Obituaries
Lewis Organ Colfax, Wash.
Service for Lewis Dean “Louie” Organ, 67, will be at 4 p.m. today at Colfax United Methodist Church. Burial will be at the Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Organ, who died Friday, was born in Colfax.
He graduated from Colfax High School and worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker.
He operated his own carpentry business for 11 years before going to work at Washington State University as a carpenter. He retired in 1994 after 25 years.
He married Reva Urness in 1950 in Colfax.
Since Mr. Organ’s retirement, the couple had spent winters in Arizona.
Mr. Organ was a member of Colfax United Methodist Church, the Palouse Empire Fair board and the Colfax Volunteer Firefighters.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, David Organ of Caldwell, Idaho, and Glenn and Keith Organ, both of Kodiak, Alaska; a daughter, Janice Arland of Palouse, Wash.; two sisters, Mildred McMannis of Spokane and Julie Rentz of Edmonton, Alberta; a brother, Don Organ of Colfax; and 11 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Southeast Washington Home Health and Hospice or the Colfax Methodist Church Building Fund.
Kiyoshi ‘Jerry’ Uehara Valleyford
Service for Kiyoshi “Jerry” Uehara, 72, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Fairchild Air Force Base Chapel. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Uehara, who died Thursday, was born in Hawaii.
He served in the Army during World War II and later received a business economics degree from the University of Hawaii.
He was then commissioned as an Air Force officer and served during the Korean and Vietnam wars. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star.
In 1949 he married Chieko “Evelyn” Shimabukuro. She died in 1958.
In 1967 he married Sara Benner.
Mr. Uehara came to Spokane in 1970 and retired from Fairchild Air Force Base in 1972.
He was a member of the men’s clubs at Indian Canyon and Hangman Valley golf courses and was a member of the Liberty Lake Over-the-Hill Gang.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Naomianne Uehara of Los Angeles, and Edwina and Kiyomi Uehara, both of Seattle; two sons, James Uehara of Olympia and Michael Uehara of Japan; two brothers, John Uehara of Chicago and Raymond Uehara of Honolulu; a sister, Claudia Shigeta of Honolulu; and four grandchildren.
Readia Stevenson Greenacres
Service for Readia R. Stevenson, 86, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Stevenson died Saturday.
She was born in Palouse, Wash.
She came to the Spokane area in 1962 from Tekoa, Wash., and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Stevenson was a member of Valley Foursquare Church and the Royal Neighbors.
She is survived by two daughters, Pearl Thiringer of Portland and Opal West of Clarkston, Wash.; a son, Allen West of Greenacres; a stepson, Bob Stevenson of Montana; a sister, Marie Mize of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Valley Good Samaritan Village.
Ruth Church Spokane
Service for Ruth C. Church, 91, is planned for 1 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Church, a longtime Spokane teacher, died Thursday.
She was born in Wallace and was a longtime Spokane resident.
She received a letter of commendation in 1989 from President George Bush for outstanding commitment to providing quality education.
Mrs. Church was a charter member of the Dirt Dobbers Garden Club and a member of the Women of Rotary, El Karnak Temple No. 6 of the Daughters of the Nile, and Electa Chapter No. 20 of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Her husband, James Church, died in 1954.
She is survived by a son, William Church of Spokane; a daughter, Shirley Benzel of Richland; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army.
Sally Peterson Spokane
Graveside service for Sally Peterson, 86, will be at 1 p.m. today at Fairmount Memorial Park. Mountain View Funeral Chapel of Walla Walla is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Peterson died Friday at her daughter’s home in Walla Walla.
She was born in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School.
She married George Peterson in 1946. He died in 1979.
Mrs. Peterson worked as a teletype operator for 22 years for Western Union and then for five years at the Davenport Hotel.
She was a member of the auxiliary to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 51.
Survivors include two daughters, Linda Olson of Spokane and Sue Whalen of Walla Walla; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Walla Walla Hospice in care of Mountain View Funeral Chapel, 1551 Dalles Military Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362.
