Obituaries

Joe Hodge Colfax, Wash.

Funeral for Joe M. Hodge will be at 11 a.m. today at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Burial will follow at Colfax Cemetery.

Mr. Hodge, who was born in Colfax, died Thursday. He was 88.

He graduated from Colfax High School and in 1937 married Willma Miller in Spokane.

They moved to Pullman and operated a butcher shop and a dairy farm. They moved to Colfax in the 1940s to farm and raise pigs, sheep and cattle. In 1961 they returned to the Pullman area to farm.

Mr. Hodge was past director of the Whitman County Grain Growers Association, was active in the 4-H Club Leadership in Life and served as a livestock judge at local county fairs.

Mr. Hodge moved to Colfax in 1984, spent the past five years in Moscow, Idaho, and recently moved back to Colfax.

His first wife, Willma Hodge, died in 1979. His second wife, Norma Hodge, died in 1994.

Survivors include a daughter, Sharon Aeschliman of Colfax; two grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Gideons International.

Donald Funk Deer Park

Memorial service for Donald L. Funk, 66, will be at 11 a.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Private inurnment will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.

Mr. Funk, who was born near Alma, Kan., died Friday.

He graduated in 1951 from Gonzaga Prep and served in the Navy on the USS Tingey during the Korean War.

In 1956, he married Jean Erickson in Spokane.

Mr. Funk worked as an auto mechanic and owned service stations for more than 30 years.

He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 51.

Survivors include his wife; a son, James Funk of Leavenworth, Wash.; two daughters, Jennette Jones and Janice Mast, both of Deer Park; five brothers, Merle, Alvin, David and William Funk, all of Spokane and Ed Funk of Bothell, Wash.; two sisters, Mary Perry and Judy Norman, both of Spokane; and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.

Rodney Gannon Spokane

Vigil service for Rodney E. Gannon, 68, will be at 7 p.m. today at St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Gannon, a 30-year resident of Spokane, died Friday.

He was born in Walla Walla and served in the Army during the Korean War.

Mr. Gannon retired from Radiology Associates as a business manager.

Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Margaret; seven sons, Stephen, Glenn and Ben Gannon, all of Spokane, Michael, Greg and Tom Gannon, all of Pendleton, Ore., and Aaron Gannon of Coeur d’Alene; six daughters, Mary Hilsabeck of Spokane, Teresa McNeill of Temecula, Calif., Anne Cao of Kent, Wash., Patricia Johncox of Renton, Wash., Dorothy Heery of Oxnard, Calif., and Maggie McMullen of Kennewick; 25 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Connie (Kile) Raney Milwaukie, Ore.

Funeral for Connie L. (Kile) Raney, 45, will be at 11 a.m. today at Cheney Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.

Born in Spokane, Mrs. Raney died Friday.

She was raised on a wheat ranch in the Thornton, Wash., area. Her family moved to Cheney and she graduated from Cheney High School in 1971. She also attended Eastern Washington University.

Mrs. Raney moved to California where she worked for the Memorex Corp. and was later transferred to Portland where she worked for Memorex and several computer software companies in sales departments.

She was a volunteer with the Special Olympics and was a member of the Cheney Rodeo Association.

Survivors include her mother, Dorothy Kile of Cheney; a sister, Shirley Olson of Newman Lake, Wash.; and a brother, Jack Kile of Cheney.

Memorial contributions may be made to Lakeland Village or the Spokane Humane Society.

Robert Allen Spokane

Memorial service for Robert N. Allen, 50, will be at 7 p.m. today at Gretna Green Chapel. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Allen, who was born in Covington, Ky., died Thursday.

He was raised in Erlanger, Ky., and in 1966 graduated from Lloyd High School there.

Mr. Allen moved to Spokane in 1981 and retired in 1991 from the Air Force after 20 years of service.

He was a self-employed sign maker and was active for many years in the Inland Empire Rental Association and the Republican Party.

