Obituaries
Larry Garwood
Newport, Wash.
A potluck gathering for Larry Garwood, 63, will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Newport Eagles Lodge. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Garwood, who died Saturday, was born in Cheney and spent his youth in the Malden/Rosalia, Wash., area.
He was a barber for many years in the Rosalia and Newport area. In 1987 he began working for Diamond Lake Water and Sewer District, and due to illness he retired after 14 years.
Mr. Garwood was a member of the Malden Masonic Lodge 188, serving as master from 1969 to 1970. He was a member of the Diamond Lake Fire District 3, serving as fire chief from 1988 to 1994.
He enjoyed fishing and gardening.
Survivors include his wife of 34 years, June; a son, Harold Garwood; two daughters, Sylvia Wilkenson and Donna Lindhag; two stepdaughters, Sharlene Brownson and Sharon Weber; a brother, Bud Garwood; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Hospital or the Make a Wish Foundation.
Cecelia Thie
Post Falls
Mass for J. Cecelia S. Thie, 99, will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. George’s Roman Catholic Church in Post Falls. Graveside service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, Calif., with a reception to follow. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of local arrangements.
Mrs. Thie, who was born in San Diego, died Nov. 11.
She grew up in San Diego and graduated from the Academy of Our Lady of Peace and San Diego Normal College.
She taught elementary school in Ysidero, Calif., and St. John’s Catholic School in Los Angeles.
Mrs. Thie traveled extensively with her husband, Dean, until his death in 1982.
She moved to Post Falls in 1999 to be near her son.
She was a member of St. George’s Catholic Church, St. John’s Evangelist in Los Angeles and the Mothers Club in Los Angeles.
Mrs. Thie was a pianist and enjoyed reading.
Survivors include a son, Dean Thie Jr. of Post Falls; four grandchildren, Julia, Brian, Mark and David; and four great-grandchildren.
Ira Milender
Cheney
No service will be held for Ira Fay Milender, 82. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Milender, who was born in Morrison County, Minn., died Sunday in Cheney, his home for 12 years. He had been a resident of the Spokane area for 35 years.
He worked as a car mechanic for many years, and enjoyed fishing, camping, playing music, old movies and riding on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Patricia; three daughters, Kathy Miller of Tacoma, Faydeen Milender of Shoreline, Wash., and Sherrie Sletager of Spokane; two sons, Dennis Milender of Hawaii and Richard Milender of Cheney; 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Celestine ‘Sally’ Sisk
Spokane
Rosary for Celestine “Sally” (Porterfield) Sisk, 78, will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church. Funeral Mass will be Friday at 10 a.m. at the church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sisk, who died Saturday, was born in Elsie, Neb. She was a resident of Spokane for more than 60 years.
She attended Marycliff High School and had a 25-year career with Seattle First National Bank, retiring in 1987.
Mrs. Sisk was a member of St. Francis Xavier Church’s Altar Society.
Survivors include her husband of 58 years, Maurice; two daughters, Kathy Yedica and Jackie Caferro, both of Spokane; two sons, Larry and Dennis Sisk, both of Seattle; two brothers, Francis Porterfield of Post Falls and Jim Porterfield of Bellevue; two sisters, Mary Lou Gregerson and Margaret Clift, both of Spokane; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, NW Chapter, 601 W. Maxwell Ave., Suite. 4, Spokane, WA 99201 or St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
Vance Rogers
Spokane Valley
Private inurnment will be held for Vance E. Rogers, 85, at Kirkland (Wash.) Cemetery. Hennessey Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Rogers, who was born in Pittsburg, Kan., died Friday. He was a resident of the Spokane area for 15 years.
He served in the Navy during World War II, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander. He had worked for Boeing as an engineer for many years.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Constance.
Survivors include his companion of 15 years, Rosalie Scott; two sons, Randell Rogers of Mulvane, Kan., and Drue Rogers of Tucson, Ariz.; two daughters, Deborah Smith of Howell, Mich., and Rebecca Hall of Granite Falls, N.C.; a brother, Cloyse Rogers of Pittsburg, Kan.; his companion’s two sons, Larry Scott of Spokane Valley and Steve Scott of Brier, Wash.; nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and his companion’s four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Lydia Mayberry
Spokane
Memorial service for Lydia S. Mayberry, 84, will be Friday at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mayberry, who died Saturday, was born in Farmington, Wash.
She was a secretary for Spokane Public Schools until her retirement.
She was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.
Her husband of 54 years, Edward, died in 2002.
Survivors include four children, Marilyn Mayberry Hall of Lynnwood, Wash., Marcia Mayberry Peters of Colbert, Linda McNeill of Renton, Wash., and Mark Mayberry of Kenmore, Wash.; two sisters, Diane Klug and Gladys Eason; two brothers, John and Henry Scheirman; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Mark’s Organ Improvement Fund or to the Logan Elementary School library.
