Obituaries

Thelma (Braker) Barth Spokane

Funeral for Thelma Madge (Braker) Barth, 88, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. David’s Episcopal Church. Memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Schramka Funeral Home in Cedarburg, Wis. Burial will follow at the Hilgen Cemetery in Cedarburg. Riplinger Funeral Home in Spokane and Schramka Funeral Home in Cedarburg are in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Barth, who was born near Brewster, Wash., died Friday.

She graduated with degrees in zoology, teaching and nursing from the University of Washington, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority.

Mrs. Barth taught nursing at Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle until 1942 when she enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps as a first lieutenant during World War II.

She served as a nursing supervisor in the Europe with the 50th General Hospital Division under Gen. George Patton. She also participated in the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge.

In 1946 she married Harold Barth, and they lived in Cedarburg until 1947 when they moved to back to Brewster.

Mrs. Barth continued her career as a registered nurse working in clinics, hospitals, as a school nurse and as a volunteer nurse.

After her husband was called back in the military to serve in the Korean War they lived in Hopkinsville, Ken., for a few years and before returning to Brewster. They moved to East Wenatchee in 1960 and then to Spokane in 1966.

She worked as a registered nurse at Holy Family Hospital until her retirement in 1975. She then volunteered as a nurse at Spokane Goodwill and at Indian Trail Elementary School.

Mrs. Barth was a member of St. David’s Episcopal Church.

Survivors include her husband, Harold; and two daughters, Melissa Barth and Lynne Getz, both of Blowing Rock, N.C.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice or the Humane Society.

Charles ‘Ross’ Steele Moscow, Idaho

Viewing for Charles “Ross” Steele, 80, will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow. Service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral chapel. Burial will follow at the Moscow Cemetery.

Mr. Steele, who was born in Potlatch, Idaho, died Saturday.

He graduated from Pasco High School, and worked as a carpenter and farmer.

Mr. Steele was a member of the Carpenters Union Local 1849 in Pullman. He also had served as director and chairman of the Franklin County Irrigation Board, and was a member of the Franklin County Historical Society and the King of Kings Lutheran Church in Kennewick.

In 1997 Mr. Steele moved to Moscow from the Pullman area.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Barbara; four children, Leo Steele of Arizona, Arcelia Ballentine of Seattle, Charles Ross Steele of Auburn, Wash., and Barry Steele of Moscow; four brothers, Earl, Wayne and Vaughn Steele, all of Pasco, and Noah Steele Jr. of Vancouver, Wash.; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Fern Murcar Spokane

Vigil for Fern A. Murcar, 85, will be at 5 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. A burial Mass will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Anthony Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Mondovi (Wash.) Cemetery.

Mrs. Murcar, who was born in Reardan, Wash., died Friday.

She retired from Standard Lumber Co. in 1965 as an accountant.

Mrs. Murcar was a member and past president of the Woman’s Club of Spokane, involved in the Woman’s Club of Spokane Scholarship program and St. Anthony Catholic Church.

Survivors include her husband, William; three daughters, Barbara Sharp of Fort Worth, Texas, Christine Moreland of Wilsonville, Ore., and Karen Butler of Tualatin, Ore.; two stepsons, David and John Murcar, both of Spokane; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Women’s Club of Spokane Scholarship Fund.

Edgar Holcomb Spokane

Memorial service for Edgar F. Holcomb, 87, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.

Mr. Holcomb, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Thursday.

He served in the Navy during World War II and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1474.

Mr. Holcomb worked on the railroad as a carman.

His wife, Hazel, died in 1992.

Survivors include two stepdaughters, Harriett Jacobson and Cathern Vent, both of Spokane; 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Darrell Wagner Spokane

Memorial service for Darrell G. Wagner, 70, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fairmount Memorial Park Sunset Chapel. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Wagner, who was a 44-year resident of Spokane, died Saturday.

