Obituaries
Arville Wiedrich Wilbur, Wash.
Service for Arville P. Wiedrich, 63, will be at 11 a.m. today at Wilbur Lutheran Church. Burial will be at Wilbur Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wiedrich, who died Saturday, was born in Hazen, N.D.
He married Tarlene Reinhardt in 1955, and they moved to Silverton, Idaho, where he worked in the silver mines.
In 1959 the family moved to Wilbur, and Mr. Wiedrich worked on a farm and in a blacksmith’s shop. He later worked for the Lincoln County Road Department and retired early due to kidney failure.
He was a member of the Wilbur Volunteer Fire Department and an honorary member of the Wilbur Lions Club. He served as a deacon at Wilbur Lutheran Church.
He is survived by his wife; three daughters, Tammy Gimse of Gig Harbor, Wash., Twila Wiedrich of Yakima and Anita Jenkins of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; three brothers, Clarence, Hilmer and Myron Wiedrich, all of Hazen, N.D.; seven sisters, Selma Rathjen, Elda Guenthner, Viola Weisz, Regina Mohl, Arlene Reichenberg and Marilyn Sailer, all of Hazen, N.D., and Bonnie Miller of Ely, Minn.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Kidney Center or the Wilbur community memorial of choice.
Margret Deviny Spokane
Visitation for Margret Grace Deviny, 77, is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with burial at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery.
Born in Nashua, Mont., Mrs. Deviny died Saturday.
She graduated from high school in Glasgow, Mont., and attended business school in Montana.
She worked for James J. Williams Trucking Co. in Spokane until she married Jim Deviny in 1953. She was also a homemaker.
Mrs. Deviny was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Her husband died in 1987.
Survivors include a son, Jim Deviny of Veradale; and a daughter, Patty Deviny of Mattawa, Wash.
Lucille Foley Spokane
Funeral Mass for Lucille K. Foley, 76, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Foley, who was born in Milwaukee, Wis., died Sunday.
She was a 71-year Spokane resident and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.
During World War II she was one of the first female meter readers for Washington Water Power Co. She was also a homemaker.
She was a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish and the Deaf Catholic Community of St. Aloysius Parish.
Mrs. Foley is survived by her husband of 48 years, Joseph Foley, and a sister, Melba Sandberg, both of Spokane; a brother, Wilson Lauer of Deer Park; and her stepmother, Virginia Lauer of Gresham, Ore.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
Roland Gifford Gifford, Wash.
Memorial service for Roland D. Gifford, 76, will be at 1 p.m. today at Columbia Heights Assembly of God Church. Danekas Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gifford, a longtime resident of the Gifford area, died Sunday at home.
He worked as a truck driver for a Spokane company, first hauling groceries and then hauling freight and mail out of Spokane.
In 1944 he married Mary Anderson in Spokane. They moved to Gifford in 1947 and had also lived in Colville, Wash., for a short time.
Mr. Gifford worked in the logging industry and retired after an accident in the Brauner Mill.
He was a member of Columbia Heights Assembly of God Church and the Stranger Creek Grange.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Marlene Brittain of Chewelah, Wash.; a son, Ron Gifford of Gifford; two sisters, Verva Yaeger of Bridgeport, Wash., and Neva Harrington of Grand Coulee; two brothers, Gary Winings of Dover, Del., and Jim Winings of Kettle Falls, Wash.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hunters Assembly of God Memorial Fund.
Shirley Keefer Spokane
Graveside service for Shirley A. Keefer, 59, will be at 1 p.m. today at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery Chapel. Memorial Mass will be at 8 a.m. Jan. 21 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Keefer, who died Saturday, was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., and graduated from high school in Oklahoma.
She was a 25-year Spokane resident and had worked for Payless Shoes, Newberry’s, and as a cashier and waitress.
She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Colville, Wash.
Survivors include two sons, Michael and Clifford James Jr., both of Spokane; two daughters, Debbie Keller of Colville and Susan James of Kettle Falls, Wash.; a brother, Michael Thompson of Belgium; a sister, Donna Keefer of Alexandria; La., and 13 grandchildren.
Letta (Larson) Wilkie Spokane
Service for Letta F. (Larson) Wilkie, 81, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Wash. Burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in Harrington, Wash.
Mrs. Wilkie, a former Harrington resident, died Friday.
