Obituaries
Lewey Lorenzen
Spokane
Vigil for Lewey H. Lorenzen, 80, will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Charles Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Lorenzen died May 10.
He was born in Fort Benton, Mont., and grew up on his father’s homestead farm near Big Sandy, Mont.
He attended Northern Montana College until enlisting in the Navy in 1943. He served as a Navy Seabee, and designed and built military airport runways in Okinawa, Japan, and Tinian and other islands in the Marianas.
He graduated from Montana State University in 1948 in civil engineering, and married Phyllis McCann.
Mr. Lorenzen worked as a bridge engineer for the U.S. Forest Service and later as an asphalt engineer for Carter Oil Co.
In 1953, he helped found Blackline Asphalt Supply Inc. and served as its president. Blackline built the first land-based asphalt storage facility in the United States and had asphalt plants in Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Colorado and British Columbia.
Mr. Lorenzen also started, acquired, and served on the board or as a consultant to a number of other companies, including Harms Pacific Transport, Harney Rock and Paving, and DuPont.
He was a founder and director of 49 Degrees North Ski Area.
He was a charter member of the Hillyard Rotary, a Paul Harris Fellow, a member of the Board of Trustees of Gonzaga Prep and an active member of St. Charles Parish. Mr. Lorenzen was a director of Spokane Youth Hockey and supported Little League Baseball and Youth Soccer.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, flying, working and being at the family cabin at Hayden Lake, Idaho.
He was a member of the Montana Pilots Association.
Survivors include his wife; four children, Shelley Lorenzen of Lake Oswego, Ore., Michael Lorenzen of Snohomish, Wash., Guy Lorenzen of Spokane, and Bradley Lorenzen of Denver; and 11 grandchildren.
Ford Cederblom
Rathdrum
Visitation for Ford Aston Cederblom, 20, will be today from 2 to 8 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel. Service will be Tuesday at 4 p.m. at New Life Community Church in Hayden.
Mr. Cederblom died May 10 from injuries suffered in a plane crash near Carlsbad, Calif.
He was born in Coeur d’Alene. He attended Lakeland schools and graduated from high school in 2002.
He was listed in Who’s Who of American High School Students during his junior and senior years of high school and was active in rabbit and steer 4-H programs for 10 years.
The summer after completing sixth grade he participated in a summer enrichment program called Learn to Fly at the Junior High, and he flew with his instructor, Cheryl Cox for many years.
At the age of 12 he drew a once in a lifetime Idaho moose permit and filled it.
He was involved in a Christian youth group.
Mr. Cederblom recently worked at Sam Goody and the Sunglass Hut in Silver Lake Mall.
He attended North Idaho College for one year and in September enrolled in the Pan Am Flight Academy in Phoenix to be a commercial pilot.
He was licensed as a private pilot single engine, private pilot multi-engine, instrument rated pilot and in crew resource management. Mr. Cederblom had worked on Route and was scheduled to begin commercial pilot classes later this month.
Survivors include his parents, Brad and Linda Cederblom; a sister, Abby, and two brothers, Weston and Colton, all of Rathdrum.
Lucille Whatley Steed
Post Falls
Burial for Lucille Whatley Steed, 91, will be at a later date at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Private service will be held at a later date. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Steed died Monday.
She was born in Winnsboro, Texas.
She married Lewis Steed and was a homemaker while serving in Christian ministry with her husband.
Mrs. Steed moved to North Idaho in 1999.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include two children, Louie Steed of Portland and Gloria Park of Coeur d’Alene.
Lawrence Benzel
Ritzville, Wash.
Visitation for Lawrence W. Benzel, 85, will be today and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Danekas Funeral Home.
Funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Zion Congregational Church in Ritzville. Vault burial with military honors will follow. Danekas Funeral Home, Ritzville is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Benzel, a lifelong resident of Ritzville, died Friday.
He grew up on the family farm near Marcellus. He attended the Ralston School before graduating in 1936 from Ritzville High School. While in high school, he worked for Dave Hoefel at the Ford dealership.
He attended Kinman Business University in Spokane and returned to work at the Ford dealership.
In 1941, he became one of the first men in Adams County to be drafted by the Army. He served in the 1st Armored Division in North Africa and Italy during World War II. He was discharged in 1945.
Mr. Benzel married Alma Ils in 1945 and began working for Gearhart Ford Sales in Ritzville.
