Obituaries
Leonard ‘Len’ Galland
Rathdrum, Idaho
Memorial for Leonard Able “Len” Galland, 71, will be held next summer at Panhandle Yacht Club in Harrison, Idaho. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Galland, who was born in Pasadena, Calif., died Nov. 25.
He served in the Navy from 1949 to 1953 on the USS Magoffin and received several citations and ribbons
He married Lorna McCluskey in 1954.
He worked at Cal Tech Jet Propulsion labs as a control technician from 1954 to 1959, was the project foreman at Goldstone Tracking site and Missile Test Area, Edwards Air Force Base, and worked with Dr. Henry Pickering and Werner Van Braun.
In 1959 he moved to Caldwell, Idaho, with his family and operated KwiCurb Drive Ins and became involved in community and youth activities.
Mr. Galland then joined the Caldwell City Police Department and served in various capacities during his 20-year career, including as commander of the first organized reserve unit in the state of Idaho, and community affairs and city tactical squad. He was then assigned to the City-County Narcotics Major Crimes and Intelligence Division and eventually became the director of the unit.
Mr. Galland retired from the Caldwell Police Department in 1981 and moved to North Idaho.
He spent 10 years working for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department before retiring for a second time in 1994.
He served as the harbormaster for the Panhandle Yacht Club in Harrison for 17 years and retired in 1999 after the death of his son, Les.
He and his wife then spent winters in Arizona.
He was a member of the Mount Moriah Masonic Lodge, Elks Lodge and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife; a foster daughter, Debra Garland of Nampa, Idaho; one granddaughter, Stephanie; and a great-granddaughter, Reagan.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.
John Newton
Princeton, Idaho
Funeral for John M. Newton, 81, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the Elmore United Methodist Church north of Potlatch, Idaho. Kramer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Newton died Nov. 30. He was born in New Castle, Texas, and attended schools in Throckmorton and Fort Davis, Texas, graduating from Fort Davis High School in 1940. Following high school, he worked for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey for two years in California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. In 1944 he entered the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater. He was discharged in 1946 as a ship’s serviceman, working as a barber.
In 1947 he moved to Soap Lake, Wash. Mr. Newton built and operated the Highway Grocery at Soap Lake for the next 12 years. In 1960 he sold the business.
He went to barber school in Spokane, then returned to Soap Lake, where he operated a barbershop from 1961 to 1972.
In 1950 he married Genevieve Hewett in Montana. They lived in Soap Lake until moving to Princeton in 1972. Mr. Newton worked at the Bennett Lumber Co. in Princeton for 10 years, until 1988.
His wife died in 1991.
He was a member of the Elmore United Methodist Church, and was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge and a member of the Princeton Grange and the Potlatch Senior Citizens. He enjoyed playing pinochle, church Bible study and Senior Citizen meals.
Survivors include two sisters, Quetana Drumm of Princeton and Audrey West of Lakewood, Colo.
Memorial contributions may be made to the church or the Potlatch Ambulance Fund.
Greer Chabot
Mead
No service will be held for Greer M. J. Chabot, 65. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.
Mr. Chabot, who was born in Atlanta, died Nov. 17. He was a resident of Mead for 26 years.
He graduated from St. Joseph’s High School in Grosvenor Dale, Conn., in 1957. He joined the Air Force that year and remained in the service for 22 years. He retired with the rank of master sergeant.
Mr. Chabot was a member of the Studebaker Drivers Club and the 56J Owners Club. His hobbies included reading, sailing and kite flying.
Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Helen; a son, Mathurin Chabot of Mead; a daughter, Michelle Sakolowski of Manteca, Calif.; and three grandchildren.
Orpha (Olson) Dionne
Spokane
Visitation for Orpha (Olson) Dionne, 94, will be today from noon to 5 p.m. at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home, with vigil service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral Mass will be Friday at 1 p.m. at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery Mausoleum.
Mrs. Dionne, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
She married Wilfred Dionne in 1928 and was a homemaker. Her first job outside of the home was at Armour’s Meat Packing Co.
During World War II she went to work at Fairchild Air Force Base, where she became a “Rosie the Riveter” assembling airplanes. After the war, she and her husband worked in their family-owned corner grocery store.
Mrs. Dionne later worked as a grocery checker at Safeway. In 1959 she began working at Lakeland Village. She retired in 1976.
She was member of the Sons of Norway and traveled extensively, visiting Norway twice.
Her husband died in 1952.