She was born in Glendive, Mont.
She worked as a nurses’ aide at Lincoln County Hospital in Davenport and also worked as a housekeeper and caregiver for the elderly.
She was a member of the Rebekah Lodge and the Women of the Moose.
Mrs. Wilkie is survived by two sons, Richard Bartlett of Widefield, Colo., and Jim Bartlett of Brewton, Ala.; a daughter, Sally Dickinson of Reardan, Wash.; two stepsons, Don Larson of Davenport and Les Wilkie of Lees Summit, Mo.; two sisters, Mildred Kelly of Tacoma and Carma Gale of Fresno, Calif.; 18 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
James Shasky Spokane
Vigil service for James E. Shasky, 70, is set for 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Shasky, who died Sunday, was born in Seattle.
He worked for 15 years delivering milk in Seattle before he moved his family to Spokane in 1968.
In Spokane he worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance until he retired in 1988.
After retirement, he was a volunteer with Catholic Charities.
He had served in the Army.
His wife, Ann, died last March.
Mr. Shasky is survived by two sons, John and James Shasky Jr., both of Spokane; a daughter, Laura “Rory” Rabourn of Seattle; a brother, George Shasky, and a sister, Helen Vangel, both of Seattle; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Thomas More Catholic Church Building Fund.
Annie Hall Spokane
Service for Annie G. Hall, 92, will be at 1 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Hall, who was born in Winfield, Texas, died Saturday.
She had lived in Spokane for more than 54 years and was a homemaker.
She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and the Northeast Community Center.
Her husband, William Hall, died in 1967.
Mrs. Halle is survived by two daughters, DeLoris Hegewald of Spokane and Shirley Porter of Greenacres; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Thomas Bennett Spokane
Service for Thomas E. Bennett, 82, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Bennett, former owner of Bennett Insurance Agency, died Sunday.
He was born in Susanville, Calif.
He moved to Spokane in 1957 and opened his insurance agency. He retired in 1975.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nerene; two daughters, Judyth Nikolas of Wenatchee and Janis Britton of Spokane; four grandsons and two great-grandchildren.
Donald O’Connell Spokane
Memorial Mass for Donald R. O’Connell, 84, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Charles Catholic Church. Inurnment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. O’Connell, who died Sunday, was born in Marysville, Mont.
He was raised in Helena and served in the Air Force during World War II.
He married Blanche Pipal in 1946 and then moved to Spokane.
He worked for Bonneville Power before retiring in 1969.
He was a volunteer with Meals on Wheels.
Mr. O’Connell is survived by his wife; two sons, Patrick O’Connell of Seattle and Timothy O’Connell of Portland; a brother, George O’Connell of Fort Bragg, Calif.; a sister, Evelyn Blomgren of Cottonwood, Ariz.; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Kidney Center or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Vera Brennan Spokane
Visitation for Vera V. Brennan, 94, is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service will follow at 2 p.m. at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. There will be private burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Brennan, who died Saturday, was born in Sprague, Wash.
She was a longtime Spokane resident and had been a sales person with The Crescent from the mid-1940s until she retired in 1964.
She was a member of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.
Her husband of 29 years, Morris Brennan, died in 1958.
She is survived by two daughters, Pat Butler of Richland and Barbara Balsz of Mead; six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Fredericka Hansen Spokane
Vigil service for Fredericka “Freddie” Hansen, 72, is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Memorial Mass will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hansen, who died Sunday, was born in La Grande, Ore.
She attended East Oregon State College and then moved to Spokane in 1963 from Enterprise, Ore. She was a homemaker.
Her husband of 47 years, Lyle, died in 1994.
She is survived by two sons, Gregory and Patrick Hansen, both of Spokane; a daughter, Mary Eggers of Mead; and nine grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Edith Strayer Oldtown, Idaho
Memorial service for Edith G. Strayer, 90, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash. Private inurnment will be held at a later date.
Mrs. Strayer, who died Saturday, was born in Spokane.
She was an Oldtown resident for more than 70 years and was a member of the Idaho Hill Economics Club.
She was known as the “Raspberry Lady” and “Grandma E” in the Oldtown area.
Her husband, Thomas Strayer, died in 1949.
Survivors include two sons, Thomas Strayer of Oldtown and Albert Strayer of Newport; eight grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Newport Cemetery.
