Obituaries

John Larson Spokane

Memorial service for John Donald Larson, 74, will be at 2 p.m. today at Garland Avenue Alliance Church.

A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Larson died Tuesday.

He served in the Marine Corps during World War II.

Mr. Larson worked as an electrician for Kaiser Aluminum at the Mead plant for 35 years.

Survivors include his wife, Margerie; two sons, Donald Larson of Spokane and James Larson of Whidbey Island, Wash.; two daughters, Susan Rainey and Leanne Harvey, both of Spokane; a stepson, Gardner Elmore of Spokane; two stepdaughters, Russanne Mishler of Post Falls and Colleen Stewart of North Carolina; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gilbert Brooks Spokane

Graveside service for Gilbert L. Brooks, 83, will be at 11 a.m. today at Riverside Memorial Park. Memorial service will follow at 2:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 55-year Spokane resident, Mr. Brooks died Nov. 10. He was born in Red Oak, Iowa.

He graduated from Grandview (Wash.) High School in 1936 and from Cheney Normal School in 1942.

From 1942 to 1945 he served in the Naval Carpenters Battalion.

Mr. Brooks later received a master’s degree from Eastern Washington State College. He was a teacher in the Spokane School District from 1945 to 1976. He later owned and operated Brooks Construction from 1976 to 1997.

Mr. Brooks was a member of the Washington and Spokane education associations and the Carpenter’s Union.

He was one of the founders of the Spokane Teachers Credit Union.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Gladys; two sons, Richard and Robert Brooks, both of Seattle; two daughters, Barbara Schroeder and Mary Brooks, both of Spokane; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Phyllis Ellersick Spokane

Service for Phyllis Marian Ellersick, 94, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Private burial will be at Grandview Cemetery in Bonners Ferry.

Born in Bonners Ferry, Mrs. Ellersick died Thursday.

She graduated from Bonners Ferry High School and from Lewiston Normal School. She began teaching in Paradise Valley and Moravia near Bonners Ferry.

Mrs. Ellersick later taught at Bonners Ferry Elementary School for four years. She married Walter Ellersick in 1933. She then taught at Sheridan School in Boundary County during World War II and later helped her husband run several area sawmills.

They later moved to Rockwood at Hawthorne in Spokane. Her husband died in 1983.

Survivors include two brothers, Warren Bauman of Bonners Ferry, and Bud Bauman of Nampa, Idaho; and a sister, Grace Bauman of Bonners Ferry.

Douglas Sheffler Bonners Ferry

Service for Douglas Arthur Sheffler, 73, will be at 2 p.m. (MST) today at the Church of God in Troy, Mont. Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Spirit Lake, Idaho, Mr. Sheffler died Wednesday.

He grew up and attended schools in Troy and Spokane. He later served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He was granted a medical discharge.

He married Juanita Randolph in 1945. They later divorced. He married Kathy in 1978.

Mr. Sheffler moved to the Bonners Ferry area and worked as a packer for a sheepherder in the Purcell Mountains in Boundary County, and worked for the Forest Service. He also was a logger and owned a sawmill.

He began playing the guitar at the age of 12 and continued playing throughout his life. He played at local dances and eventually built The Little Opry Hall in the Rocky Creek area near Bonners Ferry. Mr. Sheffler and his wife took their music on the road and performed tours in Europe from 1979 to 1984.

Survivors include his wife; four children, Mary Jo Moore of Sagle, Idaho, Michael Sheffler of Athol, Idaho, Rosanna Zirkle of Mississippi, and Lena Vahan of California; his stepmother, Dorothy Westover; four half-brothers; three half-sisters; 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Peter Higgins Spokane

Visitation for Peter Patrick Higgins, 87, will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Vigil service will follow at 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Funeral Mass is planned for 11 a.m. Monday at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church.

A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Higgins died Monday.

He graduated from Gonzaga High School and in 1937 Gonzaga University. Mr. Higgins played football in high school and college. He played quarterback for GU and earned AllWest Coast honorable mention during his senior year. He also was captain of the boxing team during his senior year. He played football for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League for one year in 1937.