Survivors include a son, Ronald Dionne of Spokane; two daughters, LeAnn Adams of Spokane and Michele Dionne of Seattle; a sister, Dolly Lear of Lewiston; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Clair Loutzenhiser
Sandpoint
Service for Clair Francis Loutzenhiser, 91, will be Friday at First Baptist Church in Flagler, Colo., with burial at Flagler Cemetery. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of local arrangements.
Mr. Loutzenhiser, who was born in Jewels County, Kan., died Dec. 5.
He grew up in Kansas and moved to Eastern Colorado during his teen years and began farming with his father in the Flagler area.
He married Agnes Page in 1937.
Mr. Loutzenhiser later became an auctioneer and was proud of the fact that he never needed to use a microphone.
He retired from cattle farming at the age of 62 and moved into Flagler.
He enjoyed vegetable gardening and had numerous entries in the county fairs each year.
The couple moved to Sandpoint in 2002 to be near family. His wife preceded him in death.
He enjoyed playing cards and socializing and was a member of Flagler First Baptist Church.
Survivors include three children, Stanley Loutzenhiser of Roseville, Calif., Zetah Pracht of Colorado Springs, and Loyd Loutzenhiser of Sandpoint; two brothers, Rex and Millard Loutzenhiser; a sister, Lila Brower; 10 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.
John Skinner Sr.
Post Falls
Memorial service for John Skinner Sr., 67, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Real Life Ministries, 1866 Cecil Road in Post Falls. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Skinner, who died Nov. 30, was born in Seattle.
He lived in Snohomish, Wash., for 41 years, graduating from high school there. He was in the Coast Guard Reserve for seven years.
He worked for Pacific Northwest Bell in Seattle and then was a security manager for U.S. West in Spokane, where he had lived for 20 years.
He was a volunteer fire chief for District 7 in Snohomish, a member and former president of A.S.I.S., Footprinters, and a member of Telephone Pioneers.
Mr. Skinner enjoyed woodworking, fishing, hunting and gardening. He was handyman for the elderly and was on the Citizens Advisory Board for Fire District 4.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Carla; three children, Chris, John Jr. and Dannette; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Spokane County Fire District 4, 3219 E. Chattaroy Road, Chattaroy, WA 99003 or to Hospice.
Arthur Nicklen
Post Falls
No service will be held for Arthur Norman Nicklen, 86, at his request. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nicklen, who was born in Vancouver, B.C., died Dec. 1.
He married Mary Breese in 1944 and worked as a railroad engineer for 44 years.
He moved to Post Falls three years ago from the Seattle area.
Mr. Nicklen enjoyed gardening, fishing, wood-carving and knitting.
He was a member of Unity Church in Seattle.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Mary McCort of Post Falls; three siblings, Marion of Portland, George of Monroe, Wash., and Janet of Seattle; and two grandchildren.
Lester Engstrom
Spokane
Memorial service for Lester C. Engstrom, 93, will be Friday at 10 a.m. at Audubon Park United Methodist Church. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Engstrom, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Tuesday.
He graduated from North Central High School and Kinman Business University. He worked several jobs before going to work for the Postal Service as a carrier, clerk, assistant superintendent of money orders, delivery and collections, assistant superintendent of mails and finally superintendent of mails. He retired in 1969.
Mr. Engstrom was a 60-year member of the Brotherhood of Friends and a 50-year member of the Audubon Park United Methodist Church. He also was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Sundance Men’s Golf Club and the Post Office Supervisors.
He enjoyed bowling, golfing, dancing, traveling and cards.
Survivors include his wife of 71 years, Inez; a daughter, Mary Anne Littlemore of Spokane; a son, James Engstrom of Zion, Ill.; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Audubon Park Methodist Church or the Salvation Army of Spokane.
Richard Spotts
Pinehurst
Memorial service for Richard Barrie Spotts, 65, will be Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. at Cross Roads Baptist Church in Rose Lake, Idaho. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of cremation.
Mr. Spotts, who was born in Williamsport, Pa., died Saturday.
He attended the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia and in 1971 married Veronica Bonik.
They moved to the Silver Valley in 1981 from Pennsylvania.
Mr. Spotts was a musician and also worked for Hewlett-Packard of Boise. He enjoyed working in his shop and around the house, trivia, music, audio books, fishing, and building bird houses.
Survivors include his wife; two children, Arrista Spotts of Clarksville, Tenn., and Betty Jean Felton of Danville, Pa.; three stepchildren, Dannette McCormick of New York state, and Randy and Michelle Sparling, both of Virginia; a brother, Elmer Spotts of Phoenix; a sister, Betty Huber of Gillett, Pa.; and 10 grandchildren.