Elizabeth Bodey Olympia
Visitation for Elizabeth Anne “Betty” Bodey, a former Spokane resident, is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery. Olympic Funeral Home in Tumwater, Wash., and Thornhill Valley Funeral Home are in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bodey, 77, died Saturday in Olympia, where she had lived for the past year and a half.
She was born in Lynchburg, Va., and graduated from St. Maries High School in Idaho and Lewiston Normal School.
She taught in small schoolhouses in Idaho and was a homemaker.
In 1950 she married Thomas Bodey in Coeur d’Alene. He died in 1985.
She had been a Girl Scout leader and was a member of the Milwaukee Railroad Women’s Club, the Orchard Avenue Women’s Club and the Christian Fellowship.
Survivors include three sons, John Bodey of Colfax, Wash., Michael Bodey of Latah and Scott Bodey of St. Maries; two daughters, Colleen Theade and Kimberly Bergman, both of Olympia; a brother, Keith Tracy of Cheney; 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Clark Meinhart Spokane
Service for Clark O. Meinhart, 79, will be Thursday at 3 p.m. at Coffelt’s Moon Chapel in Sandpoint. Burial will be at the Westmond Cemetery. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Meinhart, who was born in Spokane, died Jan. 6.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and attended Gonzaga University before serving with the merchant marine during World War II.
Mr. Meinhart returned to Spokane and owned a dry cleaning business before moving to a farm in Pullman in the 1950s.
He worked at Washington State University as an assistant to the mechanical engineering faculty, retiring in 1976. After his retirement, he moved to the Birch Bay area near Sandpoint.
He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1989 and then to Spokane last year.
Mr. Meinhart was a member of the Sandpoint First Christian Church, the Elks Lodge, the Scottish Rite, Calam Temple of Lewiston and Whitman Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Annette; a daughter, Theresa Gamon of Spokane; a sister, Lillian Lynch of Arizona; and two grandsons.
Connie (Wendel) Snow Spokane
Memorial service for Connie E. (Wendel) Snow, 54, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Inurnment will be at a later date at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Snow, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Sunday.
She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and studied cosmetology at Spokane Community College. She also attended Kinman Business University.
She worked at a beauty salon until 1983.
Mrs. Snow was a member of Northside Church of Christ.
She is survived by her husband, Craig Snow; her parents, Charles and Maxine Wendel of Spokane; two daughters, Zsa Zsa Chinn and Andreana Dwyer, both of Spokane; and four grandchildren.
Dale Rada St. Maries
Memorial service for Dale Craig Rada, 44, will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Post Falls. English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Rada, who was born in Wolf Point, Mont., died Sunday.
In 1965 he moved to Post Falls and in 1968 to Lewiston, where he worked as a saw operator for the Potlatch Corp. lumber mill until retiring on a medical disability.
Mr. Rada returned to Post Falls in 1983 and was a member of the Calvary First Lutheran Church.
He moved to Valley Vista Nursing Home in St. Maries in 1992.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Jeanette Rada.
Survivors include two sons, Dustin Rada, in the Army, and Craig Rada of Lewiston; two sisters, Cheryl Clawson of Nebraska and Bonnie Walker of Post Falls; two brothers, Mike Rada of Vancouver, Wash., and Gary Rada of Medical Lake; and his father and stepmother, Boyd and Lynda Rada of Spokane.
Memorials may be made to the Huntington Disease Society of America, 140 W. 22nd, Sixth Floor, New York, NY 10011-2420.
Warren Higgins Jr. Priest River, Idaho
A memorial gathering for Warren Eathen Higgins Jr. will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at 1161 Riverside Drive in Priest River. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Higgins, who was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, died Sunday. He was 77.
He served in the Navy during World War II and then worked as a mason and bricklayer. He was a resident of Priest River and Spokane for the past 22 years.
He was a member of Brick Layers Union No. 3 and the USS Hornet Club.
Mr. Higgins is survived by his wife, RaNae (Bullock) Higgins; one stepson, Tom Razo of Addy, Wash.; five stepdaughters, Thersa Westerfield of Spokane, Denise Grant of Priest River, Linda Kruger of Airway Heights, Lori Majerus of the Spokane Valley and Rose Shymanski of Alaska; 12 stepgrandchildren and one stepgreat-grandchild.
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