Obituaries
Paul Wagner
Farmington, Wash.
Funeral for Paul M. Wagner, 92, was Monday at the Farmington Seventh-day Adventist Church. Vault interment was at Mountain View Cemetery.
Mr. Wagner died Friday.
He was born and grew up on the family farm near Farmington, and graduated from high school in 1931.
In 1934 he married Ellen Schoepflin in Viola, Idaho, and they made their home a few miles south of Farmington, where they farmed for many years.
They built a small house in 1937 and started construction on the current family home in 1941.
Mr. Wagner was an accomplished carpenter. After retiring from farming in 1977, he continued doing remodeling and carpentry work for many people in the area.
He was an active member of the Farmington Seventh-day Adventist Church. He also served as a director of Farmington State Bank and was a board member for several years with the ASCS (now Farm Service Agency) office.
Mr. Wagner enjoyed traveling both in the United States and abroad.
He also was an expert photographer.
Survivors include his wife; three children; Barb Schwartz of Coeur d’Alene, Sheryl Wagner of Farmington and Les Wagner of Palouse, Wash.; a brother, Palmer Wagner of Colbert; and a sister, Miriam Schoepflin of Farmington; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Garfield-Farmington EMTs.
Bessie (Bender) Kempe
Spokane
Viewing for Bessie Alberta (Bender) Kempe, 85, will be today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Riplinger Funeral Home. Service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Westgate Christian Church, 7111 N. Nine Mile Road.
Mrs. Kempe, who was born in Spokane, died Sunday.
She married Kenneth Kempe in 1940.
She worked on the family farm on Five Mile Prairie for 20 years and also worked for United Airlines for nine years. After her husband retired, the couple were active with Wycliffe Associates, making numerous trips doing support work for Wycliffe missionaries.
Mrs. Kempe also worked at Cocolalla (Idaho) Bible Camp.
She was a member of Five Mile Community Church and Wycliffe Associates. She started the choir at Five Mile Community Church in the 1950s and continued to sing with the choir until her death.
Her husband died in 2000.
Survivors include two sons Kay Kempe and Jim Kempe, both of Spokane; two daughters, Marcie Tucker of Spokane and Peggy Crouse of Spokane Valley; two sisters, Lydia Webster of Tucson, Ariz., and Evelyn Poalucci of Seattle; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cocolalla Bible Camp, P.O. Box 102, Cocolalla, ID 83813, or Five Mile Community Church, 1915 W. Johannsen, Spokane, WA 99208.
Cora Nicholson
Elk
Funeral for Cora Otilia Nicholson, 88, was Monday at Zion Lutheran Church.
Mrs. Nicholson, a lifelong resident of Elk, died Friday. She was born in Camden.
She was active in community organizations, including TOPS, Paint Ladies and the Pleasant Hour Club. She enjoyed bowling and golf.
Her husband, John, died in 1999.
Survivors include three daughters, Alice Darrow of Bothell, Wash., Mae Culp of Elk and Elizabeth Henry of Chattaroy; a sister, Sylvia Slatky of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Charles ‘Pard’ Blanchard
Blanchard, Idaho
Funeral Mass for Charles Ray “Pard” Blanchard, 82, was Saturday at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Spirit Lake, Idaho. Inurnment will be at the Spirit Lake Cemetery at a later date. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Blanchard, who was born in Baton Rouge, La., died Friday.
After graduating from high school, he attended college for two years.
He enlisted in the Navy, serving during World War II on the USS Natoma Bay. He received numerous military awards, including a Presidential Unit Citation. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
Early in 1943 he met Imogene Broaddus at a USO party. They were married in May of that year.
From 1948 to 1976 Mr. Blanchard worked as a police officer for the Oakland (Calif.) Police Department and in 1976 retired after 27 years of service.
He and his wife then moved to Blanchard, where they had lived the past 28 years.
Mr. Blanchard was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He enjoyed gardening and golfing.
His wife died Oct. 17 .
Survivors include two daughters, Claudia Schur of Sheboygan, Wis., and Suzanne Blanchard of Vallejo, Calif.; five grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Rifle Association.
Charles LeComte III
Spokane
Memorial service for Charles F. “Butch” LeComte, 64, will be today at 4 p.m. at Hillyard Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1474, 3004 E. Queen Ave. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. LeComte, who died Saturday, was born in Cavite, Philippines.
His family moved to Milwaukie, Ore., where he graduated from high school.
Mr. LeComte served in the Navy as a petty officer 3rd class from 1958 to 1962.
He married Shirley Maki Sauer in 1977, and they made their home in Spokane.
Mr. LeComte worked as a chief line inspector for the Bonneville Power Administration for 40 years.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and the Eagles Lodge.
His hobbies included fishing, golf and watching NASCAR racing.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Marinda Leber of Snohomish, Wash.; four sons, Alan Sauer of Barnegat, N.J., Charles LeComte of Marysville, Wash., William LeComte of Sultan, Wash., and John Sauer ; two sisters, Margaret Gustafson of Las Vegas and Juliette Leshik of Wenatchee; and seven grandchildren.
James Richards
Moscow, Idaho
Memorial service for James Howard Richards, 75, will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 301 S. Freya St., Spokane.
Mr. Richards, who was born in New Rockford, N.D., died Friday.
He grew up in North Dakota and Washington and attended high school in Sunnyside, Wash.
Mr. Richards married Betty Jo Hamlin; she preceded him in death.
He spent many years working as a truck driver and retired from Savage Transportation in Pasco.