He was born in Culdesac, Idaho, and graduated from Colton (Wash.) High School.

Mr. Wagner served with the U.S. Army in Panama, and in 1950 married Janette Lazarus in Helena.

He worked for the Veteran’s Administration Hospital and retired from Westinghouse Electric Co. after 35 years of service.

Mr. Wagner was a member of the Eagle’s Lodge 2622 and the Disabled American Veterans. His wife died in 1984.

Survivors include his friend, Ellen, at home; a son, Robert Wagner of Portland; three daughters, Sandi Solverson of Deer Park, Linda Miller of Spokane and Karen Crandell of Tacoma; a brother, Dean Wagner of Moses Lake; and seven grandchildren.

Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society Spokane Unit.

Lucille Cheyney-McCann Spokane

Vigil for Lucille (Zeimantz) Cheyney-McCann, 90, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial Mass will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paschal Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Mrs. Cheyney-McCann, who was born in Mondovi, Wash., died Friday.

She was a registered nurse and worked for 20 years at Davis Nursing Home.

Mrs. Cheyney-McCann was a 30-year Spokane resident, a member of St. Aloysius parish, and had studied to be a concert pianist.

Survivors include three sons, Edwin Cheyney of Prosser, Wash., Francis Cheyney of Spokane and Robert Cheyney of Twin Falls, Idaho; two daughters, Maryann Kuther of Ferdinand, Idaho, and Rita Moore of Seattle; 29 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Catholic Charities.

Ethel Schaller Spokane

Memorial service for Ethel V. Schaller, 86, will be at 11 a.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Inurnment will be held at Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis.

Mrs. Schaller, who was born in Benson, Minn., died Saturday.

She graduated from high school in Benson and was active in the food service industry as a restaurant owner and operator until her retirement in the late 1970s.

Mrs. Schaller moved to Spokane in 1986.

Her husband, John Schaller, died in 1982.

Survivors include a daughter, Janice Schaller of Spokane; a son, Ronald Schaller of San Jose, Calif.; two sisters, Anna Vergin of Benson, Minn., and Lillian Hilleren of New Town, N.D.; three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

Vivian Snow Moscow, Idaho

Service for Vivian Wilson Snow, 84, will be at 10 a.m. today at First United Methodist Church in Moscow. Burial will follow at the Moscow Cemetery. Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Snow, who died Saturday, was born in Moscow.

She graduated from Moscow High School and attended the University of Idaho, where she was active on the tennis team.

She was a farmer in the Moscow and LaCrosse, Wash., areas. She attended the Idaho state Legislature several times with her husband and had served as president of the Legisladies.

Mrs. Snow was a member of Moscow First United Methodist Church, Order of the Eastern Star and Daughters of the Nile.

Her husband, Harold Snow, died in 1975.

Survivors include a son, Sherman Snow of Yakima; a daughter, Susan Flack of Pullman; a sister, Jessie McKarcher of Clarkston, Wash.; seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Logos School, 110 Baker St., or the Humane Society, 2019 White Ave., both of Moscow, ID 83843.

Ronald Morgan Deer Park

Rosary service for Ronald Perry Morgan, 55, will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Mary’s Presentation Catholic Church in Deer Park. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Fairmount Memorial Park Cemetery in Spokane. Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Morgan, who was born in Bremerton, died Thursday.

He graduated from Rogers High School in 1960 and worked for 30 years as a drafting engineer for Washington Water Power Co.

Mr. Morgan was a 46-year resident of Spokane and Deer Park. He was involved in golfing, bowling, fishing and woodworking.

Survivors include his wife, Katherine; a son, Brian Morgan, and a daughter, Sheila Nelson, both of Spokane; a stepson, Steven Mezger of Deer Park; his parents, Elinor Morgan Weightman and Charles Weightman of Deer Park; a brother, Paul Weightman of Chattaroy; and a grandson.

Charlette Lowe St. John, Wash.

