Obituaries
Daniel Murphy Spokane
Service for Daniel R. Murphy, 75, was held Wednesday at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Murphy died Saturday.
A Gonzaga Prep High School graduate, Mr. Murphy served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a pilot and instructor.
In 1949 he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Gonzaga University.
He worked for Kaiser Aluminum and later owned a professional engineering firm.
Mr. Murphy worked as the head of the electrical engineering department at Bovay Engineers and retired from Inland Power and Light as chief engineer.
He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Mr. Murphy was a board member of the Kairos House of Prayer, Providence Associate Member and the Polio Aquatics.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Virginia; six sons, Tom, Chuck and John Murphy, all of Spokane, Patrick Murphy of Leavenworth, Wash., Dan Murphy of Great Falls, Mont., and Paul Murphy of Medford, Ore.; four daughters, Mary Gumaer and Sheila Yamamoto of Spokane, Maureen Ritter of Coeur d’Alene and Kathleen Carey of Port Angeles, Wash.; a sister, Mary Norton of Tacoma; 23 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to The House of Charity or the Morning Star Boys Ranch.
Kathleen Feaster Spokane
Funeral Mass for Kathleen Anne (McKee) Feaster, 64, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the St. Joseph Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mrs. Feaster died Saturday.
She graduated from Marycliff High School in 1954, and in 1959 married Lyle Feaster.
She was a homemaker, and a member of St. Patricks church and The Day Out for the Blind.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Tom Feaster of Spokane and Butch Feaster of Longview, Wash.; a daughter, Rosemarie Feaster of Spokane; three brothers, Robert McKee of Seattle, William McKee of Bothell, Wash., and Pat McKee of Fort Collins, Colo.; a sister, Mary Hammon of Bellevue, Wash.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sacred Heart Kidney Center Development Fund or the Lilac Blind Foundation.
John Monks Spokane
Funeral Mass for John M. Monks, 29, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Dartford Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Corvallis, Ore., Mr. Monks died Sunday from complications of a congential heart defect.
He had been a 23-year Spokane resident.
During his junior year at Gonzaga Prep he participated in the Presidential Classroom in Washington D.C. During his senior year he was a ski instructor at 49 Degree North.
Mr. Monks graduated from Notre Dame University, where he studied biology and electrical engineering.
He was a member of St. Thomas More church.
Survivors include his parents, Jerry and Clara Monks of Spokane; two brothers, Patrick and Paul Monks, both of Seattle; and two sisters, Maureen Albi of Redmond, Wash., and Laura Bruscia of Newport Beach, Calif.
Franklin Seefeldt Spokane
Memorial service for Franklin C. Seefeldt, 59, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Seefeldt, who was born in Chewelah, Wash., died Sunday.
He was a 37-year Spokane resident and served in the Navy during the Korean war.
He drove school buses for the Mead School District and later worked for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for 38 years.
Survivors include his wife of 21 years, Margaret; five children, Rod Seefeldt, Margaret Hickman and Casey Gannon, all of Spokane, Edmond Kappus of Menlo Park, Calif., and Jeanne Hird of Slocan, British Columbia; three sisters, Margaret Rail and Kathleen Wynig, both of Spokane, and Virginia Childress of Everett; his stepmother, Margaret Seefeldt of Spokane; and four grandchildren.
Merle Simons Coulee City, Wash.
Visitation for Merle E. Simons, 70, will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Friday at Strate Funeral Home in Grand Coulee. Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Hartline (Wash.) School Auditorium. Burial will follow in the Sherman Cemetery near Wilbur, Wash.
Mr. Simons, who was born in Creston, Wash., died Sunday.
He graduated from Creston High School in 1948.
Mr. Simons moved to Coulee City in 1959 and worked as a truck driver.
He was a member of the Teamsters Union and the Coulee Hartline Lions Club. He was also a member of the Coulee City Rodeo Association and was the rodeo chairman.
Survivors include his wife of 21 years, Mary Anne; a son, Merle Simons of Republic, Wash.; four daughters, Ardell Adams, Donna Graff, Sandra Jolley and Emily Mae Simons, all of Spokane; three stepsons, Jeff Ward of Spokane, Randy Ward of Coulee City and David Ward of Orem, Utah; two stepdaughters, Marcy Mander-Scheid of Spokane and Wendy Olbricht of Belvedere, Wash.; his former wife, Emily Babb of Spokane; a brother, Don Simons of Chattaroy; two sisters, Merleen Stagner of Texas and Louise Potter of Sherwood, Ore.; 23 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Coulee City Ambulance Defibrillator Fund, Coulee City, WA 99115.
