Obituaries

Helen Rietz Cheney

Funeral for Helen F. Rietz, 78, will be at 1 p.m. today at Cheney Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Mrs. Rietz, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.

She graduated in 1938 from North Central High School and in 1942 married Gilmour Rietz in Coeur d’Alene.

Mrs. Rietz and her husband worked for many years on the family wheat farm south of Cheney.

She was a 37-year resident of Cheney and a member of the Amber Grange.

Survivors include her husband; a son, Gary Rietz of Cheney; two daughters, Myrna Moe of San Diego, Calif., and Denise Rietz of Riverside, Calif.; four brothers, Arthur, Henry and Emil Kanauft, all of Spokane, Rudy Knauft of Newbury Park, Calif.; three sisters, Elizabeth Smith of Spokane, Martha Carman of Davenport, Wash., and Doretta Moreno of Temple City, Calif.; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.

Clarence Skjothaug Clayton, Wash.

Graveside service for Clarence A. Skjothaug, 63, is set for 1 p.m. today at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Skjothaug, who was born Williston, N.D., died Tuesday.

He graduated from Rogers High School and served in the Army during the Korean War.

In 1964 he married Irene Johnson.

Mr. Skjothaug worked for Western Electric before becoming involved with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 73 as an electrician. He retired in 1995.

Survivors include his wife; mother, Ellida Skjothaug at home; three sisters, Donna Sprague of Spokane, Helen Rosen of Seattle and Janet Kongsala of Oklahoma City, and five brothers, Ralph, Kenneth, Art, Dwane and Donnie Skjothaug, all of Spokane.

Reinhold Kosanke Spokane

Graveside funeral service and vault burial for Reinhold F. Kosanke, 99, is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Kosanke, who was born in Kulm, N.D., died Wednesday.

He was a wheat farmer near Ritzville for more than 60 years.

Since 1945 he has alternated between his home in Spokane and his farm in Ritzville. He has lived in Spokane for the past five years.

Mr. Kosanke is survived by three sons, Eugene, Richard and Sherman Kosanke, all of Spokane; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Helen (Kellar) Hale Spokane

Service for Helen R. (Kellar) Hale, 60, is set for 2 p.m. today at the Veterans of Foreign War Post 1435. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hale, who was born in Onamia, Minn., died Monday.

She graduated from high school in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Mrs. Hale had worked as a waitress.

She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1435 Auxiliary.

Her husband, John Hale, died in 1995.

Survivors include two daughters, Morguana Griffin of Austin, Texas, and Barbra Miethe of Post Falls; four stepchildren, Terri Samuels of Spokane, John Hale of Portland, Toni Crandal of Santa Ana, Calif., and Traci Freschette of Kentucky; 18 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Mary Louise McCray Clayton, Wash.

Graveside funeral service for Mary Louise McCray, 71, is scheduled for 4 p.m. today at the Williams Valley Cemetery. Lauer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. McCray, who was born in Montezuma, Ind., died Wednesday.

She graduated in 1944 from South Port High School in Indianapolis and was a longtime bookkeeper for Silvey Construction Co. in Phoenix.

Mrs. McCray was a 22-year resident of Clayton and a member of the Happy Home Community Church in Deer Park.

Her husband, Irvin McCray, died in 1985.

Survivors include three sons, Steve McCray of Deer Lake, Wash., and Mike and Mark McCray, both of Phoenix; three daughters, Lois Fricke, Mary Etta Lilly and Charity McCray, all of Clayton, and nine grandchildren.

Charlotta Baker Bonners Ferry

Funeral for Charlotta A. Baker, 81, is set for 10 a.m today at the Trinity Lutheran Church, Bonners Ferry. Burial will follow at the Grandview Cemetery. Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Baker, who was born in Milaca, Minn., died Tuesday at Bonners Ferry Community Hospital.

She attended school through the eighth grade in Milaca and then helped her parents with farm work.

Mrs. Baker married Kenneth Baker in 1937 and she moved to his Montana homestead. In 1946 they moved to Bonners Ferry.

Her husband died in 1972.

Mrs. Baker was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church and its Circle group.

Survivors include a son, Burton Baker of Bonners Ferry; five sisters, Florence Priebe and Donna Smith of Froid, Mont., Eunice Olness of Milaca, Minn., Marge Carrier of Hanover, Va., and Johnon Mace of Bonners Ferry; a brother, David Arvidson of Kalispell, Mont.; and two grandchildren.

