Obituaries
Phyllis Whitten
Colville, Wash.
Vigil service for Phyllis C. Whitten, 63, will be at 8 p.m Friday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colville. Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at the church.
Mrs. Whitten, who was born in Grand Prairie, Alberta, died Monday at home.
She worked as a medical technologist for Colville doctors. She and her husband operated Whitten Oil Inc., in Colville.
Mrs. Whitten was a member of the church Altar Society, the Lady Elks and Eagles, and the 8-11 Study Club and was active in the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Survivors include her husband of 41 years, Carroll; her mother, Elsie Floener of Colville; one son, Jeff of Colville; one brother, Larry Floener of Colville; one sister, Karen Harris of Colville; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Stevens County Chapter of the American Cancer Society or the Immaculate Conception Parish Building Fund.
Harry Crumbaker
Spokane
Service for Harry M. Crumbaker, 87, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church with burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Crumbaker, who died Saturday. was born in Colfax, Wash.
He graduated from Colfax High School and worked as a supervisor for the Works Projects Administration federal writers program until 1940. He later worked the Milwaukee Railroad in St. Maries.
He entered the Army in 1943 and served until 1945.
Mr. Crumbaker returned to Spokane following World War II and was hired by the State Department of Employment Security, then a federal agency.
He retired as industrial relations representative in 1972, after 27 years.
He graduated from Whitworth College in 1975 with a social science degree. He had attended Washington State University after high school.
Mr. Crumbaker was a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Audrey Crumbaker; one daughter, Claudia Biggs of Spokane; one son, Larry Crumbaker of Eugene, Ore.; one stepsister, Wanda Wright of California; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church or Omega Ministries in care of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
Sonni Rondeau
Spokane
Private service for Charles “Sonni” Rondeau, 54, was held.
Mr. Rondeau, who died last Wednesday, was born in Lame Deer, Mont.
He moved to Spokane as a child and served in the Marines from 1960 until 1964.
He was a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Indians of Montana.
Mr. Rondeau is survived by one son, Tony Warner of Spokane; three daughters, Angela Melvin and Stacy Horn, both of Spokane, and Sonya Smith of Elk; three sisters, Diane Bachman, Cynthia Thornton and Charlene McCallum, all of Spokane; his mother, Rose Adam of Spokane; and seven grandchildren.
Karlis Plekss
Spokane
Memorial service for Karlis Plekss, 75, will be at 4 p.m. today at Ball & Dodd Funeral Home-South.
Mr. Plekss, who was born in Latvia, died last Wednesday.
He operated a barber shop before retiring in 1972.
He is survived by a cousin, Anna Jemsa of Spokane.
Patrick Madden
Hope, Idaho
Memorial service for Patrick “O” Madden, 52, owner of P&P Construction, will be at 2 p.m. today at his home, 1000 Denton Road. Coffelt Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Madden, who died Wednesday, was born in Los Angeles. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.
In 1980 he moved to North Idaho and began a construction business. For the past four years he’d worked for Coldwell Banker and Lake Country Realty.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and building.
Survivors include two daughters; Patricia White of Savannah, Ga., and Shelly Madden of Spokane; his mother, Winifred Madden of Lacey, Wash.; one brother, David Madden of Weimar, Calif.; and one grandchild, Tabitha White of Savannah, Ga.
Hattie Johnson Kimberling
Moscow, Idaho
Service for Hattie Hazel Johnson Kimberling, 96, is set for 10 a.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in Moscow. Burial will follow at the Moscow Cemetery. Short’s Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Johnson Kimberling died Saturday. She was born in 1898 in the Genesee Valley.
She worked at the University of Idaho for many years as a cook and was an avid Vandal fan.
She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, the Royal Neighbors,the Moscow Historical Society and the Friendly Neighbors Club.
Her husband, Thomas Kimberling, preceded her in death.
Survivors include one daughter, Joyce Hudson; one daughter-in-law, Lenore Kimberling; nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Moscow, the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, the Heart Fund or the Cancer Society.
Ed Elings
Liberty Lake
Memorial service for Ed Elings, 67, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Burial will be at Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Elings, who died Saturday, was born in Conrad, Mont.
He had served in the Air Force and worked as a plant manager in steel construction.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Shirley; two daughters, Robin Carmichael of Salinas, Calif., and Charisse Elings of Liberty Lake; one son, Jerome Elings of Port Angeles, Wash.; two brothers, Bob and Don Elings, both of Conrad; one sister, Jennie Frey of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia Society of America Inc., 1411 Fourth Ave., Suite 901, Seattle, WA 98101.
Anton Brickner
Spokane
Vigil service for Anton R. “Tony” Brickner, 77, is planned for 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Brickner, who was born in Strasburg, N.D., died Sunday.
He had lived in Spokane since 1949 and was a building contractor. He retired in 1980.
Mr. Brickner was a member of St. Francis Xaiver Parish, the Knights of Columbus, the Eagles and Elks lodges, and the Home Builders Association.
His wife, Ava Brickner, died in October.
