Obituaries
Norma Cowger
Moscow, Idaho
Graveside service for Norma L. Cowger, 85, will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mendenhall Cemetery. Kramer Funeral Home, Palouse is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cowger died May 16.
She was born in Palouse, Wash., and attended school in Princeton, Idaho.
She married Albert Cowger in 1944, and the couple made their home in Princeton.
Mrs. Cowger worked at the Potlatch Mercantile and later worked for Wassams’s Grocery Store in Princeton as a grocery clerk and checker for several years.
She continued to live in Princeton until she suffered a stroke in 2003 and most recently had been a resident of the Aspen Park Healthcare in Moscow, Idaho.
Mrs. Cowger was a member of the Elmore United Methodist Church, Princeton Community Club, serving as secretary for many years, and was a member of the Royal Neighbors of America.
Her husband died in 1996.
Survivors include a son, Glen Cowger of Post Falls; two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund or the Elmore United Methodist Church.
Maxine Fisk
Chewelah, Wash.
Funeral for Maxine C. Fisk, 86, will be today at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Schanzenbach Funeral Home, Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fisk, was born in Troy, Idaho, died Wednesday.
She grew up on a farm near Troy, Idaho, and graduated from Troy High School and the University of Idaho.
She married Roger Fisk in 1941.
Mrs. Fisk was a member of St. Mary of the Rosary Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Altar Society, Chewelah Women’s Bowling Association and the Chewelah Golf and Country Club.
Her husband died in 1998.
Survivors include two daughters, Joan Charmers of Coeur d’Alene and Jean Faulkner of Arizona; a son, Albert Fisk of Chewelah; a sister, Jean Dinsmore of Spokane; a brother, Joe Driscoll of Federal Way, Wash.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Dollars for Scholars.
Mildred (Marlin) Yarbrough
Spokane
Visitation for Mildred (Marlin) Yarbrough, 66, will be today from noon to 5 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home. Funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, 312 E. Third Ave.
Ms. Yarbrough, who died Sunday, was a resident of Spokane for 27 years.
She was born in Cleveland, where she attended schools.
Ms. Yarbrough was an attendant counselor and licensed practical nurse at Lakeland Village for 27 years.
Her hobbies included craftwork, and she was active with Holy Temple Church of God in Christ.
Survivors include four daughters, Bennita Dixon and Penny Gore, both of Spokane, Sylvia Yarbrough-Hall of Kelso, Wash., and Sadarah Rhone of Tacoma; a son, Merwin Marlin Jr. of Tacoma; a sister, Marva Evans of Sacramento, Calif.; two brothers, Melvin Marlin of Jamaica, N.Y., and Merwin Marlin Sr. of Cleveland; 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Leonard Williams
Spokane
Memorial service for Leonard Mark Williams, 74, will be today at 3 p.m. at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.
Mr. Williams, who was born in Lewiston, died Tuesday.
He served in the Army during the Korean War.
He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and enjoyed working in his shop on cars and his home.
Survivors include his wife, Jeung; and a sister, Bernice, and a brother, Frank, both of Montana.
Violet Rhoads
Spokane
Memorial service for Violet Rhoads, 89, will be today at 11 a.m. at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South.
Mrs. Rhoads, who was born in Norfolk, Neb., died Wednesday. She was a resident of Spokane for 54 years.
She worked at Jacobson Greenhouse for 27 years.
Her husband, Alvin, died in 1985.
Survivors include two sons, Jerry Rhoads of Seattle and Gary Rhoads of Spokane; a sister, Vivian Bus of Pierce County, Neb.; .five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Billie (Alexander) Morris
Wallace
Service for Billie Agnes (Alexander) Morris, 71, will be today at 1 p.m. at Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg. Burial will be at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Morris, who was born in Bisbee, Ariz., died Tuesday.
She married Floyd Morris in 1949, and they owned Sweets Café in Wallace. He died in 1987.
Mrs. Morris lived in the Silver Valley most of her life and was a homemaker.
She also worked as a cook and restaurant manager and as a certified nursing assistant for Loving Care and More.
Survivors include five children, Everett Morris of Mullan, Idaho, Nelson and Dennis Morris, both of Woodland Park, Shelly Morris of Wallace and Kenny Morris of Post Falls; a sister, Margaret Wilson of Portland; two brothers, Elton Sullivan of Lewiston and Glenn Sullivan of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to North Idaho Cancer Center, 700 Ironwood Drive, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Allen Anderson
Clayton, Wash.
