Obituaries

Verl Hubbard Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Service for Verl W. Hubbard, 68, will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bonners Ferry. Burial will be at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry. Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hubbard, who was born in Bancroft, Idaho, died Thursday.

He grew up in Grace, Idaho, and worked on the family farm, and also helped raise sheep and cattle.

As a youth, Mr. Hubbard had won pulling contests at local fairs with his horse team and had a herd of dairy cows while still in high school.

He served a two-year mission for the Mormon Church after high school and attended Utah State University. He married Karen Clegg in 1954.

Mr. Hubbard enlisted in the Army as an artillery groundsman during the Korean War and was stationed in Japan for two years after the war ended.

He returned to Grace after his military service and later moved to Bonners Ferry, where he owned a wheat and barley farm in the Kootenai Valley.

Mr. Hubbard was active with the National Wheat Growers Association and had served with the LDS Church as a first counselor in the Stake Presidency and was also a bishop.

He was preceded in death by his wife earlier this year.

Survivors include eight children, Mark Hubbard of Twin Falls, Idaho, Carolyn Gorringe of Riverton, Utah, and Susan Newhouse, Joan Benson, and Wesley, Michael, Joseph and Benjamin Hubbard, all of Bonners Ferry; his mother, Edith Hubbard of Logan, Utah; two brothers, Craig Hubbard of Bonners Ferry and Deon Hubbard of Moyie Springs, Idaho; a sister, Carole McDonald of Logan; and 17 grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Verl and Karen Hubbard Music Scholarship Fund, c/o First Security Bank, 6764 Main St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.

Sally Holcomb Post Falls

Celebration of life for Sally Jo Holcomb, 48, will be Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 329 Vista Drive in Coeur d’Alene. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Holcomb, who was born in Spokane, drowned Oct. 20 while scuba diving at Bayview, Idaho, on Lake Pend Oreille.

She was a lifetime Coeur d’Alene-area resident and had worked as a pharmaceutical technician at the Post Falls Tidyman’s Pharmacy.

Survivors include five sons, Jeff Holcomb of Spirit Lake, Idaho, Jason Holcomb of Moscow, Idaho, Jeremy Holcomb of Post Falls, Joel Ruhle of Fort Bragg, N.C., and Jonathan Holcomb of Cann Air Force Base, N.M.; her parents, Drexel and Jacqueline Miller of Coeur d’Alene; a brother, Michael Miller of La Grande, Ore.; a sister, Mary Ann Docherty of Longview, Wash.; and her boyfriend, Tom Michalski of Post Falls.

Laura Taie Spokane

Memorial Mass for Laura M. Taie, 90, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Private inurnment will be held at a later date. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 53-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Taie died Wednesday. She was born in Colby, Wis.

She worked as a photographer for Dorian Studio.

Mrs. Taie was a volunteer at Alderwood Manor, the Morning Star Boys Ranch, Immaculate Heart Retreat House, Meals on Wheels and St. Peter’s Catholic Church.

Her husband, Earl Taie, died in 1962.

Survivors include two sisters Peggy Hickey of Slidell, La., and Roberta Cousin of Beloit, Wis.; and a brother, Rollin Stanton of Afton, Va.

R.E. `Eddie’ Page Spokane

Funeral Mass for R.E. “Eddie” Page, 90, was held Saturday at St. Sylvesters Roman Catholic Church in Princeville, Kauai. Memorial service in Spokane and Hayden Lake, Idaho will be held at a later date. Bothwick Mortuary in Koloa, Kauai is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Page, 90 died Monday at his winter home in Princeville.

He was born in Milwaukee, Wis., and moved with his family to Spokane when he was an infant. He graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1926.

In 1927 Mr. Page flew for the 116th Observation Squadron of the Nation Guard at Felts Field.

He worked as an insurance agent at Metropolitan Life from 1930 to 1934 and became an independent insurance agent in 1934. He owned R.E. Eddie Page Insurance Inc. in Spokane before retiring in 1978.

During World War II, he was a flight instructor at Thunderbird Field in Arizona, training both American and Chinese cadets.

He maintained a summer home in Kauai and another home in Hayden Lake.

He was a member of the Hayden Lake Golf and Country Club, and the Sierra Club. He was also a former chairman on the board of Holy Names College and a former treasurer of the Hayden Lake Golf Club.

His wife of 53 years, Ruth Page, preceded him in death.

Survivors include a brother, David Page of Scottsdale, Ariz.; a sister, Alyce Hallett of Hayden Lake; and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Gonzaga Preparatory School Foundation or Gonzaga University.

Fred Higgins Clayton, Wash.

Memorial service for Fred R. Higgins, 73, will be at 2 p.m. today at Clayton Community Church. Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park is in charge of arrangements.

A lifetime Clayton resident, Mr. Higgins died Saturday.

He graduated from Deer Park High School in 1944 and served in the Army with Gen. George Patton during World War II in Europe.

He worked at the Washington Brick and Lime Co. in Clayton and later worked as a journeyman lineman in electrical power line construction and retired in 1984.

Mr. Higgins was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 77.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Betty; five sons, Gary and Jeff Higgins, both of Spokane, Tim Higgins of Deer Park, Rob Higgins of Clayton and Larry Higgins of Valley, Wash.; two daughters, Sandy Stillman of Deer Lake, Wash., and Donna Mesplay of Arma, Kan.; a sister, Margie Coleman of Lynnwood, Wash.; 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Madge (Kerbey) Phillips Spokane

Memorial service for Madge Arlene (Kerbey) Phillip, 64, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Heritage Funeral Home.

