Obituaries
Charley Leighton Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Charley Brigham Leighton, 75. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Leighton, who was born in Redding, Calif., died Saturday. He lived in California and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1984.
Survivors include his wife, Miriam; a son, Chuck Leighton of Coeur d’Alene; six daughters, Kay Miller, Coralie McMillen and Caryol Craver, all of Coeur d’Alene, and Bea, Garnett and Sally, all of California; four sisters; two brothers; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Shimeo Nishio Coeur d’Alene
Visitation for Shimeo Nishio, 75, will be today from 5-8 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Service will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at the funeral home with burial to follow at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. Mr. Nishio, who was born in Montana, died Friday.
He grew up in Hope, Idaho, and played on the high school basketball team there. He later graduated from North Idaho College, where he also played basketball.
He served with the Army in Italy during World War II and after his military service, returned to the Coeur d’Alene area and worked as an electrical contractor.
Mr. Nishio married Sibyl Brogan in 1965.
He was a member of the NIC Booster Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife; two stepchildren, John Brogan of Meridian, Idaho, and Louceille Miller of Hayden, Idaho; three sisters, Minnie Nishio, Uki Nishio and Jane Nishio, all of Coeur d’Alene; and three grandchildren.
Nyla Gilbreath Post Falls
Private service for Nyla Jean Gilbreath, 50, was held at Riverview Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. Mrs. Gilbreath, who was born in Conde, S.D., died Sunday.
She grew up in South Dakota and moved to San Manuel, Ariz., where she graduated from high school.
She married Sonny Gilbreath in 1967, and they moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1980. She was a member of the Coeur d’Alene First Assembly of God Church.
Survivors include her husband; three children, Blane and Jeremy Gilbreath, both at home, and Leah Anton, of Post Falls; her father, Wyman Eske of Arizona; two sisters, Vicki Wilbanks of Utah and Joy Meoak of California; and two grandchildren, Clint and Cole.
Richard `Willie’ Wilson Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Richard M. “Willie” Wilson, 62, was held Tuesday at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Mr. Wilson, who was born in Tempe, Ariz., died Thursday.
He grew up near Meeker, Colo., and graduated from high school in Craig, Colo.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1955 and served during the Vietnam War.
Mr. Wilson retired from the Navy in 1975 and settled in California, where he worked as an electrician in the construction business.
He became ill in 1996 and moved to Coeur d’Alene.
Survivors include a sister, Margaret Shreves of Coeur d’Alene; and several half brothers and sisters. Memorials may be made to the Children’s Village, 1350 W. Hanley Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Marguerite Berilla Coeur d’Alene
Visitation for Marguerite A. Berilla, 85, will be Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Graveside service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Riverview Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. Mrs. Berilla, who was born in Tacoma, died Friday.
She married Steve Berilla in 1935.
In 1944 she moved to Spokane, where she lived until settling in Coeur d’Alene in 1952.
Mrs. Berilla was a foster mother for abused and orphaned children in Spokane. She also housed families with children and students attending North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene.
She later began a 25-year career at Kootenai Medical Center and worked in the labor and delivery area.
Her husband died in 1983.
Survivors include a son, Donald Berilla of Usk, Wash.; a daughter, Sherron Fox of Boise; five granddaughters and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Kootenai County Humane Society, P.O. Box 1005, Hayden Lake, ID 83835.
Marie (Meek) Endicott Oldtown, Idaho
Funeral for Marie Catherine (Meek) Endicott, 83, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Priest River, Idaho. Burial will be at the Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River.
Mrs. Endicott, who was born in Albeni, Idaho, died Saturday.
She married Herschell Endicott in 1935, and they worked in the logging industry in the Newport, Wash., and Priest River areas for many years. She later retired from working in the laundry at the Newport Community Hospital.
Mrs. Endicott was a member of Freeman Lake Grange for many years and was a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Priest River.
Survivors include her husband; four sons, Ronald Meek of Hauser Lake, Idaho, Herschell Endicott Jr. and Donald Endicott, both of Priest River, and Frank Endicott of Oldtown; three daughters, Emma Montgomery of Oldtown, Kathy Douglas of Priest River and Ann Founds of Blanchard, Idaho; a brother, Jack Meek of Spokane; 24 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Peggy Tunnell Coeur d’Alene
Private graveside service for Peggy Ann Tunnell, 49, will be held later. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Tunnell, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Saturday from a lifelong illness.
She attended school for the developmentally disabled in Coeur d’Alene and worked for TESH from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Lorraine Tunnell.
Survivors include her father, William Tunnell of Coeur d’Alene; a brother, David Austin of Arlington, Texas; a sister, Jo Ellyn Roberts of Challis, Idaho; one aunt, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 910 Maine St., Suite 310, Boise, ID 83702.
John Wolfer Spokane
Private service will be held for John Wolfer. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Wolfer died Thursday. He was 67.
He was a veteran of the Navy and a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1474.
Mr. Wolfer worked as a supervisor at Kaiser Aluminum in Mead for several years.
Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Yvonne; two children, Mike and Pat Gwynn, and a sister, Evelyn Ryno, all of Spokane; two brothers, George Wolfer of Livermore, Calif., and Charlie Wolfer of Sheridan, Wyo.
Glen `Dick’ Johnson Cocolalla, Idaho
Memorial service for Glen “Dick” Johnson, 60, will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Mr. Johnson, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Saturday.
