Obituaries
Elaine Melior Spokane
Service for Elaine G. Melior will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mrs. Melior, 87, died Monday.
She was born in Niobrara, Neb., where she graduated from high school in 1927.
In 1928 she married Elmer Mackey. They later divorced.
She moved to Spokane in 1945 and later married Harold Melior.
Mrs. Melior was a self-employed interior designer and also was a model.
She was a member of the Prison Corrections Board of Washington State and the Republican Women. She was involved in the Spokane Community Indian Center and was a founder of the Spokane Indian Museum.
Her husband of 46 years died in 1997.
Survivors include a son, Michael Roseberry of Cedar Falls, Iowa; three sisters, LaVey Costello, Velma Hutchison and Mercedes Dotter, all of Yankton, S.D.; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Spokane Community Indian Center.
Julia (O’Neill) Forsberg Clayton, Wash.
Service for Julia Pauline (O’Neill) Forsberg, 86, will be at 11 a.m. today at Clayton Community Church. Burial will follow at the Woodland Cemetery in Deer Park. Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Forsberg, who was born in Chattanooga, Tenn., died Sunday.
She graduated from Marianna (Fla.) High School in 1932.
Before World War II she worked at the Jackson County (Fla.) Extension Services. During the war she worked at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
She married John Forsberg Sr. in 1946, and they moved to Clayton in 1947.
She worked as a Fuller Brush agent during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Mrs. Forsberg was a member of Clayton Grange.
Survivors include her husband; three sons, Robert Forsberg of Chewelah, Wash., Ronald Forsberg of Clayton and John Forsberg Jr. of Moses Lake; three daughters, Judy Johnson of Liberty Lake, Sherry Lubahn of Diamond Lake, Wash., and Janis Behrens of Lind, Wash.; a brother, William O’Neill of McDonough, Ga.; three sisters, Elizabeth Coggin and Louise Porcelli, both of Panama City, Fla., and Florence Whitehead of Marianna; 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Osteoporosis Awareness Resource, 5125 N. Market, Spokane, WA 99207.
Patricia (Brophy) Frauchiger Spokane
Vigil service for Patricia J. (Brophy) Frauchiger, 75, will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North. Memorial Mass is planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Charles Roman Catholic Church.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mrs. Frauchiger died Sunday.
She graduated from Holy Names Academy in 1943.
Mrs. Frauchiger was a homemaker and later worked as an underwriter for Continental Insurance from 1976 to 1986.
She was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church and Altar Society, and the Insurance Women’s Professional Organization.
Her husband of 47 years, Erwin, died in 1985.
Survivors include two daughters, Karen Mohr of Spokane and Linda Lind of Redwood City, Calif.; three brothers, James Brophy of Spokane, Michael Brophy of Latah and Paul Brophy of Pittsburgh; a sister, Colleen Miller of Spokane; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Humane Society.
Cecil Jack Spokane
No service will be held for Cecil R. Jack, 77. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Jack died Tuesday.
He graduated from Mead High School in 1941 and served in Europe with the Army Air Corps during World War II.
After the war, worked on the family farm until he began working at Kaiser Aluminum as a crane operator in 1950. He retired in 1983.
His wife, Constance, died in 1992.
Survivors include two sons, Kelly Jack of Spokane and Greg Jack of Olympia; a stepdaughter, Candee Mutch of Newman Lake; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
John Harris Jr. Spokane
Memorial service for John R. Harris Jr., 80, will be at 1 p.m. today at the Masonic Temple. Inurnment will be held at a later date at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Harris died Oct. 5 while vacationing in Italy.
A North Central High School graduate, Mr. Harris received a bachelor’s degree from Washington State College and a master’s degree from Eastern Washington State College.
During World War II he served in the Army and was stationed in Italy.
He was a band director at Libby and Havermale junior high schools and Shadle Park High School. He retired in 1974.
Mr. Harris played the first trumpet for the Spokane Symphony, and also was the director of the El Katif Shrine Band.
He was a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies, El Katif Shrine and Band, and the Royal Order of Jesters Court No. 65. He was a member of the Spokane Retired Educators Association, Audubon Park United Methodist Church, Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and the Northwest Bandmasters Association.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth; four daughters, Janis Fink and Joan Ressa, both of Spokane, Margaret Harris of Seattle and Sheryl Harris of Denver; a son, Jim Hoagland of Spokane; two sisters, Leta Peckham of Spokane and Thelma Kennedy of Boise; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Audubon Park United Methodist Church or Shriners Hospital for Children.
Charles Joslin Spokane
Memorial service for Charles Morten Joslin, 77, will be at 1 p.m. today at Christ Lutheran Church. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mr. Joslin died Sunday.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and Washington State College.
