Obituaries
Henry Vojtech Priest River, Idaho
Private memorial service for Henry “Hank” Vojtech, 77, will be held at a later date. The Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Vojtech, who was born in Cleveland, died Thursday.
He served in the Navy during World War II and had worked as a heavy equipment operator and for the Alaska Railroad.
Mr. Vojtech is survived by his wife of 27 years, Linda; three sons, Ronald and Daniel Vojtech, both of Ohio, and John Vojtech of Priest River; a daughter, Jamie Vojtech at the home; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bonner Community Hospice.
Sister Mary Janet Newberry, S.P. Spokane
Funeral Mass for Sister Mary Janet (Dorothy May) Newberry, 82, will be at 10:30 a.m. today at Mount St. Joseph Convent. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
She had worked as a nurse in Muskegon, Mich., and served in the United States Army Nurses Corps as a nurse and was a commissioned officer.
In 1945 she entered the Novitiate of the Sisters of Providence in Seattle. She made her first profession of vows in 1947 and her final vows in 1950.
She received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from the College of Great Falls (Mont.).
Sr. Newberry was a licensed nurse in Idaho, Montana and Washington. Her ministry assignments included hospitals and care centers in Seattle, Everett, Wash., Olympia, Missoula, Great Falls, Mont., Fort Benton, Mont., Colfax, Wash., Wallace, Idaho, and Spokane. She worked at Sacred Heart Hospital from 1950 to 1952 and returned to Spokane to St. Joseph Nursing Home from 1975 to 1987.
She retired at Mount St. Joseph in Spokane in 1987.
Survivors include a brother, William Newberry and a sister, Claire Multer, both of Coldwater, Mich.
Paul Pearson Spokane
Funeral Mass for Paul P. Pearson, 84, is planned for 10 a.m. today at St. Peter Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Born in Bayview, Idaho, Mr. Pearson died Friday.
He helped build Farragut Naval Base, Kaiser Trentwood and also worked at the Naval Supply Depot.
He retired from School District 81 after 20 years as an operating engineer.
He was a member of Eagles Lodge No. 2 and the Operating Engineers Union.
Mr. Pearson is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dorothy; a son, Rod Pearson and a daughter, Glory Peel, both of Spokane; a sister, Emerald Christian of Lewiston, Idaho; four grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lilac Blind Foundation.
Gerald Baird Post Falls
Memorial service for Gerald R. Baird, 63, will be at 2 p.m. at Wednesday at the English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls. Mr. Baird, who was born in Cheney, died Sunday.
He had lived in Wilbur, Wash., and served as mayor for two years as well as serving on the city council for 14 years.
Mr. Baird owned Billy Burger in Wilbur, and was a member of the Spokane and Almira gun clubs, and the Grand Coulee, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls Eagles lodges.
He moved to Post Falls three years ago and served as a Post Falls volunteer firefighter and with the Tourism and Parks Service at the Huetter rest stop.
Survivors include his wife, Neadda; a son, Jerry Baird of Spokane; a daughter, Kathy Thomas of Hartline, Wash.; a brother, Jay Baird of Spangle; a sister, Judy Kruger of Spangle; and four grandchildren.
Ricky Franetich Spokane
Service for Ricky J. Franetich, 15, will be 1 p.m. today at Westgate Christian Church. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of the arrangements.
Born in Spokane, he died Thursday from gunshot wounds.
He is survived by his parents, Tony and Debra Franetich, and four brothers, Ray, Tony, Jason and Jeriehmie Franetich all of Spokane.
Fern O’Bleness Worley, Idaho
Graveside service for Fern D. O’Bleness, 90, will be at 11 a.m. today at at the Evergreen Cemetery in St. Maries. Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. O’Bleness, who was born in Missouri, died Friday.
She grew up in Kansas and graduated from high school there in 1926.
Mrs. O’Bleness moved to Bonner County in 1934 and was a homemaker.
She moved to Quincy, Wash., in 1954 and attended Eastern Washington University, receiving a bachelor of science degree in education in 1954.
She taught elementary education in Quincy before moving to Portland, where she also taught.
Mrs. O’Bleness retired in 1969 and moved to Worley in 1992.
Her husband, Alvin, died in 1994.
Survivors include a son, Lowell O’Bleness of Soap Lake, Wash.; three daughters, Arlene Jenneskens of Worley, and Idonna O’Bleness and Marilyn McConnell, both of Arizona; a brother, Earl Dunn of Oregon; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Donald Verhei Spokane
A private gathering for Donald Richard Verhei, 55, was June 14.