He is survived by one son, Michael Brickner of Spokane; two daughters, Tonia Thielman and Gayleen Butters, both of Spokane; four brothers, Pete, Eugene, Edward and Pius Brickner, all of Spokane; three sisters, Amelia Jensen of Spokane, Sister Narcissia Brickner of Yankton, S.D., and Mary Engle of Tacoma; nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church or Hospice of Spokane.
Walter Gihring
Spokane
Memorial service for Walter H. Gihring, 87, is planned for 3 p.m. today at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Endicott (Wash.) Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gihring, who died Sunday, was born in Marlin, Wash.
In 1917 he moved with his family to Twin Falls, Idaho.
He graduated from high school at Concordia Seminary in Seward, Neb., in 1926 and chose not to become either a minister or a teacher. He joined his family in Rockford and worked on farms and at a service station until 1936, when he was appointed Rockford postmaster.
During World War II, he served in the naval mail department.
Following the war, he returned to the post office as postmaster and later operated the rural mail route out of Rockford.
He retired in 1970. He moved to Spokane in 1971 after a short stay in Sequim, Wash.
His wife, Peggy, died in 1993.
He is survived by one stepson, Donald Fricke of Enumclaw, Wash.; one sister, Mirlinda Richardson of Spokane; and one grandson.
Michael Renner
Spokane
Funeral Mass for Michael Renner, 87, will be at 1 p.m. today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Renner, who died Sunday, was born in Russia.
He was a boiler engineer in the lumber industry and had lived in Spokane for 42 years.
He was a member of St. Aloysius Parish and the Eagles Lodge. He was also a carpenter and photographer.
He is survived by his wife, of 49 years, Angela Renner; four sons, Alex, Paul, Christian and Michael Renner, all of Spokane; two daughters, Valerie Ingram of Spokane and Angie Petticrew of Nine Mile Falls; 14 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
John Woo
Pullman
Graveside service for John Y. Woo, 71, will be at 10 a.m. today at Pullman Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery. Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Woo, who died Sunday from a heart attack, was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
He served in the Army and entered Washington State University in the late 1940s.
He studied plant pathology and and received a bachelor of science degree. He then received a master’s degree and doctorate in plant and forest pathology from the University of Idaho.
Mr. Woo worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Moscow, Idaho, as a forestry pathologist.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Helen Woo; one son, Kim Woo of San Carlos, Calif.; three daughters, Helena Catolico of Sunnyvale, Calif., Lisa Woo of Orvome, Calif., and Melinda Woo of Federal Way, Wash.; five sisters, Elizabeth Marr, Amy Yee, May Tom and Irene Johnson, all of Seattle, and Alice Louie of San Francisco; and three grandchildren.
Dorothy Beckman
Clarkston, Wash.
Graveside inurnment for Dorothy R. Beckman, 74, will be at 1 p.m. today at Normal Hill Cemetery in Lewiston. Malcom’s Brower-Wann Memorial Chapel in Lewiston is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Beckman, who died Saturday, was born in Tulsa, Okla.
She moved to Spokane with her family in 1937 and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School. She worked as a receptionist in several medical offices in Spokane from the late 1940s until 1973. She also worked as an advertising salesperson for radio station KJRB from 1973 until she retired in 1986.
She and her husband, John, moved to Clarkston in 1986.
Mrs. Beckman was a member of the National Secretaries Association and Beta Sigma Phi.
She is survived by her husband; two sons, Donald Beckman of Redmond, Wash., and Douglas Beckman of Deer Park; her mother, Clare Clark of Spokane; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Tri-State Foundation or the Tri-State Memorial Hospital.
Cecil Telecky
Davenport, Wash.
Service for Cecil A. Telecky, 67, is set for 11 a.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, with burial to follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Davenport.
Mr. Telecky, who was born in Ritzville, died Sunday.
He was a 1946 graduate of Ritzville High School.
Mr. Telecky served in the Air Force from 1950 until 1953 and was in the Air Force Reserve.
He grew wheat southeast of Davenport.
He was a member of Bluestem Grange, Edwall Lions Club and the American Legion of Davenport.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Joyce Telecky; one son, Steve Telecky of Davenport; one daughter, Joan Hollis of Kennewick; one sister, Pearl Soularie of Bothell, Wash.; four brothers, Winston Davis of Spokane, Clyde and Russ Telecky, both of Ritzville, and Stan Telecky of Central Point, Ore.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lincoln Hospital Foundation or the Lincoln County Chapter of the American Cancer Society.
June Walker
Spokane
Funeral Mass for June G. Walker, 96, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church with burial to follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Walker, who died Monday, was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
She moved to Sandpoint in 1902 with her parents and graduated from Sandpoint High School.
She graduated from Normal School in Lewiston and taught in Lamb Creek, Coleman, Laclede and Sandpoint, Idaho.
She taught cosmetology at Spokane Beauty School for three years and was a state beauty shop license inspector for four years. She operated a beauty shop for 25 years.
Mrs. Walker was a member of Estelle Wollaston Grandmothers Club, Martha Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Sandpoint and St. Aloysius Catholic Church.
Her husband, Fred Walker Sr., died in 1991.
Survivors include one daughter, Marjorie Layton of Portland; five grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
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