Obituaries
Cecil Knowles Hayden, Idaho
No service will be held for Cecil R. Knowles, 81, at his request. Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Knowles, who was born in Tacoma, died Wednesday.
He grew up in Chelan, Wash., and worked on the family farm. He began catching and breaking wild mustangs at the age of 12.
Mr. Knowles began breaking horses for the Army at the age of 15 and also entered the pro rodeo circuit and won the saddle bronc competition at the Calgary Stampede.
He left the rodeo circuit in 1937 due to an injury and served with the Navy as an aviation machinist aboard the USS Enterprise in the South Pacific during World War II. He earned his wings during this time and also became a boxer, winning the fleet championship for his weight class.
After his military discharge Mr. Knowles became a logger in the Pacific Northwest and drove a truck for Time D.C.
He moved to Portland in 1976 and continued to work for Time D.C. until an accident forced his retirement in 1977.
Mr. Knowles later recovered from his injury and became a pro bowler, winning five tournaments in one year and also became a 2 handicap golfer.
He moved to Spokane in 1994 and to Hayden in 1996.
Survivors include his companion and caregiver, Jean Hodgson of Hayden; three sons; and a brother.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in care of KMC Resource Center, 2003 Lincoln Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Catherine Piper Spokane
Funeral Mass for Catherine (Billison) Piper, 87, was held Sept. 8 at First Memorial Chapel in Edina, Minn. Burial was at the Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minn. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Piper, who was born in Minneapolis, died Sept. 1.
After graduating from high school, she worked as a secretary.
She married Edward Piper in 1932, and they lived in Portland, Highland, Calif., Richfield, Minn., and Missoula before moving to Spokane in 1973.
She and her husband managed rental properties from 1974 to 1993.
Her husband died in 1993.
Survivors include a daughter, Virginia Piper of Spokane; and a sister, Florence Billison of Bloomington, Minn.
Memorial contributions may be made to Horizon Hospice.
Jane Langan Spokane
Funeral Mass for Jane O. Langan, 85, will be at 10 a.m. today at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Langan, who was born in Devils Lake, N.D., died Wednesday.
She was a 60-year Spokane resident and a homemaker.
Mrs. Langan was a member of the Catholic church.
Her husband, Alfred, died in 1993.
Survivors include two sons, Daniel Langan of Richland and A. Bud Langan of Fircrest, Wash.; three daughters, Mickie Whipple of Spokane, Lucille Alley of Casper, Wyo., and Helen Lapp of Kalispell, Mont.; 28 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Vivian Fish Everett
Memorial service for Vivian G. (Schalow) Fish, 80, will be at 1 p.m. today at Lincoln Heights Congregational Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A longtime former Spokane resident, Mrs. Fish died Aug. 21. She was born in Okanogan, Wash., where she graduated from high school.
Mrs. Fish received a cosmetology degree from Mary Stone Cosmetology School in Seattle. She later received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Washington State University.
She married Merle Fish in 1947.
During World War II she worked in various jobs, including at Baxter Hospital, AAA and Sears.
Mrs. Fish worked at Cal-West Insurance Co. and in the advertising department of The Crescent. She retired in 1985 from the Department of Social and Health Services.
She moved to Everett one year ago.
Mrs. Fish was a member of Ladies of the Moose Lodge No. 161, Eagles Lodge, Friends of The Crescent and Corbin Senior Center.
Her husband died in 1957.
Survivors include two daughters, Joanne Howard of Bothell, Wash., and Darlene Polles of Shelby, Ohio; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane, or Hospice of Snohomish County, 2731 Wetmore Ave. Suite 520, Everett, WA 98201.
John Koenig Newberg, Ore.
Memorial service for John H. Koenig, 85, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sherwood, Ore. American Burial and Cremation in Tigard, Ore., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Koenig, who was born in O’Dell, Neb., died Monday.
He married Fern Christiansen in 1943 and served in the Army as a tech sergeant during World War II.
Mr. Koenig was a radio engineer technician for Tracy and Co. Radio Repair from 1945 to 1956 in Portland.
He moved to Spokane in 1956.
Mr. Koenig founded Inland Communications Service Co. in 1980 and retired.
In 1997 he moved to Newberg.
He was a member of the Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Spokane and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sherwood, Ore. He also delivered for Meals on Wheels in Newberg.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Vikki Behrens and Joyce Koenig; two sons, John and Phil Koenig; a brother, Paul Koenig; three sisters, Ruth Thomas, Rae Tenyson and Caroline Simonson; and nine grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Camp Lutherhaven in Coeur d’Alene.
Ellen Burgard Spokane
Memorial service for Ellen G. Burgard, 86, will be held at a later date. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Garrison, N.D., Mrs. Burgard died Wednesday.
She graduated from high school in Bobells, N.D., in 1932, and in 1934 moved to Spokane, where she worked as a beautician.
She married Jacob Burgard in 1943.
During World War II she worked as an assembler at Brown Industries near Felts Field.
Mrs. Burgard was a homemaker.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include two sons, William and Andy Burgard, both of Spokane; and two grandchildren.
Lillie `Pat’ Conrad Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Lillie A. “Pat” Conrad, 78, will be Monday at 1 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Funeral Home.
Mrs. Conrad, who was born in Cardin, Okla., died Tuesday.
She moved to the Coeur d’Alene area in 1955 and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Conrad enjoyed fishing and crafts.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Survivors include a daughter, Pat Nickelby of Coeur d’Alene; two sisters, Ann Mooney of Osburn, Idaho, and Dorothy Schart of Pennsylvania; and three grandchildren.
Shawna Stokke Spokane
Service for Shawna M. Stokke, 29, will be at 1 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A lifetime Spokane resident, Miss Stokke died Tuesday from leukemia.
She worked at Iron Workers Credit Union Local No. 14. She also served on the board of directors and supervisory committee.
Miss Stokke was a member of Westgate Christian Church.
Survivors include a son, Jeremy; her mother and stepfather, Linda and Terry Stokke of Spokane; her father, Jim Sparks of Redmond, Wash.; a brother, Michael Sparks of Redmond; four sisters, Michelle and Shannon Grady and Angie Stokke, all of Spokane, and Leigh Sparks of Redmond; her grandparents, Marion and Bill Hames, and Carol and Bernard Stokke, all of Spokane, and Elma and John Sprietsma of Wentachee; and her great-grandmother, Mildred Ducharme of Spokane.
Marie Mueller Westport, Wash.
Memorial service for Marie Ann Mueller, 72, will be at 11:30 a.m. today in the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. Forest Funeral HOme in Olympia is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Dodge, N.D., Mrs. Mueller died Sunday.
She moved to Spokane when she was in her early 20s.
She married Reinhold Mueller, and they lived in Spokane.
Mrs. Mueller was a homemaker.
They moved to Westport 10 years ago.
Survivors include her husband; three sons, Don Seaman of Spokane, Robert Seaman of Redmond, Wash., and Jim Seaman of Anchorage, Alaska; a stepson, Reinhold Mueller Jr. of Westlake Village, Calif.; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association.
Anita Sands Elk
Memorial service for Anita Sands, 83, will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Westmond Grange in Sagle, Idaho. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sands, who was born in Kansas, died Tuesday.
She and her family moved to Hope, Idaho, in 1947 and to Sagle in 1948.
Mrs. Sands was a homemaker.
She and her husband, O.C. “Sandy” Sands, moved to Elk in 1999.
Survivors include her husband of 61 years; a daughter, Karen Bonser of Elk; a son, Jack Bonser of Walla Walla; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Hospice of Spokane.