Obituaries

Edward Morkzeski Spokane

Funeral for Edward S. Morkzeski, 79, will be at 4 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home.

A Spokane-area resident since 1958, Mr. Morkzeski died Monday. He was born in New York City.

He retired from the Air Force after 25 years of service and then worked at ASC Aluminum for 10 years.

He was a member of the Eagles Lodge and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He is survived by his wife, Erma; a stepson, Jim Frank, and a stepdaughter, Suzanne Hogue, both of Spokane; two brothers, Joe and Sid Morkzeski, and three sisters, Irene, Jenny and Stacia, all of Massachusetts; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Marion `Blackie’ Florez Spokane

Visitation for Marion A. “Blackie” Florez, 84, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Rosary followed by a funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

A 60-year Spokane resident, Mr. Florez died Sunday. He was born in Dubuque, Iowa.

Mr. Florez served with the Army during World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.

He later worked as a warehouseman for a Spokane toy company.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; two daughters, Shelly and Nikki; a son, Danny; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Chester Kemmer Post Falls

Visitation for Chester G. Kemmer, 87, will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel. Service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the Hayden Chapel. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.

Mr. Kemmer, who was born in North Dakota, died Saturday.

He grew up in Fargo, N.D., and moved to Palouse, Wash., in the 1930s and was a farm worker.

Mr. Kemmer moved to Post Falls in the 1940s and worked for Kaiser Aluminum, Trentwood Plant, and also was a dairy and crop farmer.

He retired from Kaiser after 26 years.

Mr. Kemmer was preceded in death by his wife, Marie, in 1986.

Survivors include three sons, Jim Kemmer of Maple Valley, Wash., Duane Kemmer of Post Falls and Dean Kemmer of Rathdrum, Idaho; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.

David Smith Spokane

Memorial service for David R. Smith, 60, will be held at a later date. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Smith, who was born in Havre, Mont., died Tuesday.

He worked as a baker for many years and was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters and Bakers Union Local 74.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn; three sons, David, Daniel and Chris Smith, all of Spokane; his mother, Viola Smith; four brothers, Howard, Carl, Lloyd and Bob Smith; three sisters, Marcia, Lillian and Paulette; and 12 grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society.

Stella Martello Spokane

Private graveside service for Stella M. Martello, a lifetime Spokane resident, will be at Fairmount Memorial Park. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Miss Martello died Monday. She was 71.

She was a homemaker.

Survivors include two brothers, Ralph and Edward Martello, both of Spokane.

Weslie Pharness Spokane

No service will be held for Weslie Pharness, 81. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 63-year Spokane resident, Mr. Pharness died Sunday. He was born in Onamia, Minn.

Mr. Pharness worked for Ace Sand and Gravel as a crusher foreman for many years.

In 1938 he married Joyce Gillis.

Mr. Pharness was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Union Local 370 and the Corbin Senior Center.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Alan Pharness, and a daughter, Shirley Kolbeck, both of Spokane; two brothers, Leslie Pharness of Chattaroy and Wallace Pharness of Cheney; two sisters, Evelyn Hamer of Chattaroy and Madaline Riley of Fair Oaks, Ga.; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Dora Case Spokane

Memorial service for Dora Case, 95, is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.

Mrs. Case, who was born in Iowa, died Monday.

She moved to Montana with her family, then to Wallace, Idaho, where she graduated from high school.

She married Lester Case.

Mrs. Case worked as a bookkeeper for a meat market in Wallace until the 1950s, when she moved to Spokane and began working for the Teamsters Union office.

Her husband died in 1969. She retired in 1972.

After her retirement Mrs. Case traveled throughout the United States and to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the South Pacific and Europe.

Survivors include three nieces, Marie Ringel of Coeur d’Alene, Nancy Hood of Greenacres, Bonnie Boss of California; and numerous grand nieces and nephews.

Winona Williams-Swanson Coeur d’Alene

Visitation for Winona A. WilliamsSwanson, 90, will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene. Service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral chapel. Burial will take place at John Day Creek Cemetery in Riggins, Idaho.

Mrs. Williams-Swanson, who was born in New Plymouth, Idaho, died Tuesday.

