Obituaries

Pauline (Sommars) Zupan

Spokane

No service will be held for Pauline M. (Sommars) Zupan, 84. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Zupan, who was born in Verndale, Minn., died Wednesday. She was a resident of Spokane for 53 years.

She graduated from Verndale High School in 1939 and received her nursing training at Asbury and University hospitals in Minneapolis.

Mrs. Zupan served in the Army from 1942 to 1946 as a 1st lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps. She served in North Africa, Italy and on the Rhineland with the 95th Evacuation Hospital. She was on board HMS Newfoundland, a British hospital ship en route from Tunis to Salerno, when it was sunk by the Germans on Sept. 13, 1943.

She survived the bombing of her hospital on Feb. 7, 1944, after the allied invasion at Anzio. Her experiences were among those described in the book “Angels of Mercy,” by Betsy Kuhn.

She married John Zupan in 1952.

Mrs. Zupan worked as a registered nurse for 39 years. She was a freelance nurse anesthetist and worked at a number of local hospitals including in Ritzville, Deer Park, Metaline Falls, Colville, Chewelah and Newport.

She was a Democratic Party precinctwoman for many years. She enjoyed gardening and cooking.

Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Leslie Zupan of Alexandria, Va., Lisa Arvanitis of Kennett Square, Pa., and Linda Zupan of Marquette, Mich.; a brother, Robert Sommars of Verndale; and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Women in the Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Dept. 560, Washington, D.C., 20042-0560 or online at www.womensmemorial.org.

Dennis Adams

Ritzville, Wash.

Funeral for Dennis R. “Denny” Adams, 65, will be today at 2 p.m. at the Zion-Philadelphia Congregational Church in Ritzville, with vault interment following at Ritzville Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Adams died Tuesday at his home in Ritzville.

He was born in Spokane. His parents settled in Connell, Wash., where he met and married LoAnn Janosky in 1957. The couple later divorced.

Mr. Adams moved to Ritzville in 1964 and began a 24- year career in auto body and repair.

In 1971 he married Leslie VanVleet.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing and loved auto racing. He raced at Soap Lake and Ephrata, Wash., for three years. He was a member of the Ritzville Jaycees and served as president in 1976. He was a member of the Ritzville Gun Club and National Rifle Association.

Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Eva McCrady of Ritzville; two sons, Troy Adams of Coeur d’Alene and Clint Adams of Palouse; a sister, Cheri Schroeder of Spokane; and five grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ritzville Lions Club, Legion Remodel Fund, c/o Jim Leffell, 219 W. Main, Ritzville, WA 99169.

Elaine Olson

Spokane

Funeral for Elaine K. Olson, 78, will be today at 10 a.m. at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.

Mrs. Olson died Wednesday.

She was born in Madison, S.D., and attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. She taught primary school in South Dakota before she married Orland Olson in 1948.

A resident of Spokane since 1959, Mrs. Olson was a teacher and counselor at Sacajawea Junior High, and Shadle Park High School. She attended Whitworth College where she received her counseling degree.

Her husband died in 1994.

Survivors include a brother, Ronald Graese of Littleton, Colo.; and two nieces, Kathryn Tobey of Littleton and Marilyn Burnett of Colorado Springs.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Symphony, 818 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane 99201, or to Center Pointe, 1408 N. Washington St., Spokane, WA 99201.