Obituaries
Audrey Gridley Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Audrey L. Gridley, 78, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at English Funeral Chapel.
Mrs. Gridley, who was born in Okanogan, Wash., died Saturday.
She moved to Coeur d’Alene with her family and graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1938.
In 1940 she married James Gridley. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Robert and Jay Gridley, both of Coeur d’Alene; a daughter, Lynn Jensen of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Ruth Green of Yakima; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Trinity Lutheran Church Youth Group or Hospice of North Idaho.
Daniel Smith Spokane
Funeral Mass for Daniel J. Smith, 100, was held Monday at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Smith, who was born in Portland, died Wednesday.
He spent his childhood in Vancouver and Omak, Wash., and as a young adult moved to the Methow Valley.
From 1934 to 1949 he worked as a construction worker on Grand Coulee Dam. In 1949 he moved to Chewelah, Wash., and in 1996 to Spokane.
Mr. Smith was a member of St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Grand Coulee, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chewelah and the Knights of Columbus. He was a gold-card member of the Spokane Carpenters Union.
He was preceded in death by three wives: Laura, who died in 1948; Rose, who died in 1967; and Edna, who died in 1977.
Survivors include a daughter, Alice Deleganes of Spokane; three sons, Hugh Smith of Spokane, Orville Smith of St. George, Utah, and Paul Smith of Seattle; two stepdaughters, Wynita Wendlandt and Mary Helen Forech, both of Spokane; a sister, Edith Berry of Sonoma, Calif.; and 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Alex Schoen Spokane
Funeral Mass for Alex J. Schoen, 71, was Saturday at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home was is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Schoen, who was born in Germany, died Wednesday.
He graduated with a degree in architecture and engineering in Germany and moved to the United States in 1953.
In 1956 he married Elaine Wightman.
He was co-owner and engineer at Artistic Iron Works in Spokane for 34 years. He also owned and managed several apartments and houses and was co-owner of the Gasthaus restaurant.
Mr. Schoen was a member of the German American Society and a 40-year member of the Concordia Choir.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Peter Schoen of Spokane, Walter Schoen of London, Richard Schoen of Portland and Eric Schoen of New York City; a daughter, Barbara Vaughn of Spokane; and 11 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Concordia Choir, 29 W. Third, Spokane, WA 99204.
Zelda `Billie’ Menzel Greenacres
Memorial service for Zelda M. “Billie” Menzel, formerly of Hayden Lake, Idaho, will be held at a later date. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Menzel, who was born in Plainfield, Wis., died Friday. She was 82.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1937 and taught school until her marriage to A.E. Menzel in 1939.
In 1950 they moved to Hayden Lake, where her husband served as mayor for several years. He died in 1984.
Mrs. Menzel most recently had been living at the Good Samaritan Village in Greenacres.
Survivors include two brothers-in-law, Roy Menzel of Stevens Point and Exner Menzel of Hayden Lake; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the City of Hayden Parks Department, Hayden, ID 83835.
Harriet Looft Spokane
Funeral Mass for Harriet F. Looft, a longtime Spokane resident, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Charles Catholic Church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Looft, who was born in Lind, Wash., died Friday.
She received her teaching degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg and taught for for 25 years for Spokane School District 81, including teaching at Garfield Elementary School for several years. She also taught at St. Aloysius School for 10 years.
Her first husband, Fred Miller, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her husband, Randy; three sons, Clyde Miller of Vancouver, Wash., Michael Miller of Bothell, Wash., and Gary Looft of Hackettstown, N.J.; two daughters, Sharlyn LaVigne of Riverside, Calif., and Marcia Weinrich of Big Bear Lake, Calif.; 16 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of Spokane or the American Heart Association.
Catherine `Kitty’ Stephens Spokane
Memorial service for Catherine P. “Kitty” Stephens, 53, will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Stephens, who was born in Spokane, died Friday.
She graduated from Holy Names Academy and in the 1960s spent a year in Heidelberg, Germany, working for Special Services at the Patton Barracks.
Mrs. Stephens returned to Spokane where she began working for the Spokane Public Library and for the Red Lion Tavern. She went on to graduate with a degree in education from Fort Wright College.
She established and operated Dr. John’s Jazz Emporium and later worked as a secretary in the surgical ward at Deaconess Medical Center for several years.
Survivors include her husband, John; a son, Hugh Stephens of Seattle; two brothers, Robert and John Coffey, both of Spokane; and two sisters, Margaret Coffey and Mary Taylor, both of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Neah McGraw Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Neah M. McGraw, 74. Yates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. McGraw, who was born in Clark Fork, Idaho, died Friday.
She grew up and made her home in North Idaho, living for a short time in Everett before returning to Coeur d’Alene in 1984.
Mrs. McGraw worked as a bartender at the Boots and Saddle and other restaurants in Coeur d’Alene.
