Obituaries
Martin Jinks Pullman
Service for Martin Jay Jinks, 52, was May 8 at Pullman Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Jinks, a Washington State University professor, died May 3. He was born in Fresno, Calif.
He graduated in pre-pharmacy from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964 and received a pharmacy degree in 1968 from the University of California-San Francisco.
He served as an educator, practitioner and health care volunteer and taught at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy from 1969 until 1975. From 1975 to 1977, he worked in private industry and served as a commercial health benefits management provider.
Starting in 1977, Mr. Jinks served as professor and chair of the pharmacy practice department in the College of Pharmacy at WSU. He also served as the pharmacist-consultant to the Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health program, and was a member of the Board of the Council on Aging and Human Services of Whitman County.
For the past five years he had served as a member of the United States Pharmacopoeia Pharmacy Practice Advisory Panel and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Washington State Pharmacist Association. He was installed as a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists this year.
He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Kathy; one son, David Jinks, and one daughter, Sara Jinks, both of Seattle; his mother and stepfather, Maxine and Ed Jones of Hanford, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Martin Jinks Memorial Scholarship at the College of Pharmacy, WSU, Pullman, WA 99164-6510.
Marjorie Rettig Vancouver, Wash.
Memorial service for Marjorie M. Rettig, 85, will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Ridge Dell Seventh-day Adventist Church in Vancouver. Inurnment will be at Pines Cemetery in Spokane. Vancouver Funeral Chapel in Vancouver is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rettig, a former longtime Spokane resident, died Saturday. She was born in Republic County, Kan.
She had lived in Buhl, Idaho, and Garden Springs, Wash.
She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.
When she was 25, she worked as a housekeeper in a Spokane hotel. She met Adie Rettig, who was staying at the hotel. They were married in 1935. Her husband died in 1987.
Mrs. Rettig had lived in Vancouver for the past 11 years.
She is survived by two sons, Tim Rettig of Loma Linda, Calif., and Michael Rettig of Portland; two daughters, Janice Link and Catherin Meidinger, both of Vancouver; one brother, Earl Davidson of Prosser, Wash.; one sister, Sylvia Riggs of Spokane; six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Adventist Disaster Relief Association, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
Charles Jayne Davenport, Wash.
Memorial service for Charles William Jayne, 89, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport.
Mr. Jayne died May 15. He was born in Edwall, Wash.
He graduated from Davenport High School and was chosen as a member of the 20-year All-Star Football Team of Lincoln County.
In 1934, he married Sarah Burdick, near Red Deer, Alberta, where they farmed until they moved to Spokane in 1939.
He and his wife operated a poultry farm and hatchery at Francis and Nevada.
They moved their family to Milan, Wash., in 1947, where he owned a general store and rental houses. He was a member of the Milan Volunteer Fire Department.
He and his wife retired to Davenport in 1974.
Mr. Jayne was a founding member and deacon of the Milan Baptist Church and the Davenport Baptist Church.
His wife of 59 years, Sarah, preceded him in death.
Survivors include two daughters, Clare Bollinger of Quincy, Wash., and Jeannette Liljegren of Veradale; two brothers, Laurence Jayne of Davenport, and Towner Jayne of Renton, Wash.; one sister, Edith Landfried of Spokane, and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Davenport Pioneer Plaza/ Gazebo fund in care of Wheatland Bank, P.O. Drawer 960, Davenport, WA 99122 or the Davenport Baptist Church.
Gladys Mann Spokane
Service for Gladys June Mann, 80, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Burial will follow. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mann, a 61-year Spokane resident, died Sunday. She was born in St. John, Wash.
She was a homemaker and had worked as a cook at the Ramada Inn.
Her husband, Francis Mann, died in 1972.
She is survived by two daughters, Barbara Januscheitis of Plymouth, Minn., and Roma Alviar of Spokane; two brothers, Larry Siegel of Spangle, Wash., and Lynn Siegel of Spokane; one sister, Norma Stutheit of Spokane; 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Jean Romberg Spokane
Memorial service for Jean A. Romberg, 72, will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Manito Presbyterian Church. There will be private inurnment.
