Obituaries
James Paxton Spokane
Service for James C. Paxton, 94, was Monday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Private burial was at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Born in Toledo, Ill., Mr. Paxton died last Friday.
He worked for Pacific Northwest Alloys as a machinist and had lived in Spokane since 1948.
He is survived by three daughters, Shirley Murphy of Spokane, Dolores Bonome of Portland and Margie Jennewin of Torrance, Calif.; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Dick Nickerson Spokane
Private graveside service for Dick B. Nickerson, 63, will precede a memorial service at 1 p.m. today at Berean Bible Church. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nickerson, who died Tuesday, was born in Okreek, S.D., and had lived in Spokane for more than 30 years.
In 1959 he married Betty Kirstein in Ellensburg.
He worked as a long-haul driver for Boise Cascade and retired in 1980.
He is survived by his wife; a son, Bruce Nickerson of Spokane; a daughter, Mary Jean Sherwood of Anchorage, Alaska; his stepmother, Elna Cambpell of Ephrata, Wash.; two sisters, Jean Broadsword of Sandpoint and Alice Miller of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; three stepsisters, Linda Hoffman of Ephrata, Adel Tjoelker of Quincy, Wash., and Dina Slettevold of Colorado; two stepbrothers, Jim Nickerson of Ephrata and Rex Nickerson of Ellensburg; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Pushy Grandmas, 818 E. Sharp, Spokane, WA 99202.
Evelyn Castro Sandpoint
Memorial service for Evelyn C. Castro, 55, will be today at 5 p.m. at the Castro residence, 417 Washington St., Sandpoint. Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Castro, who was born in Los Angeles, died Saturday.
She had lived in California before moving to Sandpoint in 1972. She had worked at Sandpoint Manor beginning in 1979 as a certified nurse’s aide and a rehabilitation assistant and had been named Employee of the Month. She took medical retirement from Mountainside Care Center in 1994.
Mrs. Castro was a member of the Church of Christ in Sandpoint and the CNA Association and was a former member of the PTA.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Vernon Rumsey. Survivors include two daughters, Lori May Cheney of Hagerman, Idaho, and Verna Good of Sandpoint; one brother, Anthony Worman of Spokane; three sisters, Patricia Miner of Texas, Frances Hassen of Oklahoma and Mary Cunningham of California; and six grandchildren.
Freda Sligar Spokane
Memorial service for Freda Elsie Sligar, 88, is set for 2 p.m. today at Riplinger Funeral Home.
Born in Brandon, Manitoba, Mrs. Sligar, died Wednesday.
She had lived in Spokane for more than 70 years and was a homemaker.
She was a member of Fourth Memorial Church.
Her husband, Guy Sligar, died in 1987.
She is survived by two daughters, Carol Rockstrom of Otis Orchards and Gail O’Connor of Nine Mile Falls; a son, Guy Sligar of Spokane; a sister, Dorothy Dicken of Spokane; 13 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Gospel Mission.
Harlyn Hanson Spokane
Memorial service for Harlyn W. Hanson, 67, is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mr. Hanson, who died last Friday at home, was born in Remer, Minn.
He had lived in the Spokane area for 10 years and worked as an auto mechanic.
He is survived by four daughters, Vickey Monahan of Sun Valley, Idaho, Della Hanson of Idaho, Lori Borrilli of California and Wanda Sloan of Portland; a brother, Darwin Hanson, and a sister, Julie Short, both of Spokane; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Blaine County Youth Task Force, P.O. Box 297, Hailey, ID 83333.
Marion Buckholz Spokane
Visitation for Marion L. Buckholz, 90, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park.
A 66-year Spokane resident, Mrs. Buckholz died Tuesday.
She was born in Sumner, Iowa, where she also graduated from high school.
She was a homemaker and later worked for Raymond’s Natural Foods in downtown Spokane for many years before retiring as manager.
She was a member of Sinto Senior Center and Daughters of Union Veterans.
Her husband of 49 years, Robert Buckholz, died in 1975.
She is survived by a son, Robert Buckholz of Spokane; two sisters, Estella Addis of Bellefonte, Pa., and Ruth Bergeron of Seattle; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Michael Tinney Spokane
Funeral Mass for Michael Brian Tinney, 33, will be at 10 a.m. today at 10 a.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church in Medical Lake. Burial will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tinney died last Friday from unknown natural causes.
He was born on Guam and spent his childhood living in many different places, including Italy and Crete.
He graduated from high school in Medical Lake, where his family had settled. He also graduated from Spokane Community College.
He was a sergeant with the Air National Guard and worked for KeyTronic as a diagnostic technician.
He was a member of St. Anne Catholic Church in Medical Lake.
Mr. Tinney is survived by his parents, Edward and Stephanie Tinney of Medical Lake; a sister, Karen Urbanc; and two brothers, Edward Tinney of Bellingham and Brian Tinney of Medical Lake.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Shirley Culver Spokane
Service for Shirley Culver, 60, is planned for 11 a.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Cremation will follow.