Memorial service for R. Allen Anderson, 55, will be June 6 at 1 p.m. at the Deer Park Seventh-day Adventist Church. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Anderson, who was born in Malden, Mass., died May 7. He was a resident of Clayton for 14 years.
He served in the Army during the Vietnam War.
Mr. Anderson was self-employed and held various jobs.
His hobbies included reading, gardening and hiking.
Survivors include his wife, Sylvia; a son, Lucas; two daughters, Heather and Katherine; four sisters, Gail Tangle, Georgia Anderson, Denise Grunert and Deborah Anderson; and a brother, Don Anderson.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane, American Cancer Society or Cancer Patient Care.
Margaret (McIntyre) Price
Kellogg
Memorial service for Margaret Jean (McIntyre) Price, 84, will be today at 10 a.m. at the American Lutheran Church in Kellogg. Inurnment will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg.
Mrs. Price, who was born in Trail, B.C., died Tuesday.
She graduated from Kellogg High School in 1939 and married George Price in 1941. He died in 1987.
Mrs. Price was a homemaker and lived in the Silver Valley for most of her life.
She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, American Lutheran Church, and the Grandmothers Club. She volunteered at the Silver Wood Good Samaritan Center and was active with her church.
Survivors include a son, John Price of Denver; a daughter, Susan Guarino of Coeur d’Alene; and seven grandchildren, Paul, David, Blaine, Carolyn, Tony, Tim and Chris.
John Trusty
Post Falls
Memorial service for John W. Trusty, 66, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Trusty, who was born in Pocatello, Idaho, died Tuesday.
He served as manager at Saks Fifth Avenue in LaJolla, Calif., worked for the California Highway Patrol, and taught pro golf in California.
He later lived in McCall, Idaho, until moving to the Coeur d’Alene area in the 1970s.
Mr. Trusty worked in the building maintenance department at the Coeur d’Alene Post Office for more than 20 years.
He was a member of the Elks Lodge and the Elks Rehabilitation Hospital and was past district deputy grand exalted ruler , past exalted ruler of the Coeur d’Alene Lodge and past state president of the Elks.
Mr. Trusty was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles Lodge and Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Post Falls American Legion.
He attended the Coeur d’Alene First Assembly of God Church.
Mr. Trusy enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy (Burgoyne); two daughters, Shannon Dixon of Amarillo, Texas, and Ann Trusty of Nashville, Tenn.; two brothers, George Trusty Jr. of Philadelphia and Richard Trusty of Carlsbad, Calif.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.
Della (Disserud) Johnson
Hayden, Idaho
Visitation for Della (Disserud) Johnson, 96, will be today from 5 to 7 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Service will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home with burial at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Johnson, who was born in Manfred, N.D., died Tuesday.
She grew up on a farm in Plaza, N.D., and married Arne Johnson in 1926.
The couple spent three years in Washington and Montana before returning to North Dakota to farm.
They moved to Dalton Gardens, Idaho, in 1947 and operated a dairy for many years until her retirement.
She moved to Sylvan House in Hayden seven years ago.
Her husband died in 1967.
Survivors include a son, Harold Johnson of Dalton Gardens; six grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Mary (Bailey) Ellison
Hayden, Idaho
Service for Mary Ann (Bailey) Ellison, 63, will be today at 10 a.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Church of God with burial at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ellison, who was born in Chowchilla, Calif., died Sunday.
She married John Ellison in 1956.
Mrs. Ellison moved to Hayden in 2003 and had worked as a chef for several restaurants and was a cook for the school district.
She attended Coeur d’Alene Church of God.
Survivors include three sons, John Ellison of Post Falls, Dennis Ellison of Grass Valley, Calif., and Timothy Ellison of Coeur d’Alene; a daughter, Denice Calderon of Sun Valley, Nev.; a brother, James Bailey; and eight grandchildren.
Gladys ‘Grace’ Grosso
Odessa, Wash.
Graveside service for Gladys G. “Grace” Grosso, 95, will be today at 2 p.m. at Spring Canyon Cemetery, near Grand Coulee. Strate Funeral Home, Grand Coulee is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Grosso, who died Monday, was born outside Tonasket, Wash.
In 1928 she married Jack Grosso, and the couple moved in 1935 to the Grand Coulee area, where they owned and operated the Maytag store for years.
Her husband died in 1975.
