Obituaries
Don Gelhaus
Plaza, Wash.
Visitation for Don Gelhaus, 82, will be today from noon to 9 p.m. at Schanzenbach Funeral Home, Rosalia. Graveside service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Odd Fellows Evergreen Cemetery, with memorial service at 2 p.m. at the South Hill Baptist Church in Spokane.
Mr. Gelhaus died Sept. 7.
He was born on the family farm near Plaza. He attended Plaza Grade School and graduated from Rosalia High School in 1940.
He attended Gonzaga University and enrolled in the civilian pilot training program. After acceptance in the Aviation Cadet Program in 1943 he entered the Air Force as a fighter pilot. He flew 58 missions in P-38s and P-47s in the European Theater with the 9th Air Force 367th Fighter Group.
He received seven Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Mr. Gelhaus returned to Gonzaga University after the war and in 1946 married Genevieve Olson.
In 1948 they moved to the family farm, and Mr. Gelhaus remained active there until his death.
Mr. Gelhaus was a member of the South Hill Bible Church, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Rifle Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, P of H Grange and Cooperative Agricultural Services. He was a past board member of the Spangle and the Liberty school districts and was a deacon at the Community Baptist Church in Rosalia.
He enjoyed target shooting and metalworking.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Mike Gelhaus of Spokane and Mark Gelhaus of Plaza; a brother, Gerald Gelhaus of Santa Rosa, Calif.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to South Hill Bible Church, Union Gospel Mission or the National Rifle Association.
Robert Boatwright
Coeur d’Alene
Service for Robert David Boatwright, 53, will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Boatwright, who was born in Winterhaven, Fla., died Sept. 3.
He spent his youth as a member of a church fellowship known as Shilo and traveled from Florida to Texas and Portland while attending to member duties.
He enlisted in the Marines in 1969 and served as a radio field operator with special forces in Vietnam.
He received the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and a Rifle Marksman qualification badge. He was honorable discharged in 1972.
In 1980, Mr. Boatwright graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla.
For many years after college he continued learning creative writing skills.
Mr. Boatwright lived in San Bernardino, Calif., and worked in security during the 1980s.
He met his future wife, Amber, in Yuma, Ariz., in 1999 and they were married in 2000.
He was a member of the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., and enjoyed observation tours of free-range wildlife at the park.
He later moved to Idaho. He became involved in a nondenominational church group meeting at Harding Family Center in Coeur d’Alene in 2002. He stopped attending church because of his illness.
Survivors include his wife; and two brothers, Joe Boatwright of Occaquan, Va., and Michael Boatwright of Daytona Beach, Fla.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.
Cordelia (Zeller) Herman
Spokane
Funeral for Cordelia M. (Zeller) Herman, 98, will be today at 11 a.m. at Heritage Funeral Home.
Mrs. Herman, who died Friday, was born in Pioneer, Ohio.
She grew up in the Midwest and Montana.
She married Joe Herman in 1924. They moved to Spokane in 1946.
Mrs. Herman worked as a department head at J.J. Newberry Co. for six years.
She was a Blue Bird and a Camp Fire Girls leader. She received the Golden Acorn lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the Hamilton Grade School Parent-Teacher Association programs.
Her husband died in 1966.
Survivors include three daughters, Diane Herman and Joan Ward, both of Spokane, and Eleanor Oost of Mission, Texas; a son, Duane Herman of Grand Rapids, Mich.; 18 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Lance Roy
Coeur d’Alene
Graveside memorial service for Lance D. Roy, 33, will be Wednesday at noon at Westmond Cemetery near Cocolalla, Idaho. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Roy, who was born in San Francisco, died Friday.
He moved to Cocolalla with his family when he was 7.
After graduating from Sandpoint High School, Mr. Roy served two years with the Navy and was stationed in Bremerton.
After his naval service he returned to Coeur d’Alene and worked for Kootenai Electric and trained as an apprentice lineman.
He later worked at miscellaneous jobs and then began working on fishing boats in Alaska.
