Obituaries
Leona Caires Coeur d’Alene
Vigil service for Leona Diane Caires, 49, will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Funeral Mass will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Pius Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery.
Mrs. Caires, a former Coeur d’Alene educator, was killed Friday in a shooting in her Moses Lake classroom.
She was born in Chicago and grew up in California. She graduated from San Jose State University and later received her master’s degree from the University of Idaho.
Mrs. Caires taught high school in California before moving to Coeur d’Alene in 1979. She taught at North Idaho College and tutored high school and college students in her home.
She was hired to teach at Frontier Junior High School in Moses Lake in 1994.
She enjoyed baking, sewing, tennis and was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tennis Club. She was a member of St. Pius Catholic Church, the National Education Association, the Washington Education Association and the Moses Lake Education Association.
Survivors include her husband of 28 years, Stephen; two sons, Matthew and Damian Caires, both of Pullman; two daughters, Debora Caires of Coeur d’Alene and Victoria Caires of Cheney; her parents, Aubrey and Rita Gray of California; and a brother, Jerry Gray of California.
Marian Sweatman Coeur d’Alene
Service for Marian A. Sweatman, 73, will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sweatman, who was born in Rice Lake, Wis., died Sunday.
She moved to Post Falls in 1973 and was preceded in death by her first husband, Clifford Karlgaard. She remarried and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1983.
Mrs. Sweatman enjoyed cooking and camping and was a member of Christ the King Lutheran Church.
Survivors include her husband, John; two sons, Bob Karlgaard of Coeur d’Alene and Brad Karlgaard of Post Falls; three daughters, Charlotte Skaalrud of California, Nancy Lounsbury of Coeur d’Alene and Kathy Janssen of Deer Park; a brother, Bob Meyers of Rice Lake; two sisters, Joyce Gural of Alabama and Wilma Frantz of Minnesota; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Loretta Morris Centralia, Wash.
Service for Loretta Morris, 84, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Maries.
Mrs. Morris, a former St. Maries resident, died Thursday.
She was born in Spirit Lake and moved to St. Maries in 1936. She was a devoted homemaker and a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She moved to Centralia in 1991.
Mrs. Morris enjoyed tending her garden and flowers, baking bread, canning food, and created more than 300 handmade quilts.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Joe, in 1982.
Survivors include three sons, Mike of Shelton, Wash., Gene of Raymond, Wash., and Bob of Centralia; a daughter, Bonnie Johnson of Kingston, Idaho; a sister, Lois Hardin of Spokane; a brother, Cal Jobes of Hayden, Idaho; 10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Cortney McCoy Greenacres
Graveside gathering for Cortney L. McCoy, 55, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Pines Cemetery. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements and cremation.
Mr. McCoy, who was born in Tonasket, Wash., died Friday.
He grew up in Republic, Wash., and served in the Army, including two tours in Vietnam. He was a member of special services and was a Green Beret.
He had worked as an auto mechanic.
Mr. McCoy was a member of the Greenacres Baptist Church, and was a stock-car driver and racer.
He is survived by his fiancee, Beverly Rhimer; one brother, David McCoy of Tacoma; and one sister, Virginia Palmer of Spokane.
Isaac ‘Lynn’ Bahme Spokane
Memorial service for Isaac “Lynn” Bahme, 51, is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday at Moran Prairie Grange. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of cremation arrangements.
Mr. Bahme, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Friday.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and from Washington State University. He worked for Dickerson Pump and Irrigation.
He served in the Vietnam War in the U.S. Air Force and was a member of the National Rifle Association.
He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Kathie Bahme; three daughters, Heather, Holly and Heidi Bahme, all of Spokane; one granddaughter; his mother, Florence Bahme of Spokane; and two sisters, Fleur Lee Bucknam of Portland and Prudence Ann Burgerson of Spokane.
Louise Lenz Spokane
No service will be held for Louise M. Lenz, 66, at her request. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Lenz, who died Sunday, was born in Priest River, Idaho.
She had lived in Coeur d’Alene and Rose Lake, Idaho, for 30 years, and moved to Spokane 25 years ago. She had worked as a waitress at several restaurants.
