Obituaries
George Connolley
Priest River, Idaho
Graveside service for George Cooper Connolly, 79, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Connolly, a 54-year resident of Spokane, died Monday. He was born in Spokane and raised in Harrison, Idaho.
After graduating from Harrison High School, he attended Gonzaga University.
In 1943 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served in World War II as a P-38 fighter pilot. His battles and campaigns include the New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Western Pacific, the China Defensive, Borneo, Luzon and the Southern Philippines.
In 1946 he was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant from Fort Lewis, Wash., receiving various medals, including the Pacific Service Medal with seven bronze stars.
In 1952 he married Beverlee Brown.
Mr. Connolly worked as an insurance agent and Realtor. He owned the Bob Dow Agency in Priest River from 1951 until retiring in 1984.
He was a 25-year member of the Priest River Chamber of Commerce and a charter member and past president of the Kaniksu Clinic. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and Elks Lodge, the Idaho Association of Insurance Agents and the Idaho Association of Realtors and was involved with the Boy Scouts.
He enjoyed golf, fishing, boating, gardening, hunting and traveling.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Mara’d Sjostrom of Post Falls, and Colleen Lake of Spokane; two sons, John Connolly of Oldtown, Idaho, and Jeffrey Connolly of Priest River; eight grandchildren, one stepgrandson and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Johnny Haeger
Spokane
Funeral for Johnny O. Haeger, 87, will be today at 11:30 a.m. at Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Haeger, who died May 25, was born in Almont, N.D.
He worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington and Idaho from 1939 to 1941.
He worked for Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane as an orderly from 1941 to 1942, then entered the Army Medical Corps during World War II. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., in 1942, and was deployed to London for three years. He was honorably discharged as a corporal.
Returning to civilian life Mr. Haeger was employed by the city of Grand Coulee as a heavy-equipment operator from 1950 to 1958. He later worked as a heavy-equipment operator for the city of Spokane for more than 20 years, retiring in 1979.
He was a longtime member of Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church and was a member of the Eagles Lodge.
Mr. Haeger was a self-taught mechanic who repaired cars for family, friends and strangers, and he enjoyed gardening.
Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Sandy; four daughters, Betty Mattoon of St. John, Wash., Jacquie Corsmo of Virginia Beach, Va., and Lilly Anne and Rose Haeger, both of Spokane; three sisters, Olga and Louise Bopp, and Ruth Huston; a brother, Ray Haeger; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
James Elgie
Colville
Funeral for James Dale Elgie, 69, will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Danekas Funeral Chapel, Colville.
Mr. Elgie, a 55-year resident of Stevens County, died Sunday. He was born in Omak, Wash.
He attended grade school in Okanogan, Wash., and graduated from Columbia High School in Hunters, Wash., in 1953.
He joined the Washington Army National Guard in his senior year and spent many years in the service.
He farmed with his father near Daisy, Wash., for 37 years, on a farm his great-grandparents homesteaded in 1887.
Mr. Elgie moved to Colville in 1987. Poor health prevented him from working in recent years.
He enjoyed tinkering with cars and was an avid reader.
Survivors include his mother, Marguerite Elgie.
Charlotte Roestel
Spokane
Memorial service for Charlotte C. Roestel, 88, will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park, with a celebration of her life to follow at 7707 N. Wilding. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Roestel, who died Saturday, was born in Three Forks, Mont.
She graduated in 1934 from North Central High School and in 1937 married Roy Roestel.
They moved to Richland, where they worked at Hanford until returning to Spokane in 1956.
She retired from Kmart in 1978.
She was a member and past president of the Womans Club of Spokane and secretary-treasurer of the Spokane Democratic Club.
She enjoyed reading, gambling, fishing, playing bingo, pinochle, crossword puzzles and cooking.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Survivors include a son, Steve Roestel; three daughters, Elnoramae Richardson, Charlene Carroll and Sheryl Branca, all of Spokane; two brothers, Bruce and Dale Cole, both of Spokane; and three sisters, Erlys Leemhuis of Kennewick, Wanda Larson of Mead and Bonnie Rosberg of Spokane; 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Rosemary `Dolly’ Turnbull
Sagle, Idaho
Visitation for Rosemary Arleen “Dolly” (Eldred) Turnbull, 76, will be today from noon to 6 p.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint. Service is planned for Friday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with burial to follow at Westmond Cemetery.
Mrs. Turnbull, who was born in Mott, N.D., died Monday.
She moved to the Sagle area with her family in 1936 and attended Sagle School.
She later worked at Farragut Naval Station, Yellowstone National Park, and a cannery near Ellensburg.
She married Harp Turnbull in 1953, and they operated the Turnbull family farm and ranch, which was established in 1884.