Survivors include four children, Janice Huston of West Jordan, Utah, Julie Douvia of Chattaroy, Jim Richards of Moscow and Jill Vance of Phoenix; three sisters, Ila Halterman of Quincy, Wash., Agnes Bartee of Renton, Wash., and Marlyse Eakin of Orange, Calif.; 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
George ‘Bob’ Siverly
Spokane
Graveside service for George R. “Bob” Siverly, 86, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Fairmount Memorial Park. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Siverly, who was born in Cashmere, Wash., died Saturday.
He married Pauline Merklin in 1946.
He served in the Army Air Corps during the Korean War and worked as a mechanic for the city of Spokane before purchasing his own service station. He and his wife bought Spokane Swimming Pool Service and operated that business until retirement.
He was preceded in death by his wife.
Survivors include a son, Greg; and two grandchildren.
Richard Riggs
Nine Mile Falls
Memorial Mass for Richard P. Riggs, 61, was Wednesday at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Riggs, who was born in Ione, Wash., died last Thursday.
He graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1961 and Gonzaga University in 1971. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1961 to 1969.
Mr. Riggs worked for 25 years in the personnel department at Sacred Heart Medical Center, retiring in 2001. He also served for many years on the boards of United Health Services Credit Union and the Ronald McDonald House.
He completed several marathons and for years organized both the Spring Sprint Fun Run and the Iron Badger Triathlon. He enjoyed running, fishing and camping with his family.
Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Sue Riggs of Nine Mile Falls; two daughters, Sara Garber and Megan Baker, both of Spokane; a sister, Joene Bush of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronald McDonald House, 1015 W. Fifth Ave, Spokane, WA 99204, or Sacred Heart Foundation, P.O. Box 2555, Spokane, WA 99220.
Harvey Bayley
Spokane
Viewing for Harvey Elton Bayley, 85, will be today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home. Funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mr. Bayley, who died Saturday, was born in Japton, Ark.
He married Della Burnett Bayley in 1938.
He moved to Washington state in 1943 and worked in orchards near Brewster and on construction at Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams, retiring in 1982.
Survivors include his wife; three children, Larena Thomas, Waymon Bayley and Jaima LaMonte; four grandchildren, four stepgrandchildren, four greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Paul Baker
Everett
Memorial service for Paul Samuel Baker, 34, will be today at 7 p.m. at the Steelworkers Hall, 14015 E. Trent Ave.
Mr. Baker, who was born in Spokane, died Oct. 12 at his home in Everett. He was a former longtime resident of the Spokane area.
He attended Loma Vista Elementary School and won the elementary school all-city award in cross country five years in a row. He graduated from Cheney High School, where he also ran.
He graduated from Almon Tech College in Kalispell, Mont., and traveled all over the United States, including Washington, D.C., Houston and Fairchild Air Force Base, installing telephone and fiber-optic lines.
Mr. Baker was a karaoke KJ and enjoyed singing. He worked most recently in the Seattle area at The Lighting and Karaoke Store and Papa Jonn’s in Marysville, Wash.
Survivors include two sons, Cade and Luke, and their mother, Leotie; and his father, Richard Baker.
Elmer Gettmann
Ritzville, Wash.
Visitation for Elmer L. Gettmann, 80, will be today from 1 to 5 p.m. and Friday prior to the service at 1 p.m. at Danekas Funeral Home. at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. at his home between Ritzville and Odessa, Wash.
He was born in Odessa and attended grade school in Ritzville and high school in Harrington, Wash. He began helping on the family farm at a very young age and had continued to farm his entire life, raising wheat and livestock.
He married C. Marie Clinesmith in 1960 in Benge, Wash.
Mr. Gettmann was a member of the American Shorthorn Association and the National Duroc Association.
Survivors include his wife; and a sister, Alva Richardson of Odessa.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lincoln County 4-H, P.O. 228, Sprague, WA 99032.
Dean Baum
Fruitland, Wash.
Memorial service for Dean M. Baum, 79, was Wednesday at East Valley Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Baum, who died Saturday was born in Greenacres.
He graduated from Central Valley High School in 1943. He served two and a half years in the 33rd Naval Special Construction Battalion in the United States and Philippines.
He graduated from Eastern Washington University with a bachelor’s degree and earned master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and EWU in 1960.
Mr. Baum started teaching in Colville in 1951. He had taught in the Shoreline District of Seattle as well Othello (Wash.) Junior High. He also taught in Hunters and Lamont, Wash., and Plummer, Idaho.
He farmed in Othello and then moved to Fruitland to continue ranching.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Mavis; two daughters, Sharon Willis of Mount Vernon, Wash., and Bev Brandvold of Newman Lake; a son, William Baum of Lees Summit, Mo.; a sister, Helen Mendham of Spokane Valley; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Helen (Meyer) Kelly
Spokane
Rosary for Helen E. (Meyer) Kelly, 92, will be today at 7 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church. Funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the church, with interment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Spokane Cremation and Burial Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Kelly, who died Saturday, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
In 1928 she moved to Spokane, where she met William Kelly in 1932. The couple married in 1935.
She was a member of St. Monica’s Guild for 52 years. She also was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and the Altar Society for 52 years.
Mrs. Kelly worked for St. Xavier School, helping with events, and worked at the Spokane Interstate Fair for many years.
She enjoyed cooking, gardening, reading, playing cards and dancing.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Survivors include two sons, Tim and Jim; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.