Obituaries
Charles ‘Jerry’ Bequette Rock Island, Wash.
Memorial service for Charles A. “Jerry” Bequette, 73, will be at 1 p.m. today at Telford’s Chapel of the Valley in East Wenatchee.
Mr. Bequette, who was born in Blackwell, Mo., died Wednesday.
He worked in the forest industry and served with the Army Air Corps during World War II.
Mr. Bequette moved to Spokane after the war and worked at Kaiser Aluminum.
In 1966 he married Esther Miller in Missoula.
He retired in 1980 and moved to Rock Island.
Mr. Bequette was a member of the Steelworkers Union and the Spokane Moose Lodge.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Charlotte Ratterree and Marlene Humphreys, both of Sparks, Nev.; a son, David Bequette of Winnemucca, Nev.; a stepson, Gary Miller of Hawaii; three stepdaughters, Renee Penman of Auburn, Wash., Myla Kennedy of Rock Island and Kathleen Clarno of Spokane; a sister, Evelyn Thomas of Kansas City, Mo.; two brothers, Joseph Bequette of Blackwell, Mo., and Milton Bequette of Iowa; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Richard ‘Dick’ Willey Nine Mile Falls
Funeral for Richard L. “Dick” Willey, 66, will be at 10:30 a.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mr. Willey, who was a 25-year resident of Nine Mile Falls, died Wednesday.
He was born in Spokane and in 1949 graduated from North Central High School.
Mr. Willey served with the Army during the Korean War.
He worked as a cabinetmaker, primarily in residential work. He also did cabinetwork for eight years for Deaconess Medical Center.
In 1986 he received his accounting degree from Spokane Falls Community College and had been a self-employed accountant until his death.
Mr. Willey was a member of the Suncrest Family Worship Center and the Stevens County Citizens Action Team.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Frances; two sons, Lars Willey of Kennewick and Richard Willey of Wilsonville, Ore.; a daughter, Nadine Davidson of Nine Mile Falls; and his mother, Marion Jones of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Suncrest Family Worship Center or the Stevens County Citizens Action Team, c/o Leo Richey.
Catherine Kragelund Spokane
Funeral Mass for Catherine M. Kragelund, 80, will be at 8 p.m. today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Kragelund, a 51-year resident of Spokane, died Thursday.
She was born in St. Joseph, Minn., and worked as a legal secretary.
Mrs. Kragelund was a member of St. Aloysius Parish, American Association of Retired Persons, Renew of St. Aloysius, German Club of the Corbin Senior Center, St. Benedict’s Alumni Association of St. Joseph, Minn., and the Legal Secretary Association of Washington.
Her husband, Carl Kragelund, died in 1990.
Survivors include a son, Keith Kragelund of Tacoma; three daughters, Karen Dietzen of Yakima, and Kris and Karla Kragelund, both of Vancouver, Wash.; two sisters, Mary Jane Loso of Spokane and Dorine Loso of San Francisco; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Aloysius Church or to the Gonzaga Prep Scholarship Fund.
Evelyn Lee Spokane
Visitation for Evelyn L. Lee, 73, will be from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Lee, who was born in Deer Park, died Wednesday.
She graduated in 1943 from Mead High School.
In 1947 she married Richard Lee in Spokane.
Mrs. Lee was a founder of the Jacks and Jennys Square Dance Club.
Her husband died in 1997.
Survivors include four daughters, Eileen Wice, Linda Johnson and Debbie Rasmussen, all of Spokane, and Christine Knapp of Colbert; a sister, Carol Bottger of Auburn, Wash.; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Jack Allen Spokane
Funeral for Jack A. Allen, 79, will be at 1 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mr. Allen, a 30-year resident of Spokane, died Wednesday.
He was born in Port Orchard, Wash., and served in the Army during World War II.
Mr. Allen was a retired construction superintendent and a member of Carpenters Union Local 1281 of Anchorage.
He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1435.
Survivors include his wife, Kathryn; a son, Robert Allen of Boise; two stepsons, Michael Flynn of Newman Lake and Matthew Flynn of Chattaroy; two daughters, Dorothy Mahan of Chattaroy and Barbara Baca of Newark, Calif.; four stepdaughters, Kelly Flynn and Patty Sperle, both of Spokane, Kerry Mitchell of Chattaroy and Robbin Cunningham of Big Fork, Mont.; a sister, Dorothy Hibbs of Spokane; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
John ‘Jack’ Fife Tacoma
Funeral Mass for John “Jack” R. Fife, 73, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. John of the Woods Catholic Church in Tacoma. Burial will follow at the Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma. Gaffney, Cassedy-Allen and Buckley-King Funeral Home in Tacoma is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Fife, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
He served in World War II with the 265th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.
Later, he was a self-employed contractor, a housing inspector for the City of Tacoma and a counselor for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Mr. Fife retired to Spokane and returned to Tacoma in 1997.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Betty; two sons, John and Michael Fife; four daughters, Janet Meehan, Patricia Deardoff, Marcia Bentz and Joan Gasperino; 11 grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren, three great-grandchildren and two stepgreat-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Alcoholics Anonymous, Hospice or Home Health Services.
Marvel Dow Cheney
Funeral for Marvel E. Dow, 67, will be at 10 a.m. today at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Cheney. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Cheney Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dow, who was born in Hewett, Mont., died Wednesday.
She graduated from high school in Minnesota and moved to Spokane in 1949.
Mrs. Dow had been a resident of Cheney since 1951.
She was a homemaker and was a member of the Amber Grange and Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Cheney.
