Obituaries
Alice Farmer Spokane
Funeral for Alice Louise “Al” Farmer, 86, will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mrs. Farmer, who was born in Fairfield, died Friday.
She traveled throughout the Western United States with her husband, John, who was employed by J.A. Terteling and Sons Construction Co., building military facilities during World War II.
She worked in first-aid stations on the construction sites.
After her husband died in 1947, Mrs. Farmer moved to Otis Orchards, where she continued raising her three children.
She went to work for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center when it opened in 1950, advancing to the position of food supervisor and retiring in 1969 after 19 years.
In 1951 she moved to Millwood, where she lived for several years. Mrs. Farmer had spent the past 40 years in Spokane.
She is survived by two sons, George and Donald Farmer; a daughter, Betty Jane Somers; four brothers, Charles McCartney of Spokane, Walter McCartney of Loon Lake, Wash., George McCartney of Palm Springs, Calif., and Richard McCartney of Rockchester, Va.; three sisters, Grace McKittrick of Leavenworth, Wash., Lorene Worden of Greenacres and Iva Danelo of Spokane; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Jessica Haller Rathdrum, Idaho
Memorial service for Jessica Nicole Haller, 18, will be held at a later date. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Haller, who was born in Spokane, died March 13 in a head-on automobile collision on U.S. Highway 95 near Granite Hill in Bonner County.
In 1984 she moved with her family to Rathdrum, where she attended John Brown Elementary School and Lakeland Junior High School. She was preparing to graduate from Lakeland High School in June.
She was a member of the Prairie Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Rathdrum.
Survivors include her mother and stepfather, Deborah and Russell Wiemers; two sisters, Mandy and Amber Haller; a brother, Adam Wiemers; her grandparents, June and Donald Olson, Billie Haller, Cathy Haller, and Lloyd and Gail Wiemers; and her great-grandmother, Hazel Hill.
She was preceded in death by her father, Sidney Haller.
Joseph Kent Great Falls, Mont.
Graveside service for Joseph B. Kent, 91, will be at 11 a.m. today at Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kent, who was born in Eskridge, Kan., died Sunday.
He moved to Spokane in 1923 and later graduated from West Valley High School. In 1928 he graduated from Cheney Normal School.
Mr. Kent was a teacher, coach and elementary school principal in the Spokane area for 45 years.
He also raised and trained bird dogs and was a field trial judge for many years.
After his wife of 60 years, Violet, died in 1991, he moved to Great Falls, Mont.
Survivors include a daughter, JoAnne Smead of Spokane; a sister, Mary Kent of Spokane; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Basil Mason Spokane
Memorial service for Basil Glen Mason, 91, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Northwood Presbyterian Church. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Mason, who was born in Blanchard Valley, Wash., died Saturday.
He was a dairy farmer in the Blanchard Valley area until 1948, then worked as a stationary engineer for Pike’s Lumber in Spokane for 10 years.
He later worked at Sacred Heart Medical Center and retired in 1974.
Mr. Mason was a member of the Steam Engineers Union.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Phila; a son, Edward Mason of Priest River, Idaho; two daughters, Karen Kreft of Spokane and Joanne Krotke of Port Townsend, Wash.; eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Gospel Mission or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Beverly Lemoine Spokane
Visitation for Beverly Ann Lemoine, 62, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Memorial service is planned for 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Lemoine, who was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., died Saturday.
A 53-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Lemoine was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband of 43 years, Harvey; a son, Darren Lemoine of Spokane; her mother, Cordelia Herman of Spokane; three sisters, Diane Herman and JoAnn Ward, both of Spokane, and Eleanor Oost of McAllen, Texas; and two brothers, Robert Herman of McAllen and Duane Herman of Michigan.
Charles Gavette Spokane
Funeral for Charles E. Gavette, 80, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Gavette, who was born in Chandler, Ariz., died Saturday.
Mr. Gavette served as a cook in the Army, moving to Spokane in 1938, when he began working as truck driver.
He was a member of Teamsters Union locals 582 and 690, the Retired Teamsters, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church. Since 1944 he had been a member of Moose Lodge 161, where he cooked for the fish fry and spaghetti feeds.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Teresa; a son, Robert Gavette of Spokane; a daughter, Mary Grafmiller of Spokane; a brother, LeRoy Gavette, and a sister, Evelyn Amen, both of Phoenix; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or Moose Lodge 161, 6363 N. Lidgerwood St., Spokane, WA 99208.
Everett Cortner Spokane
Visitation for Everett E. Cortner, 93, will be at from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Funeral is planned for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A 56-year Spokane resident, Mr. Cortner died Saturday.
Born in Fairfax, Mo., Mr. Cortner graduated from Fairfax High School before moving to Spokane in 1942.
While in high school, he worked as a trapper, and after moving to Spokane he became a furrier, working for various furrier companies, including Fred Bennioff and Alfred Bouge Furriers and Spokane Furriers. He retired in the late 1980s.
Mr. Cortner was a charter and lifetime member of the Spokane Rifle Club and a member of Lidgerwood Evangelical Church.
Survivors include his wife, Lila; two sons, Brick and Michael Cortner, both of Spokane; two daughters, Kittie Boutz of Spokane and Barbara Dragicevic of Mesa, Ariz.; two stepsons, Anthony and Gary Boitano, both of Spokane; a brother, Ralph Cortner of Pueblo, Colo; two sisters, Nellie George of Boise and LaVaun Kimerling of Mound City, Mo.; 18 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
John Schiffner Sr. Spokane
Funeral Mass for John J. Schiffner Sr., 81, will be at noon today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Schiffner died Saturday.
He graduated from Gonzaga University in 1941, completing his first two years of law school and last two years of college at the same time.
