Obituaries
Lucy Finley Worley, Idaho
Rosary for Lucy Marie Finley, 88, will be at 7 p.m. today at the DeSmet (Idaho) Community Building. Burial Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in DeSmet. Burial will follow at Coeur d’Alene Tribal Cemetery in DeSmet. Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Worley, Mrs. Finley died Saturday. She grew up in Worley and in 1930 married Louie Nomee. He died in 1942.
She married Patrick Finley in 1943, and they lived in St. Maries where she was a homemaker. Her husband died in 1972.
In 1989 Mrs. Finley moved to Worley. She enjoyed beadwork, tribal dancing, root digging and sewing, and she was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Sacred Heart Mission Catholic Church. She also was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Environment Agency and the tribe’s cultural committee.
Survivors include two sons, Eli Nomee of Worley and John Daniels of Plummer, Idaho; five daughters, Marian Staten, Henrietta Brown and Philomena Nomee, all of Plummer, Idaho, Patricia Harron of Orofino, Idaho, and Clestine White of Alexandria, Va.; two sisters, Marie Williams of Worley and Lillian Flett of Wellpinit, Wash.; five given-children, Viola, Vivian, Lillian, Inez and Chuck Cox; 23 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Robert Whitver Spokane
A memorial gathering will start at noon today at the home of Jay Whitver for Robert R. Whitver, 72. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Whitver, who was born in Colorado, died Thursday. He was a 65-year Spokane resident.
He worked for The SpokesmanReview as a stereotyper from 1961 to 1975 and later owned and operated Audubon Hardware for several years. He bought Bob’s Place and ran it until he retired in 1985.
He was a member of the Scottish Rite bodies.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Doris; six sons, Jay, Scott and Craig Whitver, and David and Donn Castner, all of Spokane, and Bruce Whitver of New Jersey; a brother, Joe of Ephrata, Wash.; two sisters, Jean of Idaho and Lorraine of Texas; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Edwin `Bus’ Andrus LaCrosse, Wash.
Service for Edwin “Bus” Andrus will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the LaCrosse United Methodist Church. Burial will be at the LaCrosse Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Andrus, a lifetime resident of LaCrosse, died Sunday. He was 83.
He graduated from LaCrosse High School in 1936 and married Donna Scott in 1942.
Mr. Andrus was one of the pioneers in the fertilizer and agriculturalchemical business starting in the early 1950s. He later owned and operated the LaCrosse Transfer Inc. for 56 years, retiring in 1993. Since his retirement, he had been actively involved in the family farm.
He served as mayor and a councilman for many years and was a commissioner for the Port of Whitman for 19 years. Mr. Andrus also served on the Whitman County Planning Board.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Cougar Club, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, and the United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Nancy Patterson of Gooding, Idaho; a son, Jeffrey Andrus of LaCrosse; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the LaCrosse United Methodist Church or the Whitman Hospital Foundation.
Marjorie Bray Spokane
Memorial service for Marjorie Francis Bray, 80, was Monday at Liberty Lake Community Church.
Mrs. Bray, who was born in Spokane, died Saturday.
She was a homemaker and spent 20 years traveling with her husband, Ross, while he was in the military. They returned to Spokane 37 years ago after his retirement.
Her husband died in September.
Survivors include two sons, David and Steven Bray; a daughter, Wendy Jacobsen; a sister, Mariane McCrackin; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Horace `Smitty’ Smith Sandpoint
Service for Horace D. “Smitty” Smith, 81, will be today at 1 p.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint.
Mr. Smith, who was born in Salem, S.C., died Thursday.
He was the eldest of four children and grew up on the family farm near Salem. He worked picking cotton and tilling soil until graduating in 1937 from Salem High School.
Mr. Smith then worked for the Etusca Paper Co. in Brevard, N.C. until joining the Army Air Corps as an aircraft crew chief. He served in Normandy, France, Rhineland, and Central Europe during World War II. He was later transferred to the Air Force and was stationed in Yakota, Japan during the Korean War, and was involved in aircraft maintenance. Later he was in charge of debriefing pilots at Fairchild Air Force Base. He retired a master sergeant in 1963.
