Obituaries

Alice Sorby Hayden, Idaho

Service for Alice E. Sorby, 72, will be held today at 11 a.m. at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel. Burial will follow at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens.

Ms. Sorby, who was born in Battineau, N.D., died Thursday.

She grew up in North Dakota before moving to California in 1935. She lived most of her life in Santa Fe Springs and Los Angeles.

Ms. Sorby moved to Leisure Park in Hayden in 1991. She was a member of the Grandmother’s Club and attended Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater.

She also made and collected dolls, and was a quilter and crafts artist.

Survivors include her daughter, Charlotte Asher of Rathdrum, Idaho; and three grandchildren.

George Bichov Kellogg

Memorial service for George Bichov, 82, will be held today at 1 p.m. at American Lutheran Church in Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Bichov, who was born in Miles City, Mont., died Sunday.

He served with the Army 40th Division during World War II. He lived in Hamilton, Mont., and moved to the Silver Valley in 1947.

Mr. Bichov married Signe Evenson in 1952 and worked as a carpenter at the Bunker Hill Co. for 25 years before retiring in 1974.

He was a member of the Bunker Hill 20-year Club and was active in hunting, fishing and fly-tying.

Survivors include his wife of 47 years; a daughter, Kathleen Bichov of Bridgeport, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Ruth Ann Wozow of Elko, Nev.; a sister, Mary Hazen of Centralia, Wash.; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildre.

Jean Broadsword Sandpoint

Memorial service for Jean Nickerson Broadsword, 62, will be today at 1 p.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint.

Mrs. Broadsword, who was born in Sandpoint, died Saturday.

She grew up on the family farm and graduated from Sandpoint High School. She married and left the area. Mrs. Broadsword became a noted sculptor, artist and writer, and had her work featured in publications such as Better Homes and Gardens and Country Woman. She later returned to Sandpoint and continued working as an artist using natural materials.

Survivors include her husband, Gene; a sister, Alice; and two grandsons.

Johnnie Berreth Sanders, Idaho

Graveside service for Johnnie W. Berreth, 83, was held June 5 at the Freeze Cemetery north of Potlatch, Idaho. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at Camp Sanders Dining Hall in Sanders. Kramer Funeral Home in Tekoa, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Berreth, who was born in Nashua, Mont., died June 3.

He attended schools in Montana and moved to Sanders in 1936.

Mr. Berreth married Irene Wynne in 1941, and they purchased a farm near Sanders, where they raised livestock.

He worked part time for the Forest Service helping to control predators of the local livestock for many years. He also worked for Benewah County plowing snow during the early 1950s.

Mr. Berreth served on the Sanders and Plummer (Idaho) school boards for 18 years.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Wayne Berreth of Sanders; a daughter, Louella Bennett of Osborne, Idaho; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of Palouse, 700 S. Main, Moscow, Idaho, or to the Tensed Ambulance Fund at Tensed, Idaho.

David Miller III Kellogg

Service for David Merle Miller III, 19, will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at United Church of Kellogg. Burial will be at Shoshone Memorial Gardens in Pinehurst, Idaho. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Miller, who was born in Coeur d’Alene, died Sunday from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident on Forest Service Road 413 on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.

He grew up in the Silver Valley and recently attended high school there.

Mr. Miller participated in snowboarding and motorcycle activities.

Survivors include his parents, David and Dee Miller, and a brother, Daniel Miller, all of Kellogg; his grandparents, Judy Wilson and Clinton Sharp, of Kellogg, and David and Lorene Miller of Pinehurst; and great-grandparents, Clora Lockwood of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Gilbert Sharp of Kellogg.

Henry Samuels Sandpoint

Graveside service for Henry F. Samuels, 90, will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Samuels, who was born in Wallace, died Monday.

He built B-17 airplanes for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle during World War II. He settled in the Sandpoint area and operated a ranch on the Pack River.

A longtime Bonner County resident, Mr. Samuels served two terms as a county commissioner, and worked toward controlling tax rates and improving county infrastructure.

Mr. Samuels also helped improve the community of Hope, Idaho, and maintained the Highland House there. He established a trust fund to cover college education expenses for his nieces and nephews.

Survivors include two nieces, Joy Gray of Corvallis, Mont., and Judy Oberbillig of Castle Rock, Colo.; two nephews, Allan Samuels of Phoenix and Barry Samuels of Vashon, Wash.; and one grandniece.

Oliver Luoma Pinehurst, Idaho

Memorial service for Oliver Ralph “Ollie” Luoma, 76, will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Kellogg Funeral Chapel. Inurnment will be at Hunt Cemetery in Kingston, Idaho.

Mr. Luoma, who was born in Dudley, Idaho, near Rose Lake, died Monday.

He grew up in the Silver Valley and served with the Army during World War II. He returned to the area, where he worked as a logger for various area logging companies.

