Obituaries
Robert Howard
Colfax
Graveside service for Robert G. “Bob” Howard, 86, will be at a later date. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Howard died Friday.
Born in Colfax, he grew up on the family ranch five miles east of St. John, Wash. He began his education at the Eccles School and graduated from St. John High School in 1936. During his senior year at Washington State University, Mr. Howard enlisted with the Air Force the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
He served as crew chief for B-24s in the 415th Bomb squadron, 98th Bomb Group, which was attached to the British 8th Army. He toured all of North Africa before being honorably discharged in 1945. He returned to the farm at St. John for a brief time before moving to Poulsbo, Wash., for a few years.
He married Elizabeth Sorenson in Pendroy, Mont., in 1949. They made their home in St. John.
Mr. Howard worked for Burns and Farris Machinery and later for many years as a mechanic at St. John Hardware and Implement. In 1972 he began work as a heavy-equipment repair instructor at Spokane Community College. He and his wife lived in Spokane during the school year and spent summers in St. John.
He served as chairman of the department for several years and helped design its new building. He retired in 1981.
Mr. Howard was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, American Legion, Wheatland Grange, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, and the St. John Volunteer Fire Department and was a charter member of the 98th Bomb Group Veterans Association.
He loved gardening and woodworking and kinetic art, polishing rocks and restoring antiques and guns.
Survivors include his wife; four children, Norm Howard of Boise, Bill Howard of Orlando, Fla., Phil Howard of Bothell, Wash., and Susan Emery of Marietta, Ga.; a brother, George Howard of Auburn, Wash.; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. John/Endicott School Foundation or the St. John Emergency Medical Technicians.
Ednes Melcher
Spokane
Memorial service for Ednes Luella (Lobe) Melcher, 82, will be Friday at 3 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.
Mrs. Melcher, who was born in Odessa, Wash., died Friday.
She was raised on her parents’ farm 12 miles south of Odessa. As a young girl, she learned to cook, do household chores and care for her younger siblings.
She graduated from Odessa High School in 1940 and married Ken Porter later that year. He preceded her in death.
Mrs. Melcher worked in the mercantile store, grocery store, Odessa Dry Cleaners and U and I Sugar in Moses Lake.
She was a member of the English Congregational Church in Odessa and was a volunteer in many church activities and later was in charge of the memorial fund for the church. She also was involved in Ladies Aid and Fi-We church organizations.
She looked forward to Deutchess Fest each September and was actively involved with the cabbage roll booth.
She married Darrold Jones in 1959. He preceded her in death.
She married Art Melcher in 1976, and they moved back to Odessa to care for her mother. He died earlier.
She enjoyed sewing, bridge and gardening.
Survivors include four children, Larry Porter of Stanwood, Wash., Connie OBrien-Connelly of Cusick, Wash., Nancy Case of Spokane and Bruce Porter of Wailua, Kauai, Hawaii; three stepchildren, Betty Bills of Idaho, Mary Lee King of Spokane and Marcia Williams of Deer Park; two sisters, Helen Thaut of Snohomish, Wash., and Barbara Moline of Spokane; two brothers, Don Lobe of Moses Lake and Eugene Lobe of Odessa; six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren and 13 stepgreat-grandchildren.
Emory Baker M.D.
Spokane
Memorial service for Dr. Emory F. Baker, 87, will be today at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Baker, who was born in Twin Bridges, Mont., died Thursday.
He moved to Spokane in 1922 and in 1935 graduated from North Central High School. He attended Whitworth College, graduated from Stanford University in 1939 and from the University of Maryland Medical School in 1943.
After serving as a doctor in the Navy in the South Pacific, he married Frances Lewis in Wilmington, Del., in 1946. They returned to Spokane, and Dr. Baker entered family medical practice on Indiana Avenue with his father.
He served on the staff of Deaconess, Sacred Heart and Holy Family hospitals. He retired in 1984.
Dr. Baker was a member of the Spokane County Medical Society and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice. He served as an elder and choir member at Manito Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church, where he was both a church and choir member. He also participated in a barbershop quartet for more than 40 years.
His wife died in 2002.
Survivors include a daughter, Betsy Baker-Smith of Spokane; a brother, McNeil Baker of Baltimore; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Children’s Ark, First Presbyterian Church or St. George’s School.
Dorothy Baken
Spokane
Memorial service for Dorothy Fae Wann Baken, 93, will be on Memorial Day weekend next spring at the Moscow (Idaho) Cemetery. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Baken died Nov. 14.
Born in LaCrosse,Wash., her family moved to Hooper, Wash., when she was 10 months old and later moved to Dusty, Wash. They returned to LaCrosse, where Mrs. Baken graduated from high school in 1928.
