Obituaries

Eric Dvoracek

Las Vegas

Memorial service for Eric Carl Dvoracek, 28, will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. Dvoracek, who was born in Missoula, died Dec. 8 in a plane crash in the Mount Wilson Wilderness Area in Arizona.

He attended Borah Elementary and Canfield Middle schools in Coeur d’Alene. He attended Sacajawea Junior High School in Spokane and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1994.

He attended North Idaho College and graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He completed flight schools in North Dakota and Arizona and became a flight instructor.

For the past nine months Mr. Dvoracek flew tours over the Grand Canyon while working as a pilot for King Aviation in Las Vegas.

During the summers while attending college, Mr. Dvoracek worked as a firefighter for the Forest Service in the Priest Lake and St. Joe ranger districts of North Idaho. He especially enjoyed the camaraderie and physical challenge of working on the hot shot crew.

During high school and college he was involved in varsity soccer and was active in recreational sports and mountain biking.

He recently completed a 24-hour relay race in Arizona and planned to participate in triathlon and Ironman competitions.

His goal was to eventually become a spotter pilot in the Northwest for the U.S. Forest Service.

Survivors include his parents, Jim Dvoracek of Coeur d’Alene and Carla Dvoracek of Post Falls; a brother, Brent Dvoracek of San Luis Obispo, Calif.; a sister, Kristen Dvoracek of Moscow, Idaho; and grandparents Rose and Carl Hussein of Butte.

Memorials may be made to the Kootenai Humane Society or Shriners Hospital for Children.

James Collier

Spokane

No service will be held for James Blaine “Jimmy” Collier, 89, at his request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Mr. Collier, who was born in Mullan, Idaho, died Dec. 7.

He spent his early school years in Wallace. He later lived in Spokane and attended Longfellow Elementary School and Lewis and Clark High School.

In 1936 he joined the Washington National Guard, Company D, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry, and achieved the rank of sergeant.

In 1942 he married Doris Bollinger in Superior, Mont. That year, he also enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served in England with the Pathfinder Squadron of the 8th Air Force. He flew 17 missions in Europe as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 and was stationed in England for the duration of World War II.

After the war Mr. Collier returned to Spokane and worked as an auto mechanic at the Model Garage and Buchanan Chevrolet.

In the early 1950s, he began employment with the city of Spokane and was a foreman in the City Garage, retiring in 1980.

He was a member of the Spokane Mountaineers, Coeur d’Alene Bowmen and the Spokane Archery Club. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, car racing skiing and running in Bloomsday. In his later years he was a volunteer at Spokane Community College as a timer for track meets.

He was preceded in death by his wife.

Survivors include a sister, Louise Mulligan of Sacramento, Calif.; and two brothers, Tom Collier of Coeur d’Alene and Bert Morris of Redwood City, Calif.

Lyle Boleneus

Davenport, Wash.

Memorial service for Lyle Edwin Boleneus, 78, will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport.

Mr. Boleneus, who was born south of Davenport on the Wagon Wheel Ranch, died Tuesday.

He grew up in the Davenport area and attended school there until the 11th grade, when he joined the Navy and then served during World War II in the Pacific Theater. After his service he returned to Davenport and worked for several farmers and then worked briefly for the Washington State Highway Department.

He married Cordelia Ensor in 1948. They continued to live in Davenport until 1950, when they moved to the farm in the Mondovi area.

His wife died in 1982, and Mr. Boleneus turned the farm over to his son, Robert, a year later, then moved to Lynnwood, Wash. He moved to Omak in 1990, and returned to Davenport in 1992 due to health reasons.

Survivors include three children, Louise Pinger of Omak, Kittie Dietrich of Spokane and Robert Boleneus of Davenport; a brother, Deral Boleneus of Reardan, Wash.; and five grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Davenport Senior Center or Lincoln Hospital Foundation.

Norval Finnigan

Spokane

Memorial service for Norval Patrick Finnigan, 69, will be today at 11 a.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.

Mr. Finnigan, a 17-year resident of Spokane, died Dec. 9. He was born in Wenatchee.

He graduated from Chelan (Wash.) High School in Chelan in 1953 and attended Wenatchee Valley College.

As a project employee for the city of Spokane for 14 years, he worked on GIS mapping projects with the Water Department and developed annexation methodology with the Budget Department. He also designed a format to computerize covenant files with the Planning Department.

In addition, he was an apartment manager with Kiemle and Hagood.

He was a member of the Church of God Fellowship, and his hobbies included fishing, gardening and current events.

Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Judy; three daughters, Shannon Jones and Sherri Parsons, both of Montana, and Sherly Ward of Manson, Wash.; two stepdaughters, Ann Finnigan of Spokane and Aileen Bloxton of Federal Way, Wash.; a stepson, Andrew Finnigan of Spokane; his mother, Irene Finnigan of Chelan; two brothers, Mike Finnigan of Las Vegas and Fred Finnigan of Chelan; five grandchildren, six stepgrandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Lennis Hill

Silverton, Idaho

Celebration of life for Lennis Eugene Hill, 84, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Wallace Elks Lodge. Shoshone Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hill, who was born in Denton, Mont., died Sunday.

He moved to Coeur d’Alene with his family in 1922 and graduated from high school there in 1938.

He then graduated from Coeur d’Alene Junior College and Kinman Business University in Spokane and moved to the Silver Valley in 1942.

Mr. Hill married Ruby Sinrud in 1944.

During his 43 years of employment with the Hecla Mining Co., Mr. Hill began as a timekeeper in Burke before transferring to the Red Cloud Mine in Hornitos, Calif., for two years, then was an accountant in Wallace until retiring in 1985.