In the early 1980s Mrs. Grosso moved to the Odessa area to live with her daughter. She also lived in Yakima a short time.
Survivors include two daughters, Beverly Auker of Odessa and Gloria Wraspir of Irby; two sons, Robert Grosso of Yakima and David Grosso of Winchester, Va.; eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Odessa Healthcare Foundation.
Richard Taylor
Spokane
No service will be held for Richard Rollette Taylor, 87. Neptune Society handled the arrangements.
Mr. Taylor, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died May 23.
He attended North Central High School and served in the Navy during World War II aboard floating dry docks repairing all types of war vessels.
He married Lucille Stults in 1950.
Mr. Taylor was a machinist and mechanic for 60 years, retiring from Cummins in 1978.
He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Machinists Union.
His wife died in 1999.
Survivors include two sons, Randy of Anchorage, Alaska, and Finley of Spokane; and two daughters, Chaquita and Candy, both of Winter Park, Fla.
Dean Byus Sr.
Liberty Lake
Memorial service for Dean Byus Sr., 96, will be at a later date. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Byus, who died May 23, was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He was a resident of the Spokane area for 17 years.
He graduated from Purdue University in 1928 and worked as a factory manager at Union Carbide Corp.
Survivors include a son, Dean Byus II; a daughter, Nancy Byus Greene; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Beverly (Madera) Zagorski
Spokane
Funeral Mass for Beverly (Madera) Zagorski, 56, will be today at 10 a.m. at the Spokane Tribal Longhouse in Wellpinit, Wash. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Zagorski, a lifelong area resident, died Tuesday. She was born in Chewelah, Wash.
She was a school custodian.
Survivors include her husband, Richard; two daughters, Jamie Peone and Tonya McDonald, and a son, Manuel Abrahamson, all of Wellpinit; a stepson, Richard Zagorski of Spokane; her mother, Adeline Peters of Wellpinit; three brothers, five sisters and six grandchildren.
Larry Renfro
Elmira, Idaho
Service for Larry Dewayne Renfro, 35, will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint with inurnment at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint.
Mr. Renfro, who was born in Springfield, Ore., died May 24 in a work-related accident in which he was struck by a water truck near Smelterville, Idaho.
He moved to Sandpoint with his family in 1970 and attended Bonner County Schools and later graduated from high school in Lodi, Calif., in 1987.
Mr. Renfro married Eurie “Sissy” Dazey in 1989.
He worked as a restaurant cook and was a forklift operator at Ceda Pine. He also worked in maintenance for many years at Westwood Homeowners Association and had been a heavy-equipment operator.
Mr. Renfro enjoyed fishing, and hunting.
Survivors include his wife, Sissy, and two children, Dewayne and Deanna Renfro, all at home; his parents, Abe Renro of Elmira and Sherion Renfro of Bellingham; a brother, Orvin Renfro of Bellingham; and two sisters, Marlene Goff of Reno, Nev., and Roxanne Ostrom of Federal Way, Wash.
Memorials may be made to the Renfrow Family Trust at Panhandle Bank.
Margery Hoffmann
Spokane
No service will be held for Margery H. Hoffmann, 74, at her request. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hoffman, who was born in St. Maries, died May 21.
She grew up in Sandpoint and moved in the late 1940s to Spokane. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and attended the University of Idaho, pledging as a Kappa Alpha Theta.
For several years she worked as a medical transcriptionist at St. Luke’s Memoprial Hospital.
She enjoyed travelling, collecting antiques and reading.
Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Karl; four children Shannon Wark and Gretchen Hoffmann, both of Spokane, Diane Hoffmann of Cibola, Ariz., and Marc Hoffmann of Mead ; a brother, John Hunt of Sandpoint; and six grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.
Doris Bare
Spokane
No service is planned for Doris P. Bare, 87, at this time. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bare, who was born in Plummer, Idaho, died May 21.
She graduated from Lewiston High School and received a degree in education from Lewiston Normal School and taught in Harrison, Idaho, where she met and later married Walt Bare.
For 30 years the couple owned and operated Empire Fish Co. and were active in western dance in the Spokane area.
She enjoyed spending time in Hawaii and was a member of a senior citizens club in Honolulu until moving to Park Place Retirement Center in 2002.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Ted Bare; three daughters, Jerrieann Bare and Rebecca Bovey, both of Spokane, and Jeanie Dragoo of Lakewood, Colo.; a sister, Marion Schmidt of Lewiston; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.