Obituaries
Albert Parent Spokane
Visitation for Albert J. Parent, 83, will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.
Rosary is planned for 7 p.m. today at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Otis Orchards. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church. Burial will follow at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.
A 54-year Spokane resident, Mr. Parent died Thursday. He was born in Webster, Mont.
He worked as a mill operator at Kaiser Aluminum Trentwood for 28 years and retired in 1979. He later owned and operated Al’s Hobbies.
Mr. Parent was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
His wife of 58 years, Katherine, died in 1999.
Survivors include two sons, Roger Parent of Newman Lake and Thomas Parent of Camarillo, Calif.; two daughters, Loretta Kracher of Spokane and Evette Franklin of Jacksonville, Fla.; two brothers, George Parent of Post Falls and James Parent of Benton City, Wash.; six sisters, Annette and Jeanette Parent and Rosemary Hughes, all of Spokane, and Aurore Baker, Alice Wiseman and Beatrice Siring, all of Baker, Mont.; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Norma Dahlen Spokane
No service will be held for Norma M. Dahlen, 61, at her request. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Strandquist, Minn., Mrs. Dahlen died April 21.
She was a homemaker and a 55-year Spokane resident.
Survivors include her husband, Edward; four children, Edward Dahlen Jr. of Portland, Marcelle Dahlen of Denver, and William Dahlen and Rebecca Hann, both of Spokane; four sisters, Betty Anderson of Bellingham, Harriet Brooks of Yuma, Ariz., Mary Lou Pirtle of Wenatchee and Patty Buck of Des Moines, Iowa; three brothers, James Pirtle of Spokane, Clarence Pirtle of Liberty Lake and Harold Pirtle of Seattle; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Millie Stephens Spokane
Memorial service for Millie F. Stephens, 97, will be at 11 a.m. today at Westgate Christian Church. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Stephens, a 17-year Spokane resident, died April 23. She was born in Fruitland, Wash.
She worked in the packaging department in the fruit industry, and was a member of the Westgate Christian Church.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Mrs. Stephens is survived by a sister, Ellen Gardner of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Westgate Christian Church.
George Hoeck Apache Junction, Ariz.
Memorial service for George C. “Bud” Hoeck, 72, will be at 2 p.m. May 28 at First Lutheran Church in Beach, N.D. Tuell-McKee Funeral Home in Tacoma is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hoeck, who was born in Beach, died April 22 while visiting in Gig Harbor, Wash.
He served in the Army for two years during the 1950s.
In 1951 he married Wanda Finkle, and they moved to Spokane.
Mr. Hoeck worked as a superintendent and builder in the construction industry.
He moved to Apache Junction in 1987.
Survivors include his wife; seven sons, Dan and Dean Hoeck, both of Spokane, Darrel Hoeck of Sumner, Wash., David Hoeck of Kent, Wash., Dwight Hoeck of Kingston, Idaho, Donald Hoeck of Branson, Mo., and Dennis Woodbridge, Va.; a daughter, Dawn Davis of Gig Harbor; two brothers, Bill Hoeck of Packwood, Wash., and Bob Hoeck of Sumner; six sisters, Colli Gibbon of Packwood, Rita Prior of Tacoma, Hazel Pilot of Watford City, N.D., Pat Hardy of Beach, Judy Hall of Larned, Kan., and Dorothy Goodall of New Town, N.D.; and 15 grandchildren.
Austin Walser Cheney
No service will be held for Austin H. Walser, 78. Cheney Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Walser, who was born in Detroit, died last Monday.
He was a 65-year resident of Spokane County.
Mr. Walser served in the Navy during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theater and received the Purple Heart.
In 1948 he married Vivian Black.
He worked for Kaiser Aluminum for 30 years and retired in 1972.
Mr. Walser was a member and past president of the Washington State Horsemans Association. He also was a member of the Elks Lodge.
His wife died in 1992.
Survivors include a son, Tyrone Walser of Spokane; a daughter, Pamela Spearman of Trenton, Fla.; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Donald Hart Spokane
No service will be held for Donald J. “Don” Hart, 72, at his request. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Hart died Wednesday.
He worked as an engineer for 45 years for the Northern Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads.
Mr. Hart was a member of the Concordia Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite Bodies, Transportation Communications International Union and the Royal Neighbors of America.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy; and a sister, Jane Hyko of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Nellie Coleman Davenport, Wash.
Service for Nellie Coleman, 88, will be at 11 a.m. today at Zion Lutheran Church in Davenport. Burial will follow at Mount View Cemetery in Davenport. Strate Funeral Home in Davenport is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Coleman, who was born in Kansas, died Wednesday.
She was an 85-year resident of the Davenport area.
Mrs. Coleman was a homemaker and a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Davenport.
Her husband, Lyle, died in 1993.
Survivors include a son, Ray Coleman of Davenport; a daughter, Collene Fite of Floris, Iowa; three brothers, Carl Thiringer of Spokane, Henry Thiringer of Forest Grove, Ore., and Edwin Thiringer of Portland; two sisters, Della Stewart of Spokane and Freida Graham of Davenport; seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association or the Zion Lutheran Church, Davenport, WA 99122.
Earl Rohwer Vancouver, Wash.
Memorial service for Earl Rohwer, 80, was held Tuesday at the Unity Church in Vancouver. Wilhem Funeral Home in Portland was in charge of arrangements Born in Spokane, Mr. Rohwer died April 21.
He graduated from Spangle High School and Washington State University.
Mr. Rohwer had worked as a farmer in Spangle and as a banker for Old National Bank.
He moved to Vancouver in 1974 and worked as a program manager for the Vancouver Housing Authority.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Vi; three sons, Mark Rohwer of Cheney, and Randy and Rex Rohwer, both of Seattle; a daughter, Mary Rohwer of Sacramento, Calif.; a brother, Scott Rohwer of Spokane; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Oliver Heffner Spokane
Graveside service for Oliver C. Heffner, 87, was held Saturday at Riverside Memorial Park. Heritage Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Heffner, who was born in Wilbur, Wash., died Wednesday.
He graduated from Colfax High School in 1929.
Mr. Heffner served as a staff sergeant in the Army Air Corp in England during World War II.
In 1946 he married Francis and they moved to Spokane in 1947.
He worked as a foreman for Bell Furniture.
Mr Heffner was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church.
His wife preceded him in death.
Survivors include a niece, Marilyn Raugust of Madrid, Spain; and a nephew, Richard Raugust of Fairbanks, Alaska.