenther’s survivors include three daughters, Nita Touse of Florence, Mont., Celia Meyer of Spokane and Edna Waller of Ronald, Wash.; one son, Jerry Guenther of Santee, Calif.; two sisters, Alma Holling of Fairfield and Bonnie Anderson of Fairfax, Va.; 12 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Viola (Blessing) McCoy Spokane
Burial Mass for Viola (Blessing) McCoy, 91, will be at 11:30 a.m. today at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Private burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Mrs. McCoy, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Thursday.
She was a member of St. Theresa’s Guild of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church and was an auxiliary member of The Legion of Mary.
She was a homemaker and had been a professional dancer. She was a friend of Bing Crosby and attended many dances with him.
Her husband, David McCoy, died in 1970.
Mrs. McCoy is survived by one daughter, Mary Lovell of Spokane; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Morning Star Boys Ranch, Box 8087 Manito Station, Spokane, WA 99203.
John Miller Spokane
Service for John H. Miller, 87, is set for 11 a.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Wash. Burial will be at Odessa (Wash.) Cemetery.
Mr. Miller, a former Odessa resident, died Thursday. He was born in Ruff, Wash.
He graduated from high school in Odessa and married Loretta Hopp in 1936.
They settled in Odessa and moved to Spokane 43 years ago.
He worked in investment sales.
He was a member of Westminster Congregational Church, the Elks Lodge, Masonic Lodge of Odessa, El Katif Shrine, Eagles Lodge of Spokane, Corbin Center and Sinto Senior Center.
Mr. Miller is survived by his wife; one daughter, Marilu Person of Phoenix, Ariz.; one son, LaMar Miller of Veradale; one brother, Abe Miller of Sun City, Ariz.; two sisters, Eva Glover of Wenatchee and Clara Jingling of Moses Lake; five grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children.
Margaret McNeil Garfield, Wash.
Service for Margaret O. McNeil, 82, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse, Wash. Burial will follow at Garfield Cemetery.
Mrs. McNeil, who died Friday, was born in Garfield.
She graduated from high school in Garfield and graduated from Kinman Business University in Spokane.
She returned to Garfield and worked as a bookkeeper for the Inland Empire Pea Growers.
She married Carl McNeil in 1935 in Spokane. They made their home near Ladow Butte, where they farmed.
In 1958 they moved to Yakima, where she worked for the Department of Natural Resources and cooked for fire crews.
They returned to the farm in Ladow Butte in 1974.
Her husband died in 1978, and Mrs. McNeil moved in to Garfield in 1980.
She was a member of Ladow Grange 995 and Eureka Chapter 92 of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include one sister.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Garfield-Farmington Emergency Medical Technicians or the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Othielia Claassen Dusty, Wash.
Burial service for Othielia H. Claassen, 85, was Monday at Colfax Cemetery, followed by amemorial service at Onecho Bible Church.
Mrs. Claassen, who died Thursday, was born near Lind, Wash.
She graduated from Lind High School and received a teaching certificate from Cheney Normal School.
Mrs. Claassen taught elementary school for five years in a one-room schoolhouse.
She married Rudolph “Rudy” Claassen in 1940 in Ritzville, Wash., and they settled in Clarkston before moving to Colfax in 1946.
They had lived on a farm at Dusty since 1950.
Mrs. Claassen was a member of Onecho Bible Church. She is survived by her husband; one daughter, Julie Ann Capp of Boulder, Colo.; one son, Darrel Claassen of LaCrosse, Wash.; two brothers, Arthur Franz of Lind and Robert Franz of Ritzville; six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to Onecho Bible Church Project 2000 or Onecho Bible Church Women’s Ministries.
Lloyd Chase Spokane
Rosary for Lloyd Paul Chase, 93, will be at 7 p.m Thursday at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Memorial Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, at Jesuit High School in Portland. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Ellensburg, Wash., Mr. Chase died March 31.
He was a longtime Spokane County resident and had worked for General Electric Co. and Harper-Magee Co. He later became an auto mechanic and retired in the early 1970s.
His wife of 42 years, Zenetta “Jackie” Chase, died in 1985.
Mr. Chase’s survivors include three sons, Patrick and Peter Chase, both of Spokane, and Michael Chase of Woodburn, Ore.; and two daughters, Carmen Houge of Wenatchee and Mary Dick of Hillsboro, Ore.
