Obituaries
Norman Gilchrist Spokane
Memorial service for Norman A. Gilchrist, 75, will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. There will be private inurnment.
Mr. Gilchrist, who died Friday at home, was born in Miles City, Mont., and graduated from high school there.
He graduated from Montana State College with a degree in electrical engineering.
He served in the Army during World War II and in the Army Reserve for 17 years, retiring as a major.
Mr. Gilchrist worked for the Bonneville Power Administration in Walla Walla, Seattle and Spokane.
He was a member of Opportunity Presbyterian Church, the Masonic Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, and El Katif Shrine Temple and was a charter member and past president of the Spokane Valley Shrine Club.
He served as a member of the board of governors of the Spokane Unit of the Shriner’s Hospital from 1982 to 1988 and was chairman of the board of governors of the Spokane Unit from 1987 to 1988. He also served on the board of directors of the United Way of Spokane County from 1978 to 1983.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Martha Ann; a son, William Gilchrist of Spokane; a daughter, Judith Wright of Spokane; and two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.
Virginia Davis Spokane
Graveside service for Virginia M. Davis, 77, is set for 11 a.m. Friday at Superior (Mont.) Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Superior, Mrs. Davis died Sunday.
She graduated from Superior High School and lived in Superior until 1965 when she moved to Spokane.
In Montana, she was a member of Mineral Rebekah Lodge No. 84 in Superior and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary No. 6238 in Superior and had worked as a cook at the St. Regis (Mont.) Truck Stop.
She had been a homemaker for the past 31 years.
Her husband, George Davis, died in 1980.
Survivors include a son, James Gullette of Superior; a daughter, Selma Lindor of Spokane; three brothers, Jack, Emil and Ray Viche, all of Montana; three grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.
Roy Badt Spokane
Visitation for Roy J. Badt, 84, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service will follow at 1 p.m. at Pines Cemetery Mausoleum.
Born in Farmington, Wash., Mr. Badt died Sunday.
He worked for the Spokane Air Technical Service Command, Maintenance Division, Flight Test Section, at Fairchild Air Force Base during World War II.
In the 1950s and 1960s, he worked for Appleway Chevrolet.
He retired in 1981 after 10 years in maintenance with the city of Spokane motor pool.
Mr. Badt was a professional musician and had played with numerous dance bands.
He married Lavon’d Parsons in 1976.
He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Lorraine Leighton of Spokane and Eileen Madison of Clayton, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Lynna Lou Larsen of Waitsburg, Wash.; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Gladys Letzring Pasco
No service will be held for Gladys Kathryn Letzring, at her request. Muellers Greenlee Funeral Home in Pasco is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Letzring, 83, a former Spokane resident, died Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes Health Center in Pasco.
She was born in Bismarck, N.D.
From 1942 to 1966, she and her husband, Edwin, owned and operated the Honeymoon Bay Resort in Spokane.
Her husband died in 1991, and she moved to Pasco.
Survivors include three daughters, Barbara, Mary Margaret and Judith..
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, in care of Juanita Keltch, P.O. Box 2038, Pasco WA 99302.
Howard Miller Sara Miller Spokane
Graveside service for Howard A. and Sara C. Miller, both 82, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fairmount Memorial Park. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Miller, a retired production manager for The Spokesman-Review and Spokane Chronicle, died Sunday.
He was born in Spokane.
Mrs. Miller, who was born in St. Maries, died Monday.
Mr. Miller worked for the former Spokane Press until it went out of business in 1939. He then worked for Safeway stores in Chewelah, Wash., and Sandpoint and began working at the Chronicle in 1942.
He held many positions at the newspapers, including night mailroom foreman, mailroom superintendent and assistant mechanical superintendent in the operations department. In 1970 he was promoted to mechanical superintendent. He was named production manager in 1977, and he retired in 1981.
Mrs. Miller was a member of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and both were members of the Athletic Round Table and the Brotherhood of Friends Lodge.
The Millers are survived by two sons, Joe Miller of Renton, Wash., and Jerry Miller of Spokane; Mrs. Miller’s sister, Helen Ranson of Mesa, Ariz.; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Parkinson’s Educational Program, 10105 N. Larchwood, Spokane, WA 99208.
Joseph Tuke Silverdale, Wash.
Memorial service for Joseph Wright Tuke, a former Spokane resident, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Cremation arrangements were made by Pendleton-Gilchrist Funeral Home in Port Orchard, Wash.
Mr. Tuke, 76, died Oct. 17.
He was born in Walla Walla, and graduated from high school there.
He married Bonnie Harrah in 1947 in Walla Walla and moved to Spokane three years later.
He served in the Army from 1940-1943 and worked for the Postal Service as a letter carrier for many years. His wife, Bonnie, died in 1989.
Mr. Tuke is survived by two sons, Larry Tuke of Silverdale and Gregory Tuke of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; a daughter, Teresa Charyn of Seattle; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Powerful Schools in care of Gregory Tuke, 3301 S. Horton, Seattle, WA 98144.
Walter Bates Soap Lake, Wash.
Service for Walter S. Bates, 79, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah, Wash. Burial will be at Chewelah Memorial Park.
Mr. Bates, who died Monday, was born in Cameron, Ill.
He came west in 1933 and worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in North Idaho, California and Oregon. In the late 1930s he went to work on a ranch in Pomeroy, Wash., and met Stella Paisley. They were married in Pomeroy in 1938.