Mrs. Culver, who died Tuesday, was born in England.
She had lived in Spokane since 1972 and worked as a loan officer at URM Credit Union for the past 11 years.
She was a member of First Church of the Nazarene.
Her husband, Norman Culver, died in 1984.
She is survived by two sons, Mark Culver of Anchorage, Alaska, and Jeffrey Culver of Spokane; a sister, Audrey Hurst of England; and three grandchildren.
Josephine Sicilia Spokane
Vigil service for Josephine Palmerina Sicilia, 91, is planned for 7 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Presentation Catholic Church in Deer Park.
Mrs. Sicilia, who died Tuesday, was born in Harrison, Idaho.
She was a 75-year Spokane resident. She sponsored card parties for the March of Dimes for many years.
Her husband, Santo Sicilia, died in 1984.
She is survived by four sons, George, Jim and Chuck Sicilia, all of Spokane, and Bill Sicilia of Mead; three daughters, Carmella Chandler, Dorothy Bourne and Edythe Griffith, all of Spokane; a brother, Julio Tonti of Spokane; 51 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or St. Mary’s Presentation Church, 316 N. Main St., Deer Park, WA 99006.
Walt Wenzel Sr. Spokane
Memorial service for Walt Wenzel Sr., a 51-year Spokane resident, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Deer Park.
Mr. Wenzel, 65, died Monday He was born in Minnesota.
When he was younger, he worked as a blasting and drilling contractor. He also worked at many other occupations, and was disabled later in life.
He was a member of the Deer Park congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was a guitarist.
Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Joyce Wenzel; four sons, Daniel and Robert Wenzel, both of Kenai, Alaska, Dana Wenzel of Elk and Walter “Sonny” Wenzel Jr. of Spokane; four daughters, Linda Young and Leah Brown, both of Spokane , Lora Finn of Vancouver, Wash., and LeAnn Goetz of Fort Worth, Texas; a brother, John Wenzel, and a sister, Florence Black, both of Spokane; 28 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Duane Neufind Spokane
Visitation for Duane E. Neufind, 64, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.
Mr. Neufind, who was born in Fremont, Neb., died Monday.
He graduated from high school in Fremont and served in the Air Force in Korea and Vietnam. He retired from the military in 1972 after 22 years of service.
He had lived in Spokane for 26 years.
Mr. Neufind was a square dancer and belonged to the Wild Rose Ramblers.
Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Patty Neufind; three sons, Carl Neufind and Terry Olson, both of Spokane, and Ricky Olson of Kalispell, Mont.; four daughters, Pamela Shigeyoshi of Kelowna, British Columbia, Penny Davies of Spokane, Jodie Olson of Belleville, Ill., and Diana Schultz of Santa Rosa, Calif.; a brother, Donald Neufind of Fremont, Neb.; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Sherman MacDowell Spokane
Vigil service for Sherman Joseph MacDowell, 77, will be at 5:30 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at Assumption Catholic Church with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. MacDowell, who was born in Uniontown, Pa., died Wednesday.
He worked for Fidelity Mutual Bank from 1946 until 1986 and retired from First Interstate Bank.
He was a past president of the Spokane Executive Association and was a member of Assumption Catholic Parish, the Boy Scouts Council and the Spokane Council of the Navy League. He was a founding member of the Assumption Retired Men’s Organization.
He had lived in Spokane for 50 years.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn MacDowell; a son, Paul MacDowell of Spokane; two stepsons, Richard Gilbreth of Boise and Steven Gilbreth of Spokane; a daughter, Donna MacDowell of Spokane; two stepdaughters, Lyn Ross and Holly Stevens, both of Spokane; two brothers, Paul MacDowell of York, Pa., and Wally MacDowell of New Brighton, Pa.; a sister, Marjorie Johnson of Butler, Pa.; and 14 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Assumption Catholic Church Building Fund.
Phyllis Justice Anacortes, Wash.
Memorial service for Phyllis C. Justice, a former Spokane teacher, will be at 11 a.m. today at Anacortes Lutheran Church. Cryptside service is planned for 10 a.m. Monday at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane. Evans Funeral Chapel of Anacortes is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Justice, who died Monday from cancer, was born in Chicago. She was 76.
In 1940, she married Paul Gaunt after attending Penn State University for a year. Her husband died in 1947.
She met and married Edward “Chug” Justice in 1949 in Mount Vernon, Wash. They moved to Spokane, from Valley, Wash., in 1953.
Mrs. Justice returned to college and graduated with a teaching degree from Whitworth College. She taught for more than 10 years in the West Valley School District before retiring in 1975.
She was a member of Fowler United Methodist Church in Spokane.
Her husband died in 1991.
Survivors include two sons, Paul and Terry Justice, both of Spokane; a brother, Bud Johnson of Guemes Island, Wash.; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
, DataTimes