She attended Cheney Normal School, obtaining her teacher’s certificate in 1930, then returned to LaCrosse to teach second grade. She earned her third-year teaching degree from Washington State College.
In 1936 she married Clarence Baken and farmed on Union Flat until her husband’s death in 1986. She moved to Spokane, living on her own for 10 years, then moving to the Waterford Retirement Center for the past eight years.
Mrs. Baken was a 50-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star and also was a member of LaCrosse Methodist Church and Westminster Congregational Church.
Survivors include three daughters, Orbie Gray of Pullman, Joan Hattemer of Edwall, Wash., and Jan Wigen of Spokane; a sister, Frances Johnson of Spokane; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to LaCrosse Methodist Church, Westminster Congregational Church or the Dollars for Scholars endowment.
Carol Dodds
Spokane
Memorial service for Carol Taylor Dodds, 73, was Monday at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Dodds, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Nov. 4.
She attended Lewis and Clark High School. She met George Dodds in 1945 when he was a senior and she a freshman at Lewis and Clark.
Before marrying Mr. Dodds in 1951, she attended the University of Washington, where she studied music and dance before pursuing business courses. She also pledged Kappa Alpha Theta.
Mrs. Dodds worked at Pacific Northwest Bell before starting a family. She began working as a model when her youngest child started school, and later she worked at Morning Star Boys Ranch in public relations and administration. She also was a volunteer at Deaconess Hospital, the Spokane Blood Bank, Meals on Wheels and COPS Southeast.
Mrs. Dodds, along with her husband, was active in church. She sang in the choir for 40 years and served in Altar Guild for 20 years. She enjoyed playing bridge, gardening, tennis, swimming, Nordic skiing, aerobics and traveling. She was a member of the PEO.
Her husband died in January
Survivors include three sons, Steven, Vincent and Stuart Dodds; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church or the Spokane Humane Society.
Richard Brown
Spokane
Funeral Mass for Richard L. Brown, 64, will be today at 10 a.m. at St. Paschal Roman Catholic Church in Spokane Valley. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Brown, who died Saturday, was born in Spokane.
He served in the Navy and was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Mr. Brown spent 42 years employed at Inland Empire Paper Co. before retiring and also was a volunteer fireman for a time.
He was a member of the National Rifle Association and the Good Sams R.V. Club. He was an avid NASCAR fan and enjoyed outdoor activities including fishing, camping, snowmobiling, motorcycling and horseback riding.
Survivors include a sister, Sharon Brown of Spokane.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cancer Care Northwest, Morning Star Boys Ranch or Riverview Special Care Unit.
James Berry
Coulee Dam
No service will be held for James S. “Jim” Berry, 74, at his request. Strate Funeral Home, Grand Coulee is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Berry, who died last Wednesday, was born in Rome, Ga.
He graduated from high school in Summerville, Ga., in 1947 and served in the Air Force from 1950 to 1954.
He married Roma Bowles in Spokane in 1952.
Mr. Berry worked as an electrician in Spokane from the mid 1950s through the early 1960s.
In 1965 he moved to the Grand Coulee area , and in 1987 he retired from the Bureau of Reclamation, where he worked as an electrician.
He enjoyed woodworking and doing yardwork.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Kenny Berry of Boise; a daughter, Mary Braun of Spokane; a sister, Susie Wilson of Greenville, S.C.; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Richard Witkowski
Spokane
Private service was held for Richard John Witkowski, 71, at his request. Burial will be at Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Witkowski, who died Thursday, was born in Detroit, graduated from St. Vincent High School.
He married June Parkis in 1952; the couple divorced in 1983.
Mr. Witkowski was a home builder in the Michigan area during the 1950s and ‘60s. He worked for Ford Motor Co. in the late 1960s.
He moved to Spokane in 1971 from Dearborn, Mich., and owned The Breeze Inn in the early 1970s. He also owned DC&D Construction Co. before retiring in 1979.
His hobbies included hunting and fishing.
Survivors include four sons, Richard Witkowski Jr. of Kennewick, Michael Witkowski of Portland, and Daniel and Robert Witkowski, both of Spokane; and eight grandchildren.
Lois (Marciniak) Vails
Spokane
Memorial service for Lois Kay (Marciniak) Vails, 71, will be Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Fairmount Cemetery Chapel.
Mrs. Vails, a resident of Spokane for 32 years, died Nov. 5. She was born in Cleveland.
She met her husband, Bruce Vails, in Pensacola, Fla., while she was serving in the Navy from 1958 to 1961.
After the couple married, Mrs. Vails became a Red Cross Gray Lady so she could assist in helping military dependents at base hospitals that her husband was stationed at during his military career.
She also was a homemaker and enjoyed making crafts and fishing.
