Obituaries
Clinton Thomas Spokane
Funeral for Clinton J. Thomas, 83, will be at 11 a.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Private burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A 60-year Spokane resident, Mr. Thomas died Friday. He was born in Prosser, Wash.
He lived in Pasco and Coeur d’Alene, where he attended schools. He served with the Army from 1933 to 1936 in Alaska.
In 1942 he went to work as an aircraft mechanic at the Spokane Air Depot.
Mr. Thomas later worked as a chief storekeeper and assistant purchasing agent for Pacific Northwest Alloys for several years until the closing of the plant.
During the building of the Atlas Missile Sites in the Spokane-area during the 1960’s he worked as a senior buyer for Blaw-Knox.
In 1961 he was named general purchasing agent for the Vinnell Corp. until it closed in 1963.
From 1963 until his retirement he worked as a plumbing salesman for Consolidated Supply Co.
In 1977 he moved to Liberty Lake and returned to Spokane in 1992.
Mr. Thomas was a member of the Spokane Valley Senior Center, where he also served on the board of directors.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Bertha; a son, Douglas Clinton of Henderson, Nev.; a stepdaughter, Donna Snider of Tacoma; and five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Verle Mangis Spokane
Visitation for Verle H. Mangis, 78, will be from noon to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Graveside service is planned for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Spangle Cemetery.
Mrs. Mangis, who was born north of Davenport, Wash., died Thursday.
She married Maynard Mangis in 1938 and they moved to Spangle in 1940.
Mrs. Mangis worked as a bookkeeper for Farmers Grain from 1959 to 1965 and for M & M Chemicals from 1965 to 1969.
In 1969 she went to work for Inland Farmers, before retiring in 1983. She later moved to Spokane.
Mrs. Mangis was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Spangle Christian Church, where she was also active in the the Ladies’ Aid.
Her husband died in 1989.
Survivors include a daughter, Vicki Prelwitz of Bayview, Idaho; two sons, Bill Mangis of Spokane and David Mangis of Spangle; two sisters, Dena Stalwick and Kathleen Nelson, both of Spokane; and nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spangle Cemetery Fund.
Charles Turmes Spokane
Visitation for Charles R. Turmes, 86, will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m today at Heritage Funeral Home. Funeral will follow at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
A 48-year Spokane resident, Mr. Turmes died Friday. He was born in Mountain Home, Idaho.
He served with the Navy for eight years and and was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 51.
Mr. Turmes later worked as a laborer in the magnesium production industry.
His wife of 46 years, Helen, died in 1996.
Survivors include two sons, Ed Packer of Spokane and Don Packer of Sumner, Wash.; and 15 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Hanako Ariizumi Seattle
Memorial service for Hanako Ariizumi, 76, will be at 11 a.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home.
Mrs. Ariizumi, who was born in Fife, Wash., died Nov. 29.
She lived in Spokane for more than 40 years, before moving to Seattle nine years ago.
Her husband, Joe, preceded her in death.
Survivors include two sons, Dennis Ariizumi of Livermore, Calif., and Andy Ariizumi of Kenmore, Wash.; and one grandson.
Melvin Alderman Colfax, Wash.
Funeral for Melvin Alderman, 44, is at 10:30 a.m. today at the First Baptist Church of Colfax. Burial will follow at Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe, Wash. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Alderman, who was born in Colfax, died Thursday from a gunshot wound to the chest. While cleaning out a closet the gun fell out and fired.
He graduated from St. John (Wash.) High School in 1972 and received a degree as a machinist from Spokane Community College in 1974.
Mr. Alderman worked in Spokane for a few years before moving to Colfax in 1977, where he worked as a machinist for Colfax Auto Parts.
In 1985 he started Mel’s Machine Shop.
He married Susan Ellis in 1986.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Emily, Rachel and Amy Alderman, all at home; his parents, Bob and Wanda Alderman of Steptoe; a sister, Jaci Englert of Suwanne, Ga.; and his grandfather, Guy Alderman of Thornton, Wash.
Bess Clark Spokane
Memorial service for Bess M. Clark, 76, will be at 2 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Burial was held at Riverside Memorial Park.