Mr. Roy enjoyed motocross racing, hunting, camping and water sports.
Survivors include a daughter, Ashlie Roy of Sagle, Idaho; a stepdaughter, Katie McIntire of Sagle; his mother and her husband, Ro Jean and Fred Gravelle of Cocolalla; his father and his wife, Larry and Bonnie Roy of Aloha, Ore.; a sister, Lona Lindstrom of Coeur d’Alene; three brothers, Rob Gravelle of Rathdrum, Idaho, Jeff Gravelle of Dalton Gardens, Idaho, and David Gravelle of Hauser Lake, Idaho; and grandmothers Bernice Weaver of Lewiston and Edna Poston of Post Falls.
Aileen (Boutin) Betts
Spokane
Interment for Aileen (Boutin) Betts, 78, will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Mausoleum Chapel at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Betts, who was born in Spokane, died Friday.
She graduated from Holy Names Academy and attended Stanford University.
In 1946, she married Richard Betts, and the couple lived in Rochester, Minn., and Seattle before settling in Spokane in 1953.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Betts was active in the Junior League and worked as a volunteer for the Blood Bank.
She was a member of the Spokane Country Club and the Spokane Club. Survivors include her husband; five children, James Betts and Richard Betts, both of Seattle, Lilian Stott of Bigfork, Mont., and Julie Betts and Vicki Scarcello, both of Spokane; a brother, Frank Boutin of Sacramento, Calif.; two sisters, Lois Ladley of Napa, Calif., and Agnes Robinson of Spokane; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 1415 W. Third Ave., Spokane, WA 99204.
Howard Batchelder
Hayden, Idaho
Memorial mass for Howard M. Batchelder, 95, will be today at 10 a.m. at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene, with burial at St. Thomas Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Batchelder, who was born in Clinton, Iowa, died Thursday.
He lived in Wisconsin until settling in North Idaho in 1933.
Mr. Batchelder began the area’s first residential garbage route and owned Coeur d’Alene Garbage Co.
He also ran a goat dairy and was a member of St. Pius Catholic Church.
He was a veteran of the National Guard.
Mr. Batchelder enjoyed making fishing lures and fishing.
His wife, Helene Brackelsberg, died in 1988.
In 1990 he married Vivian Schaffer, who survives him.
Mr. Batchelder also is survived by four children, Richard Batchelder, Bernadine Elbert and Joan Johnson, all of Spokane, and Gary Batchelder of St. Maries; a stepdaughter, Gail Jarrett of Orofino, Idaho; three brothers, Alvin and Delbert, both of Hayden Lake, Idaho, and Leland of Carey, Idaho; three sisters, Margaret of Wisconsin, Delores of Port Angeles, Wash., and Ila of California; 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Minnie (Sutton) Harris
Spokane
Viewing for Minnie E. (Sutton) Harris, 94, will be today from noon to 5 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home. Funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Mrs. Harris, who died Friday, was born in Peck, Idaho. She was a resident of Spokane County for 61 years.
She married Howard Harris in 1928. He died in 1967.
She was a homemaker and enjoyed crafts and collecting Avon paraphernalia.
She was a past member of the Four Square Church and had attended First Assembly of God Church for the past 12 years.
Survivors include two sons, David Harris of Spokane and Jacob Harris of Kittitas, Wash.; four daughters, Helen Matthies of Rosalia, Wash., Esther Zielke of Edmonton, Alberta, and Ruth Flatt and Elizabeth Harris, both of Spokane; a brother, Fred Sutton, Spokane; a sister, Hazel Piatt, Newberg, Ore.; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Assembly of God.
Dave Weistaner
Coeur d’Alene
Visitation for Dave Weistaner, 76, will be Wednesday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene, with a graveside service at noon at Riverside Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Weistaner, who was born in Missoula, died Friday.
He graduated from high school in Missoula in 1947 and graduated from the University of Montana with a master’s degree in forestry in 1954.
Mr. Weistaner served with the Marines and was stationed in Chicago and El Toro, Calif.