Larry Hallowell
Spokane
Memorial service for Larry Jay Hallowell, 70, was Monday at Calvary Chapel.
Mr. Hallowell, who was born in Yakima, died Dec. 1. He was a resident of Spokane for more than 30 years.
He grew up in Quincy, Wash., and graduated from Quincy High School in 1952. He was captain of his high school football team.
He later attended Wenatchee Valley College, worked with his father in Quincy and served in the Army as a helicopter flight instructor.
Mr. Hallowell had a long career in food service and had worked for Food Service of America in business development.
Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Della; three sons, Jay and Mike Hallowell, and Dan Abbott; a daughter, Ramona Williams; two sisters, Betty Anderson and Evelyn Whitener; 13 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Patricia Dear
Spokane
Private service was held for Patricia Ann (Alcorn) Dear, 51in Santa Monica, Calif.
Mrs. Dear, who died Nov. 13, was born in Pittsburgh.
At a very young age she moved with her family to Huntsville, Ala., and later moved to Santa Monica, where she grew up.
She graduated from Santa Monica High School and attended Santa Monica College and California State University at Northridge.
She had a career with the CIA in Los Angeles, then became employed in the defense industry, moving to Virginia in 1987.
In 1991 she moved to Spokane.
Survivors include two children, Michael and Kathleen Dear, both of Spokane; her mother, Inez Alcorn of Santa Monica; two sisters, Barbara Drake of Santa Monica and Mary Ellen Kemp of Los Angeles; and a brother, Robert Alcorn of Seattle.
Hazel Koch
Deer Park
Funeral for Hazel Leoma Koch, 83, will be today at 1:30 p.m. at Open Door Congregational Church. Burial will be at the Woodland Cemetery in Deer Park. Lauer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Koch, a lifelong resident of Deer Park, died Saturday.
Born in Deer Park, she attended Deer Park schools and was a homemaker at the family ranch.
Her husband, Joseph Koch, died in 1990.
Survivors include two sons, Bob and Don Koch, both of Deer Park; five grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
John Fink Jr.
Spokane
No service will be held for John Brooke Fink Jr., 87. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.
Mr. Fink, who was born in Yakima, died Nov. 21. He was a resident of Spokane for 56 years.
He graduated from Olympia High School in 1935 and from the University of Washington in 1940.
He married Rose Dickinson in 1945.
Mr. Fink worked as an accountant for 55 years and retired as a credit manager from Columbia Electric in Spokane in 1980. He had also worked at Zellerback Paper Co. and General Motors Acceptance Corp.
He was a member of the National Association of Credit Managers and enjoyed fishing and gardening.
His wife died in 1998.
Survivors include a son, Scott Fink of Spokane; a daughter, Barbara Dickinson of Renton, Wash.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Inland Northwest Chapter.
Beverly (Way) Bemis
Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Beverly Ann (Way) Bemis, 76, will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Master in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bemis, who was born in Sidney, Mont., died Tuesday.
She grew up in Manhattan, Mont., and graduated from high school in Roundup, Mont.
She attended the University of Montana and was a member of Alpha Phi sorority. After graduating in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts in education, she moved to St. Maries and began teaching at St. Maries High School.
She married Bob Bemis in 1952, and the couple lived in St. Maries, where she continued teaching.
They moved to Superior, Mont., in 1954 and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1968.
Mrs. Bemis was vice chairman and a trustee at North Idaho College during the time the college built the communications building and acquired the beachfront property on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
She served on the city of Coeur d’Alene Comprehensive Planning Committee and was a member of the Lutheran Church of the Master, P.E.O., and Alpha Phi Sorority Alumni Chapter.
She enjoyed playing bridge and reading.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Brice Bemis and Brian Bemis, both of Coeur d’ Alene; two brothers, John Way of Great Falls and Ross Way of Denver; and seven grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Lutheran Church of the Master, 4800 N. Ramsey Road, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Floyd Wylie
Priest River, Idaho
Graveside service for Floyd Samuel Wylie, 78, will be today at 11 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Priest River is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wylie, who was born in Colburn, Idaho, died Monday.
In 1952 he married Shirley Peterson in Newport, Wash.
He served four years with the Navy.
Mr. Wylie worked for Boyd Stevens, Diamond International and Bonner County, retiring at age 62. He received the Bull of the Woods award at Priest River Timber Days and enjoyed the outdoors, golfing, fishing, hunting and picking huckleberries.