Survivors include her husband, Alvin; four sons, Leland, Jerry, Ronnie and Barry Dow, all of Cheney; three daughters, Beverly Dow of Pullman, Janice Dow of Cheney and Karen Calvert of Sitka, Alaska; two brothers, Harlyn Baumgartner of Chewelah and Darol Baumgartner of Cheney; a sister, Beatrice Schroeder of Spokane; and nine grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Mary Codd Wichita, Kan.
Graveside service for Mary I. Codd, 92, will be at noon today at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Codd, who was born in Spokane, died Tuesday.
She was a college professor and moved to Wichita in 1960.
Her husband, Maurice, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, John Codd of St. Louis; a daughter, Elizabeth Durnil of Wichita; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Carmelite Monastery, 2201 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65109.
Mary Cain Spokane
Memorial service for Mary E. Cain, 56, will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Miss Cain, who was a 40-year resident of Spokane, died Wednesday.
She was born in Broadus, Mont., and was a homemaker.
Miss Cain enjoyed many different art forms, including poetry.
Survivors include three brothers and two sisters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or Cancer Patient Care.
Ronald Hoehn Spokane
Memorial service for Ronald L. Hoehn, 43, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Chapel. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hoehn, a 35-year resident of Spokane, died Tuesday.
He was born in Coeur d’Alene and served with the Army.
Mr. Hoehn was an automobile mechanic.
Survivors include a son, Ron Reed of Spokane; four daughters, Tonya Bunting, and Christina and Katie Hoehn, all of Spokane, and Debra Davidson of Tacoma; two stepchildren, Jason Smith and Ronnie Cole, both of Spokane; his father, William Hoehn of Okanogan, Wash.; his mother, Dora Wacker of Boise; four brothers, Bill and Leon Hoehn, both of Okanogan, Harvey Arnold of Kellogg and James Arnold of Pflugerville, Texas; four sisters, Jeveita Shader and Vennessa Reed, both of Omak, Wash., Shirley Peterson of Hayden Lake, Idaho, and Lelia Vence of Amboy, Wash., and four grandchildren.
Delores Schussler Spokane
Memorial service for Delores J. Schussler, 62, will be at 1 p.m. today at Fairmount Memorial Park Sunset Chapel. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Schussler, who was born in Fairfield, died Wednesday.
She graduated from Rogers High School in 1953 and worked as a chef.
Mrs. Schussler was a member of the Moose Lodge 161.
Her husband, William, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Daryl Bush of Nine Mile Falls; a daughter, Sharee Cumbee of Lakewood, Wash.; a brother, Bill Scates of California; two sisters, Orpha Smeltzer of Spokane and Maxine Martin of Surprise, Ariz.; and four grandchildren.
Nick Pearson Spokane
No service will be held for Nick E. Pearson, 77, at his request. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pearson, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934, and in 1939 joined the Army at Fort George Wright.
Mr. Pearson retired in 1961 from the Army and worked for the Washington state Employment Security Department for 10 years.
He retired and moved to Las Vegas in 1972 and moved back to Spokane in 1991.
His wife of 43 years, Wilma, died in 1987.
Survivors include two daughters, Patricia Miller and Kathy Peterson, both of Spokane; two sisters, Helen Carter of Tacoma and Doreen Vera of Spokane; three grandsons and six great-grandchildren.
Bernard ‘Bernie’ Miller Chattaroy
Funeral Mass for Bernard William “Bernie” Miller, 51, will be at 1 p.m. Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Colbert. Burial will follow at the Chattaroy Cemetery in Chattaroy.
Mr. Miller, who was born in Dickinson, N.D., died Tuesday.
He worked as a meat cutter for Albertsons grocery stores for a few years and also was a cattle rancher for 13 years.
Mr. Miller was a 30-year resident of Spokane County.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia; three daughters, Jolette, Vicky and Gretchen Miller all of Chattaroy; and his parents, Ben and Vivian Miller, and a brother, Bruce Miller, all of Chattaroy.
Frances Whittington Spokane
Graveside service for Frances O. Whittington, 95, will be at 2:15 p.m. Monday at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Whittington, who was a 33-year resident of Spokane, died Thursday.
She was born in Chambers County, Texas, and worked as a registered nurse in Texas.
Mrs. Whittington was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Her husband, Beryl, died in 1983.
Survivors include two daughters, Laura Swinkels of Spokane and Anna Hyatt of Miami; 13 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
Ronald Johnson Spokane
Graveside service for Ronald Paul Johnson, 51, will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Valley View Cemetery in Soap Lake, Wash.
Mr. Johnson, who was born in Mount Clements, Mich., died April 14.
He owned and operated Evergreen Lawn Care.
Mr. Johnson enjoyed fishing and hunting.
Survivors include a son, Christofer Johnson of Spokane; two daughters, Vicki McCoy of Athol, Idaho, and Christine Lee of Longview, Wash.; four sisters, Norma LaCoursiere and Carolyn Levitt, both of Moses Lake, Sandra Jacobs of Ephrata, Wash., and Darlene Johnson of Soap Lake; and two grandsons.
Eloise Fitzner Lynnwood, Wash.
Memorial service for Eloise Jane Fitzner, 47, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Knox Presbyterian Church in Spokane. Purdy and Walters with Cassidy Funeral Home in Everett is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fitzner, who was born and raised in Spokane, died April 18.
She graduated in 1969 from North Central High School and then lived in Seattle, Hawaii, New Orleans and Houston before returning to Spokane in 1983.
Mrs. Fitzner moved to Lynnwood in 1992.
Survivors include her mother, Dorothy Helland; and a brother, Michael Helland.