Obituaries
Edna Martin Rathdrum, Idaho
Service for Edna R. Martin, 81, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Pinegrove Cemetery in Rathdrum.
Mrs. Martin, who was born in Arkansas, died Monday.
She lived in Oregon until moving to Spokane in 1990 and settled in Rathdrum in 1991.
Mrs. Martin had worked as a nurses aide and was a member of the Rathdrum Grange, the Royal Neighbors of America and the Rathdrum Reading Circle.
Survivors include two sons, Ronnie Martin of Kennewick and LeeRoy Martin of Vancouver, Wash.; seven daughters, Lora Pirtle of Davenport, Wash., Esther May of Spokane, Shirley Morgan, Ruth Scott and Geneva Davis, all of Oregon, Evie Bowman of Spirit Lake, Idaho, and Anita Bedard of Rathdrum; a brother, Alma Avants of Oregon; two sisters, Onia Renfroe of Oregon and Lela Winchester of California; 29 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Isabel (Choate) Clayton Tacoma
Graveside service for Isabel Ramona (Choate) Clayton, 102, is planned for 1 p.m. today at Valley View Memorial Park in Soap Lake, Wash. Memorial service was Wednesday at Mountain View Funeral Home in Tacoma.
Born on the Pryor Creek Indian Territory of Oklahoma, Mrs. Clayton died Sunday.
She moved to Ephrata, Wash., in 1951 and worked for Goodwill Industries for several years before moving to Tacoma in 1986.
Mrs. Clayton was a member of the United Methodist Church in Ephrata, the Free Methodist Church in Moses Lake and the South Lakeshore Christian Church in Tacoma.
Her husband, Cline, died in 1976.
She is survived by two sons, Philip Clayton of Leavenworth, Wash., and Robert Clayton of Seattle; three daughters, Anna Pitsenburger of Tacoma, Margaret Ginex of Chicago and Alma Baker of Boca Raton, Fla.; 18 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the South Lakeshore Christian Church Memorial Fund in Tacoma.
Charlotte Prudente Spokane
Private service will be held for Charlotte F. Prudente. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Prudente, who was born in Tulsa, Okla., died Friday. She was 81.
She worked as a court recorder in Topeka, Kan., before moving to Spokane in 1957.
Mrs. Prudente worked for the Social Security Department in Spokane for several years and was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son, Max Prudente of Spokane; two daughters, Carolee Coleman of Dacono, Colo., and Sandy Enget of Olalla, Wash.; three sisters; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent DePaul Society.
Patrick Ranch, N.M.D. Spokane
Memorial Mass for Patrick H. Ranch, 54, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangement.
A 25-year resident of Spokane, Dr. Ranch died Saturday. He was born in Radway, Alberta.
He had been practicing naturopathic medicine in Post Falls at the time of his death.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Dell; a daughter, Laurie Altig of Colbert; and two grandchildren.
Cyril DeMers Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Memorial service for Cyril Laurence DeMers, 84, will be held at a later date. Inurnment was held at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. DeMers, who was born in Minnesota, died Sunday.
He grew up in Montana and Sandpoint. He worked as a logger and as a welder for Patton and Anderson Garage in Sandpoint.
Mr. DeMers worked as a welder in the shipyards in Portland during World War II and later returned to North Idaho and worked for Diamond Match Logging Co. in Priest River, Idaho. He retired from the Louisiana Pacific Mill in Moyie Springs, Idaho, in 1975.
He played the fiddle in local bands and was a member of the Bonners Ferry Senior Bowling League.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys; two daughters, Marsha Miller of Bonners Ferry and Joan Wilson of Naples, Idaho; a son, Terry DeMers of Sandpoint; and a brother, Thomas DeMers of Sandpoint.
Ruth Moore Four Lakes
Visitation for Ruth L. Moore, 83, will be from 6 to 8 p.m., today at the Cheney Funeral Chapel. Funeral is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at the chapel. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
A longtime Four Lakes resident, Mrs. Moore, died Monday. She was born in Hoopeston, Ill.
She worked as a food service manager at Lakeland Village, and was a member of Four Lakes Community Church, Four Lakes Grange and the Silver Circle Club.
Her husband, Harold, died in 1994.
Survivors include three sons; Richard and Harold Moore, both of Spokane, and Patrick Moore of Cheney; four daughters, Virginia Fitzner of Cheney, Janet Kondratowicz of Springdale, Wash., Judy Sherman of Four Lakes and Nora Turpin of Misawa, Japan; 20 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or Cancer Patient Care.