Mr. Smith earned various citations and decorations, including the Distinguished Unit Badge, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with six bronze stars and the Korean Service Medal.
In 1954 he married Valerie Yergens. They lived in Airway Heights until moving to Sandpoint in 1965.
Mr. Smith worked for the Forest Service as a wilderness ranger after his military career. He also established Smitty’s Excavating in the 1970s.
He retired to pursue golf in the 1980s and was a member of the Sandpoint Eagles Lodge, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans and the Retired Air Force Sergeants Association. His nickname in the Air Force was Hound Dog due to his hobby of hunting with hounds.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Roxanne Rueckert of Sherwood, Ore.; a sister, Hazel Wren of California; and one granddaughter, Katherine.
Tim Coffey Spokane
Memorial service for Tim R. Coffey, 27, will be at 9 a.m. today at Sacred Heart Medical Center Chapel. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Coffey died Sunday from injuries suffered in a snowmobile accident in Spokane.
He was a carpenter and a lifetime resident of Spokane.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah; his parents, Robert and Mary Coffey of Seattle; his grandmother, Dorothy Bozo of Spokane; and a sister, Julie Christman.
Memorial contributions may be made to the intensive care unit at Deaconess Medical Center.
Gary Eckelberry Cheney
Memorial service for Gary M. Eckelberry, 59, will be at 1 p.m. today at Cheney Funeral Home.
Mr. Eckelberry, who was born in Kalispell, Mont., died Saturday.
He graduated from high school in Kalispell and served four years in the Air Force.
Mr. Eckelberry started work in the telecommunications industry in the 1960s and retired from Century Tel Communications in Cheney in 1995. After his retirement he worked as a subcontractor with S&H Engineering.
Survivors include his wife, Roberta; five sons, Jason and Kyle Knudtson, both of Spokane, Jeff James of Puyallup, Wash., and Rory and Shawn Eckelberry, both of Florida; two daughters, Crystal Vincente of Kennewick and Marcie Eckelberry of Kalispell; a brother, Keith Eckelberry of Kalispell; a sister, Marlesse Baines of Texas; and five grandchildren
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sundown M Ranch, P.O. Box 217, Selah, WA 98942 in memory of Gary Eckelberry.
Howard Rudd Greenacres
No service will be held for Howard K. Rudd, 87, at his request. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime resident of Spokane, Mr. Rudd died Wednesday.
He graduated in 1932 from Lewis and Clark High School and worked for Soft Water Services for 26 years.
Mr. Rudd was a member of the Spokane Valley Elks Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Georgine; two sons, Jim Rudd of Spokane and Ken Rudd of Walla Walla; a daughter, Kathy Ocheltree of Colorado Springs; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Joseph Chavez Wallace
Service for Joseph Raymond Chavez, 84, will be today at 11 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Wallace. Burial will be at Shoshone Memorial Gardens in Pinehurst, Idaho. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Chavez, who was born in Del Norte, Colo., died Saturday.
In 1940 he married Rose Atencio.
He served in the Army during World War II.
He and his wife lived in Del Norte until moving to the Silver Valley in 1950. Mr. Chavez worked as a miner and assistant foreman for Hecla Mining at the Star Mine. He retired in 1977.
His wife died in 1974.
He later married Geraldine “Deena” Walker.
He was a member of the Wallace Elks Lodge and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, cooking and gardening.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Ron Chavez of Wallace, Russell Chavez of Kalispell, Mont., Bob Chavez of Silverton, Idaho, and Roger Chavez of Osburn, Idaho; a daughter, Rena Garitone of Kingston, Idaho; a sister, Cecelia Sanchez of California; 17 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the East Shoshone Quick Response Unit, P.O. Box 723, Osburn, ID 83849.
Phil Herrmann Spokane
Visitation for Phil J. Herrmann, 80, will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Herrmann, who was born in Chester, Wash., died Sunday.
He served in the Army during World War II.