She lived in Coeur d’Alene and Southern Idaho and was a homemaker. She returned to Coeur d’Alene in 1998.

Mrs. Williams-Swanson was a member of the Friends Church in Post Falls.

She was preceded in death by two husbands, Clarence Williams in 1982 and John Swanson in 1994.

Survivors include two sons, Cecil Williams of Coeur d’Alene and Duane Williams of Oregon; four daughters, Esther Gentry and Delvona Rude, both of Coeur d’Alene, Katherine Love of Fruitland, Idaho, and Hazel Tallent of Post Falls; two brothers, Elmer Carpenter of Asotin, Wash., and Wesley Carpenter of Payette, Idaho; a sister, Ruth Kelch of Payette; 22 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Richard Bauer Spokane

Graveside service for Richard D. (Rogers) Bauer, a longtime Spokane resident, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Bauer, who was born in Sacramento, Calif., died Monday. He was 49.

He graduated from West Valley High School and earned his associate of arts degree from Spokane Falls Community College.

Mr. Bauer was a free-lance photographer.

Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Frances and Bruce Rogers of Spokane; and a sister, Cheryl Dial of Montana.

Karen Korte Spokane

No service will be held for Karen Sue Korte, 56, at her request. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A lifetime Spokane resident, Miss Korte died Friday.

She worked as a draftsman for Cominco American.

Miss Korte was active with the COPS program and was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church and the Spokane Stroke Support Group.

Survivors include her father, Ken Korte of Spokane; and a brother, Richard Korte of Olympia.

Jesse Whitney Lamont, Wash.

Memorial service for Jesse L. Whitney, 19, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sprague (Wash.) Community Church. Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Whitney died Monday from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.

Born in Kennewick, he attended schools in Sprague and moved to Lamont six years ago with his family.

Survivors include a son, Liam Ringwood of Sprague; his mother and stepfather, Sandra and Richard Beck of Lamont; his father, Jerry Dean Barton of Seattle; a brother, John Whitney, and two sisters, Rachel and Courtney Beck, all of Lamont; a halfbrother, Jerry Dean Barton Jr. of the Tri-Cities, and a half-sister, Emily Sells of Spokane; his grandparents, Ray and Sylvia Whitney of Tyler, Wash., and Althea Barton of Kennewick.

Fern (Evans) Thayer Spokane

Memorial service for Fern Louise (Evans) Thayer, 77, is planned for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Westside Church of the Nazarene. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 14-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Thayer died Saturday. She was born in Ypsilant, N.D.

Mrs. Thayer was a homemaker and a member of the Westside Church of the Nazarene.

Her husband of 53 years, Arthur, died in March.

Survivors include two sons, Kenneth Thayer of Spokane and Guy Anderson of Redmond, Wash.; a brother, Kenneth Evans; and seven grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Westside Church of the Nazarene.

William Babb Jr. Hayden, Idaho

Private memorial service for William C. Babb Jr., 76, will be held at a later date. English Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Babb, who was born in Chicago, died Monday.

He served with the Army as a sergeant during World War II and was awarded three Bronze Stars.

He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in 1949.

Mr. Babb settled in California and worked as an advertising executive. He retired in 1985 and moved to Post Falls.

He served as a local youth counselor and also taught advertising courses at Gonzaga University.

His wife of 52 years, Dorothy, died in 1998.

Survivors include two sons, William Babb III of North Carolina and Charles Babb of Hauser Lake, Idaho; and a daughter, Lou Ann Adair of California.

Barbara Smith Osburn, Idaho

Service for Barbara Jean Smith, 52, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Osburn. Burial will be at the Osburn Cemetery. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Smith, who was born in Hamilton, Mont., died Monday.

She married David Allan Smith in 1963. They lived in Hamilton until moving to the Silver Valley in 1969. She was a mother and homemaker.

Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Tana Smith of Coeur d’Alene and Denise Buddenberg of Osburn; two sons, Randall and Brent Smith, both of Osburn; two brothers, Denny and Raymond Stanhope, both of Montana; her grandmother, Loris Stanhope of Puyallup, Wash.; and four grandchildren.