Obituaries
Patricia O’Neill Coeur d’Alene
Vigil service for Patricia Anne O’Neill, 68, will be Sunday at 7 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene. Funeral Mass will be Monday at 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will be at St. Thomas Cemetery.
Mrs. O’Neill, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, died Thursday.
She moved to the United States in 1951.
She owned the Desert Beauty Salon in Coeur d’Alene from 1954 to 1957. She married Donald O’Neill in 1957.
Mrs. O’Neill later graduated from North Idaho College as a registered nurse in 1978 and then worked for Coeur d’Alene area physicians Dr. E.R.W. Fox, Dr. Bell and Dr. Melchior until 1999.
She was a member of St. Thomas Catholic Church and served on its parish council. She was a gourmet cook.
Mrs. O’Neill was preceded in death by her husband in 1986.
Survivors include three sons, Michael O’Neill of St. Joe City, Idaho, and David and James O’Neill, both of Coeur d’Alene; a daughter, Dianne O’Neill of Post Falls; and eight grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815, or Holy Family Catholic School, 406 N. 10th St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Joseph Spuler Cheney
Service for Joseph H. Spuler, 99, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church in Cheney. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Cheney Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Spuler, who was born in Genesee, Idaho, died Thursday.
He married Alice Harbour in 1932.
Mr. Spuler was a farmer in the Lamont area until his retirement in 1960.
He was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Amber Grange and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.
His wife died in 1989.
Survivors include a daughter, Joyce Best of Coeur d’Alene; three grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, or to the Cheney Care Center, 2219 N. Sixth St., Cheney, WA 99004.
Lillian Fredstrom Sandpoint
Visitation for Lillian Y. Fredstrom, 73, will be Sunday from 3-5 p.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint. Service will be Monday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be Tuesday at 1 p.m., Mountain Daylight Saving Time, at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda, Mont.
Mrs. Fredstrom, who was born in Anaconda, died Tuesday.
She graduated from high school in Anaconda and in 1947 graduated from the Sisters of Charity School of Nursing in Butte, Mont.
Mrs. Fredstrom had managed the respiratory unit at a veterans hospital in Livermore, Calif., and also worked at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute in Anchorage. She later worked as a registered nurse at the Warm Springs State Hospital in Warm Springs, Mont.
She married Malcolm Fredstrom in 1983. She retired that year.
In 1990 she moved to Sandpoint. She was a member of Faith Evangelical Free Church in Sandpoint.
She enjoyed outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing.
Survivors include her husband; three children, Jeff Johnson of Anaconda, Barbara Pierce or Maupin, Ore., and Aimee Kniaziowski of Unalaska, Alaska; a sister, Lucille Scharf of Deer Lodge, Mont.; and five grandchildren.
Albert Valenti Mullan, Idaho
Memorial service for Albert Guido “Al” Valenti, 77, will be held today at 10 a.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Mullan. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Valenti, who was born in Hurley, Wis., died Wednesday.
He served with the Navy during World War II and then married Eileen Hautala in 1947. They lived in Michigan until settling in the Silver Valley in 1962.
Mr. Valenti served with the Civilian Conservation Corps. He then worked as a miner at ASARCO and also was a welder and blacksmith at the Morning Shop. He retired in 1975.
He was a member of the Wallace Elks, serving as an officer and organist. He also was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
A self-taught musician, he performed at church services, Sunday school, weddings and various other functions.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Daryl Valenti of Coeur d’Alene; two daughters, Ronni Valenti of San Francisco and Julie Valenti Lurie of Portland; a sister, Jean Woitkielewicz of Miles City, Mont.; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Mullan or the Mullan Ambulance Fund.
Lawrence Peterson Almira, Wash.
Memorial service for Lawrence E. Peterson, 81, will be today at noon at the Almira (Wash.) Community Center. Strate Funeral home in Wilbur, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Peterson, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
He graduated from Almira High School in 1936. He attended the University of Washington for two years then joined the Army John Deere Battalion in 1942.
Mr. Peterson married Betty Morrison in 1945.
He was elected to the board of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in 1977 and served for 10 years. He also was director of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative for 12 years. He served on the Lincoln Electric Cooperative board of directors from 1966 until 1995, when the cooperative merged with Inland Power and Light.
In 1995 he received the Northwest Public Power Association’s Alderman Award, and in 1996 he received the association’s life member award.
He was the director of the Washington Association of Farm Cooperatives and a 62-year member of Highland Grange 808. He was a past master of Almira Masonic Lodge, past president of the Almira Parent Teacher Organization, past president and charter member of Almira Lions Club, former Lincoln County Republican committeeman, past president and director of the Federal Land Bank Association of Spokane, director of Spokane District Farm Credit Council and board member and president of the Almira Farmers Warehouse Co.
Mr. Peterson also was head of the building committee for the Almira Lutheran Church.
His wife died in 1996.
Survivors include two daughters, Carol Peterson of Spokane and Christine Peterson of Reno, Nev.; a sister, Frances Walker; and a brother, Norman Peterson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Gospel Mission.
Hazel Veltry Spokane
Service for Hazel O. Veltry, 86, will be at 11 a.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Veltry, who was born in Hardington, Neb., died Wednesday. She was a 55-year Spokane resident.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Veltry was a member of Trinity Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Jess; a son, Gary Veltry of Spokane; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church.