Rev. John Roberts Spokane
Visitation for Rev. John F. Roberts, 95, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Funeral is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Entombment will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Rev. Roberts, who was born in Norton, Va., died Saturday.
He was a 35-year Spokane resident and was a Pentecostal minister.
He was preceded in death by his first wife of 64 years, Mary.
Survivors include his wife, Joan; two sons, Steve Roberts of Spokane and Moose Roberts of Jacksonville, Fla.; three daughters, Susan McChristian of Live Oak, Calif., Marge Thomas of Detroit and Pina Perry of Spanaway, Wash.; 31 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
LeRoy Coffman Spokane
No service will be held for LeRoy Roberts Coffman at his request. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Coffman, who was born in Troy, Mont, died Oct. 27. He was 80.
He graduated from Troy High School in 1935 and married Sylvia Carr in 1938.
He moved to Spokane and worked as a buyer for Jensen Byrd from 1950 until his retirement in 1982.
He was a member of the Elks Lodge.
His wife died in 1994.
Survivors include a daughter, Roberta Coffman of Spokane.
Josephine Gordon Colorado Springs, Colo.
Memorial service for Josephine Marguerite (Phillippay) Gordon, 91, was at Liberty Heights Retirement Community in Colorado Springs. Inurnment is planned for a later date at the Lacrosse (Wash.) Cemetery.
Mrs. Gordon, who was born in Walla Walla, died Oct. 15.
She attended Eastern Washington State College and Washington State University, and earned degrees in education, English and music.
In 1932 she married J. Chester Gordon, who served Whitman County in the House of Representatives for more than 10 years.
They farmed near Lacrosse for 20 years.
In 1956 they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where they owned and operated several radio stations. Mrs. Gordon’s paintings were featured in the Alaska Traveling Show, and her travel journals and poetry are preserved by the University of Alaska library.
They recently moved to Colorado Springs.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Laurie Fountaine of Colorado Springs and Nancy Leckenby of Perry Park, Colo.; a sister, Cecile Owens of Spokane; two brothers, Eugene and Victor Phillippay; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Elva Finch Renton, Wash.
Funeral for Elva L. Finch, 88, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Memorial service is planned for 7 p.m., Nov. 20 at St. James Episcopal Church in Kent, Wash..
A longtime Spokane resident, Mrs. Finch died Saturday. She was born in Mondovi, Wash.
In 1930 she married Norman Finch. She was a homemaker and worked as a beautician.
She moved to Renton two years ago.
Her husband died in 1974.
Mrs. Finch is survived by a son, Earl Finch of North Bend, Wash.; a brother, Lester Kelso of Pleasant Hill, Calif; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Margaret Merrick Spokane
No service will be held for Margaret Annie Merrick, 80, at her request. Private burial was at Fairmount Memorial Park. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Merrick, who was born in Grasswold, Alberta, died Sunday. She was a homemaker and a 75-year resident of Spokane.
Survivors include her husband, Tony; two daughters, Toni Morrison and Candis Stipe, both of Spokane; two brothers, Leonard and Ernest Aichlmayr; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Everett Branson Jr. Spokane
Private inurnment for Everett J. Branson Jr., 76, will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens at a later date. A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2218. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
A Spokane resident since 1935, Mr. Branson died Monday. He was born in Moscow, Idaho.
He served in the Navy during World War II in the South Pacific.
Mr. Branson worked as a truck driver for 35 years, retiring in 1985 from Inland Asphalt Co.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2218, the Teamsters Union, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 6 and the Methodist church.
Survivors include three daughters, Cheryl McDonald, Sandra Furlett and Debbie Ostlund, all of Spokane; a brother, Kenneth Branson of Spokane; two sisters, Beverly Gorder of Spokane and Laura Arnell of Everett; 10 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Jake Kiehn Odessa, Wash.
Visitation for Jake Kiehn, a lifetime Odessa resident, will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at Heritage Church in Odessa. Funeral will follow at 2 p.m. Burial will be at Odessa Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Odessa is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kiehn, 96, died Monday.
He was a wheat farmer and a member of the Heritage Church in Odessa.
His wife, Emma, died in 1973.
There are no surviving family members.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Heritage Church, Box 509, Odessa, WA 99159, or the Odessa Health Care Foundation, Box 219, Odessa, WA 99159.