Mr. Verhei, who was born in Seattle, died June 12.
He worked as a carpenter on dams including The Dalles, John Day and Grand Coulee Dam. He later became part of the Carpenter Apprenticeship Program working as the assistant coordinator and then as coordinator of the program.
Mr. Verhei was a member of the Carpenter’s Union.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Patricia; a daughter, Robin Harken of Veradale; a son, Todd Verhei; his parents, Donald and Phyllis Verhei of Sandpoint; a brother, Larry Verhei of Federal Way, Wash.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Multiple Sclerosis Society Inland Empire Chapter.
Miriam Ball Spokane
Service for Miriam A. Ball, 84, was Monday at Central United Methodist Church. Burial was at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mrs. Ball, who was born in Kansas City, Mo., died Thursday.
She was a member of the Central United Methodist Church, P.E.O. Chapter E, Women of the Rotary Spokane Club 21, the Deaconess Auxiliary and the Residential Council of the Academy.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Elwood Ball.
Survivors include two daughters, Susan Balazs of Spokane and Linda Ball-DiGirolama of Sandpoint; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Central United Methodist Church.
Vida Young Spokane
Service for Vida “Vi” E. Young, 85, will be at 2 p.m. today at the Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Born in Cambridge, Minn., Mrs. Young died Friday.
Mrs. Young worked for Goodwill Industries as a sales director and retired in 1977.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Cecil Jenkins, who died in 1946, and Howard Young, who died earlier this year.
She is survived by three daughters, Beverly Middleton of Spokane, Pammy Fox of Auburn, Wash., and Patti Olson of Enumclaw, Wash.; a son, Kenneth Jenkins of Kent, Wash.; two stepsons, Ron Young and Jim Marr; two stepdaughters, Cheryl Brownlee and Janice Gross; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Beverly Anderson Spokane
Memorial service for Beverly D. Anderson, 82, is planned for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Heritage Funeral Home.
Mrs. Anderson, who was born in Cloquet, Minn., died Saturday.
She had lived in Spokane for 80 years and was a dietician/cook at Riverview Terrace.
She was also a private health care provider to many local families.
Mrs. Anderson is survived by a son, Gerald Anderson; two daughters, Verna Johnson of Spokane and Janice Curtis of Waverly, Wash.; two sisters, Ramona Learned and Guinevere Cook, both of Sacramento, Calif; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Merton Robbins Green Bluff
Service for Merton Robbins, 92, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Green Bluff United Methodist Church in Colbert. Graveside service was Monday at Peone Prairie Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Robbins, who was born near Moran and Greenacres, died Wednesday.
He was a farmer on Green Bluff for more than 38 years and was also a volunteer fireman.
Mr. Robbins was a member of the Green Bluff Grange and the Green Bluff United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Hattie Robbins; two daughters, Lela Stucker and Marlea Sheridan; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Clorine ‘Corky’ Baney Bonners Ferry
Service for Clorine I. “Corky” Baney, 67, will be at 10 a.m. today at the Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Private burial will be at the Paradise Valley Cemetery.
Mrs. Baney, who was born in Wyoming, died Thursday.
She attended school in Bonners Ferry and worked at the Panhandle Cafe.
Mrs. Baney moved to Tacoma, Wash., and worked as an operator for Northwest Bell before returning to Boundary County, where she worked for the I.G.A. store.
Survivors include her husband, Gaylord; three sons, Wendell Hendricks of Valley, Wash., Randy Hendricks of Spokane, and Clifton Baney of Montana; a daughter, Sandra Jackson of Montana; four sisters, Trudell Mendenhall of Sandpoint, Gwen Cline of Alaska, Glenda Sylveste of Oregon, and Vicky Centers of Boise; two brothers, Rusty Lane of Alaska and Dallas Lane of Bonners Ferry; and six grandchildren.
Tilvan ‘Ty’ Twedt Spokane
Graveside service for Tilvan “Ty” Twedt, 80, was Monday at Fairmount Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Twedt, who was born in Beach, N.D., died Saturday.
He had lived in Spokane since 1968 and worked for Holy Family Hospital in shipping and receiving for 18 years.
He is survived by two sons, Gary Twedt of Nampa, Idaho, and Richard Twedt of Spokane; three grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
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