Obituaries

Roger MacArthur Spokane

Graveside service for Roger C. MacArthur, 82, will be at 3 p.m. today at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. MacArthur, who died Monday, was born in Buckley, Ill.

He served in the Air Force and worked at the survival school at Fairchild Air Force Base.

Mr. MacArthur was a member of the Moose Lodge and had been a resident of Spokane for the past 52 years.

Survivors include two daughters, Connie Amsden and Bonnie Sligar, both of Spokane; a sister, Phyllise Glover of North Carolina; three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren and two stepgreat-grandchildren.

Alvin Luders Spokane

Visitation for Alvin C. “Al” Luders, 79, will be from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to noon Thursday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Graveside service is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

Mr. Luders, who was born in Valley, Wash., died Sunday.

He graduated from North Central High School and worked as a mailer at The Spokesman-Review.

Mr. Luders was a 50-year member of the Moose Lodge.

Survivors include his wife, Muriel; two sons, Steve Luders of Spokane and Dale Luders of Colbert; two brothers, Wayne Luders of Seattle and Melvin Luders of Mesa, Ariz.; and two grandchildren.

John Babcock Vancouver, Wash.

Private service for John Andrew Babcock, 88 was held. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery. Mr. Babcock, who was born in Primrose, Neb., died Friday.

He was a self-employed carpenter in Spokane for many years, and also spent several summers as a supervisor in Alaska with the Morrison-Knutson Co.

Mr. Babcock was a member of Millwood Presbyterian Church and a resident of Spokane for 35 years.

He moved to Vancouver in 1991.

Survivors include his wife, Hazel; three daughters, JoAnn Swenson of Spokane, Shannon Carr of Washougal, Wash., and Judy Collins of Hudson, Wis.; a sister, Dorothy Scannel of San Diego; a brother, Harold Babcock of Albion, Neb.; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Frances Ruggenberg St. Maries

Service for Frances Alice Ruggenberg, 84, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Maries. Yates-Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Ruggenberg, who was born in Iowa, died Saturday.

She grew up in South Dakota and attended the Notre Dame School of Nursing. She worked as a home health care aide.

Mrs. Ruggenberg moved to St. Maries in 1936 and then lived in California and Tacoma during World War II, returning to St. Maries in 1945.

Her husband of more than 62 years, Harold, died last February.

Survivors include a son, Jay Ruggenberg of Spokane; three daughters, JoAnn Brechbill of California, and Judy Yarber and Jeannie Spiesman, both of St. Maries; and a sister, Florence Hardwickm, and a brother, Harold Delperdang, both of California.

Vern Schulz Spanaway, Wash.

Memorial service for Vern E. Schulz, 72, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Egypt (Wash.) Lutheran Church. American Memorial Funeral Home in Renton, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Davenport, Wash., Mr. Schulz died Aug. 5.

He served in the Navy during World War II.

In 1945 he married Arlene Wilson.

Mr. Schulz worked for Kaiser Aluminum Trentwood, retiring in the late 1970s. He moved to Spanaway two years ago.

Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Marcia Cumlander and Marjie Naasz, both of Spokane, and Mary Lois Rozelle of Deer Lake; a brother, Meryl Schulz of Spokane; two sisters, Isabell Corn of Spokane and Mary Harrington of Moses Lake; nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

William McDonald Coeur d’Alene

Memorial service for William “Bill” McDonald, 73, will be at 10 a.m. today at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. McDonald, who was born in Tacoma, died Sunday.

He grew up and attended schools in Tacoma and then served in the Pacific with the Navy during World War II before returning to Tacoma.

Mr. McDonald then attended Farragut College at Farragut Naval Base before transferring to North Idaho College.

He then worked for Idaho Power Co., which was later bought by Washington Water Power. He retired from WWP in Spokane in 1982.

Mr. McDonald was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Masonic Lodge, Shrine, Scottish Rite, and Coeur d’Alene Eagles Lodge and was a former member and past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a former member of the Rotary of Spokane and the Coeur d’Alene Rotary.

Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Cherry; a son, Mike Kinne of Cheney; three daughters, Patty Swisher of Coeur d’Alene, and Karen Smith and Bonnie McMahill, both of Spokane; a sister, Doris Watts of Des Moines, Wash.; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Jerrold Mearns Yakima

Memorial service for Jerrold Lee “Jerry” Mearns, 53, is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at the Wilbur (Wash.) Presbyterian Church. Langevin-Mussetter Funeral Home in Yakima is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Mearns, who was born in Wilbur, died Saturday.

He was a former mayor and council member in Wilbur.

Mr. Mearns was employed by the Washington State Department of Transportation for 25 years, working in Electric City, Wilbur, Port Orchard, Davenport and Spokane. He had been working as an equipment operations superintendent in Yakima for the past seven years.

Mr. Mearns was a member of the Yakima Valley Chapter of the Harley Owners Group and a member of the Eagles Lodge.

Survivors include a son, Joel Mearns of Kennewick; a daughter, Nannette Mearns of Colfax, Wash.; his parents, James and Marie Mearns of Wilbur; a brother, Robert Mearns of Nevada; a sister, Linda Walters of California; and two grandchildren.

Michael Voelker Lenexa, Kan.

Graveside service for Michael A. Voelker, 65, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery. Newcomer’s Sons (Kan.) Overland Park Chapel is in charge of arrangements Mr. Voelker, who was born in Spokane, died Monday.