Mr. Higgins later worked as a sales manager for Continental Baking Co. for 18 years, including 12 years in Wallace. He later worked as a sales manager in the beer distributing business in Spokane for 23 years. He retired in the late 1970s from B&B Distributing. He also worked for Ray Flaherty and Joey August.

He was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church for 76 years. He also was a member of the Elks, Eagles and Moose lodges. He was named “Irishman of the Year” in 1990.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth; four sons, Dennis, Rob and Peter Higgins Jr., all of Spokane, and Greg Higgins of New York; two daughters, Donna Merkeley of Spokane and Beth Ann Hyland of Beaverton, Ore.; 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Tammy (Easter) Law Spokane

Memorial service for Tammy Marie (Easter) Law, 37, will be at 11 a.m. today at North Addison Baptist Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Omak, Wash., Mrs. Law died Thursday of cancer.

She was a 20-year Spokane resident and worked as a certified nurses aide for 18 years at Sunshine Nursing Home.

Survivors include a son, Joshua Law of Spokane; her former husband, James Law of Spokane; her mother, Sharon Easter of Spokane; her father, Harlon Easter of Colville, Wash.; a brother, Tim Easter of Phoenix; a sister, Tina Stiles of Spokane; and her grandmother, Vivian Wiyrick of Spokane.

L.E. `Mike’ Olds Spokane

Memorial service for L.E. “Mike” Olds, 75, is planned for 2 p.m. today at Valley Fourth Memorial Church. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Lewistown, Mont., Mr. Olds died Thursday.

He moved to the Spokane area in 1930 and graduated from West Valley High School.

During World War II he served in the Army Air Force as a tailgunner and mechanic with the 394th Bombardment Squadron in the South Pacific. He achieved the rank of technical sergeant.

Mr. Olds married Frieda Herrmann in 1947. They later divorced.

He worked for United Truck Lines until 1960. He was a trustee of Teamsters Union Local No. 690.

Mr. Olds then worked as a construction business agent for the Teamsters Union and was elected secretary/treasurer for the union. While serving as secretary/treasurer he was lead negotiator of the Western States National Negotiating Committee, chaired the 11 Western States Grievance Committee, served on the National Master Freight and UPS Contracts and was a trustee on various health and welfare plans. He retired in 1983.

He was a member of the Twin Lakes Village Mens’ Golf Club and was president of the Rock Point Condominium Association.

Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Helen; two daughters, Terri Schmarr of Spokane and Becky Nowack of Portland; three stepsons, Bryan King of Colbert, Alan King of Pullman and Jerry King of Sacramento, Calif.; a stepdaughter, Debbie Hosino of Elk Grove, Calif.; four sisters, Caroline Flanigan of Spokane and Debbie Schutz, Midge Bontrager and Alice Bitz, all of Arizona; a brother, Pete Olds of Arizona; two stepsisters, Marianne and Dolly; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Evelyn (Harty) Yamada Spokane

Service for Evelyn B. (Harty) Yamada will be at 10 a.m. today in the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Yamada, 70, died Wednesday.

She was a lifetime Spokane resident and a homemaker.

Her husband, Carl, preceded her in death.

Survivors include three sons, Daniel, Kenneth and Joey Yamada, and a daughter, Cathy Hansen, all of Spokane; 13 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Eugene Pray Smelterville, Idaho

Memorial service for Eugene Curtis Pray, 71, will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kellogg Funeral Chapel. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Pray, who was born in Long Beach, Calif., died Wednesday.

He served in the merchant marines and later returned to California. He owned GP Auto Dismantling in Geyserville, Calif.

In 1958 married Betty Nicolet. They lived in California and Coos Bay, Ore., before moving to the Silver Valley in 1995.

