Obituaries
James Borgan Spokane
Service for James E. Borgan, 51, will be at 10 a.m. today at First Covenant Church. Cremation will follow. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home - South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Borgan, who was born in Minneapolis, died Thursday.
He received his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in 1970 and his master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering at the University of Minnesota.
Mr. Borgan moved to Spokane 20 years ago and was a technical director for the Spokane Regional Council from 1978 to 1987.
He was later with the Washington State Department of Transportation as a transportation specialist.
Mr. Borgan then worked with Taylor Engineering and as a private consultant in transportation engineering.
He was a member of the American Planning Association, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers, Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Northwest Norton Owners Association.
Mr. Borgan was active with Big Brothers and was a private pilot.
Survivors include two daughters, Jessica and Jamie Borgan, both of Spokane; and a sister, Carol Petra Borgan of Minneapolis.
Charlotte Gordon Spokane
Service for Charlotte Gordon, 93, will be at 1 p.m. today at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Riverside Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home - South is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gordon, who was born in Yazoo City, Miss., died Friday.
She moved to Spokane in the early 1950s and worked as a cook and housekeeper in private homes.
Her first husband, Sidney Molett, and her second husband, John Gordon, both preceded her in death.
Mrs. Gordon was a member of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church.
Survivors include a sister, Margaret Rembert, and a brother, D.C. Cooper, both of Yazoo City; five grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Clyde Blish Spirit Lake, Idaho
Service for Clyde Blish, 75, will be at 1 p.m. today at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Spirit Lake. English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Blish, who was born in Minnesota, died Saturday.
He moved to Rathdrum in 1972 from Everett, and then to Minnesota two years ago.
Mr. Blish moved back to the Spirit Lake area one month ago.
He served with the Navy during World War II before being transferred to the Air Force, where he served for 20 years.
Mr. Blish worked for General Telephone Co., retiring in 1993.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Norma in 1986.
Survivors include five sons, James Blish of Coeur d’Alene, Douglas Blish of Spirit Lake, Carl Blish of Blanchard, Idaho, Gary Blish of Rathdrum, Idaho, and Matthew Blish of Spokane; two daughters, Clydene Booker of Rathdrum and Valerie Bailey of Spokane; two brothers, Fred Blish of Everett and John Blish of Bothell, Wash.; three sisters, Annabelle Tufton and Marge Campbell, both of Minnesota, and Vangie Blish of Everett; 13 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Dwight Skinner Coeur d’Alene
Private family service for Dwight D. Skinner Sr., 75, will be held later. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Skinner, who was born in Nebraska, died Friday.
He grew up in Spirit Lake and joined the Coast Guard after high school.
Mr. Skinner returned to Coeur d’Alene in 1946 and worked as a postal carrier, retiring in 1977.
He was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles and Elks lodges, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
His wife, Dorothy, died in 1997.
Survivors include a son, Dwight Skinner Jr. of Coeur d’Alene; a daughter, Susan Swafford of Post Falls; a brother, Harold Skinner of Spokane; and a sister, Doyne McKinney of Arizona.
Anthony Aichlmayr Spokane
Vigil service for Anthony F. “Tony” Aichlmayr, 89, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at Mary Queen Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Aichlmayr, who was born in Cottonwood, Idaho, died Sunday.
He served in the Navy.
Mr. Aichlmayr retired from Washington Water Power Co. as marketing director after 42 years.
He was a 44-year resident of Spokane and a member of Mary Queen Parish, Hillyard Veterans of Foreign Wars and Hillyard Senior Center.
Survivors include his wife of 27 years, Lucile; four stepdaughters, Sharon Kaliko of Wahiawa, Hawaii, Susan Tunison and Pamela Jennings, both of Spokane, and Wendy Westby of Cheney; two brothers, Leonard Aichlmayr of Lakeside, Mont., and Ernie Aichlmayr of Nevada; a sister, Margaret Merrick of Newport, Wash.; and numerous grandchildren.
Jefferson ‘Jeff’ Cook Spokane
Memorial service for Jefferson R. “Jeff” Cook, 70, will be at 11 a.m. today at Pines Cemetery Mausoleum. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Cook, who died Friday, was born in Eden, Idaho.