Survivors include his wife of 20 years, Geraldine; four sons, David, Bill, Brian and Johnny; a daughter, Bette; his mother, Betty Allen of Warsaw, Ky.; three brothers, Kevin, Steve and Billy Joe; two sisters, Nancy and Mary Beth; and 10 grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

Andrew Rypien Post Falls

Service for Andrew Robert James Rypien, age 3, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.

Andrew, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, became ill with a brain tumor in July 1997. He died Saturday.

Survivors include his parents, Mark and Annette (Hutcheson) Rypien; two sisters, Ambre and Angela Rypien; his grandparents Patricia Rypien of Spokane, and James and Mary Carol Hutcheson of Otis Orchards; his great-grandparents Agnes Montalbetti of Coleman, Alberta, Katherine Hewlett of Beltsville, Md., and Gene and Gwen Nix of Flint, Mich.

Gilbert Stebbins Spokane

Memorial service for Gilbert S. Stebbins, 63, is planned for 3 p.m. today at the home of Rubi Hamalainen. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Stebbins, who was born in St. Helens, Ore., died Thursday.

He moved to Spokane 38 years ago and was a carnival manager.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Norma; four sons, Allen and Don Stebbins, both of Spokane, Steven Shadel of Portland and Jay Stebbins of Las Vegas; two daughters, Rubi Hamalainen and Cindy Stebbins, both of Spokane; three brothers; two sisters; and nine grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center or the American Cancer Society.

Grace Parsons Spokane

Funeral for Grace Parsons, 84, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

Mrs. Parsons, a 28-year Spokane resident, died Friday.

She was born in Enid, Mont., and was a homemaker.

Mrs. Parsons was a member of Pines Baptist Church.

Survivors include her husband of 68 years, Edwin; two daughters, Beverly Wright of Spokane and Geraldine Phillips of Duncanville, Texas; two brothers, Edward and Johnny Glover, both of Medford, Ore.; three sisters, Fran Semple and Barbara Hall, both of Medford and Peggy Wolfe of Phoenix, Ore.; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pines Baptist Church or the American Heart Association.

Freeda Couch Spokane

Visitation for Freeda M. Couch, 83, will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Graveside service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Spokane Memorial Gardens.

Mrs. Couch, who was born and raised in Harrison, Idaho, died Monday.

She moved to Spokane in 1950 from Tekoa, Wash., and was a homemaker.

Mrs. Couch was a member of the Woodcraft Lodge and the Lady Trainmen.

Her husband, Melvin Couch, preceded her in death.

Survivors include a son, Jerry Couch of Milwaukie, Ore.; a brother, John Lang of Salem, Ore.; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.

Jane (Hamilton) Nielsen Spokane

Memorial service for Jane Lee (Hamilton) Nielsen, a Spokane civic leader, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Nielsen, 93, died Friday.

She was born in San Francisco and spent her childhood in Omaha, Neb.

Mrs. Nielsen moved to Seattle where she met and married William Alf Nielsen in 1933. They lived in Lake Oswego, Ore., and settled in Spokane in 1944, when Mr. Nielsen became resident manager of Merrill Lynch.

During World War II, she was active as a spotter for the Air Defense Aircraft Program and was a Red Cross Grey Lady at Fort George Wright Army Hospital. She was a longtime member of the Spokane Club and was a member of the Spokane Country Club.

Her community service involvements included Ladies of Rotary, Spokane and Washington State Republican committees, Camp Fire, Meals on Wheels, Traveler’s Aid and the Greater Spokane Music Festival. She was chairman of the United Crusade Residential Division from 1955 to 1959 and was a founder and president of the Children’s Theater.

Mrs. Nielsen served for many years on the Board of the Hutton Settlement acting as secretary and president during the 1960s and 1970s. She was also a dedicated volunteer for the Y.W.C.A., serving on the board from 1957 and serving as president from 1961 to 1963.

She was a member of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, was a member and president of St. Nicholas Guild Cathedral Service League and the Cathedral Landscape Association.

Her husband died in 1982.