Survivors include a son, William McGraw of Everett; a sister, Jo Ann Rouse of Coeur d’Alene; and a granddaughter, Nicole.
Gertrude Houck Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Funeral for Gertrude Mae “Gertie” Houck, 82, will be at 2 p.m. today at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Private burial will follow at Grandview Cemetery.
Mrs. Houck, who was born in Grinnell, Iowa, died Friday.
She grew up and attended schools in Grinnell and later worked for Maytag in Newton, Iowa, during World War II making airplane parts.
Mrs. Houck worked in civil service at a bomb sight and headquarters area in Hawaii.
In 1946 she married Allan Bellmore at Hickman Field in Hawaii, and they returned to the mainland in 1947. He died in 1969.
She later worked at several jobs, including working at the Community Hospital in Bonners Ferry until she retired.
In 1971 she married Edward Houck, and they moved to farm near Porthill, Idaho. He died in 1987.
Mrs. Houck later moved to Bonners Ferry.
She raised roses out of her home and was a member of the Local American Legion Auxiliary and the Senior Citizens Center.
Survivors include two brothers, Glenn Reavis of Montezuma, Iowa, and Russel Reavis of Hanover Park, Ill.; two sisters, Lela Anderson of Sacramento, Calif., and Wilma Matheny of Springtown, Texas; and numerous stepgrandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Senior Citizens Center in Bonners Ferry.
Everett Conner Lind, Wash.
Graveside service for Everett D. Conner, 81, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Lind Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Chapel in Ritzville, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Conner, who was born in Evington, Va., died Friday.
He moved to Washington state from Missouri in 1937 and worked for a railroad for a short time before moving to Lind, where he was a farmer.
In 1945 he married Jean Phillips and farmed south of Lind for more than 50 years.
Mr. Conner was a member of the Lind Lions Club. He had been active with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Missouri before moving to Washington.
His wife died in 1994.
Survivors include a daughter, Linda Hammer of Elk; three brothers, Charles Conner of Blue Springs, Mo., Ira Conner of Rich Hill, Mo., and Donald Conner of Appleton City, Mo.; two sisters, Agnes Surber of Eagle Rock, Calif., and Pauline Smith of Florence, Colo.; and two grandchildren.
Ralph Belair Spokane
Graveside service for Ralph E. Belair, 84, will be at 1 p.m. today at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A 50-year Spokane resident, Mr. Belair died Friday. He was born in Tacoma.
He worked as a shipping supervisor for the Silver Loaf Holsum Baking Co. in Spokane for many years before retiring in 1976.
Mr. Belair was a member of the Rock Rollers and the Dahlia Society.
His wife, Audrey, died in 1986.
Survivors include a daughter, Pat Belair of Spokane; a son, Robert Belair of Gig Harbor, Wash.; two sisters, Mavis Reid of Little Rock, Ark., and Betty Sblendorio of Phoenix; and three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Rock Roller Club Scholarship Fund.
Mary Hare Fairmont, Minn.
Graveside service for Mary I. Hare, 96, will be held at a later date in Casselton, N.D. Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hare, who was born in Casselton, died Dec. 29.
She attended nursing school in St. Paul, Minn., and post-graduate school in Cook County, Ill.
Mrs. Hare was a charge nurse in hospitals in Oklahoma City and Sheridan, Wyo., before moving to Spokane, where she worked at Sacred Heart Medical Center for 22 years.
She married Ward Hare in 1935. He died in 1972.
Mrs. Hare moved to the Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center in Fairmont in 1991.
Survivors include a son, John Hare of Spokane; and a daughter, Sue Zielske of Fairmont.
Elaine (Humbert) Showalter Cheney
Memorial service for Elaine (Humbert) Showalter, 86, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Cheney Funeral Chapel. Inurnment will be at the Lance Hill Cemetery near Cheney.
A longtime resident of Cheney Mrs. Showalter died Saturday.
Born and raised in Amber, Wash., she graduated from Amber High School.
She worked at Lakeland Village in Medical Lake as a counselor for 20 years before retiring in 1973.
Her husband, John Franklin Showalter, died in 1974.
Survivors include a daughter, Janet Hall of Moscow, Idaho; two sisters, Lorelle Pederson and Theda Radika, both of Spokane; four grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.
Eric Brace Spokane
Funeral for Eric L. Brace, 23, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mr. Brace was born in Las Vegas. His body was found on Jan. 5 in Moses Lake. Police are investigating his death as a homicide.
He had been working at Kirby vacuum cleaner sales and service shop on North Monroe.
Survivors include his father, Alan Brace of Spokane; his mother, Sharon Beck of Fortuna, Calif.; a sister, Regina Brace of Fortuna; and two stepsisters, LeAnna Greene and Tina Vistad, and a stepbrother, Rick Bond, all of Spokane.