Obituaries
James DeFrancesco Spokane
Funeral Mass for James DeFrancesco, 98, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. DeFrancesco, who was born in Italy, died Saturday.
In 1913 he moved to the United States from Italy.
He worked for the Bunker Hill Mining Co. in Kellogg for 10 years.
In 1930 he married Angeline Talarico and worked for Washington Brick and Lime for 19 years.
After his retirement he and his wife built a small grocery store, DeFranks Confectionary, and small shopping center, which they operated for 27 years.
Mr. DeFrancesco was a member of St. Patrick Parish and a Gold member of the Spokane Eagles Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; a son, Patrick DeFrancesco of Spokane; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Morning Star Boys Ranch.
Robert White Spokane
Service for Robert L. “Bob” White, 80, will be at 2 p.m. today at the St. John (Wash.) United Methodist Church. Burial will be at the Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe, Wash. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. White, who was born in Colfax, Wash., died Friday.
He graduated from St. John High School and attended Cheney Normal School. He later completed a diesel short course at Washington State University.
He worked as a Caterpillar serviceman for the Endicott (Wash.) Hardware Co. and worked on the family farm.
In 1941 he married Naomi Stipe near St. John, where they made their home. In 1968 they retired and moved to Spokane.
Mr. White was a member of the Wheatland Grange, Washington State Sportsman Council, St. John Game Protective Association, Washington State Grange Game Committee, Masonic Coin Lodge No. 132 of St. John, Golden Link Eastern Star, Whitman County Past Masters Association and the Colfax Elks Lodge.
He is survived by his wife; a daughter, Roberta “Bobbie” Migdal of San Diego; three sons, James White of St. John, Carlos White of Post Falls and Jeffrey White of Spokane; a sister, Bette Stephens of St. John; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Benaroya Diabetic Research Center, 1100 9th Ave, P.O. Box 900, Seattle, WA 98111 or to the Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe.
Richard Roberts Chinook, Mont.
Service for Richard O. Roberts, 81, will be at 4 p.m. today at the Assembly of God Church in Chinook. Burial will follow at the Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. Edwards Funeral Home in Chinook is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Roberts, who was born near Steptoe, Wash., died Sunday.
He graduated from Steptoe High School, and in 1940 he married Betty Jo Green in Steptoe. She died in 1981.
Mr. Roberts served in the Army during World War II and later worked for J.E. Love Manufacturing Co. in Garfield, Wash., for 31 years.
In 1978 he moved to Chinook, Mont.
He is survived by two sons, Dennis Roberts of Garfield and Keith Roberts of Colville, Wash.; a daughter, Melinda Baxter of Chinook; a sister, Edna Pyburn of Mountain Home, Idaho; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bear Paw Hospice, 110 W. 13th Street, Havre MT 59501.
Jack Lockey Mead
Graveside service for Jack M. Lockey, 73, was Saturday at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Deer Park.
Mr. Lockey, who was born in Tyler, Texas, died Thursday.
He served in the Air Force for 37 years and retired in 1972.
He had lived in the Spokane area for 18 years and was a member of the Peaceful Valley Baptist Church, the Shrine, Masonic Lodge, and the Deer Park Veterans of Foreign Wars.
His wife, Barbara (Burke) Lockey, died in 1995.
Mr. Lockey is survived by a son, Samuel Lockey of Missoula; two daughters, Patricia Athey of Portland and Connie Countryman of Colbert; five grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren.
Esther Reihs Odessa, Wash.
Service for Esther L. Reihs, 87, will be at 11 a.m. today at Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Odessa. Burial will be at the Odessa Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Odessa is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Reihs, who was born in Ruff, Wash., died Sunday.
She was a longtime Odessa area resident and a homemaker.
Mrs. Reihs was a member of the Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church and the Odessa Hospital Guild.
Her husband, Henry Reihs, died in 1987.
Survivors include a son, Henry “Hank” Reihs of Odessa; a brother, Carl Melcher of Odessa; three sisters, Eleanor Schell of Ritzville, Clara Becker of Sprague, Wash., and Alma Fischer of Reardan, Wash.; five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Odessa.
Shirley Varga Laclede, Idaho
Service for Shirley Alma Varga, 76, will be at 2 p.m. today at Coffelt’s Moon Chapel in Sandpoint.
