Obituaries

Kemble Stout

Spokane

Memorial service for Kemble A. Stout, 87, will be Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. at Gladish Community and Cultural Center in Pullman. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home in Spokane is in charge of arrangements.

Dr. Stout, who was born in Kirksville, Mo., died July 3.

A longtime resident of Pullman and professor of music at Washington State University, he moved to Spokane with his wife in 1999.

In 1937, after graduating in music from the school now called Truman State University, he married Mildred Boehner and accepted a scholarship for graduate study at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.

They returned to Kirksville a year later, where Dr. Stout taught at his alma mater for four years before resuming graduate study at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

War interrupted his graduate program, and he spent a year working in the Pratt & Whitney aircraft factory in Kansas City, Mo.

In 1945 the family moved to Pullman, where Dr. Stout began a 34-year career teaching classes and piano students in the WSU music department.

He returned to Rochester in 1949-50 with his family to complete his doctorate in music.

Shortly after their return to Pullman he was elected chairman of the music department, a position he held for 16 years.

He produced about 50 musical compositions and arrangements, many of which have been performed publicly.

Well-known as a performer and guest conductor, he was also a popular speaker and panelist at professional meetings and judge of piano and band competitions.

In 1958 he purchased and restored a Steinway reproducing piano and began collecting piano rolls recorded by the famous pianists of the early 20th century.

When he had accumulated 2,500 rolls, he wrote scripts and recorded 242 half-hour radio programs for a series he titled “The Legendary Pianists.” The programs were aired on 200 educational stations in nearly every during the 1960s and ‘70s and have recently been transcribed to compact discs.

He conducted the Greystone Presbyterian Church choir for many years and served on the board of the Pullman Community Concert Association.

In 1964 the Stouts designed and built a 16-unit apartment building overlooking Reaney Park. Eventually they acquired the other properties in the block.

Dr. Stout took early retirement in 1979. His WSU career concluded that spring with a concert of his compositions performed by students and faculty members.

Dr. Stout published four books documenting his grandparents’ ancestors and descendants and began research for a larger work, “Genealogy of The Kemble (Kimble) Family in America.” He published it 13 years later.

In 1996 he joined Friends of Gladish, a group dedicated to reclaiming Pullman’s abandoned, centrally located high school for public use.

He enjoyed playing bridge and billiards, traveling and entertaining.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Diana Yates of Portland and Christie Bruntlett of Cheney; a son, Barrett Stout of Ashland, Ore.; a sister, Mary Ellen Dodson of Sonoma, Calif.; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to a music scholarship to be established at WSU (call Joshua Knudson at (509) 335-3765 for information) or Friends of Gladish, c/o Gladish community and Cultural Center, 115 NW State St., Pullman, WA 99163.

Herb Nettleton

Coeur d’Alene

Memorial service for Herb Nettleton, 96, will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. Nettleton died Monday.

He was born on the family homestead in Nettleton Gulch in Coeur d’Alene and lived in the Coeur d’Alene area most of his life, except for two years when he worked as manager of the Idaho Forest Industries mill in Fernwood, Idaho.

In 1934 he married Rose Hamlin. She died in 1995.

Mr. Nettleton worked in the logging industry and retired from Atlas Tie and IFI in 1973.

He was a charter member of the Coeur d’Alene Golf Course and helped clear the land for its construction. He also was a life master of the American Contract Bridge League.

Mr. Nettleton was a member of Community United Methodist Church and a 61-year member of the Eagles Lodge.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening.

Survivors include two daughters, Maxine Schierman of Coeur d’Alene and Kaye Larson of Spokane; a brother, Edward, of Biloxi, Miss.; four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to the Community United Methodist Church Building Fund, 1470 W. Hanley Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.

Monte Bennett

Hayden, Idaho

Memorial service for Monte G. Bennett, 51, was Thursday at Living Waters Fellowship in Athol, Idaho.

Mr. Bennett, who was born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, died Sunday of complications from diabetes, congestive heart failure and asbestosis.

He lived in Ione, Wash., until the age of 5 and then moved to Troy, Mont., where he graduated from high school.

Mr. Bennett served in the Army until receiving an honorable discharge in 1973. He married Charlotte Sheler that year. They raised five children. The couple divorced in 1995.

He worked at the zonolite mine for W.R. Grace & Co. in Libby, until the mine closed in 1991. He moved to Hayden in 2000 to be near family.

Mr. Bennett enjoyed hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation, and in later years he enjoyed antiques, especially automobiles.

Survivors include his children, Jason Bennett of Clarksville, Tenn., Monica Stevens of Sandpoint, Miranda Seig of Coeur d’Alene, and Alanna Bennett and Solon Bennett, both of Peck, Idaho; a sister, Lezlie Holden of Havre, Mont.; and four grandchildren and Glen

Larry Gilman Sr.

Smelterville, Idaho

Graveside memorial service for Larry H. Gilman Sr., 52, will be Saturday at noon at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Gilman, who was born in Kellogg, died Wednesday.

He graduated from Kellogg High School in 1972 and worked for Spunstrand for 27 years.

He enjoyed darts, fishing, and outdoor recreation.

Survivors include two children, Larry Gilman Jr. of Smelterville, and Christy Stone of Lynnwood, Wash.; four brothers, Walt Gilman of Montana, Bob Gilman of Coeur d’Alene, Rick Gilman of Post Falls and Glen Gilman of California; four sisters, Darlene Mendy of Smelterville, Charlene Barker of Montana, and Ramona Mendy and Jessie Stout, both of Kellogg; and one grandson.