Born in Davenport, Wash., Mrs. Clark died Friday.
She worked for the Spokane Public Library from 1960 until her retirement in 1983.
Mrs. Clark was a longtime member and former treasurer of the Southhill/ Mountainview Church of the Nazarene, treasurer of the Pacific Northwest Association of Church Librarians and a member of the Inland Northwest Fibromyalgia Association.
Survivors include a son, Glenn Clark of Portland; a daughter, Carol Gilbert of Spokane; a sister, Violet Fisher of Wilbur, Wash.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the World Mission Fund, in care of the Nazarene District Office, 8607-b N. Division, Spokane, WA 99208, or to Hospice of Spokane.
Robert LaRue Sequim, Wash.
Graveside service for Robert J. “Rob” LaRue, 29, will be at 11 a.m. today at Mount Nebo Cemetery in Spokane. Memorial service will follow at 6 p.m. at Temple Beth Shalom. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. LaRue, a former Spokane resident and Mead High School graduate, died Friday.
He was born in Spokane and attended Spokane Falls Community College.
Mr. LaRue worked as an emergency medical technician. For the past year he operated an espresso business in Sequim.
Survivors include a daughter, Chaya LaRue, and his former wife, Audrey LaRue, both of Sequim; his parents, Larry and Susan LaRue of Spokane; a sister, Becky Cress of Spokane; a stepbrother Bill LaRue of Spokane; a stepsister, Wendy Lanktree of Kalispell, Mont.; and his grandmother, Bernice Lanter of Spokane.
Herschel Burgess Spokane
Graveside service for Herschel M. Burgess, 78, will be at 11 a.m. today at Greenwood Cemetery in Hunters, Wash. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Burgess, who was born in Hunters, died Friday.
He owned and operated a secondhand and antique store in Spokane for 35 years.
Survivors include four brothers, Norman Burgess of Yuma, Ariz., Loy Burgess of Addy, Wash., Ron Burgess of Mill Creek, Wash., and Alvin Burgess of Moses Lake; two sisters, Theda Hart of Moses Lake and Lois Wiltse of East Wenatchee.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
James Rose Spokane
Memorial service for James R. “Jim” Rose, 60, is at 4 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home.
Mr. Rose, who was born in Bigfork, Mont., died Friday.
He graduated from Bigfork High School and attended the University of Montana before graduating from Syracuse (N.Y.) University.
Mr. Rose served with the Air Force for 20 years, before retiring in 1979. He moved to Spokane in 1976.
He was a charter member of the Spokane Fly Fishers and a member of the Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club.
Survivors include his wife of 29 years, Jean; a son, John Rose of Anchorage; a daughter, Janet Rose of Redmond, Ore.; his parents, Harry and Marion Rose, and a sister, Janet Passmore, all of Bozeman; and one granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Inland Empire Multiple Sclerosis Society, Visiting Nurse Association or Hospice of Spokane.
Virgil Pruehs Coeur d’Alene
Service for Virgil P. Pruehs, 74, will be at 1 p.m. today at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pruehs, who was born in Everett, died Thursday.
He grew up in Marysville, Wash., and graduated from Lake Stevens (Wash.) High School. He served with the Navy during World War II.
Mr. Pruehs graduated from Walla Walla College in 1951 with a business degree and taught school for a year. He worked as an accountant in Oregon and then as a case worker for the Washington Department of Social and Health Services in College Place, Wash.
He moved to the Coeur d’Alene area in 1995 and was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
His first wife, Edith, died in 1994.
Survivors include his wife, Mary; a son, Ritchie Pruehs of Spokane; a daughter, Ruth Huff of Wenatchee; a stepson, Henry Harkins of Spokane; two stepdaughters, Gailynn Hurst and Anna Messick, both of Las Vegas; two sisters, Eunice Craig of Marysville and Beulah Warden of Spokane; and eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Dorothy Lehrke Wilbur, Wash.
Visitation for Dorothy Ann Lehrke, 88, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeNorth. Funeral is planned for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Lehrke, who was born in Ferndale, Wash., died Thursday.