He moved to Spokane as a child and worked in the construction industry.
Survivors include three sons, Bob Cook of Oxnard, Calif., Mick Cook of Spokane and Ron Cook of Palmer, Alaska; two daughters, Donna Sundberg of Spokane and Sherry Edwards of Moses Lake, Wash.; 10 brothers and sisters; nine grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Elmer Afseth Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Service for Elmer Carl Afseth, 86, will be at 1 p.m. today at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Private burial will be at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry.
Mr. Afseth, who was born in North Dakota, died Saturday.
He attended schools in North Dakota and played string bass and other instruments in a band.
Mr. Afseth joined the Army in 1933. He played in a band in the Army and worked as a telegrapher for a short time after his military service.
He went on to operate a drug store in Montana before moving to Bonners Ferry in 1956.
He owned the Rex Theater in Bonners Ferry before moving to Montana in the 1960s.
Mr. Afseth moved to Colville, Wash., and owned and operated movie theaters there before returning to Bonners Ferry in 1974.
Survivors include his wife, Merriam; two daughters, Jill Robinson of Bonners Ferry, and Judy Gieseker of Arlington, Wash.; and six grandchildren.
Robert Wetterhus Puyallup, Wash.
Memorial service for Robert L. Wetterhus, 35, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Zion Lutheran Church in Deer Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home - North is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wetterhus, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
He graduated in 1981 from Mead High School and lived in Colbert, until 1990 when he moved to Puyallup.
Mr. Wetterhus worked for an international freight forwarding company called Northern Consolidating in Kent, Wash.
Survivors include his parents, Samuel and Frederika Wetterhus of Colbert; a sister, Elaine Rockford of Edmonds, Wash.; a brother, Timothy Wetterhus of Port Orchard, Wash., and his grandmother, Dorothy Lehrke of Davenport, Wash.
Roland ‘Chick’ Napuk Spokane
Service for Roland “Chick” Napuk, 92, was Tuesday at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial followed at Mount Nebo Cemetery.
Mr. Napuk, an 84-year Spokane resident, died Monday.
He was born in Milwaukee, Wis., and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.
Mr. Napuk served in the Navy during World War II at the Naval Air Station in Pasco, and in the Aleutian Islands.
He worked in men’s clothing stores in Spokane, most recently for Star Leather Company. He retired in 1970.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Bertha; and two sisters, Ann Fierman and Sylvia Goldman, both of Laguna Hills, Calif.
Maybelle Gifford Spokane
Visitation for Maybelle G. Gifford, 80, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Service is set for 11 a.m. Friday at Hazen and Jager Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Gifford, who was born in Washington state, died Friday.
She graduated from Limborge High School in Valleyford, Wash., and later worked as a hosiery mender at the Crescent Department Store and Millers Cleaners.
In 1945 she married Gilbert Gifford.
Mrs. Gifford was a member of the Moran United Methodist Church, where she was a Sunday School teacher and a Ladies Aid Society member.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Robert Gifford; foster children, Bernice Daugherty and Donald, Ted and Orville Morgan; 19 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Walter Tostenrude Spokane
Visitation for Walter Arthur Tostenrude, 77, will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Heritage Funeral Home. Service is set for 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. A reception will follow at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Tostenrude, who was born in Stanley, N.D., died Monday.
He graduated in 1939 from Silverdale (Wash.) High School and in 1941 married Norma Herndon in Silverdale.
Mr. Tostenrude served in World War II and later became a commercial painter.
He lived in Spokane for 43 years.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Vicki West of Spokane; a son, Michael Tostenrude of Vancouver, Wash.; two half-brothers, Merle Meiers of Seattle and Duane Meiers of Billings, Mont.; a half-sister, Allene Harris of Williston, N.D.; and six grandchildren.
Myrtle West Oxnard, Calif.
Inurnment for Myrtle L. West, 100, was at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. West, who was born in Canada, died Dec. 28.
She and her husband, Jack West, opened the Imperial Carbon Company, which is now called Imperial Data Supply, in the 1920s and operated it for more than 40 years.