He grew up in Cocolalla and Coeur d’Alene, and at the age of 13 began working as a firestoker at Coeur d’Alene Laundry.
He graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1959. He served with the Army and received an honorable medical discharge in 1962. He returned to Coeur d’Alene and worked on road construction for Max J. Kuney Construction Co.
In 1964, he worked on the green chain at Diamond International Lumber.
He married Carole Raugust in 1972.
Mr. Johnson began a Christmas tree farm in Cocolalla in 1976 and retired from Diamond International in 1978 to work full time on his tree farm.
He was a member of the Idaho Christmas Tree Association and the Bonner Community Gleaners.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Jimmy Johnson of Whidbey Island, Wash.; a daughter, Carolynn Peterson of Cocolalla; two sisters, Nancy Michaels of Coeur d’Alene and Elizabeth Hackett of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Beatrice Pritchett Budvarson Kopisca Silverton, Idaho
Service for Beatrice Joyce Pritchett Budvarson Kopisca, 96, will be today at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Silverton. A second service will be held Monday in San Diego, with burial to follow there.
Mrs. Kopisca, who was born in Fairview, Utah, died Monday.
She lived in Minnesota and worked as a welder during World War II. She later lived in San Diego, and was a mother and homemaker before moving to Silverton three years ago.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Gunnar Budvarson and Andrew Kopisca.
Survivors include three children, Vivian Budvarson Wilhite and Glen Budvarson, both of California, and Richard “Bud” Budvarson of Silverton; a brother, J.E. Pritchett of Boulder, Colo.; 13 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Carrie Milne Thornton, Wash.
Visitation for Carrie Mae Milne, a longtime Whitman County resident, will be from 9 a.m. to noon today at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash. Graveside service will follow at 3 p.m. at the Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe, Wash.
Mrs. Milne, who was born in Jonesborough, Tenn., died Sunday. She was 92.
She came to Washington State as a child with her family. She attended the Matlock School, which is located between Thornton and Sunset, Wash. She graduated from Sunset High School in 1926 and attended one year at Cheney Normal School, now Eastern Washington University.
In 1927 she married James Milne, and they lived and farmed in the Cashup Flat area, north of Steptoe. Her husband died in 1956.
Mrs. Milne was the Thornton postmaster from 1962 until her retirement in 1977.
She was active with the Thornton Grange from 1949 until 1988, having served as secretary.
Survivors include a son, James Milne of Clinton, Wash.; three daughters, Virginia Williams of Rosalia, Wash., Velma Ulrich of Colfax and Margaret Milne of Post Falls; two sisters, Frances Childers of Spokane and Lillian Brody of Cheyenne, Wyo.; a brother, Andrew Saylor of Walla Walla; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Whitman Hospital Foundation.
Laura Reynolds Batterson Salem, Ore.
Service for Laura Alma Reynolds Batterson, 88, will be today at 1 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Batterson, who was born in Oklahoma, died June 30.
She lived in Oklahoma and moved to the Grouse Creek area near Sandpoint as a child.
Mrs. Batterson married Clarence Reynolds in 1928 and lived in Sandpoint. They moved to Dalton Gardens, Idaho, in 1953. Her husband preceded her in death.
She wintered in Arizona and traveled to Japan and Hawaii.
In 1981 she married Leonard Batterson, and they lived in Selah, Wash. Her second husband died in 1994.
Mrs. Batterson moved to Salem in 1995.
She had been a member of a Coeur d’Alene square dance club and the Sandpoint Chatter Bees sewing club.
Survivors include a son, Maurice Reynolds of Snoqualmie, Wash.; a daughter, Margaret Redcrow of Dalton Gardens; three stepsons, Albert Batterson of Puyallup, Wash., Kenneth Batterson of Selah and Marion Batterson of Salem; eight grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, nine stepgreat-grandchildren and two great-great-grandsons.
Lois Burch St. John, Wash.
Memorial service for Lois Grace Burch, 85, will be at 11 a.m. today at the St. John Christian Church. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Burch, who was born in Diamond, Wash., died Friday.
She moved with her family to Kellogg and attended schools there.
In 1935 she married Rieford Burch and they made their home in North Idaho.
During World War II, her husband was sent to Alaska and she moved to St. John.
In the early 1950s she moved to Tacoma, where she lived for 42 years before returning to St. John in 1992.
Mrs. Burch was a 50-year member of the Rebekah Lodge and was a member of Christian Church.
Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Camille Freeman of St. John; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John Christian Church or to the St. John Emergency Medical Technicians.
Viola Schubert Farmington, Wash.
Private graveside service for Viola Mary Schubert, a longtime Farmington resident, was Tuesday at the Mountain View Cemetery in Farmington. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash., was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Schubert, who was born and raised in Lowell, Mass., died Friday. She was 84.
She graduated from high school in Lowell and attended business college in Washington, D.C. After earning her degree, she worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Washington, D.C.
In 1946 she married Gabriel Schubert, and they moved to California before moving to Nevada, where she worked for the Carson City Nugget as head cashier. She later moved to Farmington.
Mrs. Schubert was a member of the Farmington Fortnightly Book Club.
Survivors include her husband, Gabriel; a son, John Schubert of Vashon Island, Wash.; a daughter, Christine Mikalson of Farmington; a sister, Rosalie Davis of Springfield, Va.; numerous brothers; and two granddaughters.