Obituaries

Thomas Vorba Clarkston, Wash.

Graveside service for J. Thomas Vorba, 79, will be at 2 p.m. today at the Genesee City (Idaho) Cemetery. Merchant Funeral Home in Clarkston is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Vorba, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.

He graduated from St. John (Wash.) High School in 1936 and worked as a night telephone operator for a telephone company and at various service stations.

Mr. Vorba later also worked as an operator of a Standard service station, at a local flour mill and as a parts manager for Endicott Hardware in St. John.

He enlisted with the Army Air Corp during World War II, serving as an airplane radio operator ferrying different planes to 25 different countries.

He was honorably discharged as a tech sergeant in 1945, and later owned and operated a dry cleaning company in the St. John area.

Mr. Vorba was a foreman for Morrell Construction Co. and later formed his own construction company, building homes in the Lewis and Clark Valley. He married Marie Ingle Mayer in 1951.

In 1960 he joined J.D. Jacobs Co. as a parts man, and became the parts and irrigation manager. He went to work for the Lewiston Parks Department before retiring as the superintendent in 1981.

Mr. Vorba was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1443 and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Clarkston. He was a charter member of Fireball Airlines, an organization formed for those that ferried airplanes during the war.

His first wife died in 1988. In 1990 he moved to Clarkston, where he married Margaret Kroll.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Marilyn Riggle of Clarkston and JoAnn Sellars of Seattle; a brother, Richard Vorba of El Paso, Texas; two sisters, Maxine Lesczykowski of Spokane and Louise Krom of Longview, Wash.; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Idaho State Nursing Home, 821 21st Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501.

Jean Damon Colfax, Wash.

Private memorial service for Jean Damon, 89, was held Saturday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.

Mrs. Damon, who was born in Colfax, died Wednesday.

She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in music from Washington State University and was an accomplished pianist who taught private lessons.

Mrs. Damon was a member of the Spurs, Mortar Board, Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, Order of Eastern Star and the Nile.

Her husband, Howard, preceded her in death.

Survivors include three sons, Floyd and Dwight Damon, both of Spokane, and Ward Damon of Seattle; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hutton Settlement, US Bank Building, 422 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201.

Louis Ruark Spokane

Memorial service for Louis E. Ruark, 93, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.

A 53-year resident of Spokane, Mr. Ruark died Jan. 5. He was born in Flora, Ill.

He served with the Army from 1927 to 1928 and later with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the early stages of World War II. He transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corp from 1944 to 1945.

Mr. Ruark worked as a security guard for the Veterans Affairs Hospital for 25 years.

He was a member of Eagles Lodge 2 and the New Apostolic Church.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Alice; a daughter, Arlene Welch of Spokane; two sons, Harold Ruark of Tacoma and John Ruark of St. Louis; a sister, Ruth Barket of St. Louis; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or the American Cancer Society.

Esther Green Browning, Mont.

Funeral for Esther Green, 83, was held Dec. 30 at the Little Flower Parish in Browning. Sunset Funeral Chapel in Browning was in charge of arrangements.

A longtime Spokane resident, Mrs. Green died Dec. 26. She was born in Browning.

She worked as a cook in various restaurants and also at Mount St. Michael’ Seminary in Spokane for several years.

Mrs. Green returned to Browning one year ago.

Her husband, Samuel Bohn, died in June.

Survivors include a daughter, Joyce Erickson of Buckley, Wash.; two sons, Richard Arnoux of Spokane and Lee Green Eagle of Kalispell, Mont.; a sister, Minnie Cobel of Paradise, Calif.; seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Carroll `Bud’ Anderson Spokane

Memorial service for Carroll A. “Bud” Anderson, 85, was held Sunday at First Presbyterian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A 43-year Spokane resident, Mr. Anderson died Wednesday.

Born in Minneapolis, he served with the Navy during World War II and later worked as a representative for the Butler Co. and for SCAFCO steel manufacturers.

Mr. Anderson was a member and served as an elder and chairman of the building committee, and was former administrator of First Presbyterian Church.

He was a member of the El Katif Shrine, South Spokane Shrine Club, Manito Masonic Lodge and the Scottish Rite.

His wife, Bernice, died in 1990.

Survivors include a son, Robert Anderson of Seattle; two brothers, Vern Anderson of Amery, Wis., and John Anderson of Lafayette, Calif.; three granddaughters and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church.

Robert Johnson Sandpoint

Graveside service for Robert Earl Johnson, 66, will be at 11 a.m. today at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint. Memorial service will follow at noon at the Sandpoint Christian Center. Mr. Johnson, who was born in Wisconsin, died Wednesday.

He served in the Army from 1954 to 1956 in Fairbanks, Alaska, before returning to Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a forestry degree 1957.

Mr. Johnson moved to Orofino, Idaho, and worked for the State of Idaho. He was transferred to Sandpoint in 1959.

Mr. Johnson later worked for Hedlund Lumber Co., Georgia Pacific and Louisiana Pacific until owning the Old Home Place from 1987 to 1994. He also owned Bob’s Furniture in Sandpoint before retiring in 1994.

He was a member of the Sandpoint Christian Church.

Survivors include his wife, Beverly; two children, Terry Wood of Yakima, and Mark Johnson of Sandpoint; four brothers, Kenneth, Ronald, Larry and Fred Johnson; five sisters, Irene Jarvi, Charlotte Goodman, Mary Jane Johnson, Harriet Rantala and Louise Heikkila; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Josephine Rust Spokane

Funeral for Josephine A. Rust, 91, will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Riverside Memorial Park.

An 80-year resident of Spokane, Mrs. Rust died Thursday. She was born in Ashley, N.D.

Mrs. Rust was a member of Jefferson Street Christian Church and a longtime member of Rebekah Lodge 302.

Her husband, Paul, preceded her in death.

Survivors include a stepson, Donald Rust of Santa Clara, Calif.; six nieces, Gladys, Doris, Lola, Bonnie and Nadine, all of Spokane, and Mae of Bellingham; and a nephew, Richard of Spokane.

Memorial contributions may be made to Jefferson Street Christian Church.