Rita Roethle Spokane
Memorial Mass for Rita J. Roethle, 76, will be at noon today at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Roethle, who was born in Milwaukee, Wis., died Friday.
She came to Spokane in 1950 and was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Giles; four sons, Chris Roethle of Coupeville, Wash., Tim and Philip Roethle, both of Spokane, and Ken Roethle of Renton, Wash.; four daughters, Christine Kimball, Debbie Warnock and Rose Hansen, all of Spokane, and Susan Thompson of Nine Mile Falls; three sisters, Charlotte Cox of Illinois, Marie Szpot of Milwaukee and Therese Steeber of Spokane; 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Rose Gordon Spokane
Memorial service for Rose M. Gordon, 65, is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Born in Lefor, N.D., Mrs. Gordon died Wednesday.
She had lived in Spokane for more than 40 years and was a homemaker.
Her husband, Dale Gordon, died in 1993.
She is survived by a son, Dave Gordon of Spokane; three sisters, Clara Cecil, Ann Peters and Helen Keene, all of California; two brothers, John Krauter of Cheney and James Krauter of Los Angeles; and a granddaughter.
Dorothe Wright-Pagnutti Spokane
Memorial service for Dorothe H. Wright-Pagnutti, 87, is planned for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Inurnment will be at the Waitsburg (Wash.) Cemetery.
Mrs. Wright-Pagnutti, who was born in Waitsburg, Wash., died Friday.
She graduated from Cheney Normal School and taught school for several years before she married Jack Wright. He died in 1965.
She later married Peter Pagnutti and moved to Spokane from Waitsburg 11 years ago.
She was a member of the PEO, a philanthropic and educational organization, and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Robert Wright of Seattle; a daughter, Julia Wright-Manyak of San Luis Obispo, Calif.; a brother, Donald Harris of Waitsburg, Wash.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Waitsburg Presbyterian Church.
Francis Bye Newport, Wash.
Service for A. Francis Bye, 82, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at ShermanKnapp Funeral Home in Newport.
Mr. Bye, who died Friday, was born in Potlatch, Idaho.
He graduated from high school in Potlatch.
In 1939 he married Mary Besst in Roosevelt, Utah.
They moved to Newport in 1949.
Mr. Bye served as a city councilman for Newport and worked for the public utility district in Newport for 25 years before retiring in 1974.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Mary Mills of Spokane, Anna Cassidy of Arlington, Wash., and Terri Heaviner of Redmond, Wash.; a brother, Stewart Bye of Everett; two sisters, Mable Sprague of Portland and Peggy Quinn of Garfield, Wash.; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Northwest Kidney Foundation, P.O. Box 3035, Seattle WA 98114.
R.W. ‘Roke’ Shelman Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Service for R.W. “Roke” Shelman, 82, will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.
Mr. Shelman, who was born in Missouri, died Friday.
He moved to the Moravia area near Bonners Ferry in 1920 and attended Boundary County schools.
Mr. Shelman moved to Spokane in 1933 and served with the Army during World War II.
He owned several barber shops in Western Washington and Spokane.
Mr. Shelman retired in 1986 and returned to Bonners Ferry.
Survivors include a daughter, Donna Romano of Las Vegas, Nev.; son, Robert Shelman of Florida; two brothers, M.E. Shelman of Bonners Ferry and Estol Shelman of Ritzville, Wash.; two sisters, Doris Bartholemy of Illinois and Violet Robertson of South Dakota; ten grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Fry Health Care Foundation, P.O. Box 955, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.
Ben Samuels Spokane
Memorial service for Ben M. Samuels, 94, will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mr. Samuels died last Tuesday.
He was born in Moore, Mont.
Mr. Samuels moved to Spokane in 1944. He and his wife, Olive, operated Margal’s Restaurant for several years. Mr. Samuels retired from the Davenport Hotel in 1968.
He was a member of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and the Sundance Golf Club.
He was preceded in death by his wife.
