Obituaries

Helen Asbury

Spokane

Graveside service for Helen Lee Asbury, 92, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Asbury, who was born in Spokane, died Tuesday.

She graduated from North Central High School and attended Washington State University. Over the years she was a participant in alumni functions. Her academic interests were accounting and business.

Mrs. Asbury worked in the office at The Crescent department store. She also worked for Caterpillar Tractor in Spokane, and in 1942 she worked for the U.S. government Office of Defense Transportation.

In 1944 she married Floyd Asbury in a Presbyterian parsonage in Helena, and the couple lived in Lewistown, Mont.

Mrs. Asbury worked part time in the office for Pacific Fruit and Produce. She enjoyed being a homemaker as well.

In 1950 the couple moved to Bend, Ore., and for the next three years she worked at the court house. In 1961 they moved to Walla Walla, and in 1967 they moved to Spokane.

They spent time enjoying the outdoors, and fishing and boating at Sacheen and Priest lakes. They also had a winter home in Mesa, Ariz.

Her husband died in 1976.

Though Mrs. Asbury has remained a resident of Spokane, she continued a winter retreat in Mesa. She remained in the same home she and her husband purchased in 1975.

She was a member of Central Lutheran Church in Spokane. She served as a board member and was secretary of the South Hill Condo Homeowners Association and was an avid bridge player for years at the Corbin Senior Center.

Survivors include her nieces, Joyce Kay Monroe of Coeur d’Alene and Mardell Brandt of LaQuinta, Calif.; and a cousin, Ase Guri Vist of Norway.

Wallace Orvik

Worley, Idaho

Memorial service for Wallace Duane “Wally” Orvik, 78, will be at 11 a.m. today at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Moscow with a reception at 12:30 p.m. at the University Inn-Best Western in Moscow. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Orvik, who was born in Shelly, Minn., died Saturday.

He grew up in Shelly and served with the Army from 1944 to 1946.

He moved to Spokane in 1950 and married Alene Chugg that year.

Mr. Orvik began a career in car sales at Babcock Motors in 1952 and then went from salesman to general manager at Utter Motor Co. from 1957 to 1967.

He then was manager at McCollum Ford Sales until purchasing Wally Orvik Chevrolet/Oldsmobile in Moscow in 1968. Mr. Orvik sold the business in 2000.

He enjoyed golfing, fishing, traveling and boating on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. Orvik had been a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church since 1968 and had served on the memorial committee. He also was a member of the Rotary Club, Elks Lodge, Vandal Boosters and Ambassadors Club.

He had served a term as president of the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association and two terms as a director on the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Alene; two children, Shelley Dale of Moscow, Idaho, and John Orvik of Post Falls; and a sister, Florence Orvik of Spokane.

Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church or Gritman Medical Center, both of Moscow.

Dennis Goodman

Spokane

Memorial for Dennis W. Goodman, 67, will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary of the Rosary Catholic Church in Chewelah, Wash. Danekas Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Goodman died Nov. 3.

He was born in Chewelah and graduated from Jenkins High School in 1955. In 1959 he graduated from Washington State University with a degree in mining engineering.

After retiring from the Boeing Group in Seattle, where he served in various positions, Mr. Goodman traveled for several years, then settled in Chewelah.

He enjoyed gold panning, fishing and fly tying. He also enjoyed seeking out Indian art, photography, any electronic gear, birdwatching, coin collecting and mystery novels.

Survivors include four children, Kristin Martineau of Anchorage, Alaska, Todd Goodman of Seven Hills, Ohio, Tim Goodman of Olympia and Kyle Goodman of Corning, N.Y.; his father, Walt Goodman of Colville; a sister, Judy Childress of Chewelah; and seven grandchildren.

Robert Alexander

Spokane

Memorial service for Robert D. “Bob” Alexander, 60, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Alexander, who was born in Peoria, Ill., died Oct. 21.

He grew up in Peoria and joined the Air Force in 1964. He served two tours in Vietnam and was credited with saving the lives of five other soldiers during an attack, earning several medals, including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. During his Air Force career he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice, developed new programs for his security police squadron, met and married his first wife, Sharon, and had three children. The couple later divorced.

Mr. Alexander retired after 21 years and worked as a civilian employee on base and as a risk manager for Zak Designs.

He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Jan; two daughters, Kathleen and Karmen Alexander, and a son, Kevin Alexander, all of Spokane; two stepsons, Steve and Mike Thorpe; a twin sister, Jean Alexander of Peoria; two brothers, John Alexander of Peoria and Jerry Alexander of Duluth, Ga.; and a sister, Mary Lib Rapp of Huntington Beach, Calif.

Memorial contributions may be made to Liberty Lake Kiwanis, P. O. Box 384, Liberty Lake, WA 99019.