Mrs. Romberg, who was born in Cleveland, died Saturday.
She had lived in Spokane since 1946 and helped co-found Andre-Romberg Insurance in 1946. She was a homemaker.
During World War II she worked in the Office of War Information in Washington, D.C.
She was a member of P.E.O. Chapter CW, a philanthropic educational organization, and was a member of Manito Presbyterian Church.
She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Harold Romberg; one son, Charlie Romberg of Spokane; one daughter, Carole Romberg of Fairbanks, Alaska; one brother, G.E. Fontaine of Virginia Beach, Va., and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Nobufusa Bitow Spokane
Memorial service for Nobufusa Bitow, 77, is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. There will be private inurnment.
Mr. Bitow, who was born in Portland, died Saturday.
He lived in Seattle as a child and in 1942 he enlisted in the Army. He joined the highly decorated 442nd Combat Team and served in the Italian campaign.
After his discharge from the Army in 1945, he joined his family in Spokane. In 1946 he went to work at Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp., in Trentwood.
He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the local Japanese American Citizens League.
His wife, Motoko Ishijima Bitow, preceded him in death.
He is survived by one sister, Ikuko Chan of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to Veterans of Foreign Wars No. 2218.
Erma Hall Spokane
Memorial service for Erma Catherine Hall, 81, is planned for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Good Samaritan Nursing Home Chapel. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Buffalo, Mont., Mrs. Hall died May 14.
She worked as a supervisor in a care center and had lived in Spokane from 1956 until 1983. She returned to Spokane in 1993.
She is survived by one daughter, Sherri Huffman of Spokane; one brother, Clifford Ristine of Stanwood, Wash., and one grandson.
Jeanne Melville Valley, Wash.
Service for A. Jeanne Melville, 61, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah, Wash. Burial will follow at Chewelah Memorial Park.
Mrs. Melville, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
She married John Melville in 1952, and graduated from Wenatchee High School the following year.
She was a member of the Assembly of God Church in Chewelah. She worked as a custodian for the church for many years.
Mrs. Melville is survived by her husband, John Melville; two sons, Ron Melville of Chattaroy, and Dave Melville of Valley; one daughter, Cheryl Farley of Valley, Wash.; one brother, Vernon Casey of East Wenatchee; two sisters, Mary Lyon of San Jose, Calif., and Carmen Collinison of Seattle; one half-sister, Ora Gutherie of Pawnee, Okla.; five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Paul Gunderson Spokane
Memorial service for Paul Gunderson, 85, will be at 2 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. There will be private inurnment.
Mr. Gunderson, who died Sunday, was born in Columbus, N.D.
He worked as a welder for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Co., in Trentwood.
He was a veteran of the Army Air Corps, and served as a sergeant in the 79th Fighter Group. He was a member of the Grayland, Wash., Grange.
His wife, Violet, died in 1987.
He is survived by one son, Gary Gunderson of Orofino, Idaho; one daughter, Donna Rohrenbach of Colbert; one sister, Judith Johnson of Minot, N.D.; four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
June LaFon Moscow, Idaho
Memorial service for June Alma LaFon, 82, will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at the First Christian Church in Coeur d’Alene. Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. LaFon, who was born near Mead, died Sunday.
She was raised and educated in Spokane, graduating from North Central High School in 1931. She was an accomplished violinist and worked as a lifeguard during high school.
She had lived in Murray, Kingston, and Magee, Idaho, before settling in Coeur d’Alene in 1946.
Mrs. LaFon moved to Moscow to be near family in 1988.
She was a Camp Fire Leader, past PTA president and Guardian of Job’s Daughters Bethel No. 7 in Coeur d’Alene. She was a lifetime member of Queen Esther Chapter 12, Order of the Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Matron, and Grand Chaplain of the State Grand Chapter.