Survivors include two sons, Ben and Allan Samuels, both of Great Falls, Mont.; a stepson, Harry Smith of California; 12 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
John Epton Jr. Spokane
Funeral Mass for John Wiltsie Epton Jr., 58, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Epton died Saturday.
He was a lifetime Spokane resident.
He is survived by his mother, Kathryn Epton of Spokane; two brothers, Richard Epton of Tacoma and Michael Epton of Seattle; and two sisters, Mary Sherwood of Spokane and Constance Beaumont of Arlington, Va.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Merry Glen Home and School, 2917 N. Cincinnati, Spokane, WA 99207.
Richard Stone Spokane
Memorial service for Richard E. “Dick” Stone, 79, will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mr. Stone, who was born in Topeka, Kan., died Sunday.
He attended Idaho State University.
In 1943 he married Irene Cottingham in Honolulu. He worked as an engineering superintendent for the Hawaiian Dredging Co. before moving to Spokane in 1950.
He worked for Western Machinery Co. and later was vice president of sales for Rowand Machinery Co. until 1977. He retired in 1982 after working as a consultant for Milo Equipment Inc.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years; a son, Russell Stone of Spokane; a daughter, Donna Simonson of Federal Way, Wash.; two grandsons and a great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5125 N. Market St., or Millwood Community Presbyterian Church.
Glendine Ditzler Turlock, Calif.
Private service for Glendine F. Ditzler, a former Spokane resident, has been held.
Born in Van Wert, Iowa, Mrs. Ditzler died March 2. She was 71.
She had worked at Garden Terrace Manor in Spokane as a nurses’ aide and physical therapy assistant for more than 20 years.
She moved to California about a year ago.
Mrs. Ditzler is survived by her mother, Mary Campbell of Spokane; a son, Neil Ditzler of Turlock; and two grandchildren.
Ruby Ruddy Spokane
No service will be held for Ruby Anna Ruddy at her request. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of cremation.
Mrs. Ruddy, a 47-year Spokane resident, died Thursday. She was 77.
She was born in Minnesota.
She had worked as a hotel housekeeper.
Survivors include a sister, Mrs. William Danner of Des Moines, Iowa; and a brother, Gordon Stanghelle of New London, Minn.
Lucille Dawson Spokane
Memorial service for Lucille B. Dawson, 86, was Monday at St. Peter Catholic Church. Private burial was at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Born in Doniphan, Neb., Mrs. Dawson died Thursday.
She had lived in Spokane for 52 years and had worked as a cook at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. She was also a homemaker.
Mrs. Dawson was a member of the Carpenters’ Auxiliary, Eagles Auxiliary, Beta Sigma Phi and St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Her husband of 40 years, Orvin Dawson, died in 1968.
She is survived by a daughter, Janice Blank of Spokane; a son, George Dawson of Deer Park; two sisters, Velma Heyne of Polson, Mont., and Helen Muzechenko of Pasco; four brothers, Robert Fry of Coeur d’Alene, Harry Fry of Lewiston, Elza Fry of Ahsahka, Idaho, and Stephen Fry of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Lourene Grennell Spokane
Private inurnment for Lourene J. Grennell was planned. HennesseySmith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Grennell, 92, died Sunday.
She was born in Creston, Wash.
Mrs. Grennell had lived in Spokane for 87 years and was a member of the Elks Lodge.
She had played piano for silent movies in Spokane.
Her husband, Lloyd, died in 1972.
Mrs. Grennell is survived by a son, Budwin Grennell of Spokane; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Myrna Engelhardt Deer Park
Graveside service for Myrna M. Engelhardt, 74, was Monday at Greenwood Cemetery in Hunters, Wash.
Mrs. Englehardt, who died Wednesday, was born in Cedonia, Wash.
She married Louie Englehardt in 1970 in Coeur d’Alene.
She was a longtime Deer Park resident and a homemaker.
She is survived by her husband; a son, Frank Crain of Spokane; a halfsister, Florence (Rodenbough) Albright of Spokane; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5125 N. Market, Spokane, WA 99207.
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