Obituaries

William Wheeler Jr. Osburn, Idaho

Memorial service for William Ernest Wheeler Jr., 47, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Kellogg Funeral Chapel.

Mr. Wheeler, who was born in Peoria, Ill., died Monday.

He graduated from high school in Homer, Alaska, and served with the Navy.

Mr. Wheeler later moved to Coeur d’Alene before settling in Osburn in 1995. He worked as a heavy equipment operator on the Silver Valley Superfund site for MK Construction.

He was a member of the Local Operators Union in Spokane.

Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Kathleen; three children, Jennifer, Robert and Shannon Wheeler, all at home; three brothers, Robert, Jim and Rick Wheeler, all of Peoria; and two sisters, JoAnn Hislope and Barbara Dean, both of Illinois.

William `Billy’ Sanderson Bovill, Idaho

Memorial service for William “Billy” Sanderson, 72, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bovill Presbyterian Church. Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow, Idaho, is in charge of arrangements. A community ham dinner will follow the service.

Mr. Sanderson, a lifelong Bovill resident, died Friday.

He grew up and attended school in Bovill and then worked for the U.S. Forest Service and local railroads.

Mr. Sanderson was known as “Walkin’ Bill,” due to his long daily walks in the Bovill area.

He was a member of the Bovill Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include three brothers, Waldo and Gordon Sanderson, both of Moscow, and John Sanderson of Selah, Wash.; and a sister, Emmajean Myers of Spokane.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bovill Presbyterian Church of the Bovill Volunteer Fire Department.

Gary Ormiston Mesa, Ariz.

A celebration of life for Gary O. Ormiston, 45, will be held at a later date. Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery in Chandler, Ariz. is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Ormiston, who was born in Spirit Lake, Idaho, died May 7 from a heart attack.

He grew up in North Idaho and had worked in the wood products industry in the Spokane valley while living in Rathdrum, Idaho.

Mr. Ormiston moved to Mesa three years ago and was a sheetmetal worker.

Survivors include a daughter, Crystal Enriquez of Mesa; his mother, Marilyn Oleson of Rathdrum; two sisters, Shirley Gossett of Spokane and Brenda Gilcrist of Rathdrum; and his grandmother, Elizabeth Shelden of Colorado.

Issie Anderson Spokane

Memorial service for Issie Lee Anderson, 75, is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.

Born in Gonzales, Texas, Mrs. Anderson died Saturday.

She grew up in Gonzales and lived in California before moving to Spokane in 1943.

Mrs. Anderson worked as a nurses aide at Sacred Heart Medical Center for 12 years. She retired in 1975.

She married Oscar Anderson in 1961.

Survivors include her husband; a son, Mark Anderson of Spokane; two stepsons, Frederick Anderson of Los Angeles and Randy Anderson of Green Bay, Wis.; a brother, C.S. Goodlow of College Station, Texas; and eight grandchildren.

Goldie Johnson Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Service for Goldie M. Johnson, 89, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry.

Mrs. Johnson, who was born in Kansas, died Sunday.

She moved to Bonners Ferry in 1922. She completed her education and married Elmer Johnson in 1932, and settled in Spokane.

Mrs. Johnson returned to Bonners Ferry in 1940 and was a homemaker. She moved to Superior, Mont., in 1953.

Her husband died in 1959 and she moved to Spokane in 1960 and worked in the housekeeping department at Deaconess Hospital for 15 years.

Mrs. Johnson later returned to Bonners Ferry.

Survivors include a daughter, Virginia Sanborn of Bonners Ferry; a son, Patrick Johnson of Oregon; two brothers, Ted and Myrle Douglas, both of Bonners Ferry; a sister, Eva Whitbeck of Seattle; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Frances Lederhos Hospice, P.O. Box 1801, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.

Edward `Ted’ Grant Sandpoint

Memorial service for Edward Porter “Ted” Grant, 98, will be at 2 p.m. today at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Grant, who was born in Rhinelander, Wis., died May 1.

He moved to North Idaho in 1907 and lived in Denton, Idaho, for many years.

Mr. Grant had worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression and also worked in logging camps throughout North Idaho and Washington.

He started a career with the Northern Pacific Railroad as a gandy dancer in 1940 and lived in the Sandpoint area. He retiredg in 1965.

Mr. Grant was an activist in local city government.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice.

Survivors include two daughters, Rachel Staver of Hayden, Idaho, and Shirley Olson of Oregon; a brother, Carl Grant, of Medical Lake; a sister, Grace Kipp of Orting, Wash.; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

Arthur `Sonny’ Melzer Spokane

Funeral for Arthur J. “Sonny” Melzer, 79, will be at 1 p.m. today at Holy Cross Cemetery Chapel. Burial will follow at the cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Melzer died Sunday.

He graduated from Rogers High School and joined the Marine Corps. He served during World War II and was a decorated member of Roosevelt’s Raiders in Midway and an MIA survivor of Guadalcanal.

He returned to Spokane after the war and married Ruth Gordon.

Mr. Melzer worked for JensenByrd Refrigeration before becoming a partner of Schult’s Corner in Spokane.

He later moved to the San Francisco Bay area of California, where he worked at Hussman Refrigeration for 15 years. He retired as a foreman. He returned to Spokane in 1980.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, John Melzer of Spokane and Art Melzer of Castro Valley, Calif.; a daughter, Darleene Boller of Livermore, Calif.; two sisters, Margaret Burrell of Spokane and Doris Duggan of Arlington, Kan.; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.