Obituaries
Robert `Hoppy’ Hopkins Albion, Wash.
Service for Robert W. “Hoppy” Hopkins, 82, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse, Wash. Burial will follow at the International Order of Odd Fellows Evergreen Cemetery in Rosalia, Wash.
Mr. Hopkins, who was born in Garfield, Wash., died Monday.
He moved with his family to the Walla Walla area, to Palouse, Colfax, Wash., and Fairfield before settling in Palouse in 1930.
He graduated from Palouse High School in 1937.
Mr. Hopkins worked with his father on the family farm near Colfax.
He married Eunice Siler in 1940, and they lived in Palouse, Colfax and Pullman before moving to Albion in the 1960s.
He began working as a painter in the physical plant at Washington State University in 1964 and retired in 1981.
Mr. Hopkins served on the City Council of Albion for two terms.
He was a member of the Moose Lodge in Pullman, and the Eagles and Elks lodges in Colfax.
His wife died in 1983.
Survivors include his companion, Pat Imel of Albion; five sons, James and Lane Hopkins, both of Spokane, Tony Hopkins of Palouse, Jack Hopkins of Albion and Ron Hopkins of Gilroy, Calif.; three daughters, Donna Hopkins of Spokane, Lonna Heaton of Tacoma and Paula Kelly of Richmond, Va.; two sisters, Phyllis Skeens of Spokane and Iris Moore of Wenatchee; 24 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Albion Emergency Medical Technicians, Albion, WA 99102, or Colfax Baptist Church, Colfax, WA 99111
Mary Greco Spokane
Visitation for Mary Elizabeth Greco, 92, will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Vigil service will follow at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Mrs. Greco died Aug. 31.
She was a homemaker, and also worked for Crystal Laundry.
Her husband of 45 years, Emelio, died in 1969.
Survivors include two sons, Frank and Louis Greco, both of Spokane; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Poor Claire Nuns.
Anna Smitt Spokane
No service will be held for Anna C. Smitt, 89, at her request. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Smitt, who was born in Choteau, Mont., died Tuesday.
Her family moved to Spokane when she was 10 years old, and she graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.
Miss Smitt worked as a librarian for the Spokane Public Library for more than 45 years.
She was a member of Unity Church of the Truth and the Spokane Parkinson’s Group.
Miss Smitt is survived by a brother, Conrad Smitt; and a sister, Gertrude Pottratz.
Mildred Gastineau-Porter Sandpoint
Funeral services for Mildred Mabel Gastineau-Porter, 82, will be at 2 p.m. today at Coffelt’s Moon Chapel. Burial will be in Pinecrest Memorial Park.
Mrs. Gastineau-Porter, who was born in Mitchell, Neb., died Monday.
She grew up in Sandpoint and graduated from high school there.
She married Orval Gastineau in 1946; he died in 1995.
Mrs. Gastineau-Porter later moved to Priest Lake, Idaho, and worked in the Newport, Wash., and Sandpoint hospitals. She also operated Priest Lake Hobby Shop for many years and worked as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Priest Lake Ambulance.
She married Francis Porter in 1996, and they moved to Sandpoint.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Bill Gastineau of Missoula and Bob Gastineau of Sandpoint; a daughter, Barbara Moore of St. Maries; four stepchildren, Maria Poelstra of Onalaska, Wash., Kevin Daniels and Randy Daniels, both of Sandpoint, and Danny Daniels of Clark Fork, Idaho; three sisters, Alice Etheridge of Spokane, Elsie Monroe of Calder, Idaho, and Donna Mack of Baker City, Ore.; two brothers, Myron “Buzz” Watts of Sandpoint and Robert Watts of Calder, Idaho; 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Elma (Larsen) Veach Spokane
Visitation for Elma Beatrice (Larsen) Veach, 90, will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Friday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Private burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
A longtime Spokane resident, Mrs. Veach died Monday. She was born in Lyndon, Kan.
She graduated from Clarkston High School, and in 1927 married Virgil Veach.
Mrs. Veach worked as a league coordinator at North Bowl and was a member of the Lilac Caravanners.
Her husband died in 1993.
Survivors include two sons, Dale Veach of Spokane and Norman Veach of Leavenworth, Wash.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Spokane Humane Society.
Clayton White Spokane
Visitation for Clayton L. White, 78, will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Service is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. White, who was born in Montana, died Monday.
His family moved to Spokane in 1934.
In 1942 he married Kathryn Kiefel.
He worked as a carpenter for more than 40 years and was a member of Carpenters Union Local No. 98.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Jack, Dan and Perry White; three daughters, Joanne Greene, Donna Cummings and Patty Partridge; 17 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Elvera Grote Spokane
Graveside service for Elvera M. Grote, 86, will be at 2 p.m. today at the Pines Cemetery. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Grote, who was born in Rice County, Minn., died Aug. 28.