In 1958 he married Dolores Boning in Leavenworth, Wash., and they moved to a farm near Green Bluff.

He worked for the Great Northern Railway as a locomotive fireman and engineer. After the merger that created Burlington Northern, Mr. Voelker was promoted to a supervisory position with the railroad.

In 1984 he became Burlington Northern’s national director of training and moved to St. Paul, Minn. In 1988, Mr. Voelker helped found the railroad’s technical training center in Overland Park, Kan. He became the first director of technical training at the center and remained in that position until his retirement in 1991.

He was a member of the International Association of Railroad Operating Offices, a member and master of Green Bluff Grange 300, and a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Mark Voelker of Sheridan, Wyo., and Greg Voelker of Blaine, Minn.; a daughter, Anne Voelker of Minneapolis; two brothers, Chuck Voelker of Spokane and John Voelker of Seattle; and a sister, Bette Sturckler of Sun Lake, Ariz.

Alyce ‘Babe’ Wallace Sandpoint

Graveside service for Alyce Arlene “Babe” Wallace, 57, will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Westmond Cemetery near Cocolalla, Idaho. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Wallace, who was born in Sandpoint, died Saturday.

She grew up and graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1959 and later lived in the Cocolalla area.

Mrs. Wallace was a member of the Southside Community Church and moved to Sandpoint in 1973.

She won numerous ribbons at the Bonner County Fair for flowers and baked goods.

Survivors include her husband of 36 years, Richard “Dick”; a son, Billy “Joe” Wallace of Sandpoint; two daughters, Irene Johnson of Sandpoint and Debbie Wallace of Post Falls; three sisters, Virginia Foote of Spokane, Jeanne Geiss of Moses Lake and Hazel Ramsey of Coeur d’Alene; three brothers, Floyde Kile of Columbia Falls, Mont., Leonard Kile of Odessa, Wash., and Jim Kile of Sagle, Idaho; two grandchildren and one stepgrandson.

Guy Patterson Cataldo, Idaho

A gathering of family and friends for Guy P. Patterson, 70, will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at West Shoshone County Park in Pinehurst, Idaho. Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Patterson, who was born in Tensed, Idaho, died Sunday.

He grew up in Tensed and then joined the Army.

Mr. Patterson had rodeoed as a young man and worked for the Milwaukee Railroad for seven years.

He later moved to the Cataldo area and worked for the Sunshine Mine and as a logger and rancher.

Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Clara; two sons, Mike Patterson of Roundup, Mont., and Curt Patterson of Pinehurst, Idaho; two daughters, Patty Jones of Usk, Wash., and Vicky Massey of Coeur d’Alene; a stepson, Gary Vulles of Plains, Mont.; a stepdaughter, Ann Vulles of Seattle; three sisters, a brother, eight grandchildren and five great-grandsons.

Joe Nail Spokane

Memorial service for Joe E. Nail, 77, was Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church. Military burial service followed at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Nail, who was born in Grangeville, Idaho, died Saturday.

He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1939 and received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Washington. He was president of Psi Upsilon fraternity while at UW.

Mr. Nail served in the Navy during World War II as the skipper of an LC-IG ship in the South Pacific. He continued to serve in the Spokane Naval Reserve, where he achieved the rank of captain.

He was also a certified life insurance underwriter and founder and owner of Nail and Associates Insurance Brokerage Co.

Mr. Nail was a charter member of the National Association of Life Underwriters and the local chapter of Life Underwriters. He was also a member of the Navy League, the O-6 Club, the Retired Officers Club and First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Margery; three sons, Gregory and David Nail, both of Spokane, and Richard Nail of Hayden Lake, Idaho; a daughter, Joanne Gallagher of Studio City, Calif.; a sister, Elizabeth Rublin of Shelton, Wash.; and six grandchildren.

Mildred Trantow Spokane

Memorial service for Mildred C. Trantow, 93, was Monday at Rockwood Manor.

Mrs. Trantow, who was born in Peoria, Ill., died Saturday.

She received her teaching certificate from the University of Illinois and then taught in a one-room school In 1927 she married Frederick Trantow and they moved to Seattle, where they lived until 1942, when they moved to Spokane.

Mrs. Trantow was a homemaker and was active with Girl Scouts and the YWCA. She also volunteered in the emergency room at Deaconess Hospital for more than 40 years.

She was a member of the PEO, Chapter EQ, , Daughters of the Nile, Amethyst, Sorosis, Lady Lions, Heritage Congregational Church and Pro America.

Survivors include her husband; a son, Keith Trantow of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; a daughter, Kay Skubinna of Union, Wash.; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Ethel Filer Coeur d’Alene

No service will be held for Ethel Filer. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Filer, who was born in Fort Collins, Colo., died Sept. 11. She was 92.

She was a homemaker and was a resident of the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas for the past 12 years.

Her husband preceded her in death.

Survivors include two sons, Frank Hoyt of Spokane and Arthur Hoyt of Rathdrum, Idaho; and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Esther Allen Spokane

Private service was held for Esther Mae Allen 96.

Mrs. Allen, a lifetime Spokane resident, died Sunday.

She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta.

Her husband, Edward, preceded her in death.

Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Jones of Phoenix, Ariz.; and one grandchild.