He was a musician for 73 years, beginning with trumpet lessons at the age of 11. He learned to play by ear with the help of his mother. He began playing at local dances and with The Melody Boys while in high school and had played professionally since, including with the Lennis Hill Combo, the Sounds of Music, Coeur d’Alene Big Band, the Wallace Drum and Bugle Corps, Kellogg Elks Band and the Kellogg Booster Band.

He was a member of the Silverton Community Church, and the Wallace Rotary Club, and past president and secretary-treasurer of the Wallace Kiwanis Club. He also was a 20-year member and past secretary-treasurer of the Wallace Youth Association.

Mr. Hill was a 27-year member and past secretary-treasurer of the Shoshone County Fire District 1 and was a past president of the Wallace Senior Center.

He was a member of the board for Shiba, and the Whispering Pines and Echo Pines Housing, past chairman of both the Advisory Council for Aging and Adult Housing and the Advisory Council for Aging and Adult Services.

Mr. Hill was a longtime member of both the Masonic Lodge and the Wallace Elks Lodge.

He was a volunteer at the Wallace Visitor Center, the Silver Wood Good Samaritan Center and the United Crusade. He and his wife were named as the Elks’ Co-citizens of the Year in 2000-2001.

He enjoyed bowling, golfing, snow skiing, water skiing, gardening, fishing, traveling in his recreational vehicle and operating a ham radio.

Survivors include his wife; two children, Ken Hill and Connie Bunch, both of Spokane; a sister, Dorothy Peacock of Coeur d’Alene; a brother, Ira Hill of Modesto, Calif.; and three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Silver Wood Good Samaritan Center, Silverton, Idaho.

Skyler Cullitan

Nine Mile Falls

Memorial service for P. Skyler Cullitan, 16, will be Sunday at 11 a.m. at Cataldo Hall, Gonzaga University, 502 E. Sharp Ave.

Mr. Cullitan died last Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He had attended St. George’s School, where he won awards on the chess team, and was a junior at Lakeside High School.

He participated in on track and wrestling teams and competed in chess, Knowledge Bowl, and Math Is Cool tournaments.

He was interested in Buddhism and Christianity, reading, writing, science, music and speaking Spanish and Japanese.

He donated his heart, lungs, liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Survivors include his parents, Peter and Beth Cullitan of Nine Mile Falls; three brothers, Travis, Chauncy and Miles; and a sister, Candice.

June Hoaglund

Cheney

At her request, a springtime graveside service will be held for June W. Hoaglund in St. John, Wash. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hoaglund, who was born in St. John, died Dec. 9.

She often worked two jobs at a time. Her first job was as a waitress at the Davenport Hotel, where she met her husband, Ozzie Hoaglund. She worked in the Spokane area and eventually retired from Key Tronic in 1984.

After retiring, she and her husband lived on the Cheney ponderosa.

She enjoyed telling jokes and making her friends laugh. She also loved her Pomeranian dogs.

She was preceded in death by her husband.

Survivors include a daughter, Dawn Lindley; two brothers, Bud and Fred Wagoner; and a sister, Margie Smith.

Jacqueline (Bruck) Kanenwisher

Spokane

Memorial service for Jacqueline Marie (Bruck) Kanenwisher, 74, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Kanenwisher, who died Monday, was born in Spokane.

She was a lifelong resident of Spokane and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1947.

She worked for many years in the dental office of Dr. Clifford Rankin and was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Survivors include her husband, Albert; a son, Larry Plager of Spokane; a daughter, Julie Kitelinger of Sea Tac, Wash.; a sister, Patty Morton of Newport, Wash.; a brother, Jim Bruck of Stanton, Calif.; five grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Robert Jenkinson

Elk

Memorial service for Robert Wayne “Bob” Jenkinson, 60, will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, Chattaroy.

Mr. Jenkinson, who was born in Spokane, died last Friday

He graduated from North Central High School in 1963 and was married to his high school sweetheart, Linda Johnson, for 41 years.

Mr. Jenkinson was a health line distributor for HTN.

Survivors include his wife; five children, Darrin Jenkinson of Missoula, Lisa Lee of Spokane, Lynette Romney of Newman Lake and Dallas and Linley Jenkinson, both of Elk; his mother Blanch Jenkinson of Spokane; a sister, Jackie Forney of Spokane; and 19 grandchildren.

Justin Snyder

Spokane

Memorial service for Justin Scott Snyder, 17, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rock of Ages Church, 2131 W. Woodside Ave.

Mr. Snyder, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Dec. 5 from a stab wound to the chest.

He had earned a general equivalency diploma and worked at Spokane Produce.

He was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Survivors include his parents, Scott and Julie Snyder of Spokane; three brothers, Brandon, Taylor and Justin, all of Spokane; three sisters, Nicole, Desiree and Kaitlyn, all of Spokane; and his grandparents, Gloria Snyder, and Larry and Priscilla Hansen, all of Spokane.

Claudia Gerhauser

Spokane

Service for Claudia J. Gerhauser, 68, will be at a later date. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Gerhauser died Dec. 9.

She was born in Pullman and graduated from Rosalia High School.

She arrived in Spokane 39 years ago and was a homemaker.

Her husband, James Gerhauser, died in 1968.

Survivors include two daughters, Pamela Smith of Seattle and Terri Gerhauser of Clayton Wash.; a son, Mike Gerhauser of Spokane; three sisters, Frances Blank of Rosalia, Wash., Betty Howry of Spokane and Shirley Wirthgen of Gig Harbor, Wash.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Lydia Leonard

Spokane

Memorial service for Lydia Leonard, 92, will be today at 1 p.m. at Sunset Chapel, Fairmount Memorial Park.

Mrs. Leonard, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Monday.

She graduated from Central Valley High School in 1930 and was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband of 47 years, Ralph; a daughter, Joan Matlack; two grandchildren and four great-grandchilredn.