In 1953, he purchased the dealership, and Benzel Ford Sales was formed.
He was involved in his church, Lions Club and the American Legion.
He supported numerous community projects and was a Ritzville booster. After closing Benzel Ford in 1983, he supported numerous community projects, especially sustaining the Legion Building. He also provided assistance at Danekas Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Brian Benzel of Spokane, Bruce Benzel of Ritzville and Tom Benzel of Cheney; three sisters, Dorothy Eckhardt and Shirley Klein, both of Ritzville, and Ilene Ellsworth of Indianapolis; a brother, Everett, of Colorado Springs; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Zion Philadelphia Congregational Church or Ritzville Lions Club Legion Remodel Project, c/o Jim Leffell 211 W. Broadway, Ritzville, WA 99169.
Chester Boni
Buckley, Wash.
Private graveside inurnment for Chester Norman Boni, 64, will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Boni died Thursday in Puyallup, Wash.
He served in the Marine Corps as a master sergeant during Vietnam.
He had lived in Kellogg on and off.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and enjoyed reading and computers.
Survivors include two daughters, Maryruth Butler of Kellogg and Wendy Hawes of Orange County, Calif.; a brother, William Boni of Arizona; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to any Masonic Lodge or Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg.
Robert Alboucq
Spokane
Memorial service for Robert L. Alboucq, 80, will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Alboucq, who died Thursday, was born in Clarkston.
He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in chemical engineering, and served in the Army during World War II and the Korean War.
Mr. Alboucq worked for Kaiser for 30 years.
Survivors include his wife, Carol; two sons, Brian Alboucq of Spokane and Steven Alboucq of Bellevue; and one granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to Christ Lutheran Memorial Fund or Habitat for Humanity.
Donna Williams
Spokane
No service will be held for Donna J. Williams, 68, at her request. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.
Ms. Williams, who was born in Valley, Wash., died May 8.
After graduating in 1954 from Rogers High School, Ms. Williams joined the Air Force in 1955, retiring from the military in 1975.
She resided in Baton Rouge, La., on two different occasions from 1975 to 1985 then returned to Spokane.
Ms. Williams worked for USDA, Federal Crop Insurance from 1985 to 1995.
Survivors include two sisters, Nancy Retzloff and Clema Merrick.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.
Myrtle ‘Toni’ Smith
Post Falls
Memorial service for Myrtle E. “Toni” Smith, 78, will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls.
Mrs. Smith died Friday.
She was born in East Hartford, Conn., and married Hugh Smith in 1945. He died in February after 59 years of marriage.
She was a homemaker and also a singer and performed opera and foreign folk songs with the stage name of Dena Mara during the 1960s.
Mrs. Smith was involved in theater and taught art and ceramics and had established a name as an artist in Pennsylvania, following in the footsteps of her artist father, Ralph Eno.
She lived in Florida before settling in the Coeur d’Alene area in 1974 and became active in local politics. She was a member of the Republican Central Committee.
Mrs. Smith was a founder of the first Hospice Store in Post Falls and was a volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program.
She was honored in 1989 for her service to the youth of the Kootenai County Juvenile Division and the Youth Help Line Inc.
She enjoyed painting, crocheting, music, reading and attending garage sales.
Survivors include two children, Robert Smith and Janet Bunke, both of Post Falls; and a granddaughter.
Eugene “Bud” Appel
Dusty, Wash.
Memorial service for Eugene V. “Bud” Appel, 81, will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax.
Mr. Appel, who was born in Colfax, died Saturday.
He grew up in the LaCrosse/Dusty area before moving to Pullman at age 9. After high school he joined the Army and served during World War II in the artillery division overseas. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
He married Joyce Perry in 1946, and the couple made their home in Dusty, where Mr. Appel helped his brother farm.
The family moved to Lamont for a short time before moving back to the farm in Dusty.
In 1966 Mr. Appel began a career in carpentry. He worked on many projects in the area and built several homes.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, reading and camping. He was a member of the Dusty Gun Club and a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
Survivors include his wife; four children, Connie Hilliard of Spokane, John Appel of Pomeroy, Sally Morris of LaCrosse and Joanne Gerkins of Kelso/Longview, Wash.; a brother, Harold Appel of Eugene, Ore.; a sister, Wilma Larson of Pullman; 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Ethel (Harter) Henderson
Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Ethel Omay Harter Thomas Henderson, 96, was Monday at the fellowship hall of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Coeur d’Alene. Burial will take place at a later date in Silverbrook Cemetery in Wilmington, Del. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Henderson died Thursday.