Anson McDirmid Spokane

Memorial Mass for Anson McDirmid, 82, will be held at a later date in Walla Walla. Herring Funeral Home in Walla Walla is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. McDirmid, who was born in Colville, Wash., died Aug. 19.

He was in the first graduating class at Rogers High School and worked for The Spokesman-Review in the Circulation Department for seven years.

Mr. McDirmid served in the military during World War II and saw action in Italy and North Africa.

He lived for many years in Walla Walla, where he worked as a letter carrier for the Postal Service. Mr. McDirmid moved back to Spokane in 1976.

He was a member of the Shriners and the Knights of Columbus.

His wife died in 1971.

Survivors include four sons, Dennis, James, Michael and Stephen; four daughters, Margaret, Susan, Patty and Kathy; 11 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital.

Helen Holder Spokane

Graveside service for Helen L. Holder, a 70-year resident of Spokane, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Riverside Memorial Park. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Holder, who was born in Plevna, Mont., died Sunday at the age of 85.

She graduated from high school in Conrad, Mont., and in 1942 married Robert Holder in Spokane.

Mrs. Holder was a homemaker.

Her husband died in 1993.

Survivors include two sons, Gerald Holder of Spokane and James Holder of Salt Lake City; a brother, Chester Smith of Seattle; two sisters, May Davis and Lois Shaw both of Seattle and five grandchildren.

Gilbert Gibson Spokane

No service will be held for Gilbert E. Gibson, 74, at his request. Inurnment will be at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Gibson, who was born and raised in Harrison, Ark., died Tuesday.

He served with the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. Mr. Gibson worked as a telegrapher for six years for the Northern Pacific Railroad and for 12 years as a telegraph agent for the Great Northern Railway.

He then worked at Lakeland Village as an attendant counselor for eight years.

Mr. Gibson moved to Washington state in 1948 and lived in Spokane since 1962.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Rose Gibson; his mother, Frances Gibson of Spokane; and a brother, Claude Gibson Jr. of Neodesha, Kan.

Edith Howell Spokane

Memorial service for Edith Howell, 90, is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Howell, who died Monday, was born in England.

She moved to Spokane in 1970.

She is survived by a sister, Winifred Simonds of Spokane.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Church Memorial Fund or the American Diabetes Association.

Charles Bradley Medical Lake

No service will be held for Charles E. Bradley, 56. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Bradley, who was born in Indianapolis, died Saturday.

He retired in 1980 after 20 years in the Air Force.

Mr. Bradley was a member of the Spokane Civic Theater for several years and was a 25-year resident of Spokane County.

He is survived by his fiancee, Lynnette Jensen of Medical Lake; a son, William Bradley of Branden, Ore.; a daughter, Theresa Lautenslager of Seattle; a brother, Michael Bradley of Seattle; two sisters, Jean Anne Bressan of Phoenix and Linda Olson of Fairfield, Calif.; and several grandchildren.

Frances (Veltri) Maio Eden Spokane

Funeral for Frances (Veltri) Maio Eden, 92, is set for 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. A private family burial will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Mrs. Eden, who died Tuesday, was born and raised in Priest River, Idaho.

She lived in Portland for about 30 years then lived in Spokane for the last 26 years.

Mrs. Eden was a homemaker.

Her first husband, Charles Maio, died in 1966. Her second husband, Burrel Eden, died in 1982.

She is survived by a son, Frank Maio of Priest River; two daughters, Rose Marie Rosa and Elaine Darrow, both of Spokane; a stepson, Gordon Eden of Colfax, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Irma Hamilton of North Bend, Wash.; four brothers, Joe Veltri Jr. and Ralph Veltri, both of Priest River, Roy Veltri of San Francisco and Anthony Veltri of Nevada, Mo.; five sisters, Helen Stanley of Portland, Romelda Kemmerer of Roseburg, Ore., Cecilia Koeppler, Louise Miller and Laura Osman all of Spokane; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Mater Dei Institute or to North Central Care Center.

Helen Sater Kellogg

Memorial service for Helen Mae Sater, 84, will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at the Kellogg Funeral Chapel, Kellogg. Inurnment will be at Greenwood Cemetery, Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service, Kellogg, is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Sater, who was born in Mackay, Idaho, died Wednesday at the Mountain Valley Care & Rehabilitation Center, Kellogg.

She was a lifelong Idaho resident.

Mrs. Sater graduated from Kellogg High School. In 1968 she received her practical nursing license at West Shoshone Hospital.