There are no surviving family members.
Melva Anderson Ewan, Wash.
Memorial service for Melva Anderson, 66, will be at 11 a.m. today at St. John (Wash.) Methodist Church. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Rosalia, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
A 48-year Ewan resident, Mrs. Anderson died Monday.
She was born on a farm in Stanton County, Kan.
Mrs. Anderson worked as a bus driver for the St. John School District for more than 30 years.
Survivors include her husband of 48 years, Everett; three daughters, Cindy Swegle of Cheney, Dawn Bass of St. John and Lila Hartmeier of Ritzville, Wash.; two brothers, Mervin White of Las Vegas and Gary White of Los Angeles; a sister, Elise Roberts of Corona, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Whitman County Hospice, Colfax, WA 99111, or St. John Fire Department, St. John, WA 99171.
Loyd IsBell Heron, Mont.
Memorial service for Loyd Wayne IsBell, 70, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Coeur d’Alene Bethel Baptist Church. Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. IsBell, who was born in Ronan, Mont., died Sept. 1.
He attended school in Ronan and worked on a dude ranch in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Mont. He also was a logger.
In 1957 Mr. IsBell moved to Muliano, Ore., and worked in designing and constructing sawmills.
He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1983 and traveled world wide constructing sawmills.
He moved to Heron, Mont., in 1992 and retired in 1995.
Mr. IsBell married Darlene Barlow on Valentines Day in 1995.
He was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Elks Lodge.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Mike IsBell of Palm Desert, Calif., Rusty Dial of Clarkston, Wash., and Jeff Johnson of Coeur d’Alene; three daughters, Vicki Winger, and Pam McKeehn, both of Clarkston, and Vicki Van Matre of Spokane; two brothers, Bill Long of Great Falls, Mont., and George Long of Coeur d’Alene; a sister, Jeanne BanBlarcom of Sebastopol, Calif.; 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Alice (Selder) Monette Spokane
Service for Alice (Selder) Monette, 80, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Spokane Valley Wesleyan Church. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Monette, who was born in Fruitland, Wash., died Sunday.
She was raised in Hunters, Wash.
She married Otto Neumann in 1938, and they lived on the family ranch in Fruitland. Her husband died in 1964.
She later married Don Monette, and they lived in Colville, Wash.
In 1968 they moved to the Spokane Valley.
Mrs. Monette was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Frederick Neumann of Yakima and John Neumann of Hillsboro, Ore.; two sisters, Mildred Hansen of Chewelah, Wash., and Evelyn Newbill of Plummer, Idaho; two brothers, George Selder of Chattaroy and Lloyd Selder of Yuma, Ariz.; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
John Olk Otis Orchards
Memorial service for John Lane Paul Olk, 76, was held Wednesday at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Private inurnment will be held at Tahoma National Veterans Cemetery in Tacoma. The Neptune Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Olk, who was born in Lisbon, N.D., died Friday.
He served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theaters.
Mr. Olk and his family moved to Montana in 1957. They moved to the Spokane area in 1968 and then to Otis Orchards 27 years ago.
He worked as a salesman in the wholesale and retail tire business and retired in 1986.
Mr. Olk was a member of the Veterans of Foreign War.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Mattie; a son, Scott Olk of Spokane; three daughters, Vicki Harris of Spokane, Shelley Wanamaker of Kent, Wash., and Debby Petersen of Niagara, Wis.; a sister, Louise Flemmer of Caselton, N.D.; and nine grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Eva Kerns Tekoa, Wash.
Service for Eva V. Kerns, 98, will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, Wash. Burial will follow at the Thornton (Wash.) Cemetery.
Mrs. Kerns, who was born in Thornton, died Sunday.
She graduated from Thornton High School in 1919.
She married Edgar Kerns in 1929, and they farmed near Thornton until moving into Rosalia in the early 1960s.
Mrs. Kerns was a homemaker.
She moved into the Tekoa Care Center eight years ago.
Mrs. Kerns was a member of Rosalia Methodist Church, the Order of Eastern Star, Thornton Grange and the Daughters of the Nile.
Her husband died in 1978.
Survivors include a daughter, Alverta Nelson of Spokane; a son, Kenneth Kerns of Somers, Mont.; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Thornton Grange or Shriners Hospital for Children.
Evelyn Ragan Spokane
Service for Evelyn L. Ragan, 88, will be at 10 a.m. today at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Webster, S.D., Mrs. Ragan died Monday.
She graduated from Sisseton (S.D.) High School in 1933.
She married Clyde Ragan in 1951, and they moved to Spokane in 1955.
Mrs. Ragan was a homemaker and a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Her husband preceded her in death.
She is survived by three sisters, Cleone Freeman of St. John, Wash., El’Marie Opitz of Roslyn, S.D., and Violet Peterson of Salem, S.D.
Memorial contributions may be made to Horizon Hospice or Union Gospel Mission.