She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Don Lenz; one son, Glen Ward of Coeur d’Alene; one daughter, Lisa Fry of Newport, Wash.; one brother, Delbert Leonard of Downey, Calif.; one sister, Anna Mae Holms of Reno, Nev.; one half-brother, Wilbur Leonard of Harrison, Idaho; one halfsister, Margaret Ann of Harrison; and six grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Irene Lee Spokane
Funeral Mass for Irene A. Lee, 92, was Monday at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Burial was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Great Falls, Mont.
Mrs. Lee, who died Thursday, was born in Leeds, N.D.
She had lived in Spokane for 18 years. She was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church and the Altar Society, and the South Hill and Sinto Senior Centers.
Her husband, Eugene Lee, died in 1972.
She is survived by two daughters, Frances Burrus of Manson, Wash., and Dorothy Urquhart of Spokane; one sister, Beatrice Zimmerman of Spokane; nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Mary Abba Spokane
Vigil service for Mary J. Abba, 86, is set for 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick Catholic Church with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Mrs. Abba died Saturday.
When she was nine, she moved to the Orchard Prairie area with her family.
She cooked for St. Patrick Parish and the priests for several years and was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, St. Theresa Guild and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Her husband, Louis Abba, died in 1953.
She is survived by three daughters, Joanna Tackitt and Mary Lee Gaston, both of Spokane, and Anita “Martina” Richard of Port Townsend, Wash.; one son, Robert Abba of Rathdrum, Idaho; 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Henry Hopf Spokane
No service will be held for Henry S. Hopf, 88, at his request. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hopf, a 47-year Spokane resident, died Saturday. He was born in Earleigh Heights, Md.
He worked at various auto body shops as a body and fender man.
He was a member of the Machinist Union.
His wife, Margaret Hopf, died Dec. 28.
Survivors include two daughters, Sally Hansen of Issaquah, Wash., and Margaret Hansen of Woodsfield, Ohio; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
William Hemberry Spokane
Service for William H. Hemberry, 78, will be at 2 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Hemberry, a former Montana resident, died Saturday. He was born in Eli, Neb.
He had lived in Spokane for 10 years and had worked for the Northern Pacific and Burlington Northern railroads.
His first wife, Carolyn, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Pearl Hemberry; five daughters, Carol Abate of Fresno, Calif., Donna Schock of Spokane, Sharon Giles of Beaumont, Texas, Connie Aldrich of Salt Lake City and Patti Leistiko of Liberty Lake; two sons, Dennis Sierts of Yakima and Curtis Sierts of Kirkland, Wash.; two sisters, Helen Taskila of White Sulpher Springs, Mont., and Ruth Winters of Everett; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren
Memorials can be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Esther Bjornton Spokane
Visitation for Esther M. Bjornton, 85, is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Private inurnment will be at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Bjornton, who died Sunday, was born in Trent, S.D.
She had lived in Spokane for 50 years and worked at Deaconess Hospital as central services supervisor for 20 years. She retired in 1976.
She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church.
Her husband, Lawrence Bjornton, died in 1988.
Survivors include one son, Lawrence Bjornton of Spokane; three daughters, Donna Fischer of Spokane, Mary Ann Ambrose of Loon Lake, Wash., and Gloria Mason of Sacramento, Calif.; one brother, Frederick Johnson of Flandreau, S.D.; 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Lutheran Church.
Cleona Clift Mesa, Ariz.
Memorial service for Cleona Clift, 65, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Otis Orchards. Inurnment will be at the St. Joseph Cemetery. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Clift died of bone cancer last Tuesday in Mesa, Ariz.
She was born in Graham County, Kan.
Mrs. Clift had worked for Kaiser Aluminum at Trentwood and was a member of the United Steel Workers Union.
She is survived by her husband, Ray Clift of Greenacres; her mother, Juanita Rindfleisch of Spokane; two daughters, Patricia Clift of Spokane and Kathleen Clift of Redmond, Wash.; one son, Michael Clift of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Eugene Bergstrom Spokane
Private memorial service will be held for Eugene N. Bergstrom. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bergstrom, 77, died Friday.
He was born in Easterville, Iowa.
He married Genevieve Howard in 1940 and served as a pilot during World War II. He re-entered the military during the Korean War and retired from the Air Force as a major in 1963.
Mr. Bergstrom had lived in Spokane for 33 years and raised Hereford cattle.
He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Sue Cox of Florida; two sons, Eugene Bergstrom of Spokane and Howard Bergstrom of Bremerton; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
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