Mr. Herrmann moved to Millwood in 1923 and had served in the Civilian Conservation Corps for three years. He later worked for Aslin-Finch Feed Co. for three years as its first truck driver.
Mr. Herrmann also worked for Northern Pacific Railroad for 41 years before retiring in 1981.
He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Edna; four daughters, Lois Strohmeyer, Sharon Brewer, Barbara Becker and Linda Herrmann, a son, John Herrmann, and three brothers, Walt, Ken and Ted Herrmann, all of Spokane; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Alma Knoke Spokane
Visitation for Alma N. Knoke, 95, will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Graveside service is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday at the Sunset Mausoleum in Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Knoke, who was born in Agate, N.D., died Sunday. She was a 58-year Spokane resident.
She graduated from North Dakota Normal School and in 1926 was married to William Knoke.
Mrs. Knoke taught school in a one-room schoolhouse in Eastern Montana before moving to Spokane. In Spokane she worked for the Spokane County Library before retiring in 1974.
She was a member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, where she was also a junior choir director and librarian. She was also a member of Christ Lutheran Church and the Librarians Association.
Her husband died in 1963.
Survivors include three daughters, Gail Barlow of Liberty Lake, Barbara Knoke of LaConner, Wash., and Carol Rosauer of Seattle; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Joel Richards Spokane
Service for Joel H. Richards, 41, will be held at a later date. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Richards, who was born in White Salmon, Wash., died Dec. 11.
He was a server and cook in area restaurants.
Mr. Richards attended Bethany Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Victoria Richards, a son, Tim Richards, and his father, James Richards, all of Spokane; three sisters, Julie Douvia and Jill Richards, both of Spokane, and Janice Huston of West Jordan, Utah; a brother, James Richards of Moscow, Idaho; and one granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or the AIDS Network, 905 S. Monroe, Spokane, WA 99204.
Robert Johnson Juanita Johnson Reardan, Wash.
Reardan, Wash.
Memorial service for Robert L. Johnson, 79, and Juanita M. Johnson, 80, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Zion Lutheran Church in Davenport, Wash. Private family burial preceded the service. Strate Funeral Home in Davenport is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson died Friday as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident on Highway 2. Both were born in Wilbur, Wash.
They both graduated from Davenport High School in 1939 and were married in 1941.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson lived in Bremerton for a time while Mr. Johnson served in the Navy and was an electrician at the naval shipyards.
After World War II they returned to the east side of the state and settled in the Spokane Valley, where they owned and operated a service station and built a new home.
Mr. Johnson later worked for a furnace company, and Mrs. Johnson was a homemaker.
In 1948 they leased the Rifle Ranch near Reardan. The Johnsons remained farmers until retirement and later moved into Reardan.
They were members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Reardan and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.
Mr. Johnson was involved with real estate and was a member of the Reardan Lions Club and the Farm Bureau.
Mrs. Johnson was a 4-H leader and a member of the Mondovi (Wash.) Homemakers Club, the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Dorcas Circle and the Country Samplers Quilt Club and at the time of her death was still making quilts for Lutheran World Relief.
Survivors include a son, Hal Johnson of Mondovi, Wash.; a daughter, Gail Jantz of Reardan; and four grandchildren.
Mrs. Johnson is also survived by a sister, Carol Larmer of Harrington, Wash.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lincoln Hospital Foundation in Davenport or to the Emmanuel Lutheran Child Care Center in Reardan.
Colleen Hoffman Spokane
Memorial Service for Colleen Marie Hoffman, 53, will be at 11 a.m. today at Covenant United Methodist Church. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hoffman, who was born in Seattle, died Friday. She was a 30-year Spokane resident.
She worked at the Bread Basket Restaurant for 10 years and later at the Village Inn Restaurant for 13 years. The last three years she was the manager of the Village Inn in Coeur d’Alene.
Survivors include her husband, Timothy; a son, Anthony Wilson; a daughter, Christine Ramsey; her mother, Sharon Holcomb; two sisters, Karen Holcomb and Carol Royle; two brothers, Bruce and Robert Holcomb; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.