Obituaries
Ruth Anderson Greenwood, Ark.
No service will be held for Ruth R. Anderson. McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Anderson, who was born in Grundy Center, Iowa, died July 27. She was 89.
She was a longtime Spokane resident and worked for Darigold. She moved to Arkansas about four years ago.
Mrs. Anderson was a member of North Hill Christian Church in Spokane.
Survivors include a daughter, Roberta Thames of Greenwood; a son, Robert Anderson of Spokane; a brother, Harold Kulp of Spokane; nine grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Austin Oberbroeckling Nine Mile Falls
Memorial Mass for Austin Michael Oberbroeckling, 6, is planned for 11 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Burial will be held at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Dyersville, Iowa. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.
Austin, who was born on Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, died Wednesday from cancer.
He moved to Nine Mile Falls in 1994 and attended Lake Spokane Elementary.
Austin was involved with the LSYRA Baseball League and enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include his parents, Mike and Sandy Oberbroeckling of Nine Mile Falls; a brother, Hunter Oberbroeckling at home; his grandparents, Tom and Joanne Oberbroeckling of Dyersville and Bob and Dorothy Pitz of Epworth, Iowa; his great-grandfather, Ray Brimeyer of Dyersville.
Polline Fry Spokane
Memorial service for Polline R. Fry, 73, is set for 11 a.m. today at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fry, who was born in Lancaster, Calif., died Thursday.
She graduated from high school in Seattle in 1942 and returned to California until 1968.
Mrs. Fry moved back to Seattle and worked as a cook for King Oscar’s in Seattle. She was also a computer clerk for Washington State Nurses Association, doing bookkeeping and data entry. She retired in the mid 1980s and moved to Spokane in 1988.
Mrs. Fry is survived by a son, Patrick Britchard of Spokane; two daughters, Cecilia McGowan and Holly Fry, both of Spokane; a brother, George Nichols of Quartz Hill, Calif.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Anna Ogden Hall for Women and Children or the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.
Obert Hanson Liberty Lake
At his request there will be no service for Obert J. Hanson. Private inurnment will be held at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hanson, who was 91, died Wednesday.
He was born and raised in Pekin, N.D., and farmed in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
In 1943 he moved to the Spokane area from Bagley, Minn. He retired from Kaiser Aluminum Trentwood in 1972 after 25 years.
Mr. Hanson was a member of the Spokane Valley Eagles.
His wife, Cora Hanson, died in 1965.
Survivors include a son, Jim Hanson of Spokane, and a daughter, Tootie Plumb, both of Spokane; two brothers, Mencer Hanson of Pekin and Albin Hanson of Union Gap, Wash.; three sisters, Della French of Fargo, N.D., Nina Thykeson of Portland, N.D., and Hilda Hall of Pelican Rapids, Minn.; 16 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Marie (Seyler) Mulgrew Spokane
No service will be held for Marie E. (Seyler) Mulgrew, 67. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mulgrew, who died Monday was born in Pleasantville, N.J.
She was a homemaker and had lived in Spokane for 10 years.
Survivors include a daughter, Donna Shackelford of Spokane; four sons, Stephen and Michael Mulgrew, both of Spokane, Thomas Mulgrew Jr. of Omak, Wash., and David Mulgrew of Longmont, Colo.; 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Wilburn ‘Bill’ Ladwig Spokane
Visitation for Wilburn E. “Bill” Ladwig, 84, will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Graveside service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mr. Ladwig, a 36-year Spokane resident, died Thursday.
He was born in Sandpoint and worked as a driver for Greyhound Bus Lines for 27 years.
Mr. Ladwig was a member of the Elks Lodge and the Brotherhood of Friends.
His wife of 57 years, Aleda Ladwig, died last May.
Survivors include a son, Douglas Ladwig of Spokane; and two grandchildren.
Kenneth Moffitt Spokane
Memorial service for Kenneth Moffitt, 85, was Friday at Rockwood Manor.
Mr. Moffitt, a 40-year Spokane resident, died Tuesday.
He was born and raised in Groton, S.D., and in 1942, married Lola Crawford in Aberdeen, S.D.
Mr. Moffitt served in the Army during World War II and earned the rank of master sergeant. He was stationed in Calcutta, India.
After the war he worked for a Harper-McGee Wholesale Co. as a representative to dealers.
He played the piano and was the pipe organist at church. Mr. Moffitt volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the Spokane Food Bank, and served as chairman of the food bank board. He also served as president of the Rockwood Manor Residents’ Council.
Survivors include his wife and a stepgranddaughter.
Shirley Rose Spokane
No service will be held for Shirley Mae Rose. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rose, who died August 7, was born in Genesee, Idaho.
She was 61 and had lived in Spokane for 10 years.
She was a homemaker and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1236.
Survivors include her husband, Richard; a son, Dennis Davis of Moses Lake; a daughter, Darla Haworth of Warden, Wash.; her father, Harold Callahan of Palouse, Wash.; two brothers, Kenneth Taylor of Atsuko, Japan, and Jerry Callahan of Vancouver, Wash.; four sisters, Donna Callahan of Palouse, Betty Kirkland of Renton, Wash., Nancy Taylor of St. Louis and Lola Meling of Tacoma; and two grandchildren.