Mrs. Nielsen is survived by a son, William Nielsen; a daughter, Anne Nielsen O’Connell; a sister, Elizabeth Haines of Alexandria, Va.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, The Hutton Settlement or the YWCA.

David Slead St. Maries

Funeral for David Slead, 59, will be at 2 p.m. today at Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Mr. Slead, who was born in Genesee, Idaho, died Saturday.

He served in the Navy from 1958 to 1963, then went to work for the St. Maries Complex of Potlatch Corp., where he was employed at the time of his death.

He is survived by four daughters, LuAnn Cummings of Ephrata, Wash., Donna Cummings of Emida, Idaho, Margie Goebel of Minneapolis, and Linda Wilkinson of Des Moines, Wash.; a sister, Shirley Grubham of Lakeside, Mont.; a brother, Gordon Slead of Texas; his father, George Slead of Hot Springs, Mont.; his mother, Ruth Jenicek of Lakeside; his stepmother, Rela Boyd of Moscow, Idaho; and six grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Benewah County, P.O. Box 531, St. Maries, Idaho, 83861.

Diane Findlay Spokane

Funeral for Diane L. Findlay, 74, will be at 1 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

Mrs. Findlay, who died Thursday, was born in Stockett, Mont.

She was a 25-year Spokane resident and was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Clayton; a son, Robert Findlay of Mead; a daughter, Sandy Teich of Bellevue, Wash.; three brothers, Robert O’Leyar of Spokane and Max and George O’Leyar, both of Great Falls, Mont.; four sisters, Shirley Roban of Boise and Rosemary Holtz, Dorothy Pierce and Ann McHenry, all of Great Falls; and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Jamie Smith Medical Lake

Funeral for Jamie L. Smith, 30, is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at Cheney Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.

Mrs. Smith, who died Friday, was born in Moses Lake.

She graduated in 1986 from North Central High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University.

In 1991 she married Douglas Smith in Four Lakes. She was a homemaker.

Mrs. Smith is survived by her husband; a daughter, Hope Smith, and two sons, Mason and Austin Smith, all at home; her mother, Dixie Mason of Medical Lake; a brother, Benjamin Mason of Medical Lake; and four sisters, Gina La Franchise of Spokane, Kelly Anderson and Lisa Duvall, both of Moses Lake, and Dana Nash of Kent, Wash.

Hazel Livingston Spokane

Memorial service for Hazel G. Livingston, 95, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church. Burial was held at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Livingston, who was born in Campbell, Neb., died Aug. 14.

She graduated from Kearney (Neb.) Normal School and taught high school and coached girls basketball there.

Mrs. Livingston was a 60-year Spokane resident and graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor of science degree in dietetics.

She worked as a dietician at St. Lukes Hospital, the Shriners Hospital and the Y.W.C.A.

Mrs. Livingston was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, Daughters of the Nile, Order of the Eastern Star, the American Association of University Women, the Spokane and American Rose societies, Central Christian Church and South Hill Bible Church.

Her husband, Clarence Livingston, died in 1977.

Survivors include a son, Ward Livingston of Houston; a daughter, Ann Stewart of Portland; a sister, Celia Gutting of Rockford, Mass.; a brother, Wendell Newcomb of Pensacola, Fla.; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

James Harris Spokane

Memorial service for James S. “Jim” Harris, 90, is planned for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Riverview Retirement Community Chapel. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Harris, who died Saturday, was a 60-year Spokane resident.

He was born in Aledo, Ill., and graduated from Wooster College in Ohio.

Mr. Harris worked for Chevron for 36 years until his retirement in 1968 as a retail division manger.

He was a member of First Presbyterian Church and was involved in the choir for more than 50 years.

Mr. Harris was also a member of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce and the Manito Lions Club. He volunteered as a teacher at Barton School.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Dorothy; a daughter, Peggy Sisson of Cataldo, Idaho; a grandson and a great-granddaughter.

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

Joseph Hofstetter Spokane

Memorial service for Joseph R. Hofstetter, 27, was Monday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.

Mr. Hofstetter, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.

