Obituaries
George ‘Jerry’ Rensink Arlington, Texas
Visitation for George Gerald “Jerry” Rensink, 63, will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Graveside service will follow at 2 p.m. at Lewis and Clark Memorial Gardens in Lewiston.
Mr. Rensink, who was born in Greeley, Colo., died Friday.
He was raised in Briggsdale, Colo., and in 1948 moved to Kooskia, Idaho. Mr. Rensink graduated from Clearwater Valley High School in 1952 and from the University of Idaho in 1956 with a degree in architecture. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
During summer breaks from college, he worked for the Forest Service. In 1956 he moved to Spokane.
Mr. Rensink later enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to Hondo, Texas, for flight training. He was transferred to Fairchild Air Force Base and then to Tule, Greenland.
Upon discharge, he returned to Spokane, where he began his career as an architect.
In 1983 he moved to Bainbridge Island, Wash., where he continued to work with Housing and Urban Development. He retired in 1994 and moved to Arlington, Texas.
He was a member of Kooskia Masonic Lodge 87, the Scottish Rite Bodies and El Katif Shrine, El Katif Flying Patrol, of the Elks Lodge in Bremerton and the American Institute of Architects.
Survivors include a son, Gerald Rensink of Kennewick; his mother, Dorothy Rensink of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Donna Robinett Owens of Coeur d’Alene; and two grandsons.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
James ‘Jim’ Northey Spokane
Funeral for James E. “Jim” Northey, 85, will be at 11 a.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial with the Masonic Lodge participating will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Northey, who was born in Anaconda, Mont., died Saturday.
He was a Spokane police officer and was one of the city’s first motorcycle patrolmen in the early 1940s. He also worked for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department.
He later worked in the trucking industry, primarily as a sales representative.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s he was chief of transportation for Civil Defense.
Mr. Northey was a member of Oriental Masonic Lodge 74, the Spokane Scottish Rite Bodies, the El Katif Shrine, including Palomino Patrol, and the Teamsters Union.
His wife of 58 years, Bernice, died in 1997.
Survivors include two daughters, Donna Ford of Greenacres and Lynne Billings of Seattle; a sister, Josephine Northey-Dodds of Seattle; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Wesley Colvin Sprague, Wash.
Memorial service for Wesley E. Colvin, 71, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Sprague Lutheran Church. Urn burial will be held at the Macabee Cemetery in Sprague. Cheney Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Colvin, who was born in Durante, Okla., died Monday.
He served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
In 1947 he married Reba Webb in Visalia, Calif.
They moved to Spokane in 1970, and he continued to work in construction until retiring in 1982, when he and his wife moved to Sprague.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Wayne Colvin of Sprague and Mike Colvin of Airway Heights; four daughters, Judy Colvin of Spokane, Glenda Scholten and Jeannie Lynch, both of Sprague, and Sharon Perry of Airway Heights; two brothers, two sisters, 16 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Bernice Hahn Spokane
Memorial service for Bernice G. Hahn, 86, will be held at a later date. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements and cremation.
Mrs. Hahn, who was a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Sunday.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include two sisters, Louella Noble of Othello, Wash., and Clara Goff of Beaverton, Ore.; three granddaughters and several great-grandchildren.
Levenia Whitesitt Spokane
Visitation for Levenia H. Whitesitt, 85, will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls. Service will follow at 1 p.m. at the funeral chapel. Burial will take place at the Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.
Mrs. Whitesitt, who was born in Stevensville, Mont., died Monday.
She moved to the Coeur d’Alene area in the early 1940s from Montana and was a school teacher in Post Falls for 23 years.
Mrs. Whitesitt moved to Spokane in 1985.
She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, Post Falls Lions Auxiliary and the Post Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William.
Survivors include two sons, Darrell Whitesitt of Coeur d’Alene and Michael Whitesitt of Spokane; a daughter, Dolores Lynch of Elk, Wash.; a brother, Dade Lauder of Stevensville, Mont.; 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Post Falls Lions Club, P.O. Box 1076, Post Falls, ID 83877.
Albert Ross Harrison, Idaho
Memorial service for Albert P. Ross, 81, will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Harrison Community Baptist Church. Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ross, who was born in Kippen, Mont., died Friday.
