Obituaries
Walter ‘Wimpy’ Redfern Post Falls
Service for Walter Wilbur “Wimpy” Redfern, 75, will be today at 1 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at 3:30 p.m. at the Goldenrod Cemetery in Tekoa, Wash. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Redfern, a local aviator, died Sunday. He was born in Joplin, Mont., and graduated from high school in Tekoa.
He served with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He then returned to Tekoa and owned Redfern and Sons Inc. until retiring in 1969.
He moved to Henley Aerodrome at Silverwood Airport in 1973 and built 13 award-winning airplanes during his aviation career. He later moved to Post Falls.
Mr. Redfern was inducted into the World War I Aviation Hall of Fame in 1992 and given the Master Builder Award.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the United Church of Christ in Tekoa, the American Legion and Kiwanis International.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Velda; two sons, Dan Redfern and Floyd Redfern, both of California; a sister, Louise Breese of Spokane; and two granddaughters.
Ruth Brakefield Spokane
Visitation for Ruth I. Brakefield, 80, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Fourth Memorial Church.
Born on a homestead near Ione, Wash., Mrs. Brakefield died Saturday.
She moved to Spokane as a child with her family and graduated from Central Valley High School.
She was a homemaker and had worked as a cook at Five Mile Elementary School from 1957 to 1962.
She was a member of Fourth Memorial Church and the Five Mile Homemakers Club.
She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Charles Brakefield; two daughters, Kay Olsen of Liberty Lake and Diane Phillips of Spokane; two sons, Larry Brakefield of Oregon City, Ore., and Tom Brakefield of Redmond, Ore.; two sisters, Myrtle Reynolds of Longview, Wash., and Doris Wilson of Painted Post, N.Y.; two brothers, Larry Mansfield of Bremerton and August Mansfield of Portland; seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Fourth Memorial Church Building Fund.
Mary Rooney Spokane
Funeral Mass for Mary F. Rooney, 83, will be at 1 p.m. today at Assumption Catholic Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rooney, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Monday.
She graduated from Holy Names Academy and Sacred Heart School of Nursing.
She married Robert Rooney in 1949 in Yakima.
Mrs. Rooney served in the Army Nurses Corps during World War II and then worked at Sacred Heart Hospital before retiring in 1976.
She is survived by her husband; and one son, James Rooney of Spokane.
Anna Mays Kennewick
Private service for Anna Dorothea Mays, 82, was held.
Mrs. Mays, a former Spokane resident, died Friday at her nieces’ home in Kennewick. She was born in Twin Falls, Idaho.
She had lived in Spokane for 25 years and worked in a dry cleaning shop.
She moved to Kennewick in 1995.
She was a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Spokane.
Mrs. Mays’ survivors include one sister, Agnes Jacobson of Kennewick.
Pauline Lang Spokane
Memorial service for Pauline K. Lang, 69, will be at 1 p.m. today at Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of cremation.
Mrs. Lang, who was born in Dayton, Ohio, died Thursday.
She graduated from prep school in Indiana and from Radcliffe College.
She had worked at Filene’s Basement of Boston for five years until she married Henry Lang Jr. in 1955.
The couple moved to Seattle and settled in Spokane.
In Spokane she had worked as the office manager and secretary for her husband’s pediatric-cardiology practice.
Her husband, Henry Lang, died in 1984.
She is survived by one son, Mark Lang, and two daughters, Melissa Horton and Tamara Owens, all of Spokane; one brother, Nevin Kuhl of Washington D.C.; four grandchildren and five stepgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Gladys Freeman Spokane
Funeral Mass for Gladys M. (Gregersen) Freeman, 79, is planned for 10 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Born in Alton, Iowa, Mrs. Freeman died Sunday.
She had lived in Spokane for more than 60 years and worked as a secretary.
Her husband, George Freeman, died in 1983.
She is survived by one son, Peter Freeman of Spokane; one daughter, Marilyn Sexton of Everett; two sisters, Pearl Johnson of Spokane and Lucille Dolezal of Las Vegas, Nev.; three brothers, Donald and Joseph Gregersen, both of Spokane, and Charles Gregersen of San Jose, Calif.; seven grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alderwood Manor Transportation Fund, 3600 E. Hartson, Spokane, WA 99202.
Frank Toombs Spokane
Service for Frank H. Toombs, 77, will be at 1 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mr. Toombs, who died Saturday, was born at Eastend, Saskatchewan. He moved to Spokane in 1934 from Canada.
He worked most of his life as a logger and lived in Ten Mile, Ore. He returned to Spokane when he retired.
He served in the Navy during World War II.