Nyla (Tansey) Korth Coeur d’Alene
Private service for Nyla (Tansey) Korth, 87, will be held. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Korth, who was born in Oakland, Calif., died May 11.
She graduated from Torrance High School in California and then owned her own beauty salon for many years before to moving to Lake Stevens, Wash., in 1974.
Mrs. Korth operated a beauty salon out of her home in Lake Stevens. She moved to Post Falls in 1993, then moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1996.
She was a member of New Life Community Church and was a crafts artist.
Her first husband, Richard Darling, died in 1989.
Survivors include a son, Monte Darling of Post Falls; four grandchildren, Jack, Deanna, Robert and Scott; and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 W. Prairie, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.
Walter Melcher Spokane
Private graveside service for Walter S. Melcher, 81, will be held today at Fairmount Memorial Park. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Melcher, who was born in Colville, Wash., died Monday. He was a 60-year Spokane resident.
He graduated from Colville High School in 1937.
Mr. Melcher was the founder and owner of Home Builders Service Co., which he ran from 1949 until he retired in 1978. His son continued the business which is now called Security Window Corp.
He was a ski instructor at Mount Spokane during the 1960s and ‘70s. He owned and operated a commercial fishing boat out of Ilwaco, Wash. He also was a pilot and owned many planes throughout his working career.
Mr. Melcher was a lifetime member of the Spokane Gun Club and the Elks Lodge.
Survivors include two sons, Randall Melcher of Spokane and Raymond Melcher of Seattle; a brother, Lloyd Melcher of Spokane; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Alois (Cook) Dinsmore Spokane
Memorial service for Alois (Cook) Dinsmore, 86, will be today at 10 a.m. at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mrs. Dinsmore, who was born in Jefferson City, Mo., died Wednesday.
She moved to Colville, Wash., with her family in 1915. She was a graduate of Colville High School.
In 1929 she moved to Spokane and worked as a hairdresser for 42 years.
She married Chester Dinsmore in 1941.
Mrs. Dinsmore was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and the Ladies of the Oriental Shrine.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Gary Dinsmore of Scappoose, Ore.; two daughters, Holly Morgan of Newman Lake and Cher Ultican of Scappoose; a brother, four sisters, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children.
Tom Kennedy Colville, Wash.
Memorial service for Tom L. Kennedy, 39, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Columbia Heights Church in Hunters, Wash. Danekas Funeral Home in Colville is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kennedy, who was born in Deer Park, died May 15.
He owned and operated Kennedy Logging in Kettle Falls, Wash., and most recently had been operating Pro Auto Detailing.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanna; five daughters, Lory, Vanessa, Tiya, Amber and Kodi, all at home; his parents, Gene and Marlene Kennedy of Fruitland, Wash.; a sister, Terri Brigman, and three brothers, Todd, Troy and Tim Kennedy, all of Fruitland; and grandparents Maynard and Sheila Rodenbough of Cedonia, Wash.
Dorothy Swears Seattle
Memorial service for Dorothy C. Swears, 89, will be today at 4 p.m.on the Kootenai cruise boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Boarding begins at 3:30 p.m. Bonney Watson Funeral Home in Seattle is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Swears, who was born in Frazee, Minn., died May 6.
She moved to the Spokane area with her family in 1923. She lived in Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Grangeville, Idaho, and Spokane.
Mrs. Swears graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1930 and married William Swears in 1935.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Swears moved to Seattle in 1995.
Her husband died in 1977.
Survivors include a son, Monte Swears of Seattle; three daughters, Darlene Dawson of Spokane, Jean Trowbridge of Beaumont, Texas, and Carol Monaghan of Chevy Chase, Md.; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer Association.
Edwin Albright Loon Lake, Wash.
Graveside service for Edwin Benjamin Albright, 87, will be at 2 p.m. today at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Albright, who was born in Los Angeles, died Tuesday.
He was a typesetter in Spokane.
Mr. Albright is survived by two sons, Edwin Albright Jr. of Spokane and Don Albright of West Los Angeles.
Betty Totten Spokane
Visitation for Betty J. Totten, 72, will be from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Graveside service is planned for 11 a.m. Monday in the Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Totten, who was born in Spokane, died Thursday. She was a 45-year Spokane resident.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Totten was a member of the Daughters of the Nile and Spokane Moose Lodge 161.
Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Harold; and two sisters, Pam DeLapp of Loomis, Calif., and Marie Sevier of Citrus Heights, Calif.
Brandon Washburn Colville, Wash.
Service for Brandon M. Washburn, 17, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Colville High School. Burial will follow at the Mountain View Park Cemetery in Colville. Danekas Funeral Home in Colville is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Washburn, who was born in Colville, died Monday from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
He was a student at Colville High School and had been working at Colville Fitness.
Survivors include his mother, Kimberly Washburn, his father, Keith Washburn, a brother, Troy Washburn, and grandparents, Gary and Sharon Jutila, Charlene and Gordon Tharaldson and Bob Washburn, all of Colville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Brandon Washburn Memorial Fund in care of the Colville Washington Mutual Bank.