Mr. Schiffner began practicing law after graduation, becoming a partner in a law firm. He was then drafted into Army intelligence during World War II, serving as a captain from 1941 until 1945.
In 1945 he returned to Spokane and continued to practice law. He married Nancy Boyd in 1948.
In 1991, Mr. Schiffner was honored by the Spokane Bar Association for 50 years of service to the legal community.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Mary Burger of Spokane, Susan Klingberg of Auburn, Wash., and Linda Hammelman of Warrenton, Va.; and a son, John Schiffner Jr. of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Richard Bartholomaus Spokane
Visitation for Richard F. Bartholomaus, 71, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Funeral is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Mr. Bartholomaus, who was born in Miles City, Mont., died Saturday.
He attended the Big Timber School District in Helena, serving with the Navy during World War II and later with the Army during the Korean War.
He married Martha Lai in 1953. He owned and operated Richards’s Saw Sharpening Service in Helena from 1975 until his retirement in 1983.
He moved to the Spokane area after his retirement.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Bruce Bartholomaus of Spokane; and three granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Holy Family Adult Day Center, 1104 W. Heroy, Spokane, WA 99207.
Alfred McCoy Spokane
Indian Reservation Visitation for Alfred E. McCoy, 80, will be from noon to 3 p.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Wash. Wake will follow at 7 p.m. at the West End Community Center on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Funeral is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at the community center. Burial will be at the West End Assembly of God Cemetery.
A lifetime resident of the reservation, Mr. McCoy died Sunday.
He served with the Army and was a member and tribal councilman of the Spokane Tribe.
Mr. McCoy also was a member of the Chewelah Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and the Moose Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Pearl; seven daughters, Kathryn and Linda Kieffer and Teresa McCoy, all of Fruitland, Wash., Carrie Abrahamson, Sandy Bair and Charlene Abrahamson, all of Wellpinit, Wash., and Trudy Botten of St. Paul, Minn.; four sons, Robert, Ken, Pete and Clyde McCoy, all of Fruitland; 39 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren.
Elsie Meier Spokane
Graveside service for Elsie Meier, 88, will be at 2 p.m. today at Fairmount Memorial Park. Memorial service will follow at 3 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Church. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Meier, who was born in Spokane, died Saturday.
She graduated from North Central High School and later worked as a receptionist for Burchett and Dorian photography studios for several years.
She was a member of Salem Lutheran Church.
Her husband, Ted, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Don Meier; five grandchildren and several greatgrandchildren.
Pearl Lewis Cusick, Wash.
Funeral for Pearl A. Lewis, 60, was held Tuesday at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash. Memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. April 3 at the Cusick High School gymnasium.
Mrs. Lewis, who was born in Elma, Wash., died Friday.
She moved to the Cusick area in 1967 from Copalis Crossing, Wash.
Mrs. Lewis worked as a Pend Oreille County emergency medical technician for 20 years. She also was a volunteer firefighter with the Cusick Volunteer Fire Department.
Survivors include her husband, Gene; a daughter, Susan Thomas of Lakewood, Wash.; two sons, Harry Lewis Jr. of Cusick and Robert Lewis of Spokane; a brother, Robert Winings, and a sister, Florence Spalding, both of Elma; and 12 grandchildren.
Leroy Clark Ford, Wash.
Memorial service for Leroy Clark, 52, will be at 2:30 p.m. today at his home, 5572 Highway 231. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Clark, who was born in Spokane, died Thursday.
He attended Springdale (Wash.) High School and later owned and operated Clark’s Auto Repair in Ford for many years.
Mr. Clark was a volunteer fire fighter with the Department of Natural Resources and other fire departments, where needed.
Survivors include his wife of 14 years, Judy; 13 children, Lloyd and Timothy Clark, and Jesse and Jason Bocook, all of Spokane, Teresa Bosteder of Vancouver, Wash., and Lorie Bailey, Steven and Travis Ashby, Jacob and Linda Clark, Shawn and Shannon McGinnis, and John Reppy, all of Ford; his mother, Olive Clark of Ford; three brothers, David Clark of Spokane, Anthony Clark of Ford and Allen Clark of Chattaroy; a sister, Mary spencer of Spokane; two stepbrothers, Terry Nelson of Spokane and Earl Nelson of California; two stepsisters, Debra Nelson of Spokane and Vickie Shade of Medical Lake; three foster sisters, Pansy Baker of Colville, Wash., Lila Buck of Kelso, Wash., and Marilyn Adams of Lone Rock, Wis.; and 18 grandchildren.
Mary Paznokas Pullman
Visitation for Mary Adeline Paznokas, assistant principal at Pullman High School, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pullman. Vigil will follow at 7 p.m. at the church. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Friday, also at the church. Burial will follow at the Pullman City Cemetery. Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Paznokas, who was born in Blue Island, Ill., died March 18 of cardiac arrest while vacationing in Hawaii. She was 57.
She graduated from St. Patrick’s High School in Kankakee, Ill., and went on to attend Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, where she received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
Mrs. Paznokas began her teaching career in 1964, teaching mathematics in Riverside, Calif. She married John Paznokas in 1965.
She then taught in West Covina, Calif., until 1969, when she began teaching in St. Louis. In 1973 she began teaching in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Mrs. Paznokas moved to Pullman in 1976, teaching mathematics and physical education, at Pullman High School. She also was a track and basketball coach and acted as chair of the math and science department for several years. During this time she earned her master’s degree in education from Washington State University.
In 1987 she became the assistant principal at the high school.
Mrs. Paznokas was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Sacred Heart Folk Group.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Peter Paznokas of Kent, Wash.; her mother, Adeline Costello, and two sisters, Nancy Hadfield and Laura Winking, all of Minden, Nev.; and two granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the church.