Dave Carpenter Portland
Memorial service for Edwin David “Dave” “Carp” Carpenter, 94, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Davenport (Wash.) First Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Carpenter died April 1 at his daughter’s home in Portland.
He was born near Ethan, S.D.
His parents homesteaded in South Dakota and moved to the Bitterroot Valley near Hamilton, Mont., in 1912.
Mr. Carpenter graduated from high school in Hamilton and received a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University in Bozeman.
He taught high school vocational agriculture in Montana before moving to Davenport in 1945. He continued to teach high school and taught night classes for World War II veterans.
He retired in 1966.
He married Dorothy Sunderland in 1930 in Ophiem, Mont. She died in 1986.
Mr. Carpenter was a member and elder of Davenport First Presbyterian Church. He was also a member of Acacia Masonic Lodge 158 in Davenport and was a member of the Grange.
He won many awards for his vegetables at fairs in Lincoln and Spokane counties.
Mr. Carpenter is survived by one daughter, Ruth Menicosy of Portland; one sister, Eunice Vial of Hamilton; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Davenport First Presbyterian Church or to First Interstate Bank in Davenport to a high school scholarship in Dave Carpenter’s name.
Ersel Redding Spokane
Service for Ersel I. Redding, 75, will be at 2 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Redding, who died Friday, was born in Spokane.
She was a homemaker, and had lived in Cheney and Spokane.
She is survived by two sons, Bob Redding of Portland and Bruce Redding of Spokane; one brother, Larry Brown of Spokane; three sisters, Norma Milner and Betty Nelms, both of Spokane, and Alma Clutter of Portland; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, N.E. Chapter, South 9 Washington, Ste. 215, Spokane, WA 99204.
Lloyd Blenz Kettle Falls, Wash.
Service for Lloyd Engle Blenz, 82, is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville, Wash. Burial will follow at Mountain View Park Cemetery in Colville.
Mr. Blenz, a longtime Kettle Falls resident, died Thursday. He was born in Wilbur, Wash.
He graduated from Colville High School and moved to the Greenwood area with his family in 1923.
He was a farmer and married Wilma Harlan in Colville in 1936.
Mr. Blenz was a member of Fort Colville Grange.
He is survived by his wife; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children.
Milo Smith Spokane
Service for Milo Smith, 79, is set for noon today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mr. Smith, a 75-year Spokane resident, died Thursday. He was born in Soap Lake, Wash.
He was a member of Spokane Moose Lodge for more than 30 years.
His wife, Twila Smith, died in 1991.
He is survived by one daughter, Donna Hickey of Spokane; his companion, Rosemary Finn; and several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
David Lotze Northport, Wash.
Memorial service for David Alvin Lotze, 57, will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Northport Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Lotze, who died Thursday at home, was a lifetime Northport resident.
He graduated from Northport High School and served in the Army for two years during the Vietnam War.
In 1963 he married Patricia Otto in Wauconda, Ill. They lived in Illinois for 10 years and moved to Northport in 1973.
Mr. Lotze operated an auto body repair shop in Northport.
He was an elder in the Northport Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Dave Lotze of Seattle; two daughters, Nancy Lotze of Colville, Wash., and Marie Lotze of Northport; three brothers, Wilfred and Jerry Lotze, both of Northport, and Milton Lotze of Spokane; one sister, Millie Snyder of Northport; and one granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the James Niva Fund, in care of the Northport Fire Department, P.O. Box 177, Northport, WA 99157.
Eva Fox Spokane
Graveside service for Eva E. Fox, 84, is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fox, a 15-year Spokane resident, died March 30. She was born in Canada.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband, Albert Fox, died in 1994.
She is survived by one son, Kenneth Adams of Spokane; one daughter, Elenor Sorensen of Vancouver, Wash.; five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association N.E. Chapter, 9 S. Washington, Suite 215, Spokane, WA 99205.
Bob Hedman Spokane
Service for Robert C. “Bob” Hedman, 76, will be at 11 a.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery.
Born in Spokane, Mr. Hedman died Friday.
He graduated from West Valley High School and served in the Navy during World War II.
He worked for Great Northern Railway and Burlington Northern Railroad for 38 years as a conductor/ brakeman. He retired in 1979.