She was born in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Henderson was an elementary school teacher before moving to North Idaho in 2002.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Charles Thomas and Warren Henderson Jr.
She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Cathleen Calder of Evergreen, N.C.; and three stepdaughters, Glenda Cabrera of Coeur d’Alene. Sylvia Ward of Caldwell, Idaho, and Bev Caplener of Gresham, Ore.
Harold Tiede
Spokane
No service will be held for Harold Tiede, 79, at his request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tiede, who was born in Spokane, died Wednesday.
He lived in the Saltese area until he was 11 and resided in the Freeman/Rockford area until 2003, when he moved to the Spokane Valley. He was a snowbird in Yuma, Ariz., for 12 years.
He graduated from Rockford High School, and in 1950 married Jeannette Dawson.
Mr. Tiede was a farmer and steward of the land and retired at an early age.
A member of the Hassie Car Club, he enjoyed cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles and RV trips.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Mary Frey of Spokane and Donna Saager of Milton-Freewater, Ore.; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
JoAnn (Howard) Hape
Hayden, Idaho
Memorial service for JoAnn (Howard) Hape, 58, will be today at 11 a.m. at Yates Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Hape died Friday.
She was born in Eatonville, Wash.
Mrs. Hape grew up and attended school in Eatonville and Puyallup, Wash., and worked at IBM in Renton, Wash., for many years.
In 1978 she married Robert Hape.
They moved to Gusher, Utah, in 1979, and she worked at J.C. Penney.
They settled in Hayden in 1985, and she worked at Farmer’s Insurance in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Hape was a member of Lake City Community Church.
She enjoyed many hobbies.
Survivors include her husband, Bob; three children, David Sperry of Moscow, Shane Hape of Post Falls and Sandra Sperry of Coeur d’Alene; a brother, David Howard of Lyle, Wash.; two sisters, Donna Bartlett of Port Orchard, Wash., and Della Minton of Roy, Wash.; and two grandchildren
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.
Dale Benson
Post Falls
No service will be held for Dale George Benson, 70. English Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Benson died May 8.
He was born in Yankton, S.D., and grew up in the midwest, where he was an Eagle Scout and athlete.
He married Jeanette Jackson in 1957.
Mr. Benson graduated from Iowa State College in 1959 and then began a career with Norden Laboratories in Lincoln, Neb. He retired in 1976. He moved to North Idaho with his family in 1975.
He enjoyed working with numbers, reading the Bible, chocolate and coffee.
Survivors include four children, Tina Moore of Reno, Nev., Chris Benson of Post Falls, Joe Benson of Pullman and Hope Brown of Cocoa, Fla.; his stepmother, Merle Benson of Post Falls; two sisters, Vivian Claypool of Severna, Park, Md., and Karen Schroeder of Nebraska.; and six grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Mountain View Bible Church in Post Falls.
Cecil Westover
Mead
Visitation for Cecil C. Westover, 84, will be Wednesday at noon followed by a rosary and funeral Mass at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Colbert. Burial will be at Holy Cross Mausoleum. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Westover, who was born in Spokane, died Thursday. He was a longtime resident of Mead.
He served in the European Theater during World War II and was involved in five service campaigns including Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He received a Purple Heart.
He married Mary McCarthy in 1946.
Mr. Westover was involved in the food and restaurant industry for more than 45 years, ending his career as manager of Rossellinis 4-10 Restaurant in Seattle. Cecil was a member of the Spokane Elks Lodge and was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Colbert.
Survivors include his wife; a son, John Westover; a daughter, Mary Ann Swift; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Frank Erickson
Spokane
Funeral Mass for Frank R. Erickson, 50, will be today at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Roman Catholic Church, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Erickson, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Thursday.
He was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church.
Survivors include his companion of many years, Rose Hicks of Spokane; his mother, Lorrene of Spokane; two brothers, Michael Erickson of Clarkston and Dan Erickson of Spokane; four sisters, Linda Wirtz of Chattaroy, Kathleen McCorgary of Spokane, and Chris Erickson and Lisa Stone, both of Medical Lake.