Survivors include her husband; three sons, Bruce and George Vails, both of Spokane, and Scott Vails of Seattle; and a sister, Ethel Matlack of Phoenix.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Inland Northwest Chapter.
Harold Davis
Spokane
Private service was held for Harold T. Davis, 70, at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Heritage Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Mr. Davis, who died Nov. 16, was born in Palmer, Pa.
He served in the military for 24 years and retired as a master sergeant from the Air Force. He spent many years in the restaurant business and also in civil service until he retired. His hobbies were motorcycles and cooking.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara; two children, Pam Ostrander of Spokane and Bruce Davis of Post Falls; two sisters, Jane Fitch of Longview, Texas, and Dolores Clark of Masontown, Pa.; a brother, Charles Davis of Dover, Del.; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Spokane Humane Society.
Robert Van Wey
Spokane Valley
Memorial service for Robert James Van Wey, 58, will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Van Wey, who died Nov. 15, was a lifelong area resident.
He graduated from West Valley High School in 1965.
Mr. Van Wey was an accomplished musician and performed with the Spokane Symphony. He spent the past eight months working with Northwest Med Star.
Survivors include a son, Ryan Van Wey; a daughter, Arianne Wickwire; a brother, Ralph Van Wey; a half-brother, David Langenheim; a sister; Kathryn Germain; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Humane Society.
Laura (Dailey) Cardinal
Redding, Calif.
No service will be held for Laura Louise (Dailey) Cardinal, 96, at her request. Lawncrest Chapel in Redding, Calif., handled the arrangements.
Mrs. Cardinal, who was born in Wibaux, Mont., died Nov. 9.
She operated a beauty salon in Spokane in the Norfolk Building for nine years, then the Zukor Building, retiring in 1977.
Her husband of 43 years, Felix, died in 1970.
Mrs. Cardinal was a member of St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church. She enjoyed her home and garden and painting.
She moved to Redding in 2002 to be with her niece.
Survivors include a sister, Hazel Harvey of Anaheim, Calif.; and a niece, Darlene Thomas.
Patrick Ryan
Spokane
Funeral for Patrick J. “Pat” Ryan, 65, was Monday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home.
Mr. Ryan, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Friday.
He retired from Western States Equipment as a heavy-equipment mechanic.
He was an avid gold miner and loved to read. He enjoyed the outdoors and working with his hands.
Survivors include his wife, Karen Ryan of Spokane; three sons, Kelly Ryan and Howard Culver III, both of Spokane, and Robert Burnett of Bellevue; a daughter, Peggy Wirts of Spokane; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children.
Gerald Peterman Sr.
Post Falls
No service will be held for Gerald Omar Peterman Sr., 86. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Peterman, who was born in Fort Branch, Ind., died Saturday.
He lived in Spokane and worked as a truck driver. He was a member of the local Teamsters Union 690.
Mr. Peterman moved to Post Falls in 1992.
Survivors include five children, Gerald Peterman Jr. of Spokane, Timothy Peterman of Washington state, Adam Peterman of Portland, William Peterman of Everett and Lisa Clough of Post Falls; two sisters, Annette Jones and Nuny Russell, both of Texarkana, Texas; and 13 grandchildren.
Mas Mihara
Spokane
Private service will be held for Mas Mihara, 84, at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Mihara, a 50-year resident of the Spokane area, died Nov. 10. He was born in Los Angeles.
He graduated from Wapato (Wash.) High School in 1939 and worked as a maintenance supervisor for 44 years, retiring from Players and Spectators in 2003.
His hobbies included gardening, photography and fishing.
Survivors include two brothers, Bert Mihara of Spokane and James Mihara of Canoga Park, Calif.; and two sisters, June Tamaki and Mary Mihara, both of Spokane.
Phyllis Rasberry
Spokane
Graveside committal for Phyllis Jean Rasberry, 79, will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Fairmount Memorial Park. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rasberry, who was born in Wenatchee, died Thursday.
A longtime resident of Spokane, she worked as a switchboard operator at a medical facility.
In 1945 she married Ivan Scott, who preceded her in death.
She was also preceded in death by husbands Jess Thomas and Tom Rasberry Sr.
Survivors include a son, Dick Scott; two stepsons, Kim Thomas and Tom Rasberry Jr.; four grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Emanuel Schroyer Jr.
Spokane
No service was held for Emanuel J. “Junior” Schroyer Jr., 80.
Mr. Schroyer, a lifelong resident of Spokane, died Nov. 6.
He attended St. Patrick’s Grade School and Rogers High School. He was drafted into the Army in his senior year and fought in World War II.
After the war Mr. Schroyer began working at Union Pacific and Great Northern railroads until his retirement.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Margie.
Survivors include a son, Emanuel Schroyer III; and two sisters, Dorothea Moore and Sharol Kennedy.