Obituaries
Claude Cortner Jr. Coeur d’Alene
Visitation for Claude Lawrence Cortner Jr., 71, will be today from 5 to 7 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. No service will be held.
Mr. Cortner, who was born in Detroit, died Wednesday.
He grew up in California and graduated from high school there. He served with the Army during the Korean War.
Mr. Cortner graduated from the University of Idaho and served as an intelligence officer with the Air Force for the Tactical Air Command and served three tours of duty in Vietnam.
He was a special agent with the Office of Special Investigation in Washington D.C. and also served as an instructor at O.S.I. headquarters in Washington D.C., retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
Mr. Cortner moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1978 and managed the Arrow Point Resort for several years.
Survivors include three daughters, Claudia Szabatura, Patti Tuttle and Connie Spellman, all of California; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Elma ‘Perry’ Ahern Ritzville, Wash.
Funeral for Elma J. “Perry” Ahern, 70, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ritzville. Burial will follow at Ritzville Memorial Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ahern, who died Wednesday, was born in Ritzville.
She graduated in 1946 from Ritzville High School and worked as a dental assistant in California for a short time before returning to Ritzville. In Ritzville, she worked for the Ritzville School District as a secretary/bookkeeper.
In 1950 she married Clifford Ahern in Ritzville and she helped run her husband’s business, Ahern Electric, as a saleswoman and bookkeeper.
Mrs. Ahern was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church, the Methodist Women of Ritzville, the Rebekah Lodge and the American Legion C.J. Newland Post 51 Auxiliary.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Lawrence Ahern of Ritzville; two daughters, Shannon Ahern of Seattle and Colleen Jacobsen of New Castle, Wash.; four brothers, Martin Heimbigner of Spokane, Walter Heimbigner of Ritzville, Eldon Heimbigner of Ephrata, Wash., and Richard Heimbigner of Helena; a sister, Jane Davis of Spokane and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church or the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., LY 120 Mail Station, Box 19024, Seattle, WA 98109.
Ronald Foster Spirit Lake, Idaho
Memorial service for Ronald Charles “Ron” Foster, 52, is planned for 10 a.m. today at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash.
Mr. Foster, who died July 25 in a single automobile accident near Blanchard, Idaho, was born in Kansas City, Mo.
He had been living in the North Idaho area for the past 19 years and in 1998 married Barbara Bennett in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Foster served in the Army and worked as a sales representative. He later worked for Spokane Packaging.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Jasmine Osborne of Spokane; two sons, William Foster of Priest River, Idaho and Lee Foster of Post Falls; a stepson, Bob Schroeder of Priest River; his mother, Ruth Foster of Coeur d’Alene; three brothers, Richard Foster of Blanchard, Sam Foster of Newport, Ore., and Bob Foster of Santa Rosa, Calif.; three sisters, Pat Stern of Bluffton, S.C., Joyce Rowand of Tucson, Ariz., and Lillian Spuse of Kansas City, Kan.; and three grandchildren.
Jo Ann Renfrow Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Jo Ann Renfrow, 67. Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of cremation arrangements.
Ms. Renfrow, who was born in Oklahoma, died Wednesday.
She grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1996.
Survivors include two daughters, Randi Granger of Post Falls and Jane Aldrich of California; and four grandchildren, Harley, Carolyn, Ashley and Jessica.
Beulah ‘Joy’ Anyan Spokane
Funeral for Beulah “Joy” Anyan, 62, is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home - North. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Anyan, who was born in Reardan, Wash., died Wednesday.
She graduated in 1953 from Reardan High School and then from Kelsey-Baird Secretary School.
She married Roy Anyan in 1953.
Mrs. Anyan was employed as a secretary for Jensen Byrd and also worked on the family farm during harvest time.
She was a member of the Rainbow Girls and the Waukon and Sunset granges.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Stephen Anyan of Davenport, Wash.; a daughter, Deborah Robbins of Spokane; a sister, Carol Paul of Cheney; three grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Lawrence ‘Pete’ Turner Moyie Springs, Idaho
Service for Lawrence Drexell “Pete” Turner, 76, was Thursday at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Burial followed at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry.
Mr. Turner, who was born in Hailey, Idaho, died Monday.
He served with the Army Military Police during World War II and was a heavy vehicle driver for the National Guard until 1959.
Mr. Turner later moved to Boundary County and worked at the Porthill Sawmill and the Cummings Sawmill, before moving to Moyie Springs.
He also worked in the woods for the Moyie Sawmill before becoming an edgerman at the mill.
Mr. Turner traveled extensively, was a member of the Kootenai Kloggers Square Dance Club and was involved in forming the dance group.
He volunteered at Bonners Ferry High School and taught dance classes there. Mr. Turner was active in the community and played Santa Claus for several organizations.
Survivors include two daughters, Ruth Barker of Coeur d’Alene, and Drexel Love of Moyie Springs; one brother; five sisters; and two granddaughters, Michelle and Debbie.
Eldred ‘Ed’ Ellis Port Orford, Ore.
Memorial service for Eldred L. “Ed” Ellis, 89, will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Zion Lutheran Church in Port Orford. The Port Orford Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ellis, who was born in Farmington, Wash., died Thursday.
He graduated from high school in Pullman and worked in the accounting business.
In 1938 he married Norma Liebing in Spokane and they spent their first years grain farming and then dairy farming near Latah, Wash.
Later, he worked as a carpenter and then worked 10 years at Western States Plywood in Port Orford until his retirement. He was a 20-year resident of Port Orford, moving there from Latah.
Mr. Ellis was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, taught adult bible study and served on the church council. He was also involved in the Senior Center and drove for RSVP for several years.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Bernie Ellis of Spokane; a daughter, Barbara Fuller of Brandon, Ore.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church or Port Orford Senior Center.
Joseph Nolan Pahoa, Hawaii
Memorial service for Joseph Michael Nolan, 32, is set for noon today at the home of Larry and Nancy Bell. Dodo’s Mortuary in Hilo, Hawaii is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nolan, who was born and raised in Spokane, died July 22.
He worked as a commercial fisherman in Hawaii.
Survivors include his companion, Tuesday Davis of Molokai, Hawaii; three sons, Alii Naki, and Regis and Kapono Nolan all of Molokai; two daughters, Alohalani and Amy Nolan, both of Molokai; two stepsons, Keola and Kamanaoa Iaukea-Naki, both of Hilo; his mother, Ruth Nolan; his stepfather, Ken Drexel; a brother, Pat of Spokane; four sisters, Debra Reed, Roberta McMannis and Sandy Heller all of California, and Diane Sexton of Nevada.
Robert Gormley Colbert, Wash.
Funeral Mass for Robert E. Gormley is set for 10 a.m. today at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Colbert. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gormley, 77, died Tuesday.
He was born in Rochester, N.Y., and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II in the China-Burma Theater.
Mr. Gormley retired from Eastman Kodak Co. and was a 15-year resident of Spokane.
Survivors include his wife, Verna; two sons, Bill Gormley of Colbert and Bob Gormley of Citrus Heights, Calif.; a daughter, Barbara Gormley of Spokane; a brother, Jack Gormley of St. Augustine, Fla.; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association or Hospice of Spokane.