Obituaries
John Patano Dalton Gardens, Idaho
Private memorial service for John Patano, 75, was held at an earlier date. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Patano, who was born in Triggiano, Italy, died Sept. 5.
He grew up in Italy and received horticulture training there before moving to the Silver Valley in 1955.
Mr. Patano married Angela “Lina” Fusaro in 1956, and they lived in Kellogg.
He worked at the Bunker Hill Zinc Plant in Kellogg for 28 years.
After his retirement from the zinc plant, he assumed the horticultural duties at all Bunker Hill properties in the Kellogg area until 1982.
The couple moved to Dalton Gardens in 1984, and he ran a private horticulture business. He also worked part time at the Greenview Condominiums and the Coeur d’Alene Forestry Farm until his permanent retirement in 1999.
Mr. Patano was a member of the Spokane Italian Club, St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church in Kellogg, Knights of Columbus and St. Pius Roman Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene.
Survivors include his wife of nearly 44 years, Lina; three sons, Tony Patano of Post Falls, and Nick and Johnny Patano, both of Dalton Gardens; a daughter, Pia Berti of Pinehurst, Idaho; two brothers and a sister, and two grandchildren.
Ferne Burt Sandpoint
Memorial service for Ferne Jeannette Burt, 82, will be today at 10 a.m. at the Sandpoint Christian Center. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Burt, who was born in Hawarden, Iowa, died Tuesday.
She married R.J. Russell Burt in 1937, and they were married 57 years. He died in 1994.
Mrs. Burt lived in Arizona before moving to Coeur d’Alene, where she worked for Powells Shoe Store for 16 years.
She then lived in Red Bluff, Calif., until moving to Sandpoint in 1994.
Mrs. Burt was active in bingo and church activities at Mountainside Care Center in Sandpoint.
Survivors include a son, Fred Burt of Utah; a daughter, Leitha Harvey of Sandpoint; seven grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Margaret Hodge St. Maries
No service will be held for Margaret E. Hodge, 90, at her request. YatesHodge Funeral Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hodge, who was born in Harrison, Idaho, died Tuesday.
She grew up and attended school in Harrison and married Clifford Hodge in 1928.
The couple settled in Lansing, Mich., and operated the Sunset Motel. She also was a homemaker.
Mrs. Hodge retired after the death of her husband in 1968 and returned to the Coeur d’Alene area. She moved to St. Maries two years ago.
She was enjoyed crocheting, knitting and bingo.
Survivors include a brother, Frank Thompson of Harrison; and several nephews and cousins.
David Croston Pinehurst, Idaho
Private memorial service for David Gerald Croston, 50, will be held at a later date. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Croston, who was born in Chamberlain, S.D., died Tuesday.
He grew up and graduated from Kellogg High School in 1969 and later worked as a miner at the Bunker Hill and Sunshine mines.
Survivors include two daughters, Kelly and Kerry Croston, both of Wenatchee; his father, Marion Croston of Kellogg; two brothers, Bill and Steve Croston, both of Kellogg; and one granddaughter, Whitini.
Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.
Dolores Carpenter Spokane
Memorial service for Dolores Z. Carpenter, 80, will be at 4 p.m. today at Mead United Methodist Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Carpenter, who was born in La Grange, Ga., died Wednesday. She had been a resident of Spokane for 63 years.
She was a seamstress, gardener and interior decorator and had worked for Spears Furniture and Coldwell Florist.
Survivors include three daughters, Marilyn Hill, Gayle Cortner and Melody Roberts, all of Spokane; 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; and her former husband, Gene Carpenter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Women’s Shelter, 111 W. Third Ave., Spokane, WA 99201
Farrell Oens Post Falls
Memorial service for Farrell L. Oens, 74, will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Post Falls Baptist Church. English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Oens, who was born in Peach, Wash., died Monday.
He grew up near Addy and Gifford, Wash., and moved to Cusick, Wash., in 1960.
Mr. Oens farmed 160 acres while working at various sawmills and was employed at Louisiana Pacific in Ione, Wash., for many years.
He served with the Army Air Corp during World War II and married Lorette Kulp in 1949.
Mr. Oens moved to Post Falls in 1994.
He was a member of the Post Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Post Falls Baptist Church, where he was baptized in 1995.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years; a son, Farrell Oens of Vancouver, Wash.; two daughters, Linda Birdtail of Spokane and Dee Krogh of Liberty Lake; a brother, Darrell Oens; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Post Falls Baptist Church Building Fund, 1608 N. Spokane St., Post Falls, ID 83854.
Ellen Meyers Eagle, Idaho
Memorial service for Ellen L. Meyers, 76, will be Saturday at Summers Funeral Home in Boise.
Mrs. Meyers died Sunday.
She was born in Kirkland, Wash., and adopted by Margaret Mary Cassidy after being diagnosed with infantile tuberculosis.
Mrs. Meyers grew up and attended school in Yakima and later married William Meyers.
She worked as an X-ray laboratory technician for 25 years and then as a clerk in the licensing and auditing departments at the Spokane County Courthouse. She retired in 1986 after 15 years of service.
Mrs. Meyers also worked on her farm and enjoyed cooking and traveling.
She was a concert pianist and performed in various areas of the United States while traveling during her retirement.