He and his wife farmed in Pomeroy until 1947, when they moved to Rathdrum, Idaho. Mr. Bates worked for the Ohio Match Co. in Rathdrum and was a member of the Rathdrum School Board.
In 1970, they moved to Chewelah and farmed there until 1978.
He retired, and he and his wife traveled, with their journeys including three trips to Alaska via the Inland Passage in their own boat.
He is survived by his wife; three sons, Randy Bates of Chewelah, Rick Bates of Soap Lake and Stan Bates of Missoula, Mont; three daughters, Pat Bragg of Tacoma, Carole Monlux of Missoula and Louise Robeson of Spokane; a brother, Gordon Bates of San Antonio, Texas; a sister, Dorothy Rassmason of Lynnwood, Wash.; and 10 grandchildren.
Mark Goehrs Spokane
Funeral Mass for Mark James Goehrs, 29, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Goehrs died Friday.
A lifetime resident of Spokane resident, he worked as a hotel banquet director.
He is survived by a son, Mark Goehrs of Spokane; his parents, James and Jane Goehrs of Spokane; and a sister, Theresa Goehrs of Dillon, Colo. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Erling Halvorson Spokane
Visitation for Erling O. Halvorson, 83, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Service will be at 9 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Halvorson, who was born in Turtle Lake, N.D., died Friday.
He was a 54-year Spokane resident and was a member of Northwest Sheet Metal Workers Union No. 66.
He participated in activities with Day Out for the Blind.
Two wives preceded him in death; Helen in 1974 and Mae in 1991.
He is survived by a son, Harvey Halvorson of Silverdale, Wash.; a sister, Alvina McCay of Braddock, N.D.; three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lions Club or to Day Out for the Blind.
Louise Sloan Spokane
Graveside service for Louise C. Sloan, a 70-year Spokane resident, will be at 1 p.m. today at Riverside Memorial Park. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sloan, who was born in British Columbia, died Monday. She was 76.
She was a homemaker and was a member of Order of the Eastern Star.
Her husband, Eugene Sloan, died in 1988.
She is survived by two brothers, John Tortorelli of Spokane and George Tortorelli of Kennewick; and a sister, Carlie Vassar of Santa Rosa, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Leslie Cossette Spokane
Service for Leslie Thomas Cossette, 71, will be held at a later date. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Cossette, a 50-year Spokane resident, died Sunday.
He was born in Butte, Mont.
He had worked as a motel manager at the Eastwood, the Downtowner, the Royal Scott, Carol’s and Town Centre motels.
He also owned and operated Les’ Truck Wash on Sprague Avenue for many years.
Mr. Cossette was a World War II Navy veteran and was a member of the National Association for Uniformed Services-Washington No. 5.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Dolores Cossette.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Josephine Stone Odessa, Wash.
Memorial service for Josephine Helen Stone, 87, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Pullman. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Bremerton. Strate Funeral Home in Odessa is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Stone, who died Friday at Odessa Memorial Hospital, was born in Nampa, Idaho. She was a homemaker and a working partner to her husband, Leamon Stone, who died in 1972.
She is survived by two daughters, Jo Ann Melcher of Odessa and Janet Hinrichs of Moscow, Idaho; seven grandchildren, a stepgrandson, 12 great-grandchildren and four stepgreat-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society.
John De Lay Spokane
Service for John De Lay, 79, will be held at a later date. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. De Lay died Sunday.
He had lived in Spokane for 40 years and worked for Tingling and Powell and then for National Coil Co. for 28 years. He retired in 1983.
He was a World War II Navy veteran.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Laurette De Lay; a daughter, June Greenhill of Pacheco, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Benjamin Zimmerman Spokane
Memorial service for Benjamin C. Zimmerman, 86, is set for noon Saturday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mr. Zimmerman, who died Saturday, was born in Spokane and educated in Helena.
He began his mining career at the Vossburg Mine in Montana and in 1936 moved with his first wife, Emily, to the Philippine Islands, where he mined until joining the Army guerrilla forces in 1941.
He returned to Montana after the war and worked with Montana Power in Missoula for several years. He continued his mining career in Nicaragua for 16 years and in Africa for 18 years.
He retired to the Canary Islands in 1981 and moved to Spokane in 1982.
He was a ham radio operator.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Dolores Zimmerman, two daughters, Donna Larson and Glenda Lindsay, both of Spokane; a brother, Kenneth Zimmerman of Hot Springs, Ark.; four grandsons and three great-grandchilren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Public Library.
Mary Newman Post Falls
Memorial service for Mary Eileen Newman, 38, will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls. Ms. Newman, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Sunday. She was raised in Post Falls, graduating from high school there in 1977.
She was a homemaker and mother.
Survivors include two children, Tara and Ronnie, both at home; her parents, Frances and Vincent Rainier of Post Falls; three sisters, Dawn and Erin, both of Spokane, and Diane of Coeur d’Alene; and five brothers, Vince Jr. of North Carolina, Nicholas and Thomas, both of Colorado, Joseph of Post Falls and Vincent of Redmond, Wash.
Lola Acosta Spokane
Service for Lola May Acosta, 81, was Monday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ritzville (Wash.) Ward. Burial was at Ritzville Memorial Cemetery.
Mrs. Acosta, who died Friday, was born in Hanford, Calif.
She had lived in Ritzville since 1982, and previously had lived in California and Oregon.
Her first husband, Leslie Lantis, died in 1951.
Survivors include a son, Larry Lantis of Ritzville; a sister, Opal Nissen of Oregon; a brother, Virgil Cloud of Arizona; six grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
, DataTimes