Obituaries

Dorothy ‘Nana’ Torres

Sandpoint

Memorial service for Dorothy “Nana” (Cummings) Torres, 88, will be Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sandpoint. Interment of ashes will be held in Holliston, Mass., at a later date. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of local arrangements.

Mrs. Torres, who was born in Hopkinton, Mass., died Aug. 10.

She grew up on a dairy farm in Ashland, Mass., until moving to Holliston with her family in 1926.

She married her first husband, Les Brown in 1937.

They lived on a farm in New Hampshire until moving to New York City.

During World War II the couple moved to Detroit, and she began working for General Motors Diesel, earning the distinction of becoming the first female supervisor at the plant.

After the war she lived in New Orleans; El Paso, Texas; Phoenix; Palm Springs and Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and Boise.

Her husband preceded her in death.

She married Thomas Tadashi Yamada in the early 1950s and lived in California for 15 years. Her second husband also preceded her in death.

She married Porfirio Torres and moved to Fillmore, Calif., in 1974. He died earlier.

Mrs. Torres moved to Sandpoint in 1987 to be near family.

She enjoyed traveling and camping and traveled throughout the Western United States, including two trips on the Alaska Highway and a seven-week, 10,000 mile road trip through 29 states and two Canadian Provinces in 1968.

Mrs. Torres was a member of Christ Our Redeemer Church in Sandpoint.

Survivors include two children, Thomas Yamada and Susan (Yamada) Hoaglund; a brother, Orrin Cummings of Santa Maria, Calif.; and three grandsons.

Memorials may be made to Panhandle Animal Shelter or the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

Willard Maas

Spokane

Funeral for Willard W. Maas, 84, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.

Mr. Maas, a 39-year resident of the Spokane area, died Saturday.

Born in Dickinson, N.D., he was one of seven brothers and sisters, all of whom were raised by various relatives following the death of their father.

He spent much of his early life farming and ranching in the Moffit area. He also also worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps during the construction of the Garrison Dam.

Mr. Maas entered military service during World War II, serving in the 8th Air Force 303rd Bomb Group “Hells Angels”, stationed at Molesworth, England. He saw duty in North Africa and participated in U.S. Government nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands.

He married Bernice Quale in 1948 in Bismarck, N.D. His expectations of ranching were redirected after being recalled for active duty during the Korean War.

Mr. Maas resumed his career with the Air Force and was stationed in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska, North Dakota and Washington.

He retired from the Air Force in 1966 after 20 years, serving as a noncommissioned officer in recruiting and in the 92nd Transportation Squadron. He continued to work at Fairchild Air Force Base in civil service for 10 years, retiring in 1976.

Mr. Maas enjoyed hunting, fishing, baseball and the outdoors.

Survivors include his wife; three children, Dennis Maas of Spokane, David Maas of Seattle and Carol Simpson of Langley, Wash.; a brother, Floyd of Crocker, S.D.; and eight grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 51, Disabled Veterans or the Sons of Norway.

Donald Fenton

Emida, Idaho

Memorial service for Donald G. Fenton, 68, will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries.

Mr. Fenton, who was born in Waltham, Mass., died Aug. 25.

He grew up in Waltham and Natick, Mass., and enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1953.

He married Alexandra Dunbar in 1958.

He received an honorable discharge from the Coast Guard in 1962 and returned to Natick, where he worked for Honeywell and Raytheen Corp. In 1972 he moved to Glendo, Wyo., and worked as a marine mechanic for Glendo Marina.

Mr. Fenton was divorced in 1973 and and began working for Standard Oil Co. in Douglas, Wyo.

He married Innam Dajany in 1976. They divorced in 1993.

He transferred to employment in Moscow, Idaho, in 1975 and worked for Washington State University in the housing department.

He retired from WSU in 2001 and built a home on Sanders Ridge just outside of Emida.

Mr. Fenton enjoyed woodworking, crafts, traveling and camping.

He was active with the Boy Scouts of America , American Legion and the Spokane Naturists. He founded the Running Bears of Moscow,

Survivors include his companion, Lenore Lehman; four children, Kris Fenton of Guernsey, Wyo., Doug Fenton and Robin Gruwell, both of Douglas, Wyo., and Nadia Fenton of Salt Lake City; a sister, Barbara Grillo of Milford, Mass.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Rocky Mountain Chapter, 5353 W. Dartmouth, Lower Level, Denver, CO 80277.

Athney ‘Toni’ Pfenning

Spokane

No service will be held for Athney “Toni” (Rigas) Pfenning, 92, at her request. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.

Mrs. Pfenning, who was born in Grand Junction, Colo., died Thursday. She was a resident of Spokane for 27 years.

During World War II she worked on a shipbuilding crew at the Portland Naval Shipyard and also was a homemaker.

She married Adam Pfenning in 1930. He died in 1976.

Mrs. Pfenning enjoyed gardening, growing roses and polka music.

Survivors include her niece, Sherry Kessell of Sacramento, Calif.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Lorene ‘Joyce’ Upham

Mead

Visitation for Lorene “Joyce” Upham, 76, will be Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Riplinger Funeral Home. Funeral will be Friday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at Peone Prairie Cemetery.