Mr. Joslin worked as the chief supervisor for C.W. Joslin and Sons Highway Construction Co. for eight years. He then worked for Electric Smith and Bovay Engineers. In 1964, he began working for Kaiser Aluminum as project and electrical design engineer. He retired in 1982.
He was a charter member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and served as council president and also was involved with youth, choir and the church building program. He was a member and had served as council member and president of Christ Lutheran Church. He also was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity at Washington State College.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Maggie; a son, Richard Joslin of Georgetown, Ind.; two daughters, Nancy Aune of Snohomish, Wash., and Gail Pigion of Louisville; seven grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Winifred (Henning) Appell Medical Lake
Visitation for Winifred Theo (Henning) Appell, 86, will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Heritage Funeral Home. Service is planned for 10 a.m. Monday at Lake City Assembly of God Church in Medical Lake. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
A 25-year Medical Lake resident, Mrs. Appell died Tuesday. She was born in Thornton, Wash.
She graduated from Cheney Normal School in 1934 and taught school. She also worked as a bookkeeper for various medical offices.
She married Harry Appell in 1963.
Mrs. Appell was a member of Lake City Assembly of God Church.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Larry Appell of Medical Lake; a daughter, Jerene Gibbons of Medical Lake; a brother, Boyd Henning of Camano Island, Wash.; two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lake City Assembly of God Church.
Linda (Tremblay) Moore Spokane
Rosary for Linda Jean (Tremblay) Moore, 58, will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Memorial Pass is planned for 9 a.m. Monday at St. Paschal’s Roman Catholic Church.
Mrs. Moore, who was born in Spokane, died Monday.
She was a 43-year Spokane resident and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Moore was treasurer of the Spokane Retriever Club. She was a member of the Friends of Manito.
Survivors include her husband, Dean; a daughter, Cathleen Chapman, two sons, Gary Cook and Roland Moore, and two brothers, Roland and Daniel Tremblay, all of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Mark Presnell Colfax, Wash.
Rosary for Mark J. Presnell, 65, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Colfax, Mr. Presnell died Tuesday.
After graduating from Gonzaga Prep in 1952, he served in the Army for two years.
He later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Gonzaga University.
Mr. Presnell worked for Boeing at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
He moved back to Spokane in the late 1960s to care for his mother, Frances.
In the early 1970s Mr. Presnell moved to the family farm in Colfax and in 1974 married Dorothy Schlaht.
He worked as a welder for McGregor Co. for 26 years.
Mr. Presnell was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Michael Presnell of Tigard, Ore.; two daughters, Crystal and Mary Presnell, both of Moscow, Idaho; a sister, Mary Naccarato of Sandpoint; and a granddaughter.
Memorial contributions maybe made to Catholic Charities, the American Cancer Society or St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Colfax, WA 99111.
Catherine (Patterson) Higgins Spokane
Private service for Catherine (Patterson) Higgins, 91, will be held at a later date. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Higgins, who was born in Osburn, Idaho, died Oct. 8.
She married Earl Higgins in 1934, and they lived in Osburn, Idaho.
Mrs. Higgins moved in 1980 to Sequim, Wash., where she lived for 10 years. She then spent time between Spokane and Kingston, Wash., until moving to Spokane permanently five years ago.
She was a homemaker and a member of the Daughters of the Nile.
Her husband died in 1976.
Survivors include two sons, Rod Higgins of Spokane and Bill Higgins of Kingston; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children.
June Palmer Spokane
No service will be held for June Palmer, 75, at her request. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Spirit Lake, Idaho, Mrs. Palmer died Oct. 2.
She was a 30-year Spokane resident and a homemaker.
Survivors include a daughter, Rose Lynch of Spokane; two sons, Brian Biarum of Spokane and Richard Biarum of Renton, Wash.; two brothers, Jim Brown of Spirit Lake and Sam Brown of Tucson, Ariz.; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Agnes Neil Spokane
Memorial service for Agnes Laverne (Thompson) Neil, 85, was held Thursday at Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport, Wash. Private inurnment will be held at a later date at the Newport Cemetery.
Mrs. Neil, who was born in Halfway, Ore., died Saturday.
She graduated from high school in Halfway.
She married Ernest Dethloff in 1927, and they operated the family dairy farm near Priest River, Idaho, for more than 25 years. He died in 1969.
She later married John Neil, and they owned and operated Neil’s Marina in Priest River.
He died in 1972..
Mrs. Neil moved to Spokane three years ago.
She is survived by a sister, Hazel Bolser of Alaska.
Mary `Mac’ Bantz Spokane
Memorial service for Mary Alene “Mac” Bantz, 84, will be at 3 p.m. today at Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Seattle, Mrs. Bantz died Tuesday.
She graduated from Washington State College, where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.
Mrs. Bantz, a Spokane resident for more than 50 years, was a homemaker.
Her husband of 58 years, Bill, died in January.
Survivors include a daughter, Alison Bantz of Spokane; a son, Mark Bantz of Alaska; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Inland Northwest Blood Center.