He married Audrey Bitterman in 1950. She died in 1995.
Mr. Weistaner worked for the Forest Service in the national forests of North Idaho and Western Montana for 32 years.
He was a member of the Community United Methodist Church in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Weistaner gardening fly-fishing and traveling by car, including fishing trips to Alaska.
Survivors include three children, Ken Weistaner of Coeur d’Alene, Janet Olsson of Spokane and Linda Weistaner of Dayton, Wash.; and one grandson, Joshua.
Memorials may be made to Community United Methodist Church, 1470 W. Hanley Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Casey Condon
Spokane
Funeral Mass for Casey Cavanaugh Condon, 33, will be today at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Condon, who was born and raised in Spokane, died Thursday of sarcoma.
He attended Lewis and Clark High School and later moved to Seattle.
He worked as a logger, equipment operator and foreman and was a member of Electrical Workers Union Local 77. He worked for Wilson Construction and Condon Bros. Inc.
After his son’s birth in 2000, Mr. Condon returned to Spokane to raise a family.
He enjoyed golfing, fishing, boating and spending time at his family’s lake place at Hayden Lake, Idaho.
Survivors include his wife, Amy; a son, Jacob Condon; his stepmother, Mary Ann Condon of Spokane, three brothers, Dan Condon of Spokane, James Condon of Seattle and Tom Condon of Olympia; and two sisters, Maggie Condon of Spokane and Meagen Smith of Seattle.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Casey C. Condon Benevolent Fund, 4913 S. Ferrall Spokane, WA 99223.
Jean Hemingway
Spokane
Memorial service for Jean C. Hemingway, 69, will be Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Manito Golf and Country Club. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hemingway, who was born in Clintonville, Wis., moved to Spokane at an early age. She died Wednesday.
She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and was a homemaker.
She enjoyed skiing, knitting, reading, golf and card games.
She was a longtime member of Manito Golf and Country Club.
Her husband, Allan Hemingway, died in 1986. They were married 35 years.
Survivors include three sons, Jim Hemingway of Spokane, Tom Hemingway of Greenacres and Lyle Hemingway of Spokane; two brothers, Gordon and Lyle Manser of Spokane; a sister, Joyce Saad of Mount Vernon, Wash.; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis division of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Drew Ramputi
Hayden, Idaho
Memorial service for Drew Maxwell Ramputi, 16, will be today at 2 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel.
Mr. Ramputi, who was born in Portland, died Sept. 7.
He grew up in the Tacoma area, where he attended Wilson High School until moving to Hayden with his family two months ago. He recently attended Project CDA High School.
Mr. Ramputi was an avid skateboarder and had skated in more than 20 states, Canada and the Philippines. He enjoyed making films of his friends skateboarding and of his family.
He played the guitar and enjoyed music and animals.
Survivors include his parents, Daniel and Yvette Ramputi, and a sister, Rachel Ramputi, all of Hayden; a half-brother, Jeb Spencer, and a half-sister, Amber Wasco, both of Los Angeles; and his grandparents, Ralph and Joan Domangue of Hayden, and retired Col. and Mrs. F.R. Ramputi of Albuquerque, N.M.
Laura Gallagher
Spokane Valley
Memorial service for Laura Jean Kromer Gallagher, 88, will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Manito Presbyterian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gallagher died Thursday.
She was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, and graduated from Storm Lake High School.
Mrs. Gallagher moved to Spokane in 1936 and worked as a teller at the Old National Bank.
She was a 64-year member of the Manito Presbyterian Church.
She enjoyed cooking, sewing and sailing.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Robert Kromer in 1962 and John Gallagher in 1999.
Survivors include two daughters, Jill McBride of Seattle and Mollie Patshkowski of Spokane; two stepsons, John Gallagher of West Virginia and James Gallagher of Spokane; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Henry Cook
Spokane
No service will be held for Henry E. Cook, 66. Heritage Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Mr. Cook, who was born in Ligonier, Ind., died last Tuesday. He was a resident of Spokane for 21 years.
He was a laborer.