She attended schools in Shelby, Mont. She lived in Alameda, Calif., in the early 1940s and moved to Spokane in 1945.
Mrs. Lehrke began working as a cook in various hotels in Spokane in 1946, including the Davenport Hotel, Desert Hotel and the Spokane House. She retired in 1974.
She moved to Wilbur in 1990.
Mrs. Lehrke was a 35-year member of Salem Lutheran Church. She was also a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6268 Auxiliary and the Wilbur Senior Center.
Her husband, William, died in 1971.
Survivors include a daughter, Helen Scheibner of Wilbur; a son, Samuel Wetterhus of Colbert; a sister, Della Frazier of Shelby; and four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Shirlee Haynes Spokane
Funeral for Shirlee D. Haynes, 70, was Monday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial was at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A 23-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Haynes died Thursday.
Born in San Francisco, she was a homemaker and a member of the Lady Eagles.
Survivors include her husband, Jack; two sons, Jack Haynes of Boise and Andy Haynes of Portland; and five grandchildren.
Donald Speck Spokane
Funeral for Donald H. Speck, 75, will be at 11 a.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.
Born in Spokane, Mr. Speck died Thursday.
He served with the Marine Corps during World War II in the South Pacific and later worked as a heavy equipment operator in the construction industry.
Mr. Speck was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 51.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Irene; two brothers, Robert Speck of Hayden, Idaho, and Richard Speck of Medical Lake; and a sister, Shirley Swan of Kennewick.
Richard Washburn Spokane
Funeral for Richard D. “Dick” Washburn, 70, will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery.
A 57-year Spokane resident, Mr. Washburn died Saturday.
Born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, he graduated from North Central High School where he was involved in athletics.
Mr. Washburn served with the Navy.
He worked for the Washington State Highway Department.
He was a lifetime member of Eagles Lodge No. 2 and a member of the 50’s Dance Club.
His wife, Mary M’Liss, died in September.
He is survived by a brother, Joseph Washburn of Florence, Ariz.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Daniel ‘Earl’ Fiedler Priest River, Idaho
Funeral for Daniel “Earl” Fiedler, 91, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Priest River. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River.
Mr. Fiedler, who was born in Oldtown, Idaho, died Saturday.
He worked in the timber and logging industry, for Valentine Clark of Newport, Wash., and retired from East River Lumber Co. in 1972.
Mr. Fiedler lived in Freeman Lake, Idaho, for several years, before moving to Priest River in 1951.
His first wife, Vera, died in 1971. He married Inez Anselmo in 1973.
He was a member of the Freeman Lake Grange and the National Rifle Association.
Survivors include his wife; twin daughters, Janice Howard and Joann Linton, both of Priest River; three stepchildren, six grandchildren and six stepgrandchildren.
Leroy Shuster Spokane
Funeral for Leroy P. Shuster, 53, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Burial will be St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Trentwood.
A 12-year Spokane resident, Mr. Shuster died Thursday. He was born in Rushville, Neb.
He graduated from Rushville High School in 1963 and from Chadron (Neb.) State College in 1969.
He served with the Army during the Vietnam War with the 9th Division. Mr. Shuster earned a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal with the one oak leaf cluster, a Vietnam Service Metal and a Vietnam Campaign Medal.
He received a law degree in 1972 from the University of Nebraska Law School.
Mr. Shuster operated a law office in Greenacres for many years.
Survivors include his wife, Denise; a daughter, Anna-Marie Shuster at home; three sons, Evan Shuster at home, Matthew and Jeffrey Shuster, both of Spokane; a stepdaughter, Lacy De’Bohnet of Spokane; his mother, Maxine Elder of Gordon, Neb.; three sisters, Jane Zuver of La Bolt, S.D., Karen Dike of Superior, Colo., and Shirley Matthes of Lincoln, Neb.; a brother, Jim Elder of Sheldon, Iowa; a stepsister, Loretta Brewer of Hot Springs Village, Alaska; and a stepbrother, Paul Elder of Blue Ridge, Texas.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane County Pro Bono Program, Spokane County Courthouse.