Survivors include his wife; eight children, Sue Kelly, Lon Pray, Lori Jones, and Gary Pray, all of California, Mike Pray of Ritzville, Wash., Dan Pray of Corpus Christi, Texas, Jennine Correll of Veradale, and Kevin Pray of Post Falls; a brother, William “Bill” Pray of California; 23 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Coral `Corky’ Hammond Cusick, Wash.

Graveside service for Coral V. “Corky” Hammond, 57, will be at 11 a.m. today at Riverside Cemetery in Ione, Wash. Memorial service will follow at 2 p.m. in the Cusick High School gymnasium. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hammond, who was born in Fresno, Calif., died Monday.

His family moved to Pend Oreille County when he was 4 years old. He graduated from Cusick High School in 1961.

He served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

Mr. Hammond received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Eastern Washington University in 1971. He was a special education director for Educational Service District No. 123 that served several counties out of Walla Walla. He later served in the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Wash., as a special education director.

Mr. Hammond returned to Cusick in 1984 and worked with the Riverside and Selkirk school districts.

In 1987 he married Irene Kleffner.

He became a full-time school psychologist for the Cusick School District and also served as the special education director. He retired in 1998.

Survivors include his wife; four sons, Tim Hammond at home, Marc Hammond of Spokane, and Dan and Steve Hammond, both of Seattle; a daughter, Angie Holmes of Pullman; his mother, Ernestine Hammond of Spokane; a brother, Don Hammond of Salt Lake City; three sisters, Julie Davis of Spokane, Charlotte Rauscher of Liberty Lake and Patti Freeman of Modesto, Calif.; and one grandchild.

Loretta Bezdicek St. John, Wash.

Funeral Mass for Loretta M. Bezdicek will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Colfax, Wash. Burial will follow at the Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Bezdicek, 64, died Tuesday.

She was born and raised in Dickinson, N.D.

In 1958 she married Al Bezdicek.

Mrs. Bezdicek and her husband lived in Clarkston and Colfax before moving to St. John in 1970.

She was a homemaker and a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in St. John.

Survivors include her husband; a son, Bryan Bezdicek of St. John; two daughters, Lanae Hanson of Dusty, Wash., and Lara Cloaninger of Colfax; three sisters, Irene Kovash of Spokane, Viola Keller of Clarkston, and Dorothy Dvorak of Dickinson; and seven grandchildren.

Violet Smith Spokane

Visitation for Violet M. Smith, 75, will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service is planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.

A 52-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Smith died Nov. 11. She was born in Montana.

She worked as a bookkeeper in the automotive sales industry.

Mrs. Smith was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary.

Her husband preceded her in death.

She is survived by a son, Edris Smith of Spokane.

Kenneth Brown Spokane

Memorial service for Kenneth D. Brown, 57, will be at 2:30 p.m. today in the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 55-year Spokane resident, Mr. Brown was stabbed to death on Sunday. He was born in Tacoma.

He worked as a custodian at Jets Janitorial Service for 21 years.

Mr. Brown was a member of Audubon Park United Methodist Church and the Kings and Queens Bowling League.

He is survived by a sister, Janis Murray of Hillsboro, Ore.

Joseph Straughter Spokane

Memorial service for Joseph Straughter, 79, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Matthew’s Institutional Baptist Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

A 50-year Spokane resident, Mr. Straughter died Monday. He was born in Louisiana.

He worked as a cook for restaurants in the Spokane area and owned and operated a restaurant in Spokane.

Mr. Straughter later shined shoes at the Red Lion and DoubleTree hotels for about 20 years.

He was a member and deacon of St. Matthew’s Institutional Baptist Church. He was also involved with the East Central Community Center.

Mr. Straughter is survived by a daughter, Jodawn Straughter of Salinas, Calif.

June Kelly Spokane

No service will be held for June E. Kelly, 55, at her request. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Kelly, who was born in Foreman, N.D., died Tuesday.

She was raised in Havana, N.D., and in 1963 moved to Spokane.

In 1975 she married Franklin Kelly.

Mrs. Kelly worked for Scollard’s Dry Cleaners for the past 18 years, retiring in June.