Gretchen (Bumgarner) Foster

Spokane Valley

Viewing for Gretchen J. (Bumgarner) Foster, 42, will be today and Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service will be Saturday at noon at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Spokane Valley.

Mrs. Foster, a lifelong resident of Spokane Valley, died Saturday.

She graduated from University High School and attended Washington State University and the University of Washington.

She loved music and played marimba with the Percussionaut-Patriots Drum and Bugle Corps and with the University High School Band.

She was a lifetime member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Veradale and served the church as a teacher and lay leader. She completed a certification in lay ministry at Whitworth College and recently helped create a ministry of visitation and communion for the sick and shut-in.

Mrs. Foster enjoyed cooking, gardening, hiking, camping and fishing. She particularly enjoyed annual encampments along the St. Joe River with family and friends.

Survivors include her husband, Kevin; three sons John, Steve and Ben Foster; her mother, Chris Bumgarner; and a brother, John Bumgarner.

Memorial contributions be made to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or Horizon Hospice.

Ida ‘Bacca’ Schorzman

Odessa, Wash.

Funeral for Ida A. “Bacca” (Kallenberger) Schorzman, 100, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Heritage Church in Odessa, with graveside service at Odessa Cemetery. Strate Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Schorzman died Sunday.

Born near Shelby, Mont., the family moved to a farm northeast of Marlin, Wash., in 1907. Her parents were instrumental in starting a school, the Kallenberger School, one mile from the farm.

In 1921, she married farmer Gustav Schorzman. Her husband died in 1968, and she lived on the farm until 2002, when she moved into care facilities in Odessa.

Mrs. Schorzman was a member of the Congregational faith in Eureka, S.D., in 1906. She was very active in community affairs all her life.

She was a 70-year member of Canniwai Grange and a member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.

She traveled extensively in the United States and other countries and kept journals and many photos of her trips.

Survivors include two daughters, Delores Cook of Odessa and Marciel Holmes of Ephrata, Wash.; 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandsons.

Emma Leichner

Spokane

Funeral for Emma S. “Oma” Leichner, 69, will be today at 11 a.m. at Hennessey Valley Funeral Home, with interment at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Mrs. Leichner, who was born Entre Rios, Argentina, died Monday. She was a resident of Spokane for 36 years. She married Victor Leichner in 1955 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

She was a health care provider in a nursing home and was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Survivors include her husband; a son, Victor Leichner of Liberty Lake; a daughter, Nancy Halverson of Kirkland, Wash.; and one granddaughter.

Elroy ‘Elly’ Luiten

Davenport, Wash.

Service for Elroy H. “Elly” Luiten, 86, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Davenport. Strate Funeral Home, Davenport is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Luiten, who was born in Ritzville, Wash., died Sunday.

He graduated from Davenport High School in 1936 and served as a gunnery instructor on B-17s in World War II.

For many years Mr. Luiten was the owner of the Union 76 Gas Station. He also worked at the Davenport Union Warehouse before joining the Lincoln County Highway Department. He retired in 1984.

Mr. Luiten was a lifetime member of Zion Lutheran Church, a longtime member of the Masonic Lodge, and a member of Order of the Eastern Star.

Survivors include his wife, Anita; a daughter, Susan Masson of Salem, Ore.; a son, Douglas Luiten of Moses Lake; three stepchildren, Carol Cole of Kirkland, Wash., Joyce Luiten of Moses Lake and Bill Reinbold of Davenport; two brothers, Orlen and Bob Luiten, both of Davenport; five grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church Missionary Fund or to the Lincoln Hospital Foundation.

Margaret (Kleeman) Blackstone

Coeur d’Alene

Memorial service and interment for Margaret H. (Kleeman) Blackstone, 91, will be at a later date in Lodi, Calif. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Blackstone, who was born in Loup City, Neb., died Saturday after an extended illness.

She lived in Schuyler, Neb., and married Warren Blackstone in 1935.

The couple moved to Oakland, Calif., in 1941 and raised two sons, Mike and Mark.

She liked the sunny California weather and was a homemaker.

Her husband died in 1969.

She moved to Lodi, Calif., in 1972 to be closer o family and spent the next 25 years with her companion, Domenic Galzignato.

Due to declining health she moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2001 to be near family.

Survivors include her longtime companion, Domenic; two sons, Mike Blackstone of Atascadero, Calif., and Mark Blackstone of Coeur d’Alene; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Kim (Randall) Rogers

Lewiston

Private memorial service for Kim (Randall) Rogers, 44, will be at a later date.

Mrs. Rogers, who was born in Spokane, died Nov. 4.

She worked at various jobs and most recently was employed as a caregiver for the elderly and disabled.

She married Richard “Dick” Rogers in 1981, and they moved to Lewiston and raised two daughters together.

She loved animals and enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, and the outdoors and was known as an advocate for helping those who could not help themselves.

