Obituaries
Nellie (Cooper) Watt
Coeur d’Alene
No service will be held for Nellie Louise (Cooper) Watt, 82, at her request. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Watt, who was born in Smithfield, Ohio, died Dec. 8.
She had worked as a licensed practical nurse at a doctor’s office.
Mrs. Watt lived in Sequim, Wash., until moving to the Coeur d’Alene area in 1998.
Her husband, Robert, died in 2001.
Survivors include a son, Robert Watt II; two daughters, Mary Louise Singleton and Kathleen Watt; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Raymond Koep
Kennewick
Memorial mass for Raymond J. Koep, 87, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Koep, who was born in Englefeld, Saskatchewan, died Monday.
He was a naval aviator and retired with the rank of captain in the Naval Reserve.
Mr. Koep moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1944.
He operated a wholesale beer distributorship for 30 years.
He later moved to Kennewick.
He was a member of St. Thomas Church and was a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus, served as a member of the Coeur d’Alene KC Council for 12 years and was also president.
He volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul Society.
His wife, Constance, died in 2002.
Survivors include nine children, Ray Koep of Post Falls, Court Koep and Suzanne Riplinger, both of Coeur d’Alene, Roch Koep of Boise, Mary Priest of Lakewood, Colo., Deborah Slade, Ruth Phillips, and Phoebe Koep, all of West Richland, and Amy Fenwick of Tucson, Ariz.; two brothers, Ralph Koep of Coeur d’Alene, and Thomas Koep of Elk; a sister, Jeanette McKimmey of Spokane; 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to St. Vincent de Paul, 108 E. Walnut Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814, or St. Thomas Church, in care of the Rev. Jim Rodenspiel, 919, Indiana Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Hilding Brynteson
Kootenai, Idaho
Service for Hilding F. Brynteson, 91, will be today at 11 a.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint with burial to follow at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint.
Mr. Brynteson died last Wednesday. He was born in Kootenai to Swedish immigrants and attended Kootenai School and Sandpoint High School.
Mr. Brynteson joined the Civilian Conservation Corps before serving in the Army during World War II and saw action in the Aleutian Islands and Europe.
He later worked as a woodsman in the lumber and pole industries, retiring in 1978. He also had a private piece of timber property that he managed and logged. He enjoyed reading, hunting and fishing.
Survivors include a brother, Gustav Brynteson of Fox Island, Wash.
Grace Fellows
Spokane
Memorial service for Grace Corolin Fellows, 96, was Dec. 4 at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Miss Fellows, who was born and raised in Miles City, Mont., died Nov. 26.
Growing up, she was an avid horsewoman and pianist. After earning her teaching credentials at Montana State Normal School, she taught in a one-room country schoolhouse in Calabar, Mont.
She later earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Montana and did graduate work at the University of Washington and the University of California at Berkeley.
In 1942 she moved to Western Washington. She taught for several years in Snohomish and Yakima before moving to Seattle, where she taught in the public schools until her retirement in 1973.
After her retirement she moved to Spokane, where she lived with her sister, Helen. She resumed teaching as a volunteer at the Barton School, teaching English as a second language for nearly 20 years.
In her mid-80s she began taking piano lessons to maintain and improve skills that she used in teaching basic music to grade school students.
Survivors include three nieces, Corolin Ruff of Spokane, DianeHecker of Fort Collins, Colo., and Beth Byers of Charleston, Ind.; and two nephews, Bert Fellows of Paducah, Ky., and Delos Putz Jr. of San Geronimo, Calif.
Ray Hjelseth
Douglasville, Ga.
Memorial service for Ray Hjelseth, 63, will be at a later date in Atlanta. His ashes will later be scattered on property on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.
Mr. Hjelseth, who was born in Billings, died Dec. 2.
He grew up in Billings and served with the Air Force.
Mr. Hjelseth married his wife, Nora in Newfoundland, and they had two children together before the marriage ended in divorce.
He left the military and lost touch with his children but later got to know them again and also met his grandchildren.
Mr. Hjelseth lived in Polson, Mont., and Coeur d’Alene before moving to Atlanta.
He married his second wife, Sharon in 1983.
He enjoyed woodworking.
Survivors include his wife; two children, Randi Moran of Springhill, Fla., and Davis Wray of Whitby, Ontario; a sister, Paula Hjelseth of Coeur d’Alene; a brother, Gary of Billings; three grandchildren and five stepgrandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Diana Schrader
Newport, Wash.
Memorial service for Diana Mae Schrader, 61, is planned for Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Spirit Lake (Idaho) Valley Fellowship. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Schrader, a lifelong resident of Newport, Wash., died Thursday.
She graduated from Newport High School in 1961 and attended Spokane Falls Community College.
She taught at Grant Elementary School in Spokane.
Mrs. Schrader was a member of the Spirit Lake Valley Fellowship Church and enjoyed country western music. When KMJY radio station first started in the Newport-Oldtown area, it bought all of her country-western albums.
She enjoyed computers, viewing the Internet and reading.
Survivors include two daughters, Ruby Estell of Spokane and Carla Morelock of Newport; a son, Alan Dickison of Newport; two brothers, Stan Hoisington of Spirit Lake and Gene Hoisington of Weiser, Idaho; and five grandchildren.
Taelela Shoemake
Post Falls
Visitation for 26-month old Taelela Lynn Shoemake will be today from noon to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls. Service will be Friday at 10 a.m. at the funeral chapel.
Taelela , who was born in Coeur d’Alene died Sunday due to complications following an accident in June.
She was very active and was quick to smile, laugh and dance to any beat.
Survivors include her parents, Shawntae Symons of Post Falls and Roy Shoemake of Lacey, Wash.; half-brother and half-sister, Roy Shoemake II of Lacey and Marie Shoemake of Post Falls; and grandparents, Doc and Hannah Symons, and Lynda Dolan, all of Athol, Idaho, Dorthy and Charlie Boecker of Kyote, Texas, Tom and Joyce Shoemake of Hesperia, Calif., and Spencer Symons, and Tom and Zala Sweitzer, all of Post Falls.
Melvin Hollenback
Ritzville
Memorial service for Melvin C. Hollenback, 94, will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the Washtucna (Wash.) Community Church. Inurnment will be at Pioneer Cemetery. Danekas Funeral Home, Ritzville is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hollenback died Dec. 2. Born in Arlington, Neb., he moved with his family in 1923 to Spokane, and to Washtucna in 1936.
He married Tannis Kroll in 1933. They farmed a ranch 10 miles southwest of Washtucna until he retired at age 91 and moved to Ritzville.
Mr. Hollenback was a member of the Rimrock Grange, a charter member of the Washtucna Lions Club, and a member of the Kahlotus School Board. He also was a fire commissioner for the Kahlotus Fire Department, a director for the Washtucna Grain Growers and a director for the Franklin County Conservation District.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Richard, Donald and Douglas Hollenback, all of Washtucna; two daughters, Carol Proctor of Ritzville and Mary Woodbury of Spokane Valley; a brother, Mark Hollenback of Post Falls; three sisters, Iva Jo Kuster of Washtucna, Ruth Howard of Coeur d’Alene and Margaret Smith of Spokane Valley; numerous grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Washtucna EMT Association, c/o Don Hollenback, Box 492, Washtucna, WA 99371.