He worked as a commercial painter.

Survivors include his wife, Stephanie; a daughter, Khursten Hofstetter at home; his father, Calvin Hofstetter of Spokane; his mother, Judy Jones of Spokane; two sisters, Jamie Jones of Spokane and Bobbie Ferger of Bonney Lake, Wash.; and grandparents, Bruce and Louise McCallum of Newman Lake, and Orville and Wanita Hofstetter of Daisy, Wash.

Memorial contributions to be made to Spokane Valley Good Samaritan Village.

Kathryn Gillespie Cheney

Memorial service for Kathryn M. Gillespie, 63, was Sunday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.

Mrs. Gillespie, who was born in South Orange, N.J., died Friday.

She was a homemaker and lived in Spokane for 27 years.

Survivors include her husband, David; a daughter, Linda Wing of Spokane; a son, David Gillespie of Potomac, Md.; two brothers, Charles Paddock of Southbury, Conn., and Dick Paddock of Butler, N.J.; and five grandchildren.

Ralph Yarnell Metaline Falls, Wash.

Graveside service for Ralph Anderson Yarnell, 85, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Chewelah (Wash.) Memorial Park. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Yarnell, who was born in Cleveland, Tenn., died Saturday.

He moved to Chewelah in 1931 and moved to Metaline Falls in 1946.

Mr. Yarnell had worked for the Pend Oreille Mines until his retirement in 1975.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marie; a son, Larry Yarnell of Metaline Falls; three daughters, Yvonne Clayton of Benton City, Wash., Vicki Manjarrez of San Jose, Calif., and Shelley Winter of Airdrie, Alberta; a brother, O.A. Yarnell of Knoxville, Tenn.; a sister, Jean Blanchard of Jacksonville, Fla.; nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Fire District 2 Emergency Medical Services in Metaline Falls.

Mary Kendall Spokane

Memorial service for Mary Kendall, 92, was Monday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.

Mrs. Kendall, who died Thursday, was a 21-year Spokane resident.

She was born in Thornton, Wash., and graduated from Thornton High School.

Mrs. Kendall moved to Oakesdale where she farmed with her husband Ted.

She was a member of the Oakesdale Rebekah Lodge, the Oakesdale Grange and Oakesdale Presbyterian Church where she formerly served as a deacon.

Her husband of 68 years, Ted Kendall, died in 1994.

Survivors include two daughters, Shirley Jamison and Beverley Estey, both of Spokane; six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

Floyd Barber Spokane

Memorial service for Floyd F. Barber, 85, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Wilbur (Wash.) Cemetery. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Barber, who was born in Fairchance, Pa., died Friday.

He spent 19 years in the Air Force and served in the South Pacific during World War II.

Mr. Barber moved to Spokane 50 years ago and worked for Garrett Freightlines for 40 years.

In 1971, he married Gladys Paulson in Sacramento, Calif.

He was a member of the Moose Lodge, the Masonic Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, El Katif Shrine and the Scottish Rite.

Survivors include his wife; two brothers, Edwin Barber of Pennsylvania and Thomas Barber of Sacramento, Calif.; and two sisters, Jeanie Anders and Wanda Glover, both of Sacramento.

Daniel Ling Jr. Spokane

Service for Daniel S. Ling Jr., Ph.D., 73, will be held at a later date in Lawrence, Kan. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home - South is in charge of arrangements.

Dr. Ling, who was born in Chicago, died Friday.

He received a Ph.D in theoretical physics from the University of Michigan in 1948.

During World War II, he contributed to the development of the proximity fuse. Known for his lively and spirited lectures, Dr. Ling was a professor of physics at the University of Kansas and a resident of Lawrence, Kan. from 1948 until his retirement in 1987.

He moved to Spokane following his retirement.

His wife of 38 years, Margaret, died in 1984.

Survivors include a daughter, Deborah Ling Stucky of Spokane; a son, David Ling of Upper Saddle River, N.J.; a sister, Joanne Ling Moot of Bethesda, Md.; and six grandchildren.