Obituaries

Otis Whitehead Post Falls

< Service for Otis Charles Whitehead was Tuesday at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial followed at Riverside Memorial Park. Memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Sons of Norway Lodge, 6710 N. Country Homes Blvd.

Mr. Whitehead, 78, died Dec. 19. He was born in Tekoa, Wash., and grew up in Idaho.

During World War II he served in the Army Air Corps.

After the war he returned to St. Maries and worked at a hardware store.

In 1949 he married Florence FrankHaak.

Mr. Whitehead was recalled to the Air Force in 1950 and served during the Korean War. After the war he was assigned to the Pentagon until retiring in 1967.

He later moved to Spokane and worked as an examiner for the state of Washington. He retired in 1982.

Mr. Whitehead was elected as a representative for the American Federation of Labor and Congress Industrial Organizations Union.

He and his family later moved to Deer Park where they were involved with the Settler’s Day Parade for 10 years.

Mr. Whitehead and his wife were selected Deer Park Citizens of the Year in 1982.

They later moved back to Spokane and formed the Hillyard Belles, Trainmen and Show Band. He was the emcee and director of the band that performed as nursing homes, care centers, retirement homes, civic affairs, fraternal organization and various other functions. He also played to saxophone for the Shriners Band.

He served on the boards of Project Joy, the Hillyard Senior Center and the Sons of Norway Booster Club.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Charles Whitehead; a daughter, Diane Lee; and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hillyard Belles, Trainmen and Show Band, 2004 E. Marshall, Spokane, WA 99207.

Dorothy `Betty’ Timmerman Spokane

Vigil service for Dorothy Elizabeth “Betty” Timmerman, 78, will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

A 60-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Timmerman died Saturday. She was born in Tekoa, Wash.

She was a homemaker and a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Fred; three sons, Allen and Larry Lynden, and Tim Timmerman, all of Spokane; three daughters, Sue Funk of Spokane, Ann Smith of Enumclaw, Wash., and Tracey Kane of Pembroke, Mass.; four brothers, Robert, Jerry and Michael Donahoe, all of Spokane, and Daniel Donahoe of Lewiston; a sister, Rose Vill of Spokane; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren Memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas More Catholic School.

Norman Followwill Springdale, Wash.

Service for Norman Arthur Followwill, 84, will be at 2 p.m. today at Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah, Wash. Burial will follow at Springdale Cemetery.

Mr. Followwill, who was born in Worthington, Mo., died Friday.

During World War II he served in the Army and received a Purple Heart.

He moved to Springdale in 1956.

He worked for Kostich Sawmill in Springdale. He also had logged for Boise Cascade Lumber and trapped beaver and mink for the government.

Mr. Followwill was a member of American Legion Post 54 and the Disabled American Veterans.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; two sons, Dave Followwill of Spokane and Chuck Followwill of Springdale; two daughters, Sharon Leliefeld of Deer Park and Paulette Ritter of Choctaw, Okla.; a sister, Oda Beal of Greentop, Mo.; 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Sister Bernadette Botch, SP Spokane

Vigil service for Sister Bernadette Botch, SP, 64, will be at 7 p.m. today at Mount St. Joseph. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Sister Bernadette, who was born in Great Falls, Mont., died Friday.

She graduated from the Academy of Missoula in 1954.

Sister Bernadette entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence in Seattle in 1955. She professed her final vows in 1961.

She received a bachelor’s degree in education from the College of Great Falls in 1962 and a master’s degree in education and administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1973. She received teaching certificates in Washington and Montana.

Sister Bernadette taught at the St. Thomas Home in Great Falls, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Wallace, St. Joseph Academy in Sprague, Wash., St. Rita School in Kellogg, St. Gerard School in Great Falls and Central Catholic School in Walla Walla. She also served as coordinator of adult education for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls.

Since 1987 she had been the secretary for diocesan business affairs for the Diocese of Spokane.

She served on several boards, including, the College of Great Falls, St. Thomas Child and Family Center in Great Falls, Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, St Patrick Hospital in Missoula, St. Joseph Care Center in Spokane, Providence Services and the Sister of Providence Reserve Fund Trust.

Sister Bernadette was past president of the Sister’s Senate of the Diocese of Spokane and the Great Falls Diocesan Education Association. She chaired the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Northwest Convocation of Women Religious and the Sisters of Providence General Chapter in Montreal.

Survivors include her mother, Mary Botch of Spokane; a brother, William Botch of Los Angeles; and two sisters, Margaret Botch of Spokane and Elizabeth Buchanan of Kirkland, Wash.

Erla (Inks) Smith Spokane

Visitation for Erla Adella (Inks) Smith, 85, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Service is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at Fowler United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

Mrs. Smith, who was born in Worley, Idaho, died Thursday.

She graduated from Worley High School, and in 1937 she married Ralph Smith.

A Spokane resident for more than 60 years, she was a homemaker and a member of Fowler United Methodist Church.

Her husband died in 1965.

Survivors include a daughter, Judith McCauley of Spokane; two sons, Robert Smith of Pacific, Wash., and Kenneth Smith of Vienna, Va.; three sisters, Lucile Fister of Kellogg, Mildred Silvia of Auburn, Calif., and Grace Stock of Red Bluff, Calif.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lilac Blind Foundation.

Tanya (Soran) Jones Liberty Lake

Visitation for Tanya Maurie (Soran) Jones, 31, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at the Pines Cemetery.

A seven-year Liberty Lake resident, Mrs. Jones died Dec. 20. She was born in Spokane.

She served in the Air Force from 1989 to 1995 as a medical records clerk.

Mrs. Jones later worked as a medical records clerk for a doctor’s office.