She was precedeed in death by her husband, Walter, in 1988.
Survivors include a son, Warren LaFon of Edmonds, Wash.; two daughters, Marilyn Dixon of Redmond, Wash., and Laurel Mickelson of Moscow; two sisters, Dian Lee of Spokane, and Betty Leach of Bothell, Wash.; two brothers, R.D. Shaeffer of Spokane, and Dale Shaeffer of Dayton, Wash.; and six grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Joseph Abrahamson Wellpinit, Wash.
Wake for Joseph B. Abrahamson, is scheduled for 7 p.m. today at the Spokane Tribal Longhouse in Wellpinit. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the longhouse, with burial at Hubert Cemetery in Ford, Wash. Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeSouth is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Abrahamson, 65, died Sunday. He was born in Ford, Wash.
He had worked as a truck driver for more than 30 years, hauling logs and uranium at the Spokane Indian Reservation. He retired in 1990.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Kathleen Abrahamson; two sons, Joseph and Neal Abrahamson; one daughter, Wanda Abrahamson; five stepsons, Robert, Barney, Gregory, Deno and Adolph Abrahamson, all of the Wellpinit-Ford area; one brother, Emil Abrahamson, and one sister, Genevieve Wynne, both of the Wellpinit-Ford area; numerous grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Thomas Elder Spokane
Memorial service for Thomas Robert Elder, 76, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Garfield, Wash. Inurnment will be at the Garfield Cemetery at a later date.
Mr. Elder, a former longtime Garfield resident, died of kidney disease and heart failure Sunday at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. He was born in Alberta.
In 1924, his family moved to Garfield. He worked on the family farm with his father and worked for other farmers. He also worked for a Caterpillar company in Lewiston and for Crites Farm Corp., in Garfield, until 1944.
He served in the Army during World War II. In 1948, he married Nancy Watson in Spokane. They lived in Spokane for a few years, and moved to Garfield in 1951 to take over his father’s farm. He continued to farm for 28 years.
After he retired, they moved into Garfield, and he helped in the family flower shop, volunteered at the Garfield Cemetery, and helped in the family day-care business. They moved back to Spokane in 1995.
Mr. Elder was a member of the Methodist Church, Anchor Masonic Lodge and Eureka Chapter Order of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy; four daughters, Jeanie Peterson of Spokane, Janice Rager of Blue Lake, Wash., Cheryl Stone of Garfield, and Betsy Williams of Woodinville, Wash.; one brother, John Elder of Pullman; four sisters, Pauline Haggerty and Fern Leinweber, both of Roseville, Calif., Thelma Elkins of Nordman, Idaho, and Frances Weible of Othello, Wash.; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Peryl Patrick Spokane
Private graveside service for Peryl R. Patrick, 84, will be at 2 p.m. today at St. Joseph Cemetery. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Patrick, who was born in Outlook, Mont., died Sunday.
She was a homemaker and had lived in Spokane for more than 50 years.
Her husband, Gilbert Patrick, preceded her in death.
She is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Jerry Alford Spokane
Visitation for Jerry Alford, 79, is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mr. Alford, who was born in Sprague, Wash., died Monday.
He was raised in Kent, Wash., and moved to Spokane 45 years ago.
He retired in the mid-1970s as a truck driver for Pieroni Produce.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Jackie Alford; three sons, John, Frank, and Steve Alford, all of Spokane; two brothers, Harold and Russ Alford, both of Seattle, and five grandchildren.
Edith Gunter Ritzville
Service for Edith D. Gunter, 82, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Lind (Wash.) United Methodist Church. Burial will be at Lind Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gunter, who died Saturday, was born in Hettering, N.D.
She was a homemaker and was a member of the Eagles Auxiliary.
Her husband, Forest Gunter, died in 1994.
She is survived by one daughter, Ava Wahl of Lind; one sister, Helen Frankovich of Coeur d’Alene; four grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
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