Her husband of 53 years preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Lou Linn of Twin Falls, Idaho; 15 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Stephen Holt Spokane
Memorial service for Stephen M. Holt, 51, will be today at 11 a.m. at First Church of the Open Bible. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Holt, who was born in Miles City, Mont., died Tuesday. He was a resident of Spokane for 46 years.
He graduated from Ferris High School in 1968 and married Judy Rogers in 1974.
Mr. Holt was the owner-operator of Sonshine Pool Service from 1978 to 1983, when he retired for health reasons.
He was a 15-year member of First Church of the Open Bible and volunteered at COPS Northeast when it first opened. He also was a volunteer for Cancer Patient Care in 1990.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Holt of Spokane; his mother, Betty Holt of Spokane; and two sisters, Melinda Fidler of Spokane and Leslie Ann Mulder, Eagle, Idaho.
Lester Larsen Post Falls
Service for Lester Martin Larsen, 80, will be held today at 1 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Larsen, who was born in Plymouth, Wis., died Sunday.
He moved to Idaho in 1954 from Wisconsin and worked for the Army Corp of Engineers quality control division as a concrete production inspector at Dworshak Dam.
Mr. Larsen married Lydia Candelaria in 1944, and the couple later settled in Post Falls. She preceded him in death.
He was a member of the Environmental Alliance and Idaho Rivers United.
Survivors include two sons, Biron Larsen of Coeur d’Alene and Calvin “Tony” Larsen of San Jose, Calif.; two daughters, Theresa (Larsen) Woods of Coeur d’Alene and Linda (Larsen) Wozniak of Olympia; a sister, Verneda Hackner of La Crosse, Wisc.; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Idaho Rivers United, P.O. Box 633, Boise, ID 83701, or the Kootenai Environmental Alliance.
George Bigger Post Falls
Memorial service for George E. Bigger, 70, will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Osburn, Idaho.Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of cremation arrangements.
Mr. Bigger, who was born in Huntington, W. Va., died Sunday.
He grew up in Phoenix, Ariz., and served with the Army for two years in Japan.
Mr. Bigger married Kathrine Bennett, and the couple had three children, who now live in the Eastern United States. They divorced after a 10-year marriage.
He settled in the Silver Valley and worked as a miner and hoistman for the Sunshine Mine for 28 years.
Mr. Bigger later moved to Post Falls.
He was a member of the Osburn Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans.
Survivors include his wife, Bonnie; three children from his first marriage; three stepsons, Preston Rutherford of Post Falls, Sammy Rutherford of Hot Springs, Ark., and Jim Rutherford of North Bend, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Ginny Woodcock of Bellingham; 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1675, Osburn, ID 83849.
Peggy Lakman Ione, Wash.
Services for Peggy Ann Lakman, 64, will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Legion Hall in Sweetgrass, Mont. O’Connor Funeral Home in Great Falls, Mont., was in charge of cremation.
Mrs. Lakman, who was born in Sweetgrass, died Tuesday. She married Ted Lakman in 1957 and they moved to Ione in 1971. She had been a resident of both Ione and Sweetgrass for many years.
Mrs. Lakman worked for Pinewood Terrace nursing home in Ione for 10 years.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Becky MacArthur of Ione and Kim Mehaffey of Great Falls; a son, Will Lakman of Naples, Florida; and two sisters, Berma Weatherly of Kalispell, Mont., and Daphne Williams of Helena.
Memorial contributions may be made to North Toole County Ambulance or the Ione Fire Department.
Arthur Haines Cheney
Memorial service for Arthur C. Haines, 75, was held Thursday at Cheney Funeral Chapel.
Mr. Haines, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., died Tuesday.
He served in the Army during World War II. He then married his wife, Joyce, and raised a family on Long Island, N.Y.
He worked for Sperry Gryroscope Inc. until 1969, when they moved to Medical Lake and he worked as a steam plant engineer for Eastern Washington University until his retirement in 1987.
Mr. Haines is survived by his wife; his son, Michael of Chewelah, Wash.; a daughter, Pamela Parker of Cheney; five brothers, John, Martin, Joseph, George and Edward Haines; a sister, Eileen; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Medical Center Oncology Ward.
James `Bub’ Durham II Spokane
Visitation for James H. “Bub” Durham II, 46, will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Durham, who was a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Tuesday.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School. He was a driver for Jones Wholesale Florist and delivered to florists throughout the Inland Northwest. Later he was a day trader in the stock market.
Mr. Durham was a member of Cross Winds Church.
Survivors include his fiance, Karen Barry; a son, Josh Durham of Spokane; his parents, Jim and JoAnne Durham of Veradale; and a sister, Linda Durham of San Rafael, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cross Winds Church.
Joseph R. Dennis Spokane
Service for Joseph R. Dennis, 79, will be at 3 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Dennis, who was born in Colorado Springs, died Monday. He was a 53-year Spokane resident.
He served in the Army during World War II.
Mr. Dennis was a firefighter.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for 37 years and a member of the Southside Senior Activity Center and Sacred Heart Parish.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Helen; four daughters, Debra Kauffman and Diana Triesch, both of Spokane, Jody Hert of Wapato, Wash., and Linda George of Tonopah, Nev.; a son, Joseph Dennis Jr. of Anchorage, Alaska; 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Anne’s Children’s Home or Shriners Hospital for Children.