Christine Cokayne
Spokane
Memorial service for Christine S. Cokayne, 55, will be today at 6:30 p.m. at Valleypoint at Pines. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cokayne died Nov. 6.
A lifelong resident of Spokane, she graduated from Rogers High School and worked several years for Stahl Optical as a contact lens technician.
Her husband, Henry, died in September.
Survivors include a daughter, Jamie Noonan of Spokane; two stepdaughters, Amy Goude of Colbert and Teresa Heidecker of Otis Orchards; a stepson, James Cokayne, of Spokane; a sister, Janet Lee, of Spokane; three half-sisters, Pat Conklin of Spokane, Diana Davern of Texas and Georgia Love of Florida; four grandchildren, 11 stepgrandchildren and one great-stepgrandson.
James Ooms
Portland
Funeral for James Alan Ooms, 45, will be today at 4 p.m. at Lauer Funeral Home in Deer Park.
Mr. Ooms, a former longtime resident of Spokane, died Thursday. He was born in Spokane and attended Spokane elementary schools and North Central High School.
He served two tours of duty with the Army, and later moved to Portland.
Survivors include his mother, Pat Ooms of Spokane; six siblings, Arthur Ooms of Clayton, Wash., Mary Ooms and Heather Anderson, both of Portland, Kathleen Dahlke of Baraboo, Wis., and Shuba Ashter and Shanta Ooms, both of Spokane; and his grandmother, Maude Casteel of Clayton.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Community Mental Health Association, 107 S. Division St., Spokane, WA 99202.
Ruth Parham
Spokane
Memorial service for Ruth Elaine Parham, 77, will be Thursday at 6 p.m. at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Mrs. Parham died Saturday in Spokane, her home for more than 60 years. She was born in Blaine, Wash.
She was a graduate of Lewis and Clark High School, and was a homemaker.
She was especially fond of her garden and loved to pamper her flowers.
Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Lloyd; four children, Kathleen Parham, Richard Parham, Joyce Kunkel and Bonnie Humphrey; two brothers, Vernon and James; four sisters, Marjorie, Gloria, Joan and Carol; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Fourth Memorial Church.
Steven Lobe
Odessa, Wash.
Graveside service for Steven J. Lobe, 49, will be today at 10:30 a.m. at Odessa Cemetery, with a memorial service at 11 a.m. at Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Odessa. Strate Funeral Home, Davenport, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lobe, who was born in Spokane, died Nov. 5.
He grew up in Odessa and graduated from Odessa High School in 1975. He moved to Wenatchee after high school, living there for several years and working as a general laborer before returning to Odessa.
Survivors include a half-sister, Bernice Melcher.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Mitchell Cronrath
Harrington, Wash.
Memorial service for Mitchell A. Cronrath, 42, was Monday at the Harrington Community Church.
Mr. Cronrath, who died Nov. 8, was born in Odessa, Wash.
He graduated from Northwest Nazarene College in 1984, earning a bachelor’s degree.
He loved farming on the family farm.
He coached Little Dribblers and Little League, and was involved in Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. He was an active member of the Rocklyn United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Tammy; two sons, James and Joseph Cronrath, both at home; a brother, Michael Cronrath of Harrington; and a sister, Maureen Whitman of Tekoa, Wash.
Ginger Worley
Spokane
Memorial service for Ginger Pyle Griggs Worley, 82, will be held at a later date. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Worley, who was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, died Friday. She was a resident of Spokane County for 20 years.
She was a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, D.L. Pyle and Ernie Griggs.
Survivors include six children, Danny, Nelson, Dee, John, Rory and Dorothy; two stepchildren, Albert Lee and Margaret; five siblings, James, Thomas, Dora, Billie and Vivian; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
George Merriman
Spokane
Funeral for George E. Merriman, 80, will be today at 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Merriman, who was born in Hillyard, died Sunday.
He served in the Navy during World War II and worked for civil service at Fairchild Air Force Base, retiring from Supply Services in 1975 after 35 years.
He had been a member of the Civil Service Retirement Union since 1978.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty.
Survivors include a sister, Maxine Edwards of Spokane; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Leonard Johnson
Spokane
Memorial service for Leonard Johnson, 52, will be today at 11 a.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.
Mr. Johnson, a 32-year resident of the Spokane area, died Sunday. He was born in Georgia.
He was a professional carpenter for 32 years, and enjoyed fishing, basketball and music.
Survivors include his wife of 27 years, Barbara Stotts; a daughter, Rache Stotts-Johnson of Portland; and a son, Marques Johnson of Seattle.
Memorial contributions may be made to Amyloid Research at the University of Washington.
Misty Ford
Wellpinit, Wash.
Funeral Mass for Misty E. Ford, 27, will be today at 10 a.m. at the Spokane Tribal Longhouse. Interment will be at Wellpinit Catholic Cemetery. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Ford, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include two daughters, Alyssa and Nichole; her mother, Vonnie Ford; three sisters, Sherry Andrews, and Darla and Randi Ford; a brother, Levi Ford; and her companion, Steve Andrews.