No service will be held for Charlette Lowe, 87, at her request. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Lowe, who was born on the family farm in Pleasant Valley, Wash., died Saturday of cancer.

She graduated in 1927 from Colfax (Wash.) High School and received a degree in education from Cheney Normal School in 1929.

In 1936 she married Jesse Lowe at a farm home near St. John. They lived and farmed in St. John.

Mrs. Lowe was a member of the Wheatland Grange, Whitman County Cowbelles and the Whitman County Historical Society.

Her husband died in 1977.

Survivors include a son, Chuck Lowe of St. John; two daughters, Mavis Dickerson of St. John and Judy Lowe of Colfax; a sister, Kathleen Knittel of St. John; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Harold Olderness Spokane

Service for Harold L. Olderness, 92, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.

Mr. Olderness, who was born in Ionia, Mich., died Friday.

At the age of 13 he worked on boats in Puget Sound as a deckhand, and learned several trades working as a welder and foreman for a shipyard during the war.

He then worked on roads for the state of Washington as a civil engineer.

In 1951 he moved to Spokane and worked for Kaiser Aluminum in between tunnel contracts.

He and his wife, Ida, moved to Kendrick, Idaho, to help with her parents dry goods store. In 1972 they sold the store and moved back to Spokane.

Mr. Olderness was a member of the Boilermakers Union, the Gideons, participated in Project Joy, and had traveled the country touring with musical groups.

Survivors include his wife of 44 years; a son, Dick Cross of Loon Lake, Wash.; three daughters, Nadene Stephenson of Edmonds, Wash., Seeran Phelps of Loon Lake and Verna Adams of Lewiston; 11 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Central Gideons.

Victor Baca Spokane

Funeral Mass for Victor L. Baca, 81, was Monday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Burial followed at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Baca, who was born in Hillje, Texas, died Wednesday.

He served in the Air Force and later worked for Pacific Northwest Bell for 33 years as a cable splicer.

A 53-year resident of Spokane, Mr. Baca was a member of St. Thomas More Parish, past president of the Lynwood Park Association and a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Nan; a son, Tom Baca, and a daughter, Vicki Knoell, both of Spokane; a brother, Frank Baca of Markham, Texas; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be made to the House of Charity in Spokane.

Robert Baggs Spokane

Memorial service for Robert T. Baggs, 70, will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.

Mr. Baggs, who was born in Omaha, Neb., died April 4.

He served with the Army in Shanghai, China, and graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

In 1960 he married Virginia Johnson in Longmont, Calif., and in 1957 they moved to Spokane.

Mr. Baggs worked as a school psychologist for Spokane School District 81 until 1970 when he became principal of Garland School and later principal of Garland and Bryant schools. He retired in 1986.

He was a member of the Washington and Spokane education associations, the Spokane Elementary Principal Association, and was a past president and past board member of Spokane Mental Health.

Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Shannon Hoots of Spokane; a brother, George Baggs of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; two grandchildren, a stepgranddaughter and two stepgreat-granddaughters.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Special Olympics, District 9 Office, 8911 W. Grandridge Blvd., Suite P, Kennewick, WA 99336, or the Spokane Guild School.

George Robinson Davenport, Wash.

Service for George L. Robinson, 81, was Monday at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport. Burial followed at Mountain View Cemetery in Davenport.

Mr. Robinson, who died April 6, was born in Raymond, Mont.

He graduated from Plentywood (Mont.) High School and worked as a cattleman.

Mr. Robinson was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Acacia Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite Bodies, the El Katif Shrine, was a past president and secretary of the Lincoln County Cattleman’s Association and was a 41-year member of the Wilson Grange.

Survivors include his wife, Hazel; a son, Blake Hall of Davenport; a brother, Darrel Robinson of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Delores Clayburn of Loon Lake, Wash.; a granddaughter, two great-grandchildren and two stepgreat-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.