Survivors include a son, Gary Luoma of Kingston; a stepdaughter, Pam Hendon of Pinehurst; and two grandsons, Brian and Bret.

Eileen (Hannum) Palmer Spokane

Vigil service for Eileen Elizabeth (Hannum) Palmer, 81, will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is planned for Thursday at the church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Palmer, who was born in Aberdeen, Wash., died Sunday.

She graduated from North Central High School, and in 1939 married Francis Chester Palmer.

Mrs. Palmer was a homemaker.

Her husband died in 1985.

Survivors include three daughters, Judy Palmer, Mary Anne McCabe and Peggy Henson, all of Spokane; five sons, Joe, Steve, Richard and Mike Palmer, all of Spokane, and Ken Palmer of Des Moines, Wash.; a sister, Ethel Scott of Spokane; 18 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Humane Society.

Janet Rogers Hayden, Idaho

Service for Janet Rogers, 78, will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the St. Maries Four Square Gospel Church. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Maries. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Rogers, who was born in Arkansas, died Friday.

She married Mackie Rogers in 1936, and they moved to Idaho in 1938. They settled in St. Maries in 1940.

Mrs. Rogers worked as a lab technician at Benewah County Hospital from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, and traveled with her husband after their retirement.

She was a former member of the St. Maries Jayceettes and the Civil Air Patrol. She also was a member of St. Maries Four Square Gospel Church.

Survivors include her husband; two sons, Jim Rogers of Spokane and Tony Rogers of St. Maries; a brother, Bob Lynch of Greenacres; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to BetterCare, c/o Benewah Community Hospital, 229 South Seventh St., St. Maries, ID 83861.

Karen Rickey Spokane

Private memorial service for Karen E. Rickey, 57, will be held. Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Rickey, a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Sunday.

She worked as a dental technician for Anderson Dental Lab for 20 years, and was a former member of the Eagles Lodge.

Survivors include her companion Joe Brown; two sons, Shane and Marc Rickey, both of Spokane; a daughter, Heather Torre of Spokane; her father and stepmother, Delbert and Wilma Forney of Spokane; and a sister, Jeri Wilson of Spokane.

Ervin Shrofe Spokane

Visitation for Ervin J. Shrofe, 83, will be from 10 to 11 a.m. today at the Valley Open Bible Church. Service will follow at 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at Saltese Cemetery in Greenacres. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Shrofe, who was born in Ladysmith, Wis., died Friday.

He moved to Spokane in 1936 and married Anne Hill in 1937.

Mr. Shrofe worked in Bremerton in the shipyards during World War II and later worked for Appleway Motors. He also owned and operated an auto repair garage in Chester, Idaho.

He worked at Early Dawn Dairy as a mechanic before becoming a machinist for the Kaiser Aluminum Trentwood Plant. He retired in 1973 after 28 years.

Mr. Shrofe was a member of the National Rifle Association.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Barbi MacDonald of Veradale and Dixie Lee Plunkett of Clayton, Wash.; a sister, Alto Buscher of Tomahawk, Wis.; seven grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Dorothy (Hudspeth) Knechtel Spokane

Funeral Mass for Dorothy M. (Hudspeth) Knechtel, 77, will be at 10 a.m. today at Mary Queen Roman Catholic Church. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Trentwood. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Knechtel, who was born in Spokane, died Saturday.

She was raised in Fruitland, Wash., and Montana, graduating from Charlo (Mont.) High school in 1939. In 1940 she graduated from Northwestern Business College in Spokane with a degree in secretarial science and accounting.

Mrs. Knechtel worked for the Civil Service, the Air Force at Boeing Aircraft in Seattle, and as an administrative assistant and secretary to the dean of faculties at Gonzaga University.

She was also a homemaker and worked for the Spokane County Medical Library and the Catholic Diocese of Spokane.

Mrs. Knechtel was a community volunteer for various local school boards, political campaigns, charitable organizations and community development projects, including work with the West Valley and Spokane SCOPE programs, Community Colleges of Spokane board of trustees and foundation board, Displaced Homemakers advisory board, Spokane County Library board of trustees, and the Precinct Committee Women, 4th Legislature and 5th Congressional Districts.

She was a member of St. Paschal’s School Association and Parish Council, Orchard Avenue Community Club and Irrigation District, East Spokane Homemakers Club, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s Children’s Home Auxiliaries, Spokane Valley Toastmistress Club and the Spokane Dental Society Auxiliary.

Her husband of 53 years, F.L. Knechtel, died in 1997.

Survivors include four daughters, Charlotte Knechtel and Patricia Lyons, both of Spokane, Martha Dickinson of Portland and Amy Kirkwood of Colorado Springs; two sons, Paul and David Knechtel, both of Spokane; two sisters, Margaret Taylor and Elizabeth Coleman; a brother, Joe Hudspeth; 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.