Obituaries
Mary Higley Spokane
Visitation for Mary C. Higley is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 1 p.m. Monday at St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Burial will be at the Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Higley, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Monday. She was 80.
She graduated from West Valley High School.
She was a homemaker and was active with the American Kennel Club and the Inland Empire Quarter Horse Association.
Her husband of 60 years, James Higley, died in 1994.
Mrs. Higley is survived by a brother, Jan Pasquale of Spokane; two sons, Ted and Tony Higley, both of the Spokane Valley; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Lung Association.
Alfred Miller Spokane
Service for Alfred E. Miller, 84, will be at 11 a.m. today at Central Lutheran Church. Private interment will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Miller, who was born in Stevens County, died Sunday.
He was a 54-year resident of Spokane and worked as a shift engineer for Washington Water Power for 30 years until retirement.
He was a member of Central Lutheran Church, Vasa Lodge and the Washington Water Power Trailblazers and was a 50-year member of the Sons of Norway.
Mr. Miller is survived by his wife, Maxine; three daughters, Patricia Daggett of Coupeville, Wash., Marilyn Morgan of Greenacres and Kay Marie Miller of Spokane; two sisters, Margaret Harlan and Mildred Jennings, both of Spokane; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Donald ‘Bill’ Durham Colfax, Wash.
Memorial service for Donald M. ‘Bill’ Durham, 69, will be at 3 p.m. today at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Colfax, Wash. Private interment will be held prior to the memorial. Bruning Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Durham, who was born in Steptoe, Wash., died Monday.
He worked for the Colfax Garage and later bought the Richfield Arco service station in Colfax, operating it until retirement in 1991.
Then he worked for the Colfax Golf Course during the mowing season and the Grange tire store during the snow season.
He was a member of Plymouth Congregational Church, Colfax Elks Lodge and Colfax Golf Club.
He is survived by his wife, Hazel; three daughters, Mary “Margo” Peebles of Coeur d’ Alene, Vicki Gordon of Pasco and Bonnie Sue “Susie” Turner of Lewiston; a halfbrother, Thomas Miller of Seattle; a sister, Shirley Gunn of Kent, Wash.; and six grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Plymouth Congregational Church.
Laurel ‘Jack’ Zeman Deer Park
Burial service for Laurel S. “Jack” Zeman, 81, will be at 10:30 a.m. today at Woodland Cemetery in Deer Park. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Zeman, who died Saturday, was born in Ray, Minn.
He was a retired logger and a longtime Deer Park resident.
He is survived by two sons, John Zeman of California and James Zeman of Washington state; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Billie Rae White Spokane
Service for Billie Rae White, 40, will be held at a later date. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. White, who was born in Choteau, Mont., died Dec. 19.
She was a graduate of Choteau High School and had lived in Spokane for 11 years.
She served in the Army until 1975.
Survivors include two daughters, Requina Reece and Nichole Shore, both of Travis Air Force Base in California; her father, Emry White of Augusta, Mont.; a sister, Kath Ann McKinley of Clinton, Mont.; a brother, Dell Shelmerdine of North Dakota; and two grandchildren.
Derrel Dirks Spokane
Visitation for Derrel L. Dirks, 81, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Ball & Dodd Funeral Home-North. Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Francis Chapel, 7th Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Interment will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Born in Colfax, Wash., Mr. Dirks died Monday.
Mr. Dirks was a 1933 graduate of Lewis and Clark High School and was one of six in five generations of his family to serve in the U.S. Navy during wartime from the Civil War to the Gulf War. He spent time on the USS Medusa and the USS Henderson.
He was trained as a metal worker and a diver prior to World War II.
Mr. Dirks worked for Tops Trailer Repair. He later enlisted in the Air Force for the Korean War and re-enlisted in the Navy. He served in Pearl Harbor, Africa, Sicily, China, Korea and Vietnam.
Mr. Dirks received the China Service Medal, American Defense Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, African-European Medal, Naval Good Conduct Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Medal, Pearl Harbor Survivors Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, five letters of commendation and Korean Service Medal.
He was a member of the Fleet Reserve Association, 7th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Eagles Lodge and Disabled American Veterans.
Survivors include his wife, Carol (Stewart); three daughters, Joan Vassar of Lewiston, Carol Albrecht of Clarkston, Wash., and Darlene Hembree of Seattle; a son, Dell Dirks of Spokane; a sister, Velma Wilhelm; and numerous stepchildren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Robert ‘Bob’ Anderson Spokane
Memorial service for Robert E. “Bob” Anderson, 65, will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 16th Ward. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Born in Flint, Mich., Mr. Anderson died Sunday.
He served in the Air Force and later worked in insurance sales. He was a 45-year resident of Spokane.
He is survived by his wife, Trudy; four daughters, Diane Sloan, Tamara Jones, Tonya Compton and Bobbi Jo Anderson; four sons, Eric Anderson, and Terry, Steve and Ken Wineberg; a sister, Doris Sturgen; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Inland Empire Division of the American Heart Association or to the Juvenile Diabetes Association.
Betty Cooney Spokane
A vigil service for Betty Goff Cooney, 73, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Jump Off Joe Cemetery.
Mrs. Cooney, who was born in Hermiston, Ore., died Sunday.