Harold Van Horne

Elk, Wash.

Service for Harold Francis Van Horne, 89, was Thursday at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.

Mr. Van Horne, who died Saturday, was born in Spokane.

He began working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1935 and had one of the last horse-and-cart routes in the nation.

He served two years in the Army at Camp Roberts in California, where he served as postmaster.

After his discharge he learned the shoe-repair trade in Paso Robles and Boulder Creek, Calif.

He returned to Spokane, where he owned and operated a shoe-repair shop at Nevada and Bridgeport for a short time.

Because business was slow, he returned to the Postal Service and was a carrier in Spokane until 1952, when he moved to Elk, where he was a rural carrier and later served as postmaster, retiring in 1972.

During this time Mr. Van Horne owned the Richfield Service Station on the Newport Highway across from Riverside High School. He later added the drive-in, Van’s Horne of Plenty, which is currently the Ram Drive In.

Mr. Van Horne was an avid golfer and fisherman and enjoyed camping and woodworking.

He was a member of the Fertile Valley Grange for several years.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Grace.

In 1993 he married Evelyn Cross.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, David and Steven; a daughter, Merrie Higgins; two stepdaughters, Linda Powell and Sharon Doty; six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, five stepgrandchildren and one stepgreat-grandson.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Fertile Valley Grange.

Lewis Walker

St. Maries

Mass of Christian Burial for Lewis E. Walker, 68, will be Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in St. Maries with burial to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Maries. Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Walker, who was born in Aberdeen, S.D., died Tuesday.

He grew up in Aberdeen and graduated from high school in Bath, S.D., in 1954.

Mr. Walker then served with the Army until 1958 and married Joanne Price that year.

He worked for the Milwaukee Railroad as a foreman before transferring to the St. Maries Milwaukee Railroad in 1972. He became an engineer for the railroad in 1979 and retired in 1997.

His wife died in 1999.

Mr. Walker enjoyed hunting, sports and meeting for coffee at the Handi Corner.

He was a member of the St. Maries Eagles Lodge and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Survivors include four sons, Dan Walker of Seattle, Scott Walker of Spokane, and Dean and John Walker, both of St. Maries; five brothers, William, Glen, and Richard Walker Sr., all of Seattle, Larry Walker of Arlington, Wash., and Clyde Walker of Tampa, Fla.; three sisters, Mary Turley of Seattle, Joan Walker of Detroit and Gladys Ping of Annetta, N.D.; and four grandchildren.

James Fenton

Spokane

Visitation for James Perry Fenton, 48, will be today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Riplinger Funeral Home. Memorial service will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mr. Fenton, who was born in Encino, Calif., died Sunday.

He attended Rogers High School and was a longtime employee of the city of Spokane.

Survivors include a son, James Grant of Chelan, Wash.; his mother, Dorothy Fenton, and a brother, Mark Fenton, both of Spokane.

Bernice Blackhurst

Spokane

Funeral for Bernice G. Blackhurst, 91, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, River Ridge Ward, 2112 W. Francis Ave. Visitation will precede the service. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Blackhurst, who was born in West Jordan, Utah, died Saturday.

She graduated from Jordan High School in 1930 and received a degree from LDS Business College.

She married Wallace M. Blackhurst in 1937, and in 1964 the couple moved to Spokane from Butte.

Mrs. Blackhurst retired in 1977 after 10 years at Lakeland Village as a seamstress.

She was a lifetime member of the Mormon Church, including 40 years with the River Ridge Ward.

Her husband died in 2000.

Survivors include two daughters, Martha Smith of Spokane and Elizabeth Richardson of McAllen, Texas; two sons, Wallace Blackhurst of Bountiful, Utah and Brad Blackhurst of Sammamish, Wash.; a sister, Maxine Charlier, and a brother, Russell Gardner, both of Sandy, Utah; 34 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Darrel Engel

Rosalia, Wash.

Graveside service for Darrel Engel, 67, will be Monday at 10 a.m. at the IOOF Evergreen Cemetery, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. at the Rosalia Community Baptist Church. Schanzenbach Funeral Home, Rosalia is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Engel, a lifelong resident of the Rosalia area, died Tuesday.

He served in the Marine Corps and the Navy.

He attended Rosalia Community Baptist Church and was a member of the National Rifle Association and the Grange and had served on the Whitman County Weed Board.

He enjoyed hunting, bowling and playing games.

Survivors include his wife, Kaye; a son, Mitch Engel; a daughter, Teresa Engel; a sister, JoAnn Trappe; and two grandchildren.

Myrtle Walker

Spokane

Memorial service for Myrtle Walker, 87, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Walter, who was born in Minnesota, died Monday.

She was a homemaker and enjoyed dancing, baking and traveling.

She was a member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and a past member of Ladies Auxiliary of the Spokane Valley Eagles Lodge.

Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Richard; two daughters, Deanna Ranniger and Jennice Howell; a sister, Doris Olson; seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Building Fund.

Verna (Mostad) Thompson

Spokane

Graveside service for Verna Jane (Mostad) Thompson, 78, will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Peone Prairie Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Thompson, who was born in Jamestown, N.D., died last Friday.

She attended schools in Jamestown, then worked at restaurants and department stores in Rapid City, S.D., and Spokane.

Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Rex; two daughters, Cheryl Opp of Boise and Yvonne Thompson of Colville; two brothers, Bill Mostad of Spokane and Kenneth Mostad of Jamestown; and two granddaughters.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.