Obituaries
Gerald Ford Spokane
Memorial service for Gerald Morehead Ford, 79, will be at 10 a.m. May 27 at the Covenant Christian Church. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ford, who was born in San Francisco, died April 15.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University and a bachelor’s degree of divinity from Yale University Divinity School.
He married Grace Riddell in 1948.
He served as a minister in California. He also served on the board of directors for the Santa Clara and Northern California-Neval County Councils of Churches, the Fullerton Area Council of Churches, the United Campus Christian Ministry for Cal State-Fullerton, the Family Service Association of Santa Clara County, the Association of Community Chest Agencies of Santa Clara County and the Chapman College Alumni Association. He also served as a radio religious newscaster on KEEN in San Jose, Calif.
In 1967, Mr. Ford moved to Spokane and served as a minister at Central Christian Church until 1981. After retiring he served as interim minister for Westminster Presbyterian Church, United Church of Christ in Metaline Falls, Wash., Faith Presbyterian Church in Hayden, Idaho, Yakima Indian Christian Mission in Toppenish, Wash., First Presbyterian Church in Fairfield, Englewood Christian Church in Yakima and the University Christian Church in Seattle.
He was involved with the Nightwalk Ministry, Inter-Faith Community Thanksgiving Service and the United Nations Association. He served on the board of directors for Mid-City Concerns, the Greater Spokane Council of Churches, Spokane Religious Broadcasting Commission, Academy of Religious Broadcasting, Washington Association of Churches, Family Counseling Service of Spokane, Youth Help Association, Spokane Horizons, Interplayers Theatre and the Rockwood Forest Estates Residents Association.
His wife died on Jan. 4.
Survivors include a son, Douglas Ford of Lacey, Wash.; a daughter, Pamela Ford of Redmond, Calif.; a brother, Lawrence Ford of Sacramento; and four grandchildren.
Viola (White) Cameron Spokane
Vigil service for Viola Mae (White) Cameron, 94, will be at 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Born at Lofts Bay on Lake Coeur d’Alene, Mrs. Cameron died Saturday.
She grew up in Bovill, Idaho, and moved to Spokane around 1923.
In 1924 she married Bill Cameron.
Mrs. Cameron worked at Cooks Nut Shop in downtown Spokane and later in the coffee shop at the Old National Bank Building.
She had been a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church for more than 60 years.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Mrs. Cameron is survived by a brother, Allen White of Beaverton, Ore.; four sisters, Charlotte Musser of Spokane, Dorothy Crunk of Priest River, Idaho, Jennie Nogle of Bovill and Mable Gates of Casper, Wyo.; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the White Family Heritage Library, P.O. Box 210, Bovill, ID 83806.
Lloyd Everest Spokane
Memorial service for Lloyd George Everest, 81, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.
Born in Grangeville, Idaho, Mr. Everest died Sunday.
He graduated from Moscow (Idaho) High School and ater received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Idaho. In the summers during college he worked for the Forest Service.
During World War II he worked on the Manhattan Project.
Mr. Everest was the director of staff personnel at Washington State University from 1947 to 1967.
He and his family moved to Spokane in 1967, and he worked as a real estate agent at the H.A. Everest Realty Co.
He was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Phyllis; a son, Mark Everest of Spokane; a daughter, Paula Bemis of Marysville, Wash.; a brother, Hiram Everest of Bellevue, Wash.; two sisters, Ruth Lewis of Roseburg, Ore., and Helen Douglas of San Rafael, Calif.; and three granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Symphony.
Luvern `Lou’ Goodno Sr. Newport, Wash.
Memorial service for Luvern Warren “Lou” Goodno Sr., 65, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the American Lutheran Church in Newport. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Goodno, who was born in Spring Grove, Minn., died Monday.
He graduated from high school in Iowa and later received a civil engineering certificate from Spokane Community College.
Mr. Goodno served as a civil engineer in the Air Force for more than 20 years, serving during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He retired in the early 1970s.
He married Billie Dickenson in 1986, and they moved to Newport in 1992.
Mr. Goodno was a member of American Lutheran Church in Newport. He was involved in the Boy Scouts for more than 35 years as a volunteer and administrator, and also received the Award of Merit.