Mr. Toombs is survived by one daughter, Janey Parker of Ten Mile; five sons, Jerry Toombs of Tempe, Ariz., David Toombs of Crescent, Ore., and Gary, Paul and Dennis Toombs; two brothers, Paul Toombs of Spokane and Donald Toombs of Stavely, Alberta; two sisters, Eva Anderson of Spokane and Lola Lutz of Gull Lake, Saskatchewan; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Orlo Harding Spokane
Service for Orlo M. Harding, 92, will be at 2 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Harding, who died Sunday, was born in Wilbur, Wash.
He owned Northwest Sandblast and was a self-employed painting contractor.
He was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church.
Mr. Harding is survived by his wife, Ida; two sons, Kenneth Harding of Spokane and Homer Harding of Panorama City, Calif.; one daughter, Barbara Scarborough of Okanogan, Wash.; 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Immanuel Baptist Church.
Elnora Crosby Spokane
Graveside service for Elnora Crosby, 66, is planned for 3 p.m. today at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Crosby, who died Saturday, was born in Columbia, S.C.
She and her husband, Elisha Crosby, moved to Spokane 42 years ago.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband died in 1994.
Mrs. Crosby is survived by six daughters, Bobbie Crosby of California, Shirley Crosby of Columbus, Ohio, Anntoinette and Brenda Lee Crosby and Jacqueline Fountain, all of Spokane, and Sandra Greene of Watertown, N.Y.; and 10 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Hospice of Spokane.
Daisy Sutter Spokane
Memorial service for Daisy Mary Sutter, 75, will be at 2 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mrs. Sutter, who was born in Mill City, Ore., died Friday.
She graduated from high school in Oregon and became a licensed practical nurse in the early 1960s.
She worked at Sacred Heart Medical Center as an LPN and a lab technician. She moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1968 and worked at a hospital there.
Mrs. Sutter returned to Spokane in 1971 and worked as a private-duty nurse.
She is survived by her husband of 27 years, F.L. “Bud” Sutter; two daughters, Diana Hammond of Montgomery, Ala., and Norma Jo Johnson of Anchorage; and five grandchildren.
Robert Treffry Spokane
Memorial service for Robert C. “Bob” Treffry, 76, will be at 10 a.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mr. Treffry, who died Sunday, was born in Eugene, Ore.
He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star.
He married Helen Ousley in 1944 in Indiana.
Mr. Treffry was a self-employed carpenter and had lived in Spokane for more than 70 years.
He was a member of the John Birch Society and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He is survived by his wife; one son, Larry Treffry of Spokane; two daughters, Dianne Strand of Newport, Wash., and Elaine Morgan of Spokane; and five grandchildren.
Sarah Carter Newport, Wash.
Graveside service for Sarah Carter, 78, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Newport Cemetery. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangement.
Mrs. Carter, a 16-year Newport resident, died Monday at a care center in Spokane. She was born in Terry, Mont.
She moved to Newport from Portland in 1980.
She was a homemaker and was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Her survivors include three sons, Gerald Carter of Boise, Ron Carter of Richmond, Ind., and Garrie Carter of Bentonville, Ark.; two daughters, Connie Miller of Portland and Victoria Carter of Wichita, Kan.; one sister, Minnie Wageman of Newport; one brother, Ernest Schaak of Spokane; and nine grandchildren.
Howard ‘Bud’ Thompson Spokane
Memorial service for Howard J. “Bud” Thompson, 79, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Heritage Congregational Church. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Thompson, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Saturday.
He worked as a firefighter for the city of Spokane for more than 30 years and retired in 1976.
He served in the Marine Corps during World War II and was a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.
He was also a member of the Retired Fire Fighters Association; Hillyard Masonic Lodge No. 133; and Samaritan Lodge No. 52, International Order of Odd Fellows.
He is survived by his wife, Lillian Thompson; one son, Duane Thompson of Boise; one daughter, Carol Thompson-Adkins of Deer Park; one sister, Lily Grismer of Monroe, N.C.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Edith McMillan Hope, Idaho
Memorial service for Edith Mae McMillan, 85, will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Coffelt’s Moon Chapel in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. McMillan, who was born in Waverly, died Sunday.
She moved to Sandpoint in 1916 and graduated from Sandpoint High School. She moved to Washington in 1936, living in Colville and Davenport.
She later moved to Othello, Wash., before moving to Hope in 1972.
Mrs. McMillan enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing cards and bowling.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack. Survivors include two sons, Don McMillan of Quincy, Wash., and Bobby Moore of Sandpoint; a sister, Minnie Shepard of Spokane; a brother, Bud Hadley of Sandpoint; 13 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
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