Obituaries
Harry `Dick’ Costa Kellogg
Rosary and Memorial Mass for Harry R. “Dick” Costa, 78, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Kellogg. Inurnment will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Costa, who was born in Elk River, Idaho, died Monday.
In 1941 he graduated from Kellogg High School where he was a four-year letterman and received a basketball scholarship to the University of Idaho.
Mr. Costa was attending UI when he entered the Army Air Corps during World War II.
He returned to the Silver Valley after his military service and in 1947 married Aune Alho. He became a partner in Dick & Floyd’s Liberty Billiards in Kellogg, which he co-owned for 43 years.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 1984 and later his companion, Joy Blackbird.
Survivors include three sons, Ron Costa of Kingston, Idaho, Dick Costa of Phoenix and Dale Costa of Kellogg; a brother, Roy Costa of Seattle; and six grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Kellogg High School Athletic Fund, 800 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, ID 83837.
Audrey Middleton Colfax, Wash.
Service for Audrey R. Middleton, 88, will be at 11 a.m. today at Bruning Funeral Chapel in Colfax. Burial will follow at Colfax Cemetery.
Mrs. Middleton, who died Tuesday, was born in Colfax.
Her family moved to Canada when she was young and returned to Colfax in 1919.
She graduated from Colfax High School in 1930.
Mrs. Middleton graduated from Cheney Normal School in 1932 and taught school for three years.
She worked at JC Penney in Colfax and later as a deputy in the Whitman county auditor and treasurer offices. She retired in 1971 from the treasurer’s office.
Mrs. Middleton was a member of Plymouth Congregational Church, the Retired State Employee’s Association and Tawanka Alumni of Eastern Washington University. She was also an auxiliary member of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.
Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Melvin; a brother, Tommy Richards of Worley, Idaho; and a sister, Florence Rosenkranz of Coeur d’Alene.
Theodore Davis Coulee Dam, Wash.
Memorial service for Theodore E. Davis, 78, will be at 11 a.m. today at Coulee Dam Community Church. Strate Funeral Home in Grand Coulee, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Kellogg, Idaho, Mr. Davis died Friday.
He graduated in 1939 from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane.
Mr. Davis moved to Coulee Dam in 1958 and worked as a machinist for the Bureau of Reclamation. He also owned bowling lanes in Wilbur, Wash., and Coulee Dam for 25 years.
Mr. Davis served with the Army Signal Corps.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Grand Coulee Yacht Club. He was vice president of the Office of Comprehensive Employment Development and served as an auxiliary policeman for Coulee Dam.
Mr. Davis received the Golden Acorn Award for working with children, was a Scoutmaster and a Little League coach. He also started a junior bowling league.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Betty; three sons, Robert and Timothy Davis, both of Coulee Dam, and James Davis of Moses Lake; four grandchildren and one great-grandchildren.
Dolores Johnson Spokane
Memorial service for Dolores M. Johnson, 54, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at North Addison Baptist Church. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Johnson, who died Saturday, was born in Manson, Wash.
She was a homemaker and had lived in Spokane for 50 years.
Survivors include her husband, Ralph; her mother, Leona Helbig of Silverton, Idaho; two brothers, Scott Helbig of Enumclaw, Wash., and Dale Helbig of Silverton; and a sister, Lori Pichette of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Research Association.
Viola Matson Moscow, Idaho
Viewing for Viola May Matson, 72, will from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow. Service is planned for Friday at 11 a.m. at the chapel with burial to follow at Moscow Cemetery.
Mrs. Matson, who was born in Minnesota, died Sunday.
She grew up and graduated from high school in Park Rapids, Minn., and in 1944 married Hugo Larson.
Mrs. Matson farmed in Park Rapids before moving to Clayton, Wash., and later settling in Kellogg. She also was a homemaker.
Her husband died in 1968 and she moved to Moscow in 1969. She worked as a bookkeeper for University Oil.
In 1973 she married William “Shorty” Matson. She worked as a bookkeeper and retired from Hodgins Drug Store in Moscow in 1980. She continued to work occasionally as a bookkeeper after her retirement.