Mr. Hedman was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1435 in Hillyard.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Dorothy; one son, Rodney Hedman of Spokane; two daughters, Tina Howard of Eugene, Ore., and Sandi Hirst of Spokane; one sister, Millie Goodrich of Yakima; and nine grandchildren
Memorial contributions may be made to Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders, 1108 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201.
Isola Lounsberry Spokane
Memorial service for Isola L. Lounsberry, 92, was Saturday at Community Bible Chapel.
Born in Granite City, Ill., Mrs. Lounsberry died Friday.
She moved to Spokane 26 years ago, after she retired from a state mental hospital in St. Louis.
She had also worked as a security guard at an ammunitions plant in St. Louis during World War II.
Mrs. Lounsberry was a member of the Sinto Senior Center.
She is survived by one daughter, Frances Wray of Cheney; five granddaughters, 18 great-grandchildren, six great-great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Femla Wiley and Almarine Nelms, both of St. Louis.
Memorial contributions may be made to Community Bible Chapel, 3506 W. Princeton, Spokane, WA 99205.
Jack Stiffler Spokane
Memorial service for Jack P. Stiffler, 72, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Cheney. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stiffler, who died Saturday, was born in Cheney.
He served in the Army during World War II and worked for the Spokane County Engineering Department for 32 years.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Maxine Stiffler; three sons, Philip Stiffler of Cheney, Ronald Stiffler of Humble, Texas, and Pete Sternitzky of Issaquah, Wash.; one brother, Bill Stiffler of Cheney; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Linda Venziano Spokane
Memorial service for Linda Kay (Lee) Venziano, 46, was Saturday at Northside Church of Christ.
Born in Spokane, Mrs. Venziano died last Tuesday.
She was in her last quarter at Spokane Community College and worked for School District 17.
She is survived by one son, Eric Noah of Nashville, Tenn.; one daughter, Kristina Hall of Spokane; her mother and stepfather, Ellen and Vern Kiehn of Spokane; her father and stepmother, Jack and Carol Lee of Seven Bays, Wash.; one sister, Lois Glubrecht of Spokane; her grandparents, Lena and Ralph Hill, and Hilda Lee, all of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Ralph Richardson Spokane
Private cremation will be held for Ralph Delano Richardson, 96. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Richardson, a 55-year Spokane resident, died April 2. He was born in Tyler, Wash.
He served in the Marine Corps during World War I and was a member of the occupation forces in Germany.
After the war he worked as a sheet metal worker, first with McGowan Heating and later with Sturm Heating. He retired in the late 1950s.
His wife of 30 years, Fannye May (Shrock) Richardson, died in 1983.
He is survived by two daughters, Laura Sugden of Tacna, Ariz., and Gladys Solberg of Wolf Point, Mont.; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Rockwood Residents Foundation, 2903 E. 25th, Spokane, WA 99223.
Mark Hathaway Spokane
Service for Mark L. Hathaway, 61, was Monday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial was at Greenwood Memorial Park.
Mr. Hathaway, who was born in Kalispell, Mont., died April 1.
He had lived in Spokane for 36 years and was a truck driver for RPS Trucking Co.
He had served in the Air Force.
Mr. Hathaway is survived by his wife of 34 years, Betty Hathaway; five sons, Dewayne and Jack Schierholz, both of Spokane, Scott and Tim Hathaway, both of Anchorage, Alaska, and Shaun Hathaway of Spokane; three daughters, Terry of Newport, Wash., and Debbie Schierholz and Cheryl Hathaway, both of Spokane; 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Bradley Madison Kettle Falls, Wash.
Service for Bradley H. Madison, 32, was Monday at Hunters (Wash.) Presbyterian Church. Graveside service was at Greenwood Cemetery in Hunters.
Mr. Madison, who died Wednesday, was born in Colville, Wash.
He graduated from Wilbur (Wash.) High School.
Mr. Madison had lived in Kettle Falls since 1983 and worked as a truck driver in the logging industry.
He is survived by his parents, Barry and Karyl Madison of Colville; one sister, Christine Madison-Bentley of Bremerton; one brother, Brian Madison of Davenport, Wash.; and his grandparents, Howard and Doris Kowitz of Kettle Falls.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
, DataTimes