Mrs. Varga, who was born in Miles City, Iowa, died Friday.
She grew up in Iowa and graduated from Priest River High School.
Mrs. Varga worked at a factory in South Carolina during World War II and later moved to Dalton Gardens. She settled in Spokane in 1950.
She moved to Laclede in 1970 and worked at a nursing home in Sandpoint. She retired in 1980.
Mrs. Varga was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Her husband, Bill, died in 1968.
Survivors include three children, Evelyn Popejoy, William “Bill” Varga, and Karen Parker, all of Spokane; her mother, Gladys Spracklen of Sandpoint; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jack Rauer Sagle, Idaho
Visitation for Jack H. Rauer, 61, will be from 5-7 p.m. today at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home. Service is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at at the funeral home. Burial will follow in the veterans section of Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Rauer, who was born in Sandpoint, died Friday.
He grew up in Sandpoint and served in the Air Force in Vietnam. He retired in 1973 after 20 years of service.
Mr. Rauer lived in Texas before moving to the Rathdrum/Coeur d’Alene area in 1976.
He worked as a gunsmith and moved to Sagle in 1986.
Survivors include three children, Brian Chatwin of Nine Mile Falls, Jack Rauer of Colorado and Anne Rauer of California; his parents, Floyd and Debra Rauer of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Betty Pennel of Sandpoint; a brother, Douglas Rauer of California; and four grandchildren.
Esther Cochennette Sandpoint
Burial Mass for Esther F. Cochennette, 91, is planned for 11 a.m. today at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Cheney, Wash., Mrs. Cochennette died Monday.
She attended school in Cheney before moving to Aberdeen, Wash., where she worked as a waitress.
Mrs. Cochennette later lived in Oregon and worked in the shipyards before settling in Colorado.
She had worked in the mercantile industry in Colorado and served as district manager for a public utilities company before moving to Sandpoint.
Her husband, Leonard, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Virginia Stover of Spokane; a son, Donald Siefken of Nevada; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Julie Harness Nine Mile Falls
Memorial service for Julie Anne Harness, 35, will be at 10 a.m. today at Opportunity Free Methodist Church. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Harness died Sunday due to injuries suffered in a one-car automobile accident Friday night.
She was a lifetime Spokane-area resident and worked as a certified nurse’s assistant.
Mrs. Harness had moved to Nine Mile Falls two weeks ago.
She is survived by her mother, Alma June Williams; three daughters, Tara, Hailee and Jordan; three brothers, Monte, David and Scott; and a sister, Sharon.
Joan Tritle Cashmere, Wash.
Memorial service for Joan C. “Joanie” Tritle, 65, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Central Lutheran Church in Spokane. Private family inurnment will be held at a later date. Wards Funeral Chapel in Leavenworth, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Tritle, who was born in Bookings, S.D., died Monday.
In 1942 she moved with her family to Spokane and she attended Havermale Junior High and later graduated from North Central High School.
Mrs. Tritle attended Eastern Washington College and in 1953 she married Vern Tritle. They made their home in Portland, Maine.
In 1955 they returned to Spokane.
Mrs. Tritle was a member of the Pilgrim St. Luke’s and Central Lutheran churches, Beta Sigma Phi, and the Sweet Adelines.
The family moved to Seattle in 1990 and to the Cashmere area in 1994.
Mrs. Tritle is survived by her husband; two sons, Dan Tritle of Federal Way, Wash., and Eric Tritle of Orangevale, Calif.; two daughters, Maureen Vaccaro of Burke, Va., and Molly Clark of Maple Valley, Wash.; two brothers, Robert Cochran of Spokane and Keith Cochran of Tacoma; and five grandchildren.
Ingrid Pearson Spokane
Memorial service for Ingrid M. Pearson, 84, will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Zion Lutheran Church. Private burial will be at the Highland Cemetery in Colville, Wash. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Pearson, who was born in McGregor, N.D., died Sunday.
In 1940 she married Sidney Pearson in Wallace. He died in 1951.
She moved from Gem, Idaho, to Spokane in 1963 and worked as a baker for the Edgecliff Sanitarium for eight years. She retired in 1973.
Mrs. Pearson was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and the Valley Pioneers Club.
She is survived by two sons, Raymond Pearson of Spokane and Arnold Pearson of Spirit Lake, Idaho; a daughter, Linda Simons of Deer Park; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church.