He grew up in Oilmont, Mont., and in 1934 graduated from high school there. He also attended Kinman Business School.
He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as an agent telegrapher at Springston, Idaho, near Harrison, and then was transferred to Riparia, Wash.
Mr. Ross was later transferred to Fairfield before he retired in 1978.
He recently returned to the Harrison area.
He had owned a fly-tying business and invented a patented fly-tying process.
Mr. Ross owned several gem shops in Harrison, including the Floating Gem Shop on the waterfront and later the Jewel Box for 31 years. He was a past master of the Harrison Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Glenna; and various in-laws.
Katherine Olson Spokane
Memorial service for Katherine M. Olson, 68, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at 2:30 p.m. at the Meyers Falls Cemetery in Kettle Falls, Wash. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Olson, who was born in Colville, Wash., died Saturday.
She graduated in 1948 from Marcus High School and married David Olson in Kettle Falls that same year.
A 17-year resident of Spokane, Mrs. Olson was a homemaker.
She was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and a volunteer at the Indian Community Center and acted as a liaison between the church and the center.
Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Dorothy Weldon of Spokane, Marilyn Tregallas of Boise and Mary Boyd of Coeur d’Alene; a brother, John Olson of Colville; a sister, Dolores Proffitt of Federal Way, Wash.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Building Fund.
Violet Miller Seattle
Funeral for Violet A. Miller, 92, will be at 4 p.m. today at the Evergreen-Washelli Funeral Home in Seattle. A graveside committal will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Spokane Memorial Gardens in Spokane.
Mrs. Miller, who was born in Pekin, N.D., died Monday.
She worked as a teacher in North Dakota.
Mrs. Miller was a resident of Spokane from 1938 to 1970.
Her husband, Ralph Miller, preceded her in death.
Survivors include two sons, Don and Dale Mehaffey, both of Seattle; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Northgate Gospel Chapel in Seattle.
Harry Oberst Fairfield
Funeral service for Harry Oberst, 86, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Zion Lutheran Church in Fairfield. Burial will follow at the Latah Evergreen Cemetery. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Fairfield is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Oberst, who was born in DuBois, Neb., died Monday.
He served in the Army during World War II with the 11th Armored Division Signal Company during the Battle of the Bulge.
Mr. Oberst worked on construction at the Hermiston (Ore.) Ammunition Depot and later as a dispatcher for the depot.
After the war, he moved to Latah and then Couer d’Alene, where he worked as a custodian at North Idaho College.
Mr. Oberst moved to Fairfield in 1993 and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Rockford.
He is survived by a brother, Lloyd Oberst of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Fairfield Good Samaritan Center or the Latah Evergreen Cemetery.
John Phillips Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for John Thomas Phillips, 84, at his request. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Phillips, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Sunday.
He was a lifelong Coeur d’Alene resident and served with the Army during World War II.
Mr. Phillips had owned Phillips Body Shop in Coeur d’Alene for 45 years.
He was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Elks Lodge.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Neva; three stepdaughters, Daydra Perry of Oregon, Shirley Burton of California and Diane Jarstad of Coeur d’Alene; and a sister, Virginia Litzenberger of Spokane.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimers Association, North Idaho Chapter, 1916 Lakewood Drive, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Clarence Caldwell Spokane
Private graveside service for Clarence S. Caldwell, 92, will be Saturday at the Colfax (Wash.) Cemetery. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Caldwell, who was born in Reardan, died Friday.
In 1940 he married Doris Whealen in Colfax, and they made their home there.
He was an electrician and farmed until his retirement in 1978, when he moved to Spokane.
Mr. Caldwell was a member of the Colfax Elk Lodge and the Dusty Gun Club and was an active Mason and Shriner for 60 years.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Shannon Rhodes of Mukilteo, Wash.; a brother, Jack Caldwell of Pomeroy, Wash.; and two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Ethel Grieve Spokane
Memorial service for Ethel B. Grieve, 98, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Plymouth Congregational Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of cremation.
Mrs. Grieve, who had been a resident of the Waterford in Spokane since 1992, died Sunday.
She was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., and was raised in Billings, Mont.
Mrs. Grieve graduated in 1922 from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s degree in business. She was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority and the women’s track team.