Mrs. West was a 65-year Spokane resident and moved to California in 1987.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Kleo McCutcheon of California; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Walter Peterson Spokane
Memorial service for Walter L. Peterson, 78, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Veradale United Church of Christ. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Peterson, who was born in Bismarck, N.D., died Thursday.
He moved to Spokane in 1924 and then to Veradale in 1930.
Mr. Peterson graduated from Central Valley High School and Washington State University. He then attained a Bachelor of Laws degree at Gonzaga University School of Law.
In 1952 he married Joy Randall.
He was elected to two terms as commissioner of Spokane County Fire Protection District 1. He also served as secretary and chief examiner to the Civil Service Commission in District 1 for more than 25 years.
Mr. Peterson practiced law for 45 years and was secretary and attorney to the Vera Irrigation District for 40 years.
He was a member of the Inland Empire Beekeepers Association and the Spokane Valley Camera Club.
Mr. Peterson became an authority on beekeeping and gave presentations on beekeeping at schools.
Survivors include his wife; four daughters, Kirsten Jerue of Medical Lake, Susan Walters of Modesto, Calif., Debra Custer of Eugene, Ore., and Janna Kach of Carnation, Wash.; a son, James Peterson of Spokane; two brothers, Laurence Peterson of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Curtis Peterson of Spokane; two sisters, Luella Dethlefs of Salem, Ore., and Karen Engvall of Olympia; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Larry Hengen Spokane
No service will be held for Larry E. Hengen, 72, at his request. Hennessy-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hengen, who was born in Spangle, Wash., died Wednesday.
He was a farmer.
Survivors include a son, Bruce Hengen of Rosalia, Wash.; two daughters, Linda Peterson of East Wenatchee, and Sharon Toles of Tempe, Ariz.; a brother, Greg Hengen of Spangle; and seven grandchildren.
Ellen Crocker Spokane
Memorial service for Ellen M. Crocker, 85, will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mrs. Crocker, who died Monday, was born in Natal, B.C.
A homemaker, she was a resident of Spokane for 40 years.
Her husband, R. Glidden Crocker, died in 1985.
Survivors include a sister, Marie Garrison of Spokane; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Glen Ramsey Rockford
Memorial service for Glen R. Ramsey, 76, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Spokane Valley Elks.
Mr. Ramsey, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
He was a pilot for Pan American in his early career and later flew for various individuals and corporations in the Spokane area during his farming career.
Mr. Ramsey was a member of the Rockford Lions Club, American Legion Post 165, Spokane Valley Elks and the Brotherhood of Friends.
Survivors include his wife, Marjorie; a daughter, Carolyn Brain of San Diego; two sons, Chris Ramsey of Rockford, and Roy Ramsey of Spokane; a brother, James Ramsey of Fort Bragg, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
Alexander ‘Slim’ Stagman Spokane
Memorial service for Alexander John “Slim” Stagman, 94, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Valley Open Bible Church. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stagman, who was born in Salina, Kan., died Friday.
He was in business as a general contractor and excavator doing business as Stagman and Roberts from 1947 to 1970.
Some of the company’s major projects included excavation for Albi Stadium in 1950, a subcontract to build the first Northtown Shopping Center, excavation for thousands of water mains for Modern Electric Water Company, a million-gallon water reservoir for Cheney in 1950 and a water dam for water storage in 1950 in Ione, Wash.
Mr. Stagman was a general superintendent in construction from 1927 to 1947 for G.D. Lyon and Company and was foreman of excavation from 1930 to 1940 at Bonneville Dam.
He retired in 1970 and went to work as a consultant at the engineering and design firm of Pacific Environmental Consultants.
Mr. Stagman was a 50-year Spokane resident, a member of the Valley Open Bible Church and the Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Survivors include his wife of 14 years, Phyllis; three daughters, Lorraine Price of Olympia, Carol Garing of Redmond, Wash., Kathleen Allert of Mead; two sons, James Lashbrook of Liberty Lake and Bill Lashbrook of Spokane; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
, DataTimes