Obituaries

Harry Altmeyer Spokane

Funeral for Harry J. Altmeyer, 77, a former board member and director of the Union Gospel Mission, will be today at 10 a.m. at Fourth Memorial Church. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home South is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Altmeyer, who was born in Spokane, died Tuesday.

A graduate of North Central High School in 1939, Mr. Altmeyer began working in the shipyards of Portland.

He returned to Spokane and began a 30-year career as a grocer, managing B and K Market on South Grand Boulevard for 15 years and Low Cost markets for 15 years.

He joined the Union Gospel Mission’s board and was director from 1976 until 1987.

He was an honorary member of the Bonner Gospel Mission in Sandpoint, a member of the Manito Lions Club, Valley Assembly Church and Valleyford PTA.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Earline; five sons, Randy, Wade, Philip, Stephen and David Altmeyer, all of Spokane; a brother, Roscoe Altmeyer of Post Falls, Idaho; and 17 grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Gospel Mission.

Gary Gannaway Spokane

Funeral for Gary Lee Gannaway, 40, will be at 10 a.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home North. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.

Mr. Gannaway, who was born in Spokane, died Aug. 30.

He graduated from Rogers High School in 1976.

In 1979 he married Sheri Graham.

Mr. Gannaway was employed as a laminator for Bayliner Marine Corp. for 14 years and has worked as a truck driver for Kaiser Mead for the past two years.

He was a member of United Steel Workers Union 329.

Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Sheri; a son, Adam, and a daughter, Jill Gannaway, both of Spokane; his parents, Bruce and Hilma Gannaway, and a brother, David Gannaway, all of Spokane.

Yvonne Bledsoe Ione, Wash.

Funeral for Yvonne Bledsoe, 71, will be at 2 p.m. today at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash.

Mrs. Bledsoe, who was born in Effingham, Ill., died Tuesday.

In 1947 she married Kenneth Bledsoe in Twin Falls, Idaho.

She worked as a secretary and bookkeeper at a Sears store in Seattle, as secretary for the city council in Anchorage, Alaska, and later was a saleswoman for Stadleman Fruit in Yakima.

Mrs. Bledsoe had been a resident of Ione for the past three years.

Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Lynn Bledsoe of Yakima; a brother, Ellis Welker of Mattawa, Wash.; three sisters, Cosette Jean Browne of Everett, Jeanelle Petit of Ilwaco, Wash., and Madonna Shettle of Twin Falls.

Alfred Fournier Rosalia, Wash.

Graveside memorial service for Alfred Fournier, 69, was Thursday at Thornton Cemetery in Thornton, Wash. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash., was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Fournier, who was born in Thornton, died Aug. 28.

He was raised in the Thornton and St. John, Wash., areas and graduated from St. John High School.

He served for a time with the Marines and later worked as a heavy equipment mechanic in Sacramento, Calif.

Mr. Fournier later owned and operated Al’s Equipment Repair in Steptoe, Wash. He had been a resident of Rosalia for the past 17 years.

Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Powers of Escondido, Calif.; his stepmother, Anna Fournier of Spokane; three brothers, Ted and Arthur Fournier, both of Spokane, and Ralph Fournier of Texas; a sister, Evelyn Fernandez of Florida; and one grandson.

Jack Schaffer Hayden, Idaho

Memorial service for Jack H. Schaffer, 58, will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Hayden Lake Eagles Lodge. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Schaffer, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Tuesday.

He was a North Idaho native and worked as a logger.

Mr. Schaffer was a member of the Hayden Lake Eagles Lodge.

His first wife, Margie, died in 1976.

Survivors include his wife, Lydia; three sons, Wally Schaffer of Post Falls, Ben Schaffer of Hayden Lake and Lewis Schaffer of California; four daughters, Patty Brunabend of New York, Kathy Staab and Alayne Sutton, both of Post Falls, and Cindy Schaffer of Hayden Lake; his mother, Blanche Walker of Spokane; three brothers, Larry Schaffer of Hayden Lake, Tom Schaffer of Spokane and Don Schaffer of Coeur d’Alene; and a sister, Dixie Ryen of Coeur d’Alene.

Richard Jacobs Spokane

Funeral service for Richard E. Jacobs, 71, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Heritage Funeral Home.

Mr. Jacobs, who was born in Uniontown, Wash., died Wednesday.

He graduated from Colton (Wash.) High School in 1945 and served with the Army during World War II in the Pacific Theater.