In 1922 she married Neil Warner, and they moved to Spokane. He died in 1935.
She married William Grieve in 1937.
Mrs. Grieve was a member of the Daughters of the Nile, a charter member of Plymouth Congregational Church, a Blood Bank volunteer during World War II, a member of St. Luke’s Hospital Guild, was fund-raising chairperson for the physician’s wives for the building fund for St. Luke’s Hospital, and was a member of the Women of Rotary.
Survivors include seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children or Plymouth Congregational Church.
Georgia Dorman Colfax, Wash.
Graveside funeral for Georgia Dorman, 96, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the LaCrosse (Wash.) Cemetery. Burial will follow. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dorman, who was born in Canton, Ill., died Sunday.
She moved to Montana and then to Inglewood, Calif., where she graduated from high school.
In 1921 she married Donald Dorman Sr. in Inglewood, and they moved to LaCrosse for a year before moving to Harlowtown, Mont.
In 1931, Mrs. Dorman and her husband moved back to LaCrosse, where they took over the operation of the Dorman wheat farm. They retired from farming in 1980 and moved into the town of LaCrosse.
Mrs. Dorman was a member of the LaCrosse United Methodist Church, the Eastern Star and the Farm Women’s Club of LaCrosse.
Her husband died in 1992, and she moved to Colfax in 1995.
Survivors include three sons, Donald Dorman Jr. and Jack Dorman, both of LaCrosse, and Kenneth Dorman of Mesa, Ariz.; a sister, Helen Foster of Redding, Calif.; 15 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the LaCrosse United Methodist Church.
Mable Karber St. Maries
Service for Mable M. Karber, 73, will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at YatesHodge Funeral Home in St. Maries. Mrs. Karber, who was born in Calder, Idaho, died Sunday.
She grew up in the Calder and Herrick, Idaho, areas. She had worked in logging camps and was a waitress.
Mrs. Karber later lived in Spokane and was a homemaker. In 1955 she moved to St. Maries and occasionally worked in restaurants.
Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Don; two sons, Gene Karner of St. Maries and Roger “Pete” Karber of Oregon; a daughter, Gail Harper of St. Maries; a brother, Roscoe Norton of Clarkia, Idaho; five sisters, Sybill Sturgill of Spokane, Olive Grothie of Lewiston, Anetta Hess of Phoenix, Donna Miller of St. Maries and Shirley Mace of Renton, Wash.; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to BetterCare, c/o Benewah Community Hospital, 220 S. Seventh St., St. Maries, ID 83861.
Hazel Harrington Spokane
Service for Hazel Irene Harrington, 96, will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Bonners Ferry (Idaho) Funeral Home. Burial will follow at the Moravia Cemetery near Bonners Ferry.
Mrs. Harrington, who was born in North Dakota, died Friday.
She grew up and attended schools in North Dakota and moved to Bonners Ferry in 1932.
Mrs. Harrington was a homemaker and moved to Camelot Care Center in Bonners Ferry in 1996 and then to Spokane in 1997 to be near family.
She had worked with the American Red Cross for more than 20 years and was a member of the Moravia and Paradise Valley Granges, and the Assembly of God Church.
Her husband of more than 56 years, Charles, died in 1980.
Survivors include four sons, Wayne Harrington of Oregon, Dale Harrington of Bonners Ferry, Norman Harrington of Nebraska and Jerry Harrington of Spokane; 16 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Albert ‘Al’ Sonnenberg Athol, Idaho
Memorial service for Albert Fred “Al” Sonnenberg, 81, will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at the Athol American Legion Hall, 5525 E. State Highway 54. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Sonnenberg, who was born in Wisconsin, died Wednesday.
He grew up in Wisconsin and from 1941 to 1943 served with the Air Force Reserve. He enlisted in the Army in 1946.
He later settled in the Athol area and was a former town constable.
Mr. Sonnenberg had owned a transmission repair shop in Spokane before moving the business to Athol. He retired in the late 1980s.
He was a charter member of the Athol American Legion.
His wife, Clara, died in 1968.
Mr. Sonnenberg has no surviving family.
Memorials may be made to the American Legion Post 149, Athol, ID 83801.