Survivors include his wife; five sons, Garry, Mark, David Goodno and Jeff Dickenson, all of Spokane, and Luvern Goodno Jr. of Junction City, Kan.; two daughters, Patricia Forcier of Spokane and Janice Dickenson of Lowell, Mich.; and 10 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Morning Star Boys Ranch or the First Books Program in care of F.C.E., Shirley Drake, 251 Woodard Road, Newport, WA 99156.
Craig Van Velzer Spokane
Service for Craig L. Van Velzer, 46, will be at 11 a.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Ocean View Cemetery in Astoria, Ore.
Mr. Van Velzer, who was born in Fergus Falls, Minn., died Sunday.
He graduated from Astoria (Ore.) High School and the University of Oregon.
Mr. Van Velzer moved to Spokane 11 years ago from the Astoria area, and worked as an accounting manager for GTE in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Van Velzer was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club and the Foundation Ministries.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa; his mother, Donna Van Velzer of Astoria; a brother, Don Van Velzer of California; two sisters, Patti Carlin of Portland and Jana Powell of Pennsylvania.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Guide Dogs for the Blind, 32901 SE Kelso Road, Boring, OR 97009.
Howard Keim Spokane
No service will be held for Howard M. Keim, 90, at his request. Private inurnment will take place at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Keim, who died April 18, was born on a farm south of Spokane.
He worked as an electrician, and as a foreman and supervisor for several electrical contractors in Spokane. He worked on the Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, ammunition storage, dorms, warehouses, a control tower and the hospital at Fairchild Air Force Base. He retired from Power City Electric Co. after 35 years.
He also designed and built two houses and a duplex, and was the owner and manager of two eight-unit apartment houses.
In 1987 Mr. Kiem and his wife, Elda, moved into Rockwood Manor.
He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 73.
His wife of 61 years died in 1995.
Survivors include a niece, Marge Cada of Entiat, Wash.; and a nephew, David Hooper of Seattle.
Mildred Manning Spokane
Memorial service for Mildred M. Manning, 94, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Manning, who was born in Pendleton, Ore., died Thursday.
She moved to Spokane in 1929 from Portland.
Miss Manning worked as a bookkeeper and secretary for 26 years at the Oregon Mortgage Co. in Spokane, which later became Security Intermountain Mortgage Co. She worked for Sherwood and Roberts Mortgage Co. for seven years and retired from Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities Co. of Spokane in 1990 after 23 years.
She was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where she also was a member of the Chancel Choir. She was a 20-year member and past president of the Spokane Business and Professional Women’s Club.
Miss Manning is survived by three nephews, Jim, Jon and Robert Manning, all of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.
Elizabeth `Betty Lou’ Leland Spokane
Memorial service for Elizabeth “Betty Lou” Leland, 79, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Manito Presbyterian Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South are in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Leland died April 12.
She was born in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School in 1939.
She married Lloyd Leland, and they moved to Seattle in 1953 and back to Spokane in 1970.
Mrs. Leland was a homemaker and a member of Manito Presbyterian Church, Sacred Heart Service League, Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, Kappa Sigma Mothers Club at the University of Washington and University Presbyterian Church in Seattle. Survivors include her husband of 58 years; two daughters, Katherine Deysenroth of Spokane and JoAnn Peterson of Seattle; two sons, Richard Leland of Spokane and Robert Leland of Olympia; a brother, William Bertenshaw, and a sister, Beatrice Miller, both of Spokane; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Manito Presbyterian Church.
Emma (Moser) Dobler Spokane
Service for Emma A. (Moser) Dobler, 84, will be at 2 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Riverside Memorial Park.
A 60-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Dobler died Friday. She was born in Eureka, S.D.
She married Reinhold Dobler in 1935 and was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband; six sons, Glen, J.R., Ron and Don Dobler, all of Spokane, Steve Dobler of Greenacres and John Dobler of Deer Park; five daughters, Peggy Brown of Spokane, Patty Schock of Veradale, Lorraine Clark of Nine Mile Falls, Kathy Snow of Elk and Carol Mack of Belgrade, Mont.; 35 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of Spokane.