Barbara Robbins Park Rapids, Minn.
Service for Barbara Louise (Annis) Robbins, 55, was held Thursday at Jones-Pearson Funeral Chapel in Park Rapids. Burial followed at the Greenwood Cemetery in Park Rapids.
Mrs. Robbins, who was born in Hubbard, Minn., died Sunday.
She married Gary Robbins in 1963. They moved in 1968 to Spokane, and she owned and operated a day care out of her home.
Mrs. Robbins and her husband moved to Park Rapids in 1995.
She was involved with the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in Spokane.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Gary Robbins Jr., a daughter, Rhonda Goble, and her mother, Mary Robbins, all of Park Rapids; four brothers, Jim Annis of Spokane, Maurice and Donald Annis, both of Omaha, Neb., and Davie Annis of Park Rapids; two sisters, Betty Robbins of Park Rapids and Sue Conley of Moorhead, Minn.; and two granddaughters.
Sheldon Wold Spokane
Memorial service for Sheldon D. Wold, 60, was held last Friday at his home. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
A 20-year Spokane resident, Mr. Wold died Oct. 1. He was born in Juanita, N.D.
He served in the Air Force from 1960 to 1964.
Mr. Wold worked as a fireman for two years in Bismarck, N.D.
He lived in Billings, Mont., from 1966 to 1980, when he moved to Spokane.
Mr. Wold worked for Burlington Northern Railroad from 1967 to 1989. He retired as an electronic technician.
Survivors include three children, Anthony Wold of Lynnwood, Wash., Micah Wold of Palermo, Calif., and Twila Dockter of Pierre, S.D.; his mother, Dolly Wold of Bismarck; four brothers, Monte Wold of Bismarck, Roland Wold of Spearfish, S.D., and Randolph and Thomas Wold, both of Plymouth, Minn.; five sisters, Linda Bolin of Yakima, Tana Charvat of Mandan, N.D., Darla Vixie of Springfield, Ore., Carol Fuller of Detroit Lakes, Minn., and Nila Pudwill of Bismarck; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans Administration Social Work Welfare Fund.
Ruth (Howard) Paris Spokane
No service will be held for Ruth (Howard) Paris, 88, at her request. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Paris, who was born in Greenville County, S.C., died Oct. 7.
She worked as a supply technician at Spartanburg (S.C.) General Hospital.
Mrs. Paris moved to Spokane 13 years ago from Spartanburg.
Her husband, John, died in 1977.
Survivors include two sons, Gary Paris of Spokane and Duane Paris of Spartanburg; and a brother, Alton Howard of Greer, S.C.
Patricia (Pigsley) Brownsberger Spokane
Memorial Mass for Patricia J. “Pat” (Pigsley) Brownsberger, 65, will be at 9 a.m. today at St. Paschal’s Roman Catholic Church. Burial will be held in Exira, Iowa. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Gardener, Ore., Mrs. Brownsberger died Monday.
She graduated from high school and nursing school in Iowa, and worked as a licensed practical nurse for Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa.
She moved to Spokane 10 years ago from Anita, Iowa.
Mrs. Brownsberger was a member of St. Paschal’s Catholic Church.
Her husband, Edward Jr., preceded her in death.
Survivors include a brother, William Piglsey; three sisters, Barbara Carpenter, Cora Leighton and Mary Streeter; and two grandsons.
Winifred (Fearing) Prochnow Spokane
Graveside service for Winifred Goldie (Fearing) Prochnow will be at 11 a.m. today at Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Prochnow, 84, died Tuesday.
She was born in a Germania Township in Minnesota and grew up in Clarissa, Minn.
She married Albert Prochnow in 1938, and they lived in Brainerd, Minn., before moving to Spokane in 1955.
Mrs. Prochnow was a homemaker.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include her companion of 10 years, Willard; two daughters, Rebecca Kerben of Albion, Wash., and Priscilla Roberts of Aloha, Ore.; four grandchildren and three great-grandsons.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Luv N’ Care Unit at The Gardens on University.
Patricia Blanchette Spokane
No service will be held for Patricia “Pat” Slattery Blanchette at her request. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Blanchette, 75, died Tuesday.
She was born in Bay City, Mich., where she graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1942.
She moved with her family to Spokane in 1961 from Los Altos, Calif.
Mrs. Blanchette worked for Fashion Fabrics until she opened Something Special Notions.
She was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority Her husband of 39 years, Zeke, died in August.
Survivors include two sons, Richard Blanchette of Spokane and Randy Blanchette of Seattle; three daughters, Jill Lindgren of Renton, Wash., Jan Meyers of Sacramento, Calif., and Jeri Maxwell of Fairbanks, Alaska; a brother, John Slattery of Fort Washington, Md.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Respiratory Unit at Deaconess Medical Center.