James McKay Rathdrum, Idaho
Memorial service for James Edward McKay, 80, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel. A reception will follow at Yates Gathering Center in Hayden, Idaho.
Mr. McKay, who was born in Pennsylvania, died Tuesday.
He grew up and graduated from high school in West Virginia and served with the Army Air Corps as a bomber pilot during World War II.
Mr. McKay also served in Korea and Vietnam and spent 13 years at Fairchild Air Force Base. He retired after 25 years, as a lieutenant colonel, in 1966.
He lived in California and Washington before settling in Rathdrum in 1995.
Survivors include his wife of more than 37 years, Carol; two sons, James McKay of Spokane and John McKay of Orofino, Idaho; a daughter, Kelley Miller of Sagle, Idaho; a brother, John McKay of Florida; a sister, Gertrude Kramer of North Carolina; and three grandchildren.
Richard Smecko Spokane
Memorial service for Richard S. Smecko, 59, is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North.
Born in Jersey City, N.J., Mr. Smecko died Wednesday.
He was raised in Madison, Wis., and graduated from high school there.
From 1956 to 1960 he served in the Air Force and then worked as an air traffic controller in Anchorage, Alaska.
Mr. Smecko moved to Spokane in 1969 and worked as an air traffic controller at Fairchild Air Force Base. He later owned Discount Glass Works.
Mr. Smecko was a member of the Green Head Duck Club.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Judy; a son, Scott Smecko of Spokane; and a daughter, Tara Smecko of Seattle.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Boyd Mordhorst Ephrata, Wash.
Memorial service for Boyd Byron Mordhorst, 86, is planned for 1:30 p.m. Sunday at United Methodist Church in Ephrata. Nicoles Funeral Home in Ephrata is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Mordhorst, who was born in Wilson Creek, Wash., died Tuesday.
For 30 years, he and his wife, Eleanor, operated the Boyd Mordhorst Insurance Agency in Ephrata, and retired in 1976.
He served as an instructor at the Junior Rifle Club for 19 years and the Boyd Mordhorst Municipal Shooting Range was named in his honor.
He was a member of the National Rifle Association, the Ephrata Kiwanis Club, the Ephrata Rifle Club and was active in commodities distribution.
Mr. Mordhorst was honored as Ephrata’s Kiwanian of the Year and Ephrata Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year. He received an outstanding service award from the city of Ephrata for rebuilding the town clock.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years; a son, Rawson Boyd of Oak Harbor, Wash.; a sister, Gloria Bloom of Ellensburg; and two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to Ephrata United Methodist Church or the Ephrata Kiwanis Club.
Gladys Chapman Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Gladys M. Chapman, 93. Inurnment is pending. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Chapman, who was born in Dusty, Wash., died Wednesday.
She lived in Oregon and later graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1926.
Mrs. Chapman taught home economics at Colfax High School from 1926 to 1935 and then managed a grocery store in the Colfax and Pullman area.
From 1944 until 1964, she owned the Red and White Store She in Sandpoint and then worked as a grocery checker.
Mrs. Chapman was a member of the Rebekah Lodge, the United Methodist Church and had 3,500 volunteer hours at the hospital in Sandpoint.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard.
Survivors include two sisters, Vera Rojan of Spokane and Ida Weyermann of Oregon.
James Little Spokane
Memorial service for James H. Little, 66, will be held at a later date. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Little, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
He graduated from Gonzaga Prep and Marquette University.
Mr. Little served in the Army and the Army Reserves and worked as an accountant in Western Washington for United Airlines.
He returned to Spokane in 1978.
He is survived by a daughter, Trina Starkey of Spokane; two brothers, Ralph Little of Spokane and Gerry Little of Twin Lakes, Idaho; a sister, Lenore Rostollan of Usk, Wash.; and a grandson.
Clyde Peterson Dalton Gardens, Idaho
No service will be held for Clyde J. Peterson, 85, at his request. Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Peterson, who was born in Spokane, died Thursday.
He grew up in the Rimrock area near Hayden Lake, Idaho, and worked as a log scaler for the state of Idaho.
Mr. Peterson was also a woodworker and a member of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles Lodge.
His first wife, Nellie, died in 1981.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Don Peterson of Shelton, Wash., Fritz Peterson of Post Falls and Bob Macklin of North Dakota; a daughter, Peggy Benhan of Anacortes, Wash.; a sister, Genevieve Bailey of Spokane; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Martha ‘Mae’ Clason Spokane
Graveside service for Martha M. “Mae” Clason, 85, is set for 11 a.m. Monday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Clason, who died Wednesday, was born in Millboro, S.D.
In 1929 she married Neal Clason, and they moved to Spokane in 1946.
Mrs. Clason was a homemaker.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include two daughters, Mona Briscoe and Mary Brown, both of Spokane; four sons, Marion and Neal Clason, both of Spokane, Chester Clason of Amarillo, Texas, and Francis Clason of Pampa, Texas; a brother, Clyde Warner of Brooks, Ore.; four sisters, Mildred Wynhoff and Leona Halstead, both of Spokane and Elsie Goodall and Bertha Masterhan, both of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.