Obituaries
Maxine Meeks Spokane
Vigil service for Maxine F. Meeks, 74, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Interment will follow at the Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mrs. Meeks, who was born in Spokane, died Monday.
She attended Holy Names Academy, Marycliff High School and Holy Names College, and received her master’s degree from the University of California in Berkeley.
Mrs. Meeks taught in Spokane and in 1956 moved to Santa Rosa, Calif., where she taught special education at Windsor Junior High School for 27 years.
She moved back to Spokane in the early 1990s.
She was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and St. Thomas More Catholic Church.
Mrs. Meeks played in the Spokane Symphony and the San Rafael Philharmonic Symphony.
Survivors include her husband of 51 years, Thomas; three daughters, Marcia Meeks of Twin Falls, Idaho, Megan Schmidt of Cheney and Mary Johnson of Twin Lakes, Idaho; three sons, Thomas and John Meeks, both of Polson, Mont., and Terrence Meeks of Sacramento, Calif.; two sisters, Maureen Moran of Spokane and Colleen Sigurdson of Sun Lakes, Ariz.; a brother, Daniel McCanna of Deer Park; and 14 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas More Catholic Church or to Hospice of Spokane.
Wade Sodorff Moscow, Idaho
Visitation for Wade H. Sodorff, 70, will be held today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow. Service will be held on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Mr. Sodorff, who was born in Johnson, Wash., died Tuesday following a stroke.
He attended school in Johnson, later graduating from Moscow High School.
Mr. Sodorff served with the Army during World War II, and returned to Moscow in 1947 after his military discharge, where he worked for Ward Paint and Hardware.
He began a career at the University of Idaho Physical Plant in 1952 and retired from the physical plant paint department as foreman in 1982.
Mr. Sodorff was a member of the Moscow Moose and Eagles Lodges, and served for many years with the Moscow Fire Department.
Survivors include his wife of more than 46 years, Carol; three daughters, Sue Sodorff and Chris Martnick, both of Delaware, and Gina Litourneau of Moscow; a brother, Kenneth Sodorff of Elk River, Idaho; a sister, Melcena Thomas of Lewiston; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, c/o Nancy Shell, 524 Linden Drive, Lewiston, ID 83501.
Jesse Persons Colfax, Wash.
Visitation for Jesse John Persons, 19, will be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. today at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Colfax High School gymnasium. Burial will follow at the Colfax Cemetery.
Mr. Persons, a lifetime resident of Colfax, died Tuesday from complications following surgery.
He graduated from Colfax High School in 1997, where he was student body president and valedictorian.
He was a member of the National Honor Society and the Community Bible Church. He took part in drama and musical productions, and was captain of the school’s football and wrestling teams.
He was recently accepted to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma with honors and scholarships.
Survivors include his parents, Richard Persons and Barb Persons, both of Colfax; two brothers, James and Donald Broadfoot, both of Colfax; and his grandparents, Orling and Velma Hammond of Veradale and Marlene Rounds of Colfax.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Deaconess Neuroscience Department or to the Jesse Persons Wrestling Scholarship Fund, c/o any Sterling Savings Bank.
Gladys Richardson Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Service for Gladys Anna “Gramma Badger” Richardson, 87, will be at 11 a.m. today at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bonners Ferry.
Private interment will be held at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry.
Mrs. Richardson, who was born in North Dakota, died Monday.
She grew up and attended schools in Potlatch, Idaho, before moving to Porthill, Idaho, in 1949.
Mrs. Richardson later moved to the South Hill in Bonners Ferry and had worked as a jury commissioner and bailiff for Boundary County for more than 20 years before retiring.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, the Pythian Sisters and a charter member of the Badger Booster Club.
Mrs. Richardson’s support of grade school and high school sports earned her the nickname.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Van.
Survivors include a son, Jim Richardson of North Dakota; two daughters, Merryrose Wurtz of Illinois and Betty Gross of Bonners Ferry; a brother, Al Nygaard of Potlatch, Idaho; six grandchildren, Robin, Diane, Laura, Brian, Erik and Kimberly; and three great-grandchildren.
Blake Lebo Hayden, Idaho
Service for Blake E. Lebo, 29, will be held today at 2 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.
Mr. Lebo, who was born in Spokane, died Monday in an electrical industrial accident.
He moved to Post Falls at the age of 12 and graduated from Post Falls High School in 1986. He enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at Long Beach, Calif.
Mr. Lebo returned to Post Falls in 1990 after his military discharge and worked for Coeur d’Alene Crane.
He was recently employed at Active Electronics in Osburn, Idaho, and was a volunteer firefighter with the Hayden Lake Fire Department. He was working on his E.M.T. license.
Survivors include his fiance, Konnie Kittelson of Hayden; his parents, Al and Mike Lebo both of Post Falls; a brother, Brad Lebo of Florida; and his grandmother, Ione Lebo of Tekoa, Wash.
Arnold Lentz Onalaska, Wash.
A private memorial service for Arnold Ruben Lentz, 77, will be held. Cattermole Funeral Home in Winlock, Wash., is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Lentz, who was born in South Shore, S.D., died Monday.
He worked as an upholsterer for the Forest Service and Inland Auto Upholstery of Spokane. He retired in 1985.
He moved to Onalaska, Wash., three years ago, after living in Spokane for 37 years.
He was a member of the Lutheran Church.
Survivors include three sons, Tony Hayes of Sandpoint, Marty Hayes of Onalaska and Randy Hayes of Idaho Falls; a brother, Howard Lentz of Havasu City, Ariz.; three sisters, Delma Gapp and Adela Ebert, both of South Dakota, and Geraldine Canibano of Florida; four grandsons and two great-granddaughters.
Maurice Schanks Spokane
Funeral service for Maurice J. Schanks, 96, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Riplinger Funeral Home. A private interment will be at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Schanks, who was born in Fargo, N.D., died Tuesday.
He served in the Navy and Air Force during World War II.
Mr. Schanks was a 90-year resident of Spokane, and owned and operated Maurice’s Model Shop in The Bon building for many years.
He was a member of the Oriental Masonic Lodge No. 74, Scottish Rite Bodies and the El Katif Shrine.
Mr. Schanks played in the El Katif Shrine Band for many years.
His wife, Elberta, died in 1996.
Survivors include a brother, Michael Shanks, and a sister, Rosemary Shanks, both of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.
, DataTimes