John Schilling Jr. Stockton, Calif.
Funeral Mass for John Charles Schilling Jr., will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Newport, Wash. Burial will follow at 1 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Schilling, 54, died last Wednesday.
He was born in San Francisco.
He attended Shadle Park High School and graduated from high school in Glasgow, Mont.
Mr. Schilling worked as a chef at several restaurants in Spokane, including the Ridpath.
He moved to California last year and worked as a security guard.
Mr. Schilling is survived by his companion, Marilyn Montgomery; his father, John Schilling Sr. of Diamond Lake, Wash.; a brother, David Schilling of Scappoose, Ore.; and a sister, Doreen Olson of Port Ludlow, Wash.
Lillian Bennett Chewelah, Wash.
Service for Lillian H. Bennett, 79, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Chewelah Seventh-day Adventist Church. There will be private burial. . Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bennett, who was born in Ruff, Wash., died Sunday.
She had worked as a nurse for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah for 44 years. She retired in 1994.
Her husband, Boyd Bennett, died in 1973.
Mrs. Bennett is survived by a daughter, Carolyn Kamps of Spokane; a brother, Willard Beck of Chewelah; two sisters, Alma Shea of Spokane and Edith Wasmund of Carnation, Wash.; and a grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to New Home Health Group in Chewelah or Dominicare Services in Chewelah.
Burnell Coyer Spokane
Graveside inurnment for Burnell V. Coyer, 80, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Evergreen Washelli Cemetery in Seattle. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Mr. Coyer died Friday.
He was born in Scottsbluff, Neb., and was a 20-year Spokane resident.
Mr. Coyer worked as an assistant superintendent with Northern Pacific Railroad in Spokane. He later moved to Fargo, N.D., and worked as a division superintendent for Burlington Northern. He retired in 1976.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; a son, Gary Coyer of Redmond, Wash.; a daughter, Marie Coyer of St. Paul, Minn.; a sister, Ruth Clark of Orlando, Fla.; and six grandchildren.
Kenneth Sisemore Oldtown, Idaho
A gathering for Kenneth C. Sisemore, 69, will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Newport (Wash.) Eagles Lodge. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Sisemore, a 17-year Oldtown resident, died Sunday.
He was born in Hooper, Colo.
Mr. Sisemore served in the Navy during World War II and was discharged in 1946.
He worked as an engineer inspector for the Shell Oil Co. and was a member of the Eagles Lodge.
His wife, Inez Sisemore, preceded him in death.
He is survived by two sons, Kenneth Sisemore of LaPalma, Calif., and Michael Sisemore of Kennewick; a daughter, Gaye Lynn Oscarson of Oldtown; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
William Sheeks Spokane
Memorial service for William H. “Bill” Sheeks, 78, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Sheeks, a 70-year Spokane resident, died Sunday.
He was born in Portland.
He served in the Air Force during World War II and later worked for the telephone company.
He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America and the El Katif Shrine.
Survivors include his wife of 37 years, Marie.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pilgrim Lutheran Church.
Edna ‘Dolly’ Hanson Spokane
No service will be held for Edna I. “Dolly” Hanson, 89, at her request. Private burial will be at Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hanson, who died Friday, was born in Marion County, Ohio.
In 1969 she moved to Spokane from Phoenix, Ariz., and operated Dolly’s Antique Mart in Greenacres.
Her husband of 25 years, Dale Hanson, died in 1992.
She is survived by a sister, Lucille Morris of Lexington, Ohio.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Gospel Mission Shelter for Men.
Frank Brown Spokane
Service for Frank M. Brown, 80, was Monday at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church. Private burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Born in Richardton, N.D., Mr. Brown, died Thursday.
He graduated from Coyne Institute of Chicago and was the owner of Brown Electrical and Appliance.
He was a 60-year Spokane resident and worked as a home builder.
He was a member of the Spokane Home Builders Association, the Knights of Columbus, the Brotherhood of Friends and St. Augustine’s Parish.
Mr. Brown is survived by his wife of 56 years, Beatrice (Fuchs) Brown; two daughters, Marilyn Day of Seattle and Sharon Green of Langley, British Columbia; two sons, Richard Brown of Liberty Lake and Robert Brown of Spokane; eight brothers and sisters, 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
, DataTimes