The Turnbull family managed the Westmond Cemetery for many years, and she had served as secretary since the 1980s.
She was also instrumental in organizing the volunteer cemetery revitalization project.
She enjoyed hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation.
Survivors include her husband; a brother, Walt Eldred of Sagle; and two sisters, Laura Carothers of Sagle and Margaret Popovich of Tacoma.
Memorials may be made to the Westmond Cemetery Association, 3222 S. Sagle Road, Sagle, ID 83860.
Fern (Schwab) Reilley
Coulee Dam
Memorial service for Fern Hazel (Schwab) Reilley, 84, will be June 12 at 1 p.m. at Coulee Community Church.
Mrs. Reilley, who was born in Grandview, Wash., died May 17.
She grew up in the Yakima Valley, Gresham, Ore., and Pullman.
She moved to Coulee Dam after high school to live with her sister, Helen, and worked in a boarding house.
In 1940 she married Jack Reilley and they made their home in Coulee Dam.
In addition to being a homemaker, Mrs. Reilley worked many years at Akers Drug in Coulee Dam and also for a few years at Russell Drug in Grand Coulee.
She was active in Order of the Eastern Star and Ladies of the Pool.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Survivors include a son, John Reilley; a daughter, Joan Kendall; a sister, Helen Ling; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Louis Olivet
Spokane
Funeral Mass for Louis Olivet, 88, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Olivet, who died Saturday , was a lifelong Spokane resident.
He graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory School in 1934.
During World War II he served in the Army in Europe.
Mr. Olivet was the manager of the sales department for URM.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Mary Jeanne, in 1997.
Survivors include a son, Stephen Olivet of Spokane; and a sister, Florence McCormack of Salt Lake City.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Robert LaSarte
Coeur dAlene
Funeral Mass for Robert C. LaSarte, 64, will be today at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in DeSmet, Idaho. Kramer Funeral Home, Tekoa is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. LaSarte died Monday.
Born in DeSmet , he attended the DeSmet Mission School and Plummer (Idaho) High School, graduating in 1960.
Mr. LaSarte worked as a teaching assistant at the Coeur d’Alene Tribal School for 26 years, retiring in 2000 .
A lifelong resident of DeSmet, he had made his home at Ivy Court in Coeur d’Alene for the past year.
Mr. LaSarte was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
He enjoyed music, dancing, playing bingo and traveling with the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Older Americans.
For several years he played Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman and the Easter Bunny at holiday church functions.
Survivors include a brother, David LaSarte of Worley, Idaho; and two sisters, Marjorie Johnson of Tensed, Idaho, and Christine Coffey of Desmet.
Pearl Akers
Newport, Wash.
Family service for Pearl E. (Pratt) Akers, 96, will be Saturdayat the Newport Cemetery. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Akers, who was born in Freeport, Ill., died May 27.
In 1933 she married Leonard Akers.
While living in California, she worked during World War II in the shipyards and made blackout curtains used in the bombers. She later worked for Bell and Howell Electronics, where she was supervisor and one of the first people to work on the string cables used for in-flight movies on airlines.
Mrs. Akers moved to Elk 15 years ago.
She was a member of the Peaceful Valley Church and enjoyed cooking, crafts and crocheting.
Her husband died in 1964.
Survivors include a daughter, Beverly Hallowell of Elk; a son, Donald Akers of Aurora, Colo.; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Hilda Scheller
Veradale
Visitation for Hilda L. Scheller, 85, will be today from noon to 8 p.m. at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Graveside service will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Pines Cemetery.
Mrs. Scheller, who died Saturday, was born in Millvale, Pa.
She was a longtime resident of Spokane and was a homemaker and enjoyed gardening and sewing.
Survivors include her husband of 41 years, Raymond; a daughter, Janet Doege; a son, Gary Scheller; a sister, Erna Nord of Mead; a brother, Edwin Nussbaumer of Hunters, Wash.; one grandson and two great-grandchildren.
John Bushy
Spokane
Service for John Michael Bushy, 44, will be today at 3 p.m. at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mr. Bushy, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
He attended Rogers High School and worked as a forklift driver
He enjoyed bargain hunting.
Survivors include four children; Tonya Rock Strom and Amber, Nick and Nathan Bushy; three sisters, Marilyn Anderson, Mary Rowley, and Bobbi Miethe; and two brothers, Ron and Joe Bushy, all of Spokane.
Glorine Staley
Spokane
Private service was held for Glorine B. Staley, 77.
Mrs. Staley, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died May 20.
She attended Lewis and Clark High School and in 1946 married Mansel Staley.
She was a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Survivors include two sons, Benny and Don Staley, both of Spokane; a sister, Sharon Meyer of Spokane; and three grandchildren.