Obituaries
Ralph Belden Mead
Service for Ralph E. Belden, 83, will be at 1 p.m. today at First Church of the Nazarene. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of the arrangements.
Born in Spokane, Mr. Belden died Thursday.
He married Bernie Mott in Spokane in 1944.
He worked for the Spokane Fire Department as a captain and retired in 1968 after 25 years.
Mr. Belden then went to Ocean Shores, Wash., where he helped establish a fire department and served as chief from 1968 to 1971. He then moved to Mead.
He also worked as a building contractor before retiring in 1973.
He was a charter member of the Shadle Park Nazarene Church, whose building he helped construct.
Mr. Belden was also an active member of the First Church of the Nazarene.
He is survived by his wife; two sons, Dale Belden of Maui, Hawaii, and Michael Belden of Sun City, Ariz.; two daughters, Phyllis Jones and Betty Baker, both of Spokane; six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Church of the Nazarene.
Virginia ‘Gin’ Kelly Kula, Maui, Hawaii
Graveside service for Virginia T. “Gin” Kelly, 82, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the GAR Cemetery in Snohomish, Wash. Ballard’s Family Mortuary in Kahului, Hawaii is in charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. Kelly, who was born in Snohomish, Wash., died Aug. 15.
She was a homemaker.
In 1938 she moved to Paia, Maui, Hawaii, and then to Spokane around 1958.
Mrs. Kelly was a 25-year resident of Spokane before returning to Maui.
Mrs. Kelly was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Survivors include two sons, Michael Bates of Denver and William Bates of Kula, Maui; a stepson, Gary Kelly, and a stepdaughter, Susan Kelly, both of Woodinville, Wash.; one sister, Betty Kelly of Snohomish; and five granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Snohomish.
Edith Kelly Spokane
No service will be held for Edith Kelly, 81, at her request. Private burial will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Born in Spokane, Mrs. Kelly died Wednesday.
She graduated from Wellpinit (Wash.) High School and was a homemaker.
She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Ned; a son, James Kelly of Greensboro, N.C.; a daughter, Sandra Knight of Bellingham; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Edna Gerboth Spokane
No service will be held for Edna P. Gerboth, 86. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements and cremation.
Mrs. Gerboth, a 10-year Spokane resident, died Thursday.
She was born in Black River Falls, Wis., and was a homemaker.
Her husband, Albert Gerboth, died in 1991.
She is survived by a daughter, Sally Pettyjohn of Spokane; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Alice VanDitto Wallace
No service will be held for Alice Lillian VanDitto, 86, at her request. Shoshone Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. VanDitto, who was born in Minnesota, died Thursday.
She moved to the Silver Valley in 1937 and worked as a waitress for many years in various local restaurants, including Sweet’s Cafe in Wallace. She also worked at the Corner Drug in Kellogg.
Survivors include three sisters, Mabel Clinkingbeard of Seattle, and Verna Russell and Marlys Williams, both of Spokane; and dear friend Louise Haldi of Wallace.
Raymond ‘Joe’ Sullivan Spokane
Funeral service for Raymond “Joe” Sullivan, 81, will be at 2 p.m. today at Holy Cross Cemetery. Interment will follow. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Sullivan, who was born in Portland, died Thursday.
He graduated from Loyola University and served in the Army Air Corp during World War II as a fighter pilot.
He worked for Crescent Manufacturing as a salesperson for 25 years.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and St. Aloysius Parish.
His wife, Katherine Sullivan, died in 1981.
Survivors include three daughters, Mary Ferguson of Vancouver, Wash., and Ginny McCoy and Denise Sullivan Derrick, both of Spokane; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Rex Worthington Spokane
Service for Rex A. Worthington, 79, will be at 1 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Pleasant Prairie Cemetery.
Mr. Worthington, who was born in Foothills, died Wednesday.
He served in the Navy on the carrier USS Kwajalein CVE 98 during World War II.
In 1946 he married Marian Thomas.
Mr. Worthington worked as a bricklayer in the construction industry.
He was a member of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Posse.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Tom and Terry Worthington; two daughters, Karen Ricks and Susan Pierce; a brother, Don Worthington; two sisters, Eleanor Edstrom and Janet Ziegler; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Linda Butler Spokane
Memorial service for Linda Marie Butler, 53, was held Sunday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. A private inurnment followed the service.
Mrs. Butler, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
She grew up in Kellogg and then moved to Coeur d’Alene for a short time. She moved to Spokane 20 years ago.
Mrs. Butler was a registered nurse and had worked at Sacred Heart Medical Center and then Eastern State Hospital.
She is survived by three sons, David, Kevin and Brian Butler all of Spokane; her mother, Gloria Morris of Coeur d’Alene; three brothers, Robert Morris of Bellevue, Wash., Jack Morris of Coeur d’Alene and Dan Morris of New York City; a sister, Janet Mason of Coeur d’Alene; and four grandchildren.
John ‘Wes’ Stone III Spokane
Memorial service for John Wesley “Wes” Stone III, 29, was Saturday at Foothills Community Church in Spokane. Noland-Blackmer Funeral Home of Grangeville, Idaho, was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stone, who was born in Enterprise, Ore., died Wednesday from an aortic aneurysm.
He graduated from West Valley High School in 1987 before working for Indiana Harness Co. as a saddle maker.
Mr. Stone later was self-employed as a saddlemaker and had worked as a framer for Eaton Construction and Moody Construction.
He also participated in horse roping, horseshoeing and breaking horses.
Survivors include his parents, John and Marthanne Stone, both of Spokane; a sister, Jo Stone of Spokane; his grandmother, Gertrude Hackney of California; and many other relatives.
Memorials may be made to Foothills Community Church, 11102 Forker Road, Spokane.
, DataTimes