Obituaries
Joe Babbitt Pullman
Visitation for Joe B. Babbitt, 85, will be from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Kimball Funeral Home. Graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Pullman Cemetery. Memorial celebration will follow at Simpson United Methodist Church in Pullman.
Mr. Babbitt, who was born in Chicago, died Thursday.
He graduated from Tahoma High School in Tacoma and from Washington State College, where he received a degree in forestry in 1934.
Mr. Babbitt worked on survey crews for the U.S. Forest Service in Minnesota and North Idaho and also worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps and managed camps in Genesee, Idaho, and Hepner, Ore.
In 1935, he married Rowena Creighton in Moscow and they returned to the Creighton family farm in Pullman in 1937 and worked in the farm operation until 1996.
Mr. Babbitt refereed basketball in Whitman County for many years and was instrumental in starting the wrestling program in the Pullman School District.
He received recognition for more than 40 years of service to the Washington State Wrestling Association and was inducted into the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1996 he received the Dr. Wm. A. Tomaras Award for leadership in the development and promotion of wrestling in Washington.
Mr. Babbitt was a member of Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Washington Pea and Lentil Association, Pullman Grange Supply Board, Pine Grove Grange, Whitman County Officials Association, Whitman County Solid Waste Advisory Committee and was a past board member of the YMCA.
His first wife died in 1972.
In 1973 he married Virginia Loomis in California and returned to live on the family farm.
He is survived by his wife; two sons, Leroy Babbitt of Sumner, Wash., and Jerry Babbitt of Kodiak, Alaska; a daughter, Janice Whitman of Pullman; four stepchildren, Jerry VanDyke of Deary, Idaho, Fern Walker and Lois Hamilton, both of Spokane, and Larry Loomis of Moscow; 31 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren.
Richard Hall Moscow, Idaho
Visitation for Richard G. Hall, 78, will be held today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow. Service will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Vault burial will follow at Moscow Cemetery.
Mr. Hall, who was born in Genesee, Idaho, died Sunday.
He grew up and graduated from Moscow High School and went on to serve with the Air Force during World War II in Italy, France, England and North Africa.
Mr. Hall worked for the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 1972.
He operated a saw filing business from his home after his retirement until 1977.
Mr. Hall was a member of the American Legion Post No. 6, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Latah County Historical Society, the Idaho Vandal Boosters and the Moscow Bear Boosters.
Survivors include two brothers, Robert “Bob” Hall of Coeur d’Alene and Gale Hall of California; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, c/o Nancy Shell, 524 Linden Drive, Lewiston, ID 83501.
Maxine Franklin Post Falls
At her request, no service will be held for Maxine Harriet Stephen Franklin, 69. English Funeral Home in Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Franklin, who was born in Wisconsin, died Saturday.
She had lived in Montana and Wyoming before moving to Post Falls in 1985.
Ms. Franklin had worked testing cattle for the state of Montana and later at the Post Falls Senior Citizen Store, the Post Falls School District and then as a home health care provider.
Survivors include a daughter, Penny McCullough of Wyoming; three sisters, Florence Patient and Helen Guyette, both of Wisconsin, and Shirley Christiansen of Montana; a stepsister, Bertha Clark of Wisconsin; three grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Post Falls Food Bank, 1420 Third Ave., Post Falls, ID 83854.
Grace Harrison Hayden Lake, Idaho
Family service for Grace Vivian Harrison, 94, will be held at a later date. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Harrison, who was born in Oregon, died Saturday.
She lived in Oregon for 50 years and volunteered for the Skywatch program during World War II.
Mrs. Harrison moved to Hayden Lake nine years ago.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Basil.
Survivors include a son, Lyle Harrison of South Korea; two daughters, Masil Hulse of Hayden Lake and Vivian Campbell of Oregon; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
David Balch Spokane
Private service for David R. Balch, 69, was held.
Mr. Balch, who was born in Potlatch, Idaho, died Friday.
At age 13, he went to work for Balch Lumber Company in Spokane, pulling lumber on the green chain. Mr. Balch graduated from Sandpoint High School in Sandpoint.
He went to work, in 1950, for Rutherford’s Triple XXX as manager and then served in the Air Force.
Mr. Balch graduated from Gonzaga University in 1962 with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering.