Florence Crockett Spokane
No service will be held for Florence Lucille (Carlson) Crockett, 78. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Crockett, who was born in Harrison, Idaho, died Monday.
She graduated from North Central High School in 1939, and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as an air operations specialist. She received several medals and ribbons.
She worked as a waitress in various restaurants in Northern Idaho.
Mrs. Crockett recently moved back to Spokane from Idaho.
Her husband, Edward, died in 1995.
Survivors include two sons, Larry Crockett of Spokane and Lynn Crockett of Coeur d’Alene; a daughter, Becky Bowen of Coeur d’Alene; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Jo Labes Ritzville, Wash.
Visitation for Jo Labes, 77, will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at Danekas Funeral Chapel in Ritzville. Service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral chapel. Burial will follow at the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery.
A lifetime Ritzville resident, Mrs. Labes died Tuesday.
She graduated from Ritzville High School in 1940, and served in the U.S. Navy as a Wave from 1943 to 1946.
She married Harry Labes in 1947.
Mrs. Labes worked as the chief program clerk for Agricultural Stabilization Services, before retiring in 1975.
She was a member of the C.J. Newland American Legion Post 51.
Her husband died in 1974.
Survivors include a son, Scott Labes of Nine Mile Falls; two sisters, Ruby Telecky and Verna Herring, both of Ritzville; and a grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association.
Elma Paulson Spokane
Service for Elma Paulson, 82, was held Wednesday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial followed at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
A 58-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Paulson died Monday. She was born in Cloquet, Minn.
She worked as a sales clerk in the retail sales industry.
Her husband, Stanley, died in 1984.
Survivors include two daughters, Myrna MacDonald of Spokane and Claudia Dandrea of Billings, Mont.; a sister, Bertha Hongisto of Minnesota; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Evelyn LeGrant Spokane
Service for Evelyn Bulis LeGrant, 93, was held Tuesday in the Mausoleum at the Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. LeGrant, who was born in Medford, Ore., died Jan. 13.
Her family homesteaded in Plummer, Idaho, and moved to the Spokane area in 1918.
Mrs. LeGrant and her husband, Harrison, had a part-time home building business and installed floor coverings.
Her husband of 65 years died in 1992.
Survivors include a daughter, Maxine Pence of Spokane; a sister, Margaret Liebling of Cusick Wash.; two grandsons and four great-grandchildren.
James McElwain Greenacres
No service will be held for James D. “Brick” McElwain, 72. Private burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McElwain, who was born in New Kinsington, Pa., died Saturday.
He served in the Navy from 1945 to 1946.
Mr. McElwain graduated from the School of Journalism at the University of Montana.
He wrote technical manuals and worked for Boeing, the Atlas Missile Program and Clair Pendar in Post Falls. He later owned The Mica Co. for about 18 years and retired in 1994.
Mr. McElwain was a member of the Liberty Lake Men’s Golf Club.
Survivors include his wife, Myrna; three sons, James McElwain of Bradenton, Fla., Larry McElwain of Granite Bay, Calif., and Mike McElwain of San Francisco; three daughters, Sue McKinney of Seattle, Anne Scott of Kelso, Wash., and Mary Ernsperger of Kalispell, Mont.; two stepsons, Mike Darcy of Coeur d’Alene and Rick Darcy of Post Falls; a stepdaughter, Sue Hutter of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Mary Black of Hagerstown, N.D.; nine grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Brian Pollock Spokane
Visitation for Brian James Pollock, 55, will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday in the chapel at Holy Cross Cemetery.
A 45-year Spokane resident, Mr. Pollock died Sunday. He was born in Hot Springs, S.D.
He served in the U.S. Army for 10 years, the Army National Guard for one year and the Army Reserves for 16 years.
Mr. Pollock also worked for the Davenport Hotel for five years, for Spokane School District 81 for 10 years, at Gonzaga University for 10 years, at The Spokesman-Review for three years and at Cascade Mobile Home Park for two months.