Survivors include her husband; two sons, Randy Duff of Spokane and Jack Kelly of Davenport, Wash.; a daughter, Brenda Kelly of Spokane; three sisters, Mary Walker, Shirley Enderson and Helen Tremblay, all of Aberdeen, S.D.; and three grandchildren.

Francis Borhauer Spokane

No service will be held for Francis G. Borhauer, 82, at his request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Rockford, Ill., Mr. Borhauer died Monday.

He was an 80-year Spokane resident and a graduate of Lewis and Clark High School.

He worked for White Pine Sash until it closed in 1968. He then worked as a machinist for Wagstaff Engineering. He retired in 1983.

He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church.

His wife of 54 years, Marjorie, died in 1995.

Survivors include two sons, Larry Borhauer of Spokane and Gerald Borhauer of Yakima; a daughter, Margaret Hyde of Cosmopolis, Wash.; a sister, Alice Beebe of Spokane; a brother, Harold Borhauer of Arizona; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Violet (Kelp) Lucht Spokane

Private service for Violet E. (Kelp) Lucht, 80, will be held at a later date. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Swan River, Manitoba, Mrs. Lucht died Monday.

She was a 75-year Spokane resident.

Mrs. Lucht worked in private home health care for about 20 years. She also was a homemaker.

Survivors include two daughters, Gail Rybicki of Spokane and Gloria Dante of Rathdrum, Idaho; a son, Monte Lucht of Montana; three brothers, Bruce, George and Bill Kelp, all of Spokane; four sisters, Katy and Alice Settle and Vicki Harrington, all of Spokane, and Suzi Ritgard of Seattle; seven grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Neil Kippen Spokane

No service will be held for Neil S. Kippen, 90, at his request. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A 60-year Spokane resident, Mr. Kippen died Tuesday. He was born in Hamilton, N.D.

He worked as a plasterer in the construction industry.

His wife, Margaret, preceded him in death.

Survivors include two sons, John Kippen of Spokane and James Kippen of Huntington Beach, Calif.; two daughters, Geraldine Chalich and Joyce Jacobs, both of Spokane; seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Penny Johnston Spokane

Memorial service for Penny Jo Johnston, 53, will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.

A 23-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Johnston died Nov. 7. She was born in Missoula.

She graduated from San Jose (Calif.) State University in 1970.

She had been a debate coach at Mead High School since 1986 and had coached four state championship teams. She also taught honors English at Mead.

She was inducted into the National Debate Hall of Fame and sat on the National Topic Selection Committee. She co-authored a speech book for Swedish schools.

Survivors include her husband of 30 years, Max; two sons, Marc and Andy Johnston, both of Spokane; two sisters, Nancy Evers and Wendy Riordan; and her parents, Bob and Grace Graham of Spokane.

Robert Shankland Post Falls

No service will be held for Robert E. Shankland, 77. English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Shankland, who was born in Clinton, Mo., died Monday.

He grew up in Clinton and in 1945 married Barbara Johnson.

He served in the Army during World War II and fought at the Battle of the Bulge.

Mr. Shankland later received a master’s degree from Columbia University in New York, and served as a teacher at Hillsboro High School in Illinois.

The couple moved to Post Falls five years ago.

He was a member of Coeur d’Alene Presbyterian Church. He was an accomplished musician and fisherman.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Robert Shankland of Springfield, Ill.; three daughters, Karen Wyatt of Benton, Ill., Gretchen Licata of Spokane and Sarah Shankland of Palmdale, Calif.; and four grandchildren.

Dorothy Steele Spokane

Service for Dorothy R. Steele, 64, will be at 1 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

Born in Wilbur, Wash., Mrs. Steele died Wednesday.

She was a 32-year Spokane resident and a homemaker.

Her former husband, Robert Groom Sr., preceded her in death.

Survivors include five children, Robert, Robin, Debra, Beverly and Christine; two brothers, Edward and Charles Steele Jr.; a sister, Mary Belle; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.