He worked for Washington Water Power for a few years before starting Aztech Electric in 1968. He did commercial-industrial contract work and overhead-underground utilities.
Survivors include his wife, Nettie; three stepsons, George Giese of Yakima, Frank Giese of Monroe, Wash., and Ken Giese of Tacoma; three brothers, Conrad Balch of Spokane, Loren Balch of Sagle, Idaho and Charles Balch of Kalispell, Mont.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Gonzaga University Engineering Department.
Thanh Nguyen Spokane
Service for Thanh Van Nguyen, 70, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home.
Mr. Nguyen, who was an 18-year Spokane resident, died Saturday.
He was born in Saigon, Vietnam.
Mr. Nguyen worked as an auto body repairman for Ralph’s Auto Body Shop.
Survivors include his wife of 24 years, Quyen; a son, Dat Nguyen of Spokane; two daughters, Chi and Phuong Nguyen, both of Spokane; and a brother, Them Nguyen of Salem, Ore.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church or Cancer Patient Care of Spokane.
Alfhild Leinum Coeur d’Alene
Graveside service for Alfhild Tillie Leinum, 86, is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Leinum, a lifetime Coeur d’Alene resident, died Saturday.
She homesteaded in the Cougar Gulch area and attended schools in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Leinum was a homemaker and a member of the Lutheran church in Coeur d’Alene.
Her husband, Arthur, died in 1964.
Survivors include a daughter, Carol Jacobson of Coeur d’Alene; two sisters, Theresa Mossburg of Coeur d’Alene and Adelia Gaston of Hayden Lake, Idaho; a brother, Alvin Gustafson of Spokane; two grandchildren, Sevi and Brenda; and one great-grandchild, Cody.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Norman Saxe Hayden, Idaho
Visitation for Norman Eugene Saxe, 70, will be today from 3 to 8 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene and Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Hayden Lake Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Urn burial will be at Forest Cemetery at a later date.
Mr. Saxe, who was born in California, died Thursday.
He grew up and graduated from high school in California and went on to serve with the Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
Mr. Saxe later worked as an engineer in the communications industry, retiring in 1987.
He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1991. He was an Eagle Scout and spendt 16 years as a volunteer scouter.
Mr. Saxe was past president of the 20-30 Club No. 9 and was a past master of a Masonic lodge in California.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints Hayden Second Ward, and the National Eagle Scout Association.
Survivors include his wife, Inga; a son, Raymond Saxe II of Hayden; three daughters, Dorothy Phelps and Inger Saxe, both of California and Kristina Gainer of Newport News, Va.; his mother, Dorothy Saxe of Hayden; a brother, Emmett Saxe of California; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Children’s Village, 1350 W. Hanley Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Marlus Tews Spokane
Memorial service for Marlus D. Tews, 67, will be held at a later date at the Fraternal Cemetery in Chelan, Wash. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements and cremation.
Mrs. Tews, a former Chelan resident, died Thursday.
She was born in Arthur, N.D., and graduated from high school there.
Mrs. Tews then moved to Chelan, Wash., where she was a homemaker.
She moved to Spokane in 1972.
Mrs. Tews was a member of the Chelan Eagles Auxiliary 2218 and TOPS 488 in Spokane.
Survivors include her husband, Kenneth; two sons, Kenneth Tews of New Castle, Wash., and Michael Tews of Chelan; a daughter, Terry Tews of Veradale; two sisters, Esther Ananson of Ada, Minn., and Bernice Tharpe of Moscow, Idaho; a brother, Robert Blake of Omak, Wash.; five grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Margia Nelson St. Maries
Memorial service for Margia M. Nelson, 76, was Monday at Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries. Mrs. Nelson, who was born in St. Maries, died Thursday.
She grew up in St. Maries and in 1939 graduated from St. Maries High School. She worked for Boeing Aircraft during World War II.
Mrs. Nelson lived in the South before returning to St. Maries where she worked for Davis & Link Clothing, retiring in 1988.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray, in 1983.
Survivors include three sons, James Fergason III of Alabama, Gregary Fergason of Kentucky and Larry Nelson of St. Maries; two daughters, Judy Martin of Iowa and Janice Norris of Ohio; her mother, JoElla Johnston of St. Maries; a sister, Janet Wilhelm of Spokane; 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Center, 204 Fort Place, P.O. Box 1100, Boise, ID 83701.
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