She married Chester Sater in 1952 in Superior, Mont. He died in 1982.

Mrs. Sater practiced nursing at Shoshone Living Center, West Shoshone Hospital and retired in 1976 from Silverwood Good Samaritan Nursing Center.

She was a member of the Kellogg Ladies Elks Club and the Wardner Rebekah Lodge.

Survivors include two sons, Eddie Butler of Kellogg and Mark Deasy of Spokane; two stepsons, Jack Sater of Lolo, Mont., and Chet Sater of LaGrande, Ore.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene, or Greenwood Cemetery Cross Fund, 323 Main Street, Kellogg.

Luella Dodge Fairfield

Graveside service for Luella Dodge, 85, was Monday at the Fairfield Cemetery. Memorial service followed at the Fairfield Presbyterian Church. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Fairfield was in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Dodge, who died Aug. 17, was a lifetime resident of Fairfield.

She ran a grocery store with her husband, Warren, and brother in Spokane from 1934 to 1946.

Mrs. Dodge and her husband then owned and operated a grocery store in Fairfield from 1947 to 1975.

She was a member and elder of the Fairfield Presbyterian Church, past president of the Washington State Grocers Association Auxiliary, member of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, the Fairfield Grain Growers and past matron of the Order of Eastern Star and the South East Spokane Historical Society.

Her husband preceded her in death.

Survivors include two sons, Thomas Dodge of Fairfield and Gary Dodge of Minneapolis; a brother, Charles Hayward of Spokane and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Warren and Luella Dodge Memorial Fund.

Katherine Stoddard Coeur d’Alene

Funeral for Katherine Stoddard, 93, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Stoddard, who was born in Manistee, Mich., died Tuesday.

In 1980 she moved with her family to Coeur d’Alene, where she attended school.

She married Raymond Stoddard in 1920.

She was a member of First Baptist Church, sang in the church choir and was active in the Church Circle.

Her husband died in 1984.

Survivors include five sons, Raymond Stoddard of Lucerne, Calif., Walter Stoddard of Spokane, Tom Stoddard of Coeur d’Alene, Bob Stoddard of Hayden, Idaho, and Ken Stoddard of Post Falls; two daughters, Barbara Rogers and Doris Ann Breeden, both of Spokane; two sisters, Mary Reese of Pasco and Ann Nolander of Seattle; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Joseph Mensinger Sr. Colfax, Wash.

Graveside memorial service for Joseph Henry Mensinger Sr. will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Mensinger, who was born in Hampton, Ill., died Sunday at the age of 86.

He was raised in Iowa, and worked construction there until 1941. He also traveled to various construction projects throughout the United States.

Mr. Mensinger moved to Colfax in 1965 to work on the flood control project. He later purchased the City Tavern in Colfax and operated it until his retirement in 1985. He served on the Colfax City Council for eight years.

In 1966, he married Mabel Munson Lonn in Boise.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Operating Engineers Union.

Survivors include his wife; three sons, Joseph Mensinger Jr. of Colfax, Ronald Mensinger of Bremerton and Tim Mensinger of Kennewick; two daughters, Dolores Conrad of Kennewick and Ida Canady of Sulton, Wash.; two stepsons, Kenneth Lonn of Auburn, Wash., and Robert Lonn of Soap Lake, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Judy Hopkins of Oklahoma City; a brother, LeRoy Mensinger, and a sister, Ida Callahan, both of Camanche, Iowa; 29 grandchildren, 26 greatgrandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Jake Stamey Clarkston, Wash.

Graveside service for John Newman Martin “Jake” Stamey, 12, is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.

Jake, who was born in Spokane, died August 1 from injuries sustained in an assault on July 31.

He spent his early years in Newport, Wash., before moving to Clarkston in 1990.

Jake attended Grantham Elementary School in Clarkston, and had completed sixth grade.

He played the guitar and spent time at Chief Timothy Park, where he sometimes helped the park staff.

Survivors include his mother, Raemarie White at home; a brother, Nick Carson of Pullman; and his grandmother, Patricia White of Spokane.

George ‘Mike’ Matthias Ocean Park, Wash.

Memorial service for George B. “Mike” Matthias, 74, was Thursday at the Ocean Park Eagles. Penttila’s Chapel by the Sea in Long Beach, Wash., was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Matthias, a former Spokane resident, died Sunday.

He was born in St. Cloud, Minn., and moved with his family to Kirkland, Wash.