She was a 38-year resident of Spokane and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Cooney was a member of Eagles Lodge Aerie No. 2 and was involved with Al Anon, United Way and the American Heart Association.
Her husband, Thomas Emmett, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Thomas Cooney of Spokane; a daughter, Shelagh Minuto of Spokane; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to United Way.
Leonard Vercic Spokane
Funeral Mass for Leonard F. Vercic, 73, will be 11 a.m. today at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Private inurnment to follow. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Vercic, who was born in Reliance, Wyo., died last Friday.
He was a veteran of the Army and served in the Korean War. He later worked in road construction.
He was a member of Croatian Lodge No. 177 and the Airstream Group.
His survivors include his wife, Marie; three sons, Bob Vercic of Spokane, Mike Vercic of San Pedro, Calif., and Leon Vercic of Whittier, Calif.; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Anne Reid Spokane
Visitation for Anne R. Reid, 66, will be from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. A graveside service and interment will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Born in Salt Lake City, she died Saturday.
Mrs. Reid was a member of the Friends of Seven, Spokane Symphony and the Spokane Humane Society.
She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Garry; two sons, Alan Reid of Lewiston and Robert Reid of Spokane; a daughter, Sara Ashbaugh of Spokane; a brother, Joseph Boyce Rotzler of Salt Lake City; a sister, Marie Nelson of Highland, Utah; and a granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Humane Society.
James W. ‘Jim’ Jordan Post Falls
Service for James W. “Jim” Jordan, 78, will be at 1 p.m. today at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park in Spokane. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Jordan, a former Spokane resident, died Saturday.
His wife, Inez, died in 1984.
Mr. Jordan was in the merchant marine during World War II and served in the South Pacific.
He worked for Consolidated Freightways for many years, leaving because of a disabling back injury. He lived most of his life in Spokane.
He is survived by a daughter, Jerre Stephens of Post Falls; a son, Mike Jordan of Priest River, Idaho; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho.
Pearl Johnson Spokane
Service for Pearl M. Johnson, 77, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mrs. Johnson, who was born in Naples, Idaho, died Saturday.
She was a resident of Spokane for more than 50 years and was a homemaker.
Survivors include four sons, Mel, George, Sid and Deven Hogue, all of Spokane; 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Catherine ‘Kay’ Williams Spokane
Memorial Mass for Catherine Mary “Kay” Williams, 81, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Gonzaga Prep Chapel. A private interment will be held at Riverside Memorial Park. HennesseySmith Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. Williams, who was born in New York City, died Dec. 20.
She was a 43-year resident of Spokane and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Williams was a member of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish and the Gonzaga Prep community.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Marty, in 1991.
Survivors include two sons, Kevin and Tim Williams, both of Spokane; a daughter, Gina Williams of Austin, Texas; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gonzaga Prep.
Marie Radmer Twin Lakes, Idaho
Visitation for Marie Radmer, 77, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Ball & Dodd Funeral Home-South. Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Millwood Community Presbyterian Church. Interment will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Radmer, who was born in Miles City, Mont., died Monday.
A homemaker, she was senior vice president of Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 9894 and a member of the Grandmothers Club in Rathdrum, Idaho.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, George; two sons, Ralph Radmer of Portland and Paul Radmer of Spokane; three daughters, Sandra Graham of Enumclaw, Wash., Mae Johnson of Spokane and Judy Weiler of Seattle; a brother, Conrad Lindeman of Forsyth, Mont.; a sister, Nellie Anderson of Miles City, Mont.; 16 grandchildren and one greatgranddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Andrew Tomsha Chewelah, Wash.
Service for Andrew N. Tomsha, 88, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Chewelah. Burial will be at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Jump Off Joe, Wash. Schanzenbach Funeral Home of Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tomsha, who was born in Jump Off Joe, died Monday.
He married Catherine Mally in Jump Off Joe in 1938. They lived in Valley, Wash., for 29 years before moving to Chewelah in 1970.
Mr. Tomsha worked as a logger.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Robert Tomsha of Jump Off Joe and Donald Tomsha of Spokane; two daughters, Alice Poetter of Norfolk, Va., and Carolyn McGrath of Ridgecrest, Calif.; two brothers, Jake Tomsha of Sacramento, Calif., and Louis Tomsha of Valley; two sisters, Mae Superat of Spokane and June Black of Chewelah; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Raymond Charley Churchill Palouse, Wash.
Service for Raymond Charley Churchill, 77, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Palouse Grange Hall No. 177 in Palouse, Wash. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of the arrangements and cremation.
Mr. Churchill, who was born in Sprague, Wash., died Saturday.
He graduated from Cheney High School and worked as a pipefitter in naval shipyards during World War II.
Mr. Churchill later worked in agriculture and retired from the Washington State University farm crew in 1981.
He was a member of the Cheney Cemetery Association, Pullman Odd Fellows, National Rifle Association, Federated Church of Palouse, and Palouse Grange No. 177 and was a seventh-degree member of the National Grange,
Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Ellen; three daughters, Dorothy Churchill of Colton, Wash., and Judy Churchill and Claudia Jennings, both of Palouse; and seven sons, the Rev. John Churchill of Pinson, Ala., Peter Churchill with the Coast Guard, Gordon and Dennis Jennings and Richard and Roger Gamet, all of Palouse, and Ronnie Gamet of Boise.
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