Mrs. Upham, a lifelong resident of the Spokane area, died Wednesday.

Born in Spokane, she graduated from Rogers High School.

She and her husband, Jim, built and owned the Valley Breeze Mobile Home Park in Spokane Valley, retiring in 1968 and returning to Peone Prairie.

Mrs. Upham was a founding member of All Saints Episcopal Church of the Spokane Valley, now the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

She was a member of Peone and Pleasant Prairie Granges, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliaryand the the Walleye Club and was a lifetime member of the Winter Knights Snowmobile Club.

Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Jim; a daughter, Linda Bordwell, and a son, Jeffery Upham, both of Mead; and four grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Washington State Diabetes Association, Ogden Hall or the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

Ruth (Bickel) Gibson

Sandpoint

Memorial service for Ruth Olive (Bickel) Gibson, 89, will be at a later date. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Gibson, who was born in Shamokin, Pa., died Wednesday.

She grew up on the family farm in York, Pa., and attended school there.

Mrs. Gibson then worked as an advertising manager at the New Jersey Herald and the Oregonian newspapers.

She married Elmer Lowrey in 1937, and they had one daughter, Sandra.

She later moved to Lake Mohawk, N.J., where she learned to play bridge.

Mrs. Gibson moved to San Diego in 1956 and returned to school at age 62 and earned her GED. She also became a certified early childhood education teacher.

She moved to Sandpoint after her retirement.

Mrs. Gibson enjoyed reading, dancing, music, flowers and debating.

She was a widow at the time of her death.

Survivors include a daughter, Sandy Stevens of Sandpoint; a brother and sister, George Bickel of Dallas and Marjorie Bodkin of Mesa, Ariz.; two grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, c/o Evalyn McIntire, 618 Oak St., Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Kirsten (Brock) Jordan

Spokane

Service for Kirsten Elizabeth (Brock) Jordan, 26, will be Thursday at noon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, 23515 E. Boone Ave., Liberty Lake. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Jordan, who was born in Seoul, Korea, died Wednesday.

She grew up in Greenacres and attended Central Valley schools, graduating from Central Valley High School in 1996.

She graduated from Brigham Young University and worked as a social worker.

In 1999 she married Chad Jordan.

Mrs. Jordan was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She enjoyed skateboarding, high diving and swimming in high school. She also enjoyed scrapbooking and snowboarding.

Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Ella; her parents, Loyal and Valerie Brock of Greenacres; five brothers, Nicholas, Alex, Seth, Isaac and Zachary, and a sister, Megan, all of Spokane.

Ken Holloway

Spokane Valley

Memorial service for Ken R. Holloway, 56, will be Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Valley Open Bible Church, with reception at 5 p.m. at Mirabeau Park Hotel. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Holloway, who was born in Brewster, Wash., died Aug. 19.

He graduated from Brewster High School and from the University of Washington with a bachelors degree in business.

Mr. Holloway owned Duffys Tavern and worked in advertising and publication sales.

He was the first vice president of member services for the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in organizing the Miss Spokane Valley Ambassadors Program.

Survivors include his wife, Charla; three daughters, Angela Avery, Alisha McVicker and Amy McDonald; and six grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Miss Spokane Valley Ambassadors Scholarship Fund, 9507 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley, WA 99206.

Bonnie Rodgers

Spokane

Private burial will be held for Bonnie Lee (Bell) Deal Rodgers, 85, at a later date. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Rodgers, who was born in Hood River, Ore., died Thursday.

She was a resident of Spokane County for 65 years and was a homemaker.

Her husband, Willard Deal, died in 1969.

Survivors include two sons, Roy and Arthur Deal, both of California; three daughters, Naomi Wise of Palm Bay, Fla., Euretta Deal of Spokane and Shella Banta of Vancouver, Wash.; two brothers, Albert Bell of The Dalles, Ore., and Carl Bell of Tacoma; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Eunice Shearer

Spokane Valley

Memorial service for Eunice K. Shearer, 79, will be today at 1 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Spokane Valley. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Shearer, who was born in Lyon County, Iowa, died Friday. She was a resident of the Spokane area since 1966.

She married LeRoy Shearer in 1948 and was a homemaker.

She was a member of Christ Lutheran Church for 38 years.

Her husband died in 1998.

Survivors include a son, David Shearer of Spokane Valley; a daughter, Candice Sherry of White Bear Township, Minn.; and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Christ Lutheran Church.

Jeannie (Johnson) Els

Springdale, Wash.

Memorial service for Jeannie (Johnson) Els, 68, will be Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. at Springdale Community Church. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Els, a 28-year resident of Springdale, died Aug. 20. She was born in Hulen, Ky.

She was a member of Springdale Community Church and enjoyed bowling.

She married Frank Els in 1992.

Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Karla Ruddach, a son, Karl Fijalka, a stepson, Darell Fijalka, and a stepdaughter, Pascale Fijalka, all of Spokane; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be made to Springdale Community Church.