Mrs. Phillips, who was born in Spokane died Friday.

Her family moved to Argentina when she was six and they also lived in Manial, Philippines and on the East Coast.

She moved back to Spokane in 1974 and worked in the clerical department at Gonzaga University.

She was a member of the Senior Peer Council and was also a volunteer with Contact International for 10 years.

Survivors include two sons, Joseph and Malcolm Phillips, and a daughter, Jolene Holmes, all of Spokane; a brother, James Kerbey of San Jose, Calif.; a sister, Irene Harmon of Los Angeles; and 10 grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the AIDS Network.

Verna Driessen Coeur d’Alene

Memorial service for Verna L. Driessen, 95, will be today at 1 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.

Mrs. Driessen, who was born in Sawyer, N.D., died Friday.

She graduated from Minot Normal School in South Dakota, Eastern Washington College, University of Idaho and Gonzaga University before graduating from Whitworth College.

Mrs. Driessen married Joe Driessen in 1928 and taught school in North Dakota and Troy, Mont., before moving to the Coeur d’Alene School District, where she taught elementary school for 22 years at Hayden Lake, Central and Winton.

She had also trained student teachers from the University of Idaho and had served as president of the Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Education Associations.

Mrs. Driessen was a member of the First Baptist Church, the local PTA and was active in establishing the first Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.

She had served as president of the PEO, Chapter AV, the International Toastmistress Club, the local Alpha Fidelis and Alpha Delta Kappa.

Mrs. Driessen also was involved in Campfire and Girl Scouts.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 1963.

Survivors include a daughter, Katherine Ulbricht of Coeur d’Alene; a son, Jon Driessen of Missoula; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the City of Coeur d’Alene Parks Department, Attn: Doug Eastwood, For the Children Playgrounds, 221 S. Fifth St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

Kate Blankenship Ritzville, Wash.

Service for Kate Victoria Blankenship will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Zion Congregational Church in Ritzville. Vault burial will follow at the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Blankenship, 44, died Friday.

Born in Pasadena, Calif., she graduated from high school in Orange County, Calif., in 1973 and in 1977 graduated from Long Beach State College with a bachelor’s degree in art and art education.

She taught in Okinawa, Japan, for two years and moved to Spokane, where she taught for four years at Northwest Christian High School.

She married Brett Blankenship in 1984, and they moved to Washtucna, Wash., where she taught in the Washtucna School District until 1987.

Mrs. Blankenship received her master’s degree in art education from Eastern Washington University.

She and her husband moved to Ritzville in 1992.

Mrs. Blankenship was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Sorority at Eastern Washington University.

Survivors include her husband; her mother, Martha Meeham of Las Vegas; a brother, Matthew Meeham of Clear Lake, Wash.; and a sister, Marcy Meeham of Las Vegas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Washington Wheat Foundation, 109 E. First Ave., Ritzville, WA 99169.

Richard Battell Spokane

Funeral Mass for Richard Burt Battell, 67, will be at 8 a.m. today at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

A 60-year Spokane resident, Mr. Battell died Friday. He was born in Colfax, Wash.

He worked in quality control at Kaiser Mead, and was a member of the Steelworkers Union and St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife, Geraldine; a son, James Battell of Spokane; four stepchildren, Patricia Burnett, Linda Francis, James Kerr Jr. and Michael Kerr, all of Spokane; a brother, James Battell of Cocoa, Fla.; a sister, Marcellene Pilant of McCall, Idaho; and six grandchildren.

Eugenia Holcombe Slater Coeur d’Alene

Memorial service for Eugenia Holcombe Slater, 89, will be today at 1 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Mrs. Slater, who was born in Salem, Ore., died Thursday.

She graduated from high school in Rosalia, Wash., and from Washington State College in 1931.

She taught in Thornton, Wash., and the Yakima Valley and Pocatello, Idaho. Her first husband, Alden Holcombe died in 1948.

Mrs. Slater married Eugene Slater in 1958 and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1962. She was active with the Daughters of the Nile.

Her second husband died in 1985.

Survivors include a daughter, Marion Spurck of Kennewick; a son, Charles Holcombe of Pocatello; two brothers, Richard Ellis of Spokane and Ward Ellis of Harrison, Idaho; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Shriner’s Childrens Hospital, P.O. Box 2472, Spokane, WA 99210, or Hospice of North Idaho, 280 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.

Hazel Oehlerking Moscow, Idaho

Graveside service for Hazel B. Oehlerking, 87, was held Monday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane.

A 20-year Moscow resident, Mrs. Oehlerking died Tuesday. She was born in Hartline, Wash.

She worked as a sales clerk in retail sales.

Her husband, William Oehlerking, preceded her in death.

There are no survivors.

Robert Shearer Spokane

Funeral Mass for Robert Frances Shearer, 84, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Shearer died Saturday.

He worked as a switch foreman for Great Northern Railroad for 43 years and retired in 1978.

Mr. Shearer was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Margaret; three daughters, Peggie Boothe and Janet Michael, both of Spokane, and Donna Dahle of Busby, Mont.; a brother, Emmet Shearer, and sister, Kathryn Chicha, both of Spokane; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Margaret Mills-Clark Nine Mile Falls

Service for Margaret C. Mills-Clark, 91, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Sunset Mausolum at Fairmount Memorial Park. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Mills-Clark, who was born in Tum Tum, Wash., died Thursday.

She was a homemaker.

Her first husband of 49 years, W.B. Mills, died in 1978.

She is survived by her husband, Stephen.