Mrs. Matson was a member of the Women of the Moose and Credit Women’s International, in which she had served as an officer. She bowled on various Moscow bowling leagues and was a member and past officer of the Moscow Women’s Bowling Association. She also had served as past district and local president of the Eagles Auxiliary.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Kenneth Larson of Mesa, Ariz., and Delbert Larson of Denver; a daughter, Janet Anderson-Benjamin of Tacoma; a sister, Velda Story of Kellogg; three brothers, Wayne and David Hildebrandt, both of Park Rapids, and Lyle Hildebrandt of Minnesota; five stepsons, Steve and Bill Matson, both of Spokane, Ken Matson of Kennewick, Ray Matson of Moscow and Rick Matson of Eagle River, Alaska; a stepdaughter, Diane Fiscus of Potlatch, Idaho; four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren, and three stepgreat-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Moscow Eagle’s Lodge Building Fund.
Warren Thies Spokane
Vigil service for Warren L. Thies, 61, will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at the church. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Thies died Monday.
He graduated from West Valley High School in 1956.
Mr. Thies worked as a driver for Arden Dairy and later worked at Darigold for 38 years.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife of 39 years, Judy; three sons, Todd and Monte Thies, both of Spokane, and Troy Thies of Post Falls; his parents, Alfred and Leone Thies of Spokane; a brother, Roger Thies of Spokane; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Leona Smick Walla Walla
Service for Leona Viola Smick, 94, is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Mountain View Funeral Chapel in Walla Walla. Graveside service will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in College Place, Wash.
A former St. John, Wash., resident, Mrs. Smick died Monday. She was born in Moscow, Idaho.
She graduated from the Walla Walla Valley Academy.
In 1925 she married Dan Smick and they moved to St. John, Wash., in 1937.
Mrs. Smick was a homemaker and a member of the Village Seventh-day Adventist Church in College Place, the Walla Walla General Hospital Auxiliary and the Dorcas Society.
She was a 25-year Walla Walla resident.
Her husband died in 1989.
Survivors include a daughter, Mavis Hinthorne of Spokane; two sons, Gerald Smick of Ephrata, Wash., and Lorrell Smick of Brush Prairie, Wash.; a brother, Merlin Anderson of Loma Linda, Calif.; eight grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Village Seventh-day Adventist Church, College Place, WA 99324.
Kaye Leat Rathdrum, Idaho
Memorial service for Kaye F. Leat, 68, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Leat, who was born in Ainsworth, Neb., died Monday.
She lived in South Dakota and moved to the Northwest in the early 1960s. She lived in Clarkston, Wash., before settling in Rathdrum in 1968.
Mrs. Leat was a longtime member of the Kootenai County Saddle Club.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 20 years, Merlin Leat in 1986, and companion, Vern Barnsley in 1998.
Survivors include three sons, John Leat of Asotin, Wash., Tom Leat of Spokane and Gary Leat of Hayden, Idaho; a daughter, Kaye Frisbie of Post Falls; a sister, Lois Hazeltine of Spokane; three brothers, Gene Pfeifer of Rathdrum, Joe Pfeifer of Modesto, Calif., and Frank Pfeifer of Arkansas.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Ernest Beckman Clark Fork, Idaho
Memorial service for Ernest “Ernie” Beckman, 76, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Clark Fork United Methodist Church. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Beckman, who was born in Battle Creek, Mich., died Sunday.
He served in the Navy during World War II and later returned to Michigan.
In 1946 he married Marjorie Jones.
Mr. Beckman worked for DST Industries, an automotive prototype specialty company, for 24 years and managed the Lincoln-Mercury marketing programs, which included print advertising, television and dealership brochures.
He raced motorcycles from 1946 to 1957, was a member of the Legendary Indian Wrecking Crew, and had been inducted into four motorcycle halls of fame. He also was a private pilot for 45 years.
He moved to Clark Fork in 1985.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Ernest Beckman Jr. of Ann Arbor, Mich., and David Beckman of Costa Mesa, Calif.; and two grandsons.
Bennie `Grumpy’ Krone Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Bennie Robert “Grumpy” Krone, 73, at his request. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Krone, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Saturday.
He grew up and attended schools in the Coeur d’Alene area and had worked for the U.S. Forest Service. He served in the Navy during World War II and saw action in the Pacific Theater and in Normandy, France, on D-day.
In 1946 he married Betty Dunbar.
He returned to Coeur d’Alene after his military service and worked at Kaiser Aluminum for 30 years. He also was a furniture maker.
Mr. Krone was credited with building one of the first pickup campers in the area and was included in Tom Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation.”
He was preceded in death by his second wife, of 25 years, Fran in 1986. Survivors include a son, Kent Krone of Osburn, Idaho.