Survivors include his wife, Dolores; two sons, Damon Pollock of Greenacres and Heath Pollock of Spokane; a daughter, Amy Pollock of Spokane; a stepson, Mike McCully of Spokane; a stepdaughter, Mary McGuire of Fort Smith, Alaska; his former wife, Laurel Hanson; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Muriel Hanson Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Private visitation was held for Muriel Elizabeth Hanson at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.
Mrs. Hanson, 84, died Jan. 10.
She was born in International Falls, Minn., and moved to Dover, Idaho, in 1925.
Mrs. Hanson graduated from Sandpoint High School, and married Paul Hanson in 1939.
She worked in sales in the clothing industry.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Carl Hanson of West Richland, Wash.; two daughters, Patty Thomson and Sharon Sulzle, both of Spokane; a brother, James Roberg of Sandpoint; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bonner Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1448, Sandpoint, ID 83864-0877.
Mildred Von Behren Coeur d’Alene
Private service for Mildred Elizabeth Von Behren, 88, will be today at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls.
Mrs. Von Behren, who was born in Memphis, Tenn., died Tuesday.
She married William Von Behren in 1941, and they moved to the Los Angeles area in 1944.
She worked as a sales associate at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills and later for Desmonds in Orange, Calif.
In 1983 she retired and moved to Spokane and in 1995 to Coeur d’Alene.
Her husband died in 1963.
Survivors include a son, Bill Von Behren of Rathdrum, Idaho; and two grandchildren.
Ervin Knoles Spokane
Service for Ervin L. Knoles, 88, will be at 11 a.m. today at the Franklin Park Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2112 W. Francis. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Knoles, who was born in Vancouver, Wash., died Jan. 14.
His family moved to Idaho, where he graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1932.
He served in the Air National Guard with the 116th Fighter Squadron and later served in the Air Force during the Korean War.
A 55-year Spokane resident, Mr. Knoles worked as an aircraft mechanic at Geiger Field and later at Fairchild Air Force Base as a civilian.
Mr. Knoles was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Pearl; a daughter, Carol Nichols of Bonners Ferry; two brothers, Allen Knoles of Spokane and Don Knoles of Brookins, Ore.; a sister, Rowena Mooney of Seattle; four grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Josie Stephenson Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Josie Lavine Stephenson, 97, will be at 2 p.m. today at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Newport, Wash. Burial was Wednesday at the Moscow (Idaho) Cemetery. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Nez Perce, Idaho, Mrs. Stephenson died Saturday.
She married W. Don Stephenson in 1923.
Mrs. Stephenson lived in Newport for 12 years before moving to Boise, where she lived for three years. She moved to Coeur d’Alene one year ago.
Mrs. Stephenson was a homemaker and a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Newport and Boise.
Her husband died in 1983.
Survivors include two daughters, Margaret Tull and Donna Edwards, both of Coeur d’Alene; a son, Albert Stephenson of Oldtown, Idaho; three sisters, Blanche McElreth and Hazel Stevens, both of Lewiston, and Margaret Dammerel of Boise; nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Ieleen Gifford Phoenix
Service for Ieleen Gifford, 81, was Wednesday at Cloverdale Funeral Home in Boise.
Mrs. Gifford, a former Spokane resident, died Jan. 13. She was born in Baxter Springs, Kan.
She grew up in Joplin, Mo., and moved to Oregon in 1954, where she married Henry Eddy “Ed” Gifford.
The couple settled in the Boise area, where she was a homemaker and mother.
Her husband died in 1987 and she moved to Spokane in 1989 to be closer to family. She recently moved to Phoenix.
Survivors include a son, Richard Metsker; a daughter, Gayla Dee White; three stepchildren, Darwin Gifford, Cecil Gifford and Thelma Deitrick; one grandson and several stepgrandchildren.
Edna `Peggy’ LaRoe Coeur d’Alene
Service for Edna M. “Peggy” LaRoe, 94, will be held today at 11 a.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. LaRoe, who was born in Davenport, Iowa, died Tuesday.
She lived in California and was a homemaker. She moved to Spokane in the early 1990s and moved to Coeur d’Alene two years ago.
Mrs. LaRoe was a member of the Science of Mind Center of Light Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews, including Violet Hopkins of Coeur d’Alene and Cecil Randall of Spokane.