Survivors include a daughter, Jenna Jones of Gig Harbor, Wash.; her parents, Mathew Soran of Medical Lake and Barbara Soran of Cheney; a brother, Sean Soran of Medical Lake; and her grandparents, Oscar and Muriel Liere of Spokane.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Ruth Crownover Deer Park

Service for Ruth Margaret Crownover, 80, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park. Private burial will be held at Spokane Memorial Gardens.

A former Spokane resident, Mrs. Crownover died Saturday. She was born in Albany, N.Y.

Her family moved to Spokane when she was a child. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1936.

Mrs. Crownover worked as the secretary for her husband’s business, the Lilac City Cab Co. She also bred and raised thoroughbred race horses.

She and her husband, Cleo, moved to Deer Park in 1975.

Mrs. Crownover was a member of Happy Home Church, the American Association of Retired Persons and the Friends of the Library.

Her husband died in 1989.

Survivors include three sons, Jim and Roger Crownover, both of Spokane, and William Crownover of Deer Park; a daughter, Donna Burnette of Spokane; two sisters, Martha Jarvis of Spokane and Doris Omohundro of West Port, Ark.; and five grandchildren.

Michaelyn Spaulding Hayden, Idaho

Memorial service for Michaelyn “Micki” M. Spaulding will be at 10:30 a.m. today at Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d’Alene Chapel. Burial will be at St. Thomas Cemetery.

Mrs. Spaulding died Friday. She was 65.

Born in Minneapolis, she grew up in Coeur d’Alene and graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School.

Mrs. Spaulding worked in a flower shop for several years before opening the Lazy Daizy Flower Boutique in the early 1970s. She sold the boutique in 1985 and opened the Colonial Wedding House in 1986.

She married Ray Spaulding in 1983.

Survivors include her husband; a son, Bob Johnston of Poulsbo, Wash.; three daughters, Marcia Bingham of Idaho Falls, Linda Skogen of Coeur d’Alene and Shari Wilhelm of Spokane; a stepson, Bailey Spaulding of Missoula; two brothers, Jim and Pat Mylan of Reno, Nev.; a sister, Joisse Knowles of Coeur d’Alene; and 14 grandchildren.

Marianne (Oertel) Lesine Spokane

Memorial service for Marianne M. (Oertel) Lesine, 69, will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Heritage Funeral Home.

Mrs. Lesine, who was born in Odessa, Wash., died Dec. 20.

She graduated from Davenport (Wash.) High School in 1949 and married Alex Lesine in 1969.

Mrs. Lesine was a longtime Spokane resident and a homemaker.

Her husband preceded her in death.

Survivors include two sons, Thomas and Richard Reinbold; two daughters, Jeannine Tuggle and Terri Reichel; a brother, Vernon Oertel; a sister, Darlene Cook; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation of Washington, 3876 Bridge Way North Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98103.

Bernice Atchley Spokane

Private service for Bernice Edith Atchley, 95, will be held at a later date. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 78-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Atchley died Thursday. She was born in Hensel, N.D.

She was a homemaker and a member of the Order of Eastern Star.

Her husband, Vern, died in 1968.

Survivors include a son, Jack Atchley of Spokane; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Marvin Hamilton Spokane

Service for Marvin V. “Marv” Hamilton, 77, was Saturday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Burial followed at Fairmount Memorial Park.

Mr. Hamilton, who was born in Omak, Wash., died Thursday.

His family lived in the Okanogan Valley, Republic and Grand Coulee, Wash., areas.

He married Julia Dykstra in 1944. They moved to Spokane in 1969.

Mr. Hamilton worked as a foreman during the construction of dams on the Columbia River. He also worked as a truck driver and a policeman. He later received an associate degree in watch making from Spokane Community College in 1972.

Mr. Hamilton owned and operated Hamilton Watch Repair.

Survivors include his wife; four sons, Vernon, Steve and Tedd Hamilton, all of Spokane, and Glen Hamilton of Liberty Lake; three brothers, John Hamilton of Spokane, Arthur Hamilton of Tenino, Wash., and Judd Hamilton of Seattle; a sister, Arlene Lee of Burlington, Wash.; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

George Thomas Spokane

Visitation for George R. Thomas, 82, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Service is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Private burial will be held at the Wayside Cemetery north of Spokane Mr. Thomas, who was born in Buckeye, Wash., died Dec. 20.

His family moved to Spokane when he was a child.

During World War II he served in the Army Air Corps and later worked as a truck driver for a local transportation company.

His wife preceded him in death.

Survivors include two sons, Robert and Dan Thomas, both of Spokane; a daughter, Jayne Mikkelson of Spokane; a sister, Elsie Russell of Medford, Ore.; and six grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans Administration Hospice Unit, in care of Laura Whalen.

Edith (Colistro) Morgan Spokane

Funeral Mass for Edith M. (Colistro) Morgan, 77, was held Saturday at Mary Queen Roman Catholic Church. Burial followed at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Morgan, a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Thursday.

She graduated from Holy Names Academy.

Mrs. Morgan worked at Galena Air Base during World War II.

She was a lifetime member of Mary Queen Catholic Church.

Her husband, James, died in 1993.

Survivors include a son, Tom Morgan of Spokane; a daughter, Gloria Morgan of Spokane; a brother, Robert Colistro of Spokane; and a sister, Joan Johnson of Seattle.

Viola Hann Spokane

Visitation for Viola E. Hann will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be at the Peone Prairie Cemetery.

Mrs. Hann, 89, died Saturday.

She was a lifetime Spokane-area resident and a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Leo; two sons, John and Neil Hann; two sisters, Ellen Lauck and Marjorie Attwood; seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Cancer Patient Care.