M.C. `Bud’ Poirier Spokane
Memorial service with honor guard for M.C. “Bud” Poirier, 77, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Poirier died Wednesday.
He graduated from North Central High School.
Mr. Poirier served in the Air National Guard from 1939 to 1946. He re-enlisted in the Air National Guard in 1947 and made crew chief, and retired as colonel after 43 years in the Guard.
He was a member of the Air National Guard Boosters Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Velma; a daughter, Cathy Giannou, two sons, Michael and Mark Poirier, and a sister, Lucille Lutz, all of Spokane; and seven granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Morning Star Boys Ranch or the Spokane Food Bank.
Thomas Oakshott Jr. Spokane
Graveside inurnment for Thomas Irwin Oakshott Jr., 70, will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Highland Cemetery in Colville, Wash. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Oakshott, who was born in Colville, died Friday.
He graduated from Colville High school in 1947, and serving in the Army, returned to Colville and married Patricia Jones Smith.
He began managing the Standard Oil Distributing Plant in Colville in 1968.
He moved to Spokane in 1973 and worked as a merchandise manager for J.C. Penney Co.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Scott Oakshott, and three daughters, Debbie Howard, Natalie Weigle and Heidi Finkler, all of Spokane; a brother, Ward Oakshott of Seattle; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Rita Hynes Spokane
No service will be held for Rita Ann Hynes, 56, at her request. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hynes, who was born in Arkansas, died April 13.
She moved to Spokane with her family when she was an infant.
After graduating in 1997 from Eastern Washington University she worked for the YWCA as a counselor in the battered women’s shelter.
Survivors include her husband, Mike; three children, Jeannie Furhman and Deeann and Briar Hynes, her mother, Beulah Queen, and four brothers, Jim, Phil, Paul and Richard Queen, all of Spokane; a sister, Sharon Queen of Seattle; and a grandson.
Max McKenzie Ephrata, Wash.
Memorial service for Max G. McKenzie, 87, will be at 2 p.m. May 9 at the Ephrata Masonic Lodge. Telford’s Chapel of the Valley in East Wenatchee, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McKenzie, who was born in Stoughton, Saskatchewan, died Saturday.
He grew up in the farming and cattle country of eastern Montana, and in the 1930s worked on the construction of Fork Peck Dam.
Mr. McKenzie became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941.
Prior to World War II he worked as a truck driver in the supply division at the Bremerton Naval Shipyards.
In 1946 he moved his family to Ephrata and became a partner in an automotive parts business.
He returned to the construction industry and worked on the East Low Canal of the Columbia Basin irrigation system near Soap Lake, Wash. He later worked as a mechanic for the Grant County Public Utilities District and retired in 1976.
During his retirement, Mr. McKenzie and his wife, Mary, took part in the Bicentennial Wagon Train back to Washington, D.C.
Mr. McKenzie was a past president of the Ephrata Saddle Club. He also was a member of the Masonic Scottish Rite, Masonic York Rite, Order of Eastern Star, Gentlemen on Horseback and the Grant County Mounted Sheriff’s Posse.
His wife of 52 years died in 1986.
Survivors include two daughters, Madlynn McKenzie Wiltz of East Wenatchee and Mary Conlin of Simi Valley, Calif.; a sister, Jean Exelby of Olympia; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Veronica Lair Bellevue, Wash.
Memorial service for Veronica B. Lair, 95, will be 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Pascal’s Church in Spokane. Inurnment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Flintoft Funeral Home in Issaquah, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Lair, who was born in Yankton, S.D., died April 16.
She moved to Spokane in the 1940s and married Louis Lair in 1946.
Mrs. Lair worked in housekeeping and moved to Bellevue in 1994.
Her husband died in 1956.
Survivors include a son, Adrian Lair of Spokane; six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
George Fairweather Spokane
Memorial service for George L. Fairweather, 84, will be at 11 a.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Fairweather died Saturday.
He served in the military during World War II and the Korean War.
Mr. Fairweather worked as a grocery truck driver for Roundup Grocery and Fred Meyer. He retired in 1978.
His wife of 53 years, Jacomina, died in 1999.
He is survived by a sister, Jean Gould of Anchorage, Alaska.