Mr. Jacobs owned and operated several restaurants, including Carter’s Restaurant in Genesee, Idaho. He also served as a Nez Perce County sheriff’s deputy for many years.

He was a member of the Catholic church.

Survivors include three sons, Greg Jacobs of Spokane, Anthony Jacobs of Chehalis, Wash., and Terry Jacobs of Livermore, Calif.; a daughter, Diane Neglio of San Diego; a brother, Harvey Jacobs of Uniontown, Wash.; and four grandchildren.

Fred Stejer Sr. Spokane

Memorial service for Fred Strobel Stejer Sr., 90, will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Stejer, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Tuesday.

He graduated from North Central High School and was employed by the Roundup Grocery Co. from 1929 to 1935. In 1935 he went to Chicago as a supervisor for IGA headquarters and later was in charge of grocery products promotion for the International Brokerage Co. of Seattle.

In 1939, he founded, owned and operated Stejer’s Food Center “Fine Foods,” which later evolved into a one block gourmet food center on the corner of Ninth and Monroe.

He married Lillian Olson in 1940.

After retiring from the grocery business, Mr. Stejer was the new car sales manager at Wendle Fordtown and Buchanan Chevrolet.

He was a member of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, Rotary IGA Association, Spokane Country Club, Spokane Club, Priest Lake (Idaho) Yacht Club, Demolay, Office of General Counsel, Manito Country Club, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and the board of Chem-Nuclear, and was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. He was also a founder and director of the Priest Lake Country Club.

Mr. Stejer spent many years at Priest Lake, where he built a lake home in 1947.

He is survived by his wife, Lillian; two sons, James Stejer of Priest Lake and Spokane, and John Stejer of Indio, Calif., and Spokane; a brother, Richard Stejer; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or to the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

Lola Caudill Moses Lake

Graveside service for Lola Caudill, 87, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Marshall Cemetery. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home South is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Caudill, who was born in Taney County, Mo., died Tuesday.

She was a 21-year resident of Grant County and was a homemaker.

Her husband, Dolph Caudill, preceded her in death.

Survivors include a daughter, Gerri Holden of Moses Lake; a son, Cecil Caudill of Port Orchard, Wash.; three stepdaughters, Gladys Porath of Kettle Falls, Wash., and Edna McGovney and Audrey Morphew, both of Spokane; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Donald McMinimy Post Falls

Memorial service for Donald L. McMinimy, 66, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the IOOF Lodge Building on Railroad Avenue in Post Falls. English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. McMinimy, who was born in California, died Wednesday.

He moved to Post Falls in 1945 and served with the Army for four years in Okinawa, Japan, before returning to the area.

Mr. McMinimy worked for Kaiser Aluminum for 30 years, retiring as a store-room clerk in 1993.

He was a member of the IOOF Lodge No. 91 and served as the Idaho Grand Master in 1972-73.

Mr. McMinimy was a member of the Post Falls Eagles Aerie, Carnation Rebekah Lodge, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Coeur d’Alene Elks Lodge and the IOOF World Eye Bank Committee.

He was a past Post Falls city council member, and was a board member on the Planning and Zoning, and Parks and Recreation departments.

Mr. McMinimy was a volunteer with the Post Falls Fire and Ambulance Service.

Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Irene; a son, Don McMinimy of Post Falls; a daughter, Debra Nulph of Newman Lake; his mother, Alta McMinimy of Post Falls; two sisters, Neva Moore and Patricia Edwards, both of Post Falls; a brother, Richard McMinimy of Texas; and three grandchildren.

Claude Ramsey Spokane

Funeral for Claude P. Ramsey, 91, will be at 11 a.m. today at the Wilbur Presbyterian Church in Wilbur, Wash. Masonic graveside service will follow at the Wilbur Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Ramsey, who was born in Salem, Mo., died Tuesday.

He graduated from Toppenish High School and Whitman College.

Mr. Ramsey served as superintendent of the Wilbur School District for many years and also farmed. He had been a resident of Spokane for the past five years.

He was a member of the Tuscan Lodge 81 F.& A.M., a board member of Lincoln Mutual 3, and a charter member of the Wilbur Grange.

Survivors include his wife, Nina; three daughters, Connie Finch of Wilbur, Darlene Jensen of Prineville, Ore., and Claudia Deresh of Bonnyville, Alberta; a brother, Clyde Ramsey of White Swan, Wash.; six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.