Survivors include his wife; four daughters, Debbi Grove and Twila Erdman, both of Priest River, Steph Foster of Rathdrum, Idaho, and Delia Thompson of Dayton, Wash.; a son, Sam Wylie, and a brother, Cecil Wylie, both of Priest River; a sister, Anna Bates of Grants Pass, Ore.; 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Priest River Food Bank.
Lucille Craig
Spokane
Private service will be held for Lucille Craig, 71. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Craig, who died last Thursday, was born in Huntington, Ore.
A 65-year resident of Spokane, she also was a graduate of West Valley High School.
In 1950 she married Kenneth Craig in Millwood. Mrs. Craig was a homemaker.
Her husband died in 1996.
Survivors include two sons, Ken Craig Jr. of Warner Robbins, Ga., and Lloyd Craig of Spokane; three daughters, Valerie McCollum and Pamela Craig, both of Spokane Valley, and Colleen McCalip of Cheney; a brother, Richard Macklin of Addy, Wash.; 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Multiple Sclerosis Inland Northwest Chapter or Hospice of Spokane.
Donald Mahler
Spokane
Memorial service for Donald William Mahler, 81, will be at a later date. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Scobey, Mont., Mr. Mahler died Nov. 25.
He graduated from Scobey High School.
He served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater and was a musician in a Navy band.
Mr. Mahler moved to Spokane in 1948 and worked as an accountant for the Postal Service for 30 years.
He played in numerous bands in the Spokane area, including the Moose and Elks lodges’ bands.
He also competed in numerous pool tournaments.
Survivors include two sons, Vernon Mahler of Spokane and Greg Mahler of Tacoma; a daughter, Sandra Opp of Phoenix; a brother, Harold Mahler of Seattle; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Richard Lucas
Spokane Valley
Private memorial was held for Richard J. “Dick” Lucas.
Mr. Lucas, who was born in Minneapolis, died Nov. 27. He was 81.
He served in the Army in North Africa and France during World War II and traveled home on the Queen Mary.
He was a foreman in commercial construction and had been a member of Labors Union Local 328 since 1954. He enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Jacqueline; four sons, Tom and Robert Lucas, and Raymond Lancaster III , all of Spokane, and Richard Lucas of Tigard, Ore.; three daughters, Sandra Lamb of Bothell, Wash., Pamela Baker of Spokane and Terri Crites of Nine Mile Falls; a brother, Roger Lucas of Electric City, Wash.; a sister, Dorothy Mellor; 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
David Mendoza
Wellpinit, Wash.
Funeral for David Robert Michael Mendoza, 17, was Tuesday at the West End Community Center.
Mr. Mendoza died Friday from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. He was born in Spokane.
He was a junior at Columbia High School and a starter on the basketball team. He also enjoyed hunting.
Survivors include his mother, Robin Kieffer, and three siblings, Rick and Brooke McCrea, and Donny Mendoza, all of Wellpinit; and his grandmothers, Sharon Kieffer of Wellpinit and Genevieve Mendoza of El Paso, Texas.
Julia Triplett
Spokane
No service will be held for Julia Helen Holl Triplett, 90, at her request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Triplett, who was born in Bieber, Calif., died Nov. 26.
She attended San Jose State College and earned a registered nurse degree at Santa Clara County Hospital. In 1946 she went to work for County Hospital in Tacoma and in 1962 went to work for Visiting Nurse Association of Spokane. She retired in 1980.
Survivors include three grandsons, Jacob, Jeffery and Bryan Triplett.
Richard Warren
Chattaroy
No service will be held for Richard Ryan Warren, 79, at his request. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Veradale, Mr. Warren died Nov. 19. He was a longtime area resident.
Survivors include his wife, Iris; three sons, Keith Warren of LaCenter, Wash., George Mohr of LaCrescenta, Wash., and Mike Yount of Camas, Wash.; a daughter, Pam Warren of Colbert; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Howard Shull
Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Howard G. Shull, 90, at his request. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Shull, who was born in Newport, Wash., died Tuesday.
He was a lifetime resident of the Newport, Blanchard and Spirit Lake, Idaho, areas and worked as a stacker in the shipping department of the Atlas Mill in Coeur d’Alene.
Survivors include a niece, Barbara Johnson of Rathdrum, Idaho.
Anne Kester
Spokane
Services were held for Anne M. Kester, 93. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Mrs. Kester, who died Nov. 25, was born on a farm near Garland, Idaho.
She married George Kester in 1930, and they lived in Lind, Wash. In 1953 they moved to Spokane, and she owned Millwood Beauty Shop into the 1960s. Her husband died in 1996.
Survivors include two sons, a brother, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.