Mr. Matthias graduated from Kirkland High School and worked in the shipyards until enlisting in the Army. He served during World War II as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division in both the Phillippines and the European Theater.

After his discharge, he began working for Greyhound Bus Lines in Spokane. He was a bus driver for 32 years until his retirement in 1984. He moved to Everett in 1976 and then to Ocean Park after his retirement.

He was a member of the Ocean Park Eagles, the Moose Lodge No. 2362 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

His wife, Jean, died in 1995.

Survivors include three daughters, Georgia Caler of Davenport, Wash., Patty McDonald of Coeur d’Alene, and Becky Jones of Wenatchee; two sons, Michael Matthias of Snohomish, Wash., and Matt Matthias of Lynnwood, Wash.; two brothers, Johnny Matthias of Whidbey Island, Wash., and Charlie Matthias of Snohomish, Wash.; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Arthur ‘A.T.’ Hillman Kettle Falls, Wash.

Memorial wake for Arthur Thomas “A.T.” Hillman, 71, will be Saturday at his cabin on Dead Man’s Creek. Danekas Funeral Home in Colville, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hillman, who was born in Elrose, Saskatchewan, died August 18.

He served in the Canadian Army during World War II as a signal corpsman.

Mr. Hillman moved to Washington state in 1951.

He was a 40-year member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and owned Northwest Electric for a number of years.

He participated in the construction of many schools, fruit warehouses and business in the Northwest. He also worked on the third powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam.

He had divided his time between his home in Electric City, Wash., and his cabin on Dead Man’s Creek since 1988.

Mr. Hillman was a member of the Eagles and Moose lodges.

Survivors include his wife, Diane; three daughters, Kathy Hillman and Pat Hillman Kastel, both of Seattle, and Susan Hillman Morse of Wenatchee; two sons, Tim and Ed Hillman, both of Seattle; a stepdaughter, Missy of Electric City; and nine grandchildren.

Mignonne (Harris) Shore Spokane

Memorial service for Mignonne (Harris) Shore, 81, will be at 10 a.m. September 5 at Riverview Terrace. Private burial will be held at Mountain View Cemetery in Farmington, Wash. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Atlanta, Mrs. Shore died Saturday.

She moved to Seattle at an early age and graduated from Queen Ann High School there. During high school she trained and participated as a dancer in the chorus of the Seattle Ballet Company.

She received her bachelor of science degree in nursing science from the University of Washington in 1939.

In Seattle Mrs. Shore worked as a registered nurse in surgery at Harborview Hospital. She completed a graduate course in physical therapy at Harvard Medical School in Boston in 1942.

She went back to nursing in Cheyenne, Wyo., and was a assistant superintendent of nursing in New Hampshire and later in Grand Forks, N.D.

Mrs. Shore came to Spokane in 1972, when her husband retired from the Air Force. She was active in volunteer organizations at each of the Air Force Bases where they had lived.

She was a member of the P.E.O., the Spokane Racquet Club, the University of Washington Alumni Association and First Presbyterian Church in Spokane. She also taught English at the Barton School.

Survivors include her husband of 56 years; three sons, Marshall Shore of Dayton, Ohio, John Shore of Austin, Texas and Lawrence Shore of Albuquerque, N.M.; a sister, Georgia Harris of Seattle; a brother, Ben Harris of Seattle; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Frieda Brackebusch Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Funeral for Frieda T. Brackebusch, 96, was Tuesday at Trinity Lutheran Church. Burial was at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry.

Mrs. Brackebusch, who was born is Clarinda, Iowa, died Saturday.

She grew up in Iowa and married Fred Brackebusch in South Dakota. During the Great Depression, the family moved toIdaho near Copeland. She was a homemaker.

Her husband died in 1975.

Survivors include five sons, Arthur Brackebusch of Missoula, Leonard Brackebusch of Samuels, Idaho, Albert Brackebusch of Bonners Ferry, Harold Brackebusch of Carthage, Tenn., and Fred Brackebusch of Kellogg; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Marie Jacobson Spokane

Memorial service for Marie D. Jacobson, 78, is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Foothills Community Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Jacobson, who died Tuesday, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and had lived in Spokane for 68 years.

In 1951, she moved to the Foothills area, where she farmed.

Mrs. Jacobson was a member of Foothills Community Church where she also taught Sunday school.

Her husband, Herbert, died in 1991.

Survivors include three sons, Van, Mark and Keith Jacobson, all of Spokane; a daughter, Ann Dawson of Bothell, Wash.; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.