Survivors include her husband; and two daughters, Pamela and Amanda Rogers, both of Lewiston; her mother and her mother’s companion, Eleanor Randall and Dick Vanwert of Spokane; and five sisters, Pamela Levyn of Naples, Idaho, Judy Butterfield of Spokane, Patricia Cassel of Monroe, Wash., Sally Vanwert of Colbert and Carla Sander of Lewiston.

Memorials may be made to the Humane Society.

Walter Murray

Spokane

Memorial service for Walter Joseph Murray, 53, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church in Priest River, Idaho.

Mr. Murray died Saturday.

Born in Newport, Wash., he grew up in Priest Lake, Idaho, and attended Nordman Elementary and Priest River High School and graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory School in 1968.

He received an accounting degree from Eastern Washington University in 1988 and worked as a bookkeeper.

Mr. Murray was involved with Alcoholics Anonymous.

Survivors include his stepmother, Shirley Murray; two brothers, David and Bradley; and three sisters, Patricia Iolavera, Jodi Root and Beth Ziegler.

Robert Barrass

Spokane

Memorial service for Robert Barrass, 79, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Pines Cemetery Mausoleum. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Barrass, who died Saturday, was born in Blakeburn, B.C.

He worked in a sawmill, was an underground miner and drove a coal truck.

He married Irene Danco and moved his family to Spokane in 1955.

Mr. Barrass worked in the flooring industry for 33 years and owned Carpet Gallery until he retired in 1988.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Sandra Lam and Shirley Glodt; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Thomas Asberry

Post Falls

Service for Thomas James Asberry, 46, will be Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the East Central Community Center at Fifth and Stone. A celebration of life will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the family home in Post Falls.

Mr. Asberry died Saturday.

He was born in San Diego and grew up in Phoenix.

Mr. Asberry later moved to the Northwest and married Lathey Tickle in 1991.

Also that year, he began working for American Building Maintenance in Spokane and recently had transferred to Post Falls.

The couple bought their first home and settled in Post Falls in 2000.

He enjoyed Playstation games, painting and artwork.

Survivors include his wife, Lathey; and two children, Natesha Asberry and Thomas Asberry Jr., all of Post Falls; his parents, Ethel Asberry and Archibald Asberry, both of Texas; two brothers, Edward Asberry of Texas and Archibald Asberry Jr. of Seattle; and a sister, Debra Taylor of Portland.

Ruth (Swannack) Wilson

Spokane

Memorial service is pending for Ruth (Swannack) Wilson, 82. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Wilson, who was born in Lamont, Wash., died Monday.

She came from a large family, some of the earlier settlers in the Sprague, Wash., area.

She married Ben Wilson in 1940.

Mrs. Wilson was a homemaker and enjoyed gardening.

She was preceded in death by her husband.

Survivors include a daughter, Linda Beach of Spokane; three sons, Daniel and Steven Wilson, both of Spokane, and Michael Wilson of Oklahoma; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Gospel Mission or Hospice of Spokane.

June Bills

Spokane Valley

Memorial service for June Marie Bills, 87, will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Bills, who was born in Pomeroy, Wash., died Thursday. She was a resident of Spokane for 80 years.

She was a homemaker.

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed going to church on Sundays.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James.

Survivors include two brothers, Robert Jensen and Gill Booth, both of Salt Lake City.

Memorial contributions may be made to the LDS Church, c/o Richard Creagh, 4418 N. Morrow Court, Spokane Valley, WA 99216, or to the Spokane Humane Society.

Clarence McVay

Tacoma

Private service will be held for Clarence McVay, 92, in Tacoma. Mountain View Funeral Home in Tacoma is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. McVay, a former 70-year resident of the Spokane area, died Saturday in Tacoma, his home for three months. He was born in Uniontown, Wash., where he resided for 22 years.

He was a shipping and receiving clerk at Roundup Grocery Warehouse.

His wife of 40 years, Laura, died in 1970.

Survivors include a daughter, Lola Ovechka of Tacoma; a son, Roland McVay of Seattle; seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Jean Vaughn

Spokane

No service will be held for Jean Ann Vaughn, 81. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Vaughn, who died Nov. 3, was born in Pittsburgh.

She graduated from Peabody High School in 1942 and was a homemaker for more than 58 years.

Mrs. Vaughn was a member of St. Anthony’s Parish.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dale Vaughn.

Survivors include two sons, Steve and Tom Vaughn; a daughter, Sandy Williamson; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Genevieve Mola

Spokane Valley

Graveside service for Genevieve Marie Mola, 80, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Fairmount Memorial Park Cemetery. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Mola, an area resident for more than 45 years, died Monday.

She was born in Corvallis, Ore.

She was a homemaker.

Survivors include a son, Hal Mola of Millwood, Wash.; a sister, Helen Strand of North Idaho; and one grandson.

Memorials may be made to the Humane Society.