Obituaries
Phillip Simmons Colville, Wash.
Funeral service for Phillip Dean Simmons, 59, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Colville High School Auditorium. Graveside service will follow at the Forest Home Cemetery in Northport, Wash. Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Simmons, who was born in Minneapolis, died Tuesday.
He moved to Glenwood, Minn., where he graduated in 1955 from high school.
Mr. Simmons earned his degree in business education and a minor in instrumental music in 1959 from St. Cloud State Teachers College in St. Cloud, Minn. He later obtained a master’s degree in education from the University of Idaho.
He began his teaching career at Northport High School, teaching there for five years.
In 1962 he married Linda Palm in Northport.
Mr. Simmons taught business at Colville High School for the next 30 years. He was also vocational director and taught night school at the Colville campus of Spokane Community College.
He gave piano lessons in his home and was a member of the Colville Community Arts Association and the Colville Chamber of Commerce.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Heidi Simmons of Seattle and Belinda Simmons of Des Moines, Wash.; a son, Phillip Simmons of Parkland, Fla.; and two sisters, Audrey Disser of Bloomington, Minn., and Donna Woodhall of Canton, Ohio.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Phil Simmons Vocational Scholarship Fund in care of the Washington Mutual Bank in Colville.
Oscar ‘Swede’ Monson Spokane
Interment for Oscar E. “Swede” Monson, 88, will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Coeur d’Alene Memorial Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. Memorial service will follow at 4 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Spokane. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Monson, who was born in Grafton, N.D., died Tuesday.
He graduated from St. Cloud Teachers College and was a sixth-grade school teacher and high school basketball coach in Menahga, Minn.
Mr. Monson lived in Coeur d’Alene from 1942 to 1960 and worked in the construction of Farragut Naval Base. He also worked for Alcoa Aluminum, the Coeur d’Alene Press, where he was the circulation manager for several years, and then began his tenure with Kaiser Aluminum.
He moved to Spokane in 1960 and worked at the Trentwood Plant of Kaiser Aluminum for 26 years and retired in 1972 as the first finish mill superintendent.
Mr. Monson was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene, Christ Lutheran Church in Spokane and the Kaiser Aluminum Retirees Association.
His wife of 65 years, Lillian, died in 1997.
Survivors include a son, Don Monson of Spokane; two daughters, Virginia Warren of Spokane and Maxine Martin of Hayden Lake, Idaho; a sister, Flora Nelson of Modesto, Calif.; 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Christ Lutheran Church Memorial Fund.
Marion ‘Ken’ Britton IV Spokane
Service for Marion Kendred ‘Ken’ Britton IV, 57, will be held at a later date at the Normal Hill Cemetery in Lewiston. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Britton, who was born and raised in Clarkston, Wash., died Jan. 8.
He served in the Air Force until 1963 and was involved in the Bay of Pigs incident.
Mr. Britton moved to Spokane in the late 1960s and had worked as a chef at many area restaurants, including the Davenport Hotel, Spokane Country Club and the Hayden Lake Country Club.
He later worked at the Best Western in Dayton, Wash., until his retirement.
Mr. Britton received an Associate of Arts degree from Spokane Falls Community College and was recognized by the college for three plays he wrote while in attendance there.
Survivors include his wife, Linda; a daughter, Shannon Jenkins of Spokane; a son, Brian Britton of Spokane; two sisters, Geraldine Clifford of Clarkston and Mary Thorin of Hixon, Tenn.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Alice ‘Sherwood’ Abrahamson Chewelah, Wash.
Wake for Alice Frances “Sherwood” Abrahamson, 93, will be at 4 p.m. today at St. Mary’s School in Chewelah. Rosary will follow at 7 p.m. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary of the Rosary Catholic Church in Chewelah. Burial will follow at Chewelah Catholic Cemetery. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Abrahamson, who was a lifetime resident of Chewelah, died Wednesday.
She was a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians and St. Mary of the Rosary Catholic Church in Chewelah.
Mrs. Abrahamsons’ Indian name was Alice of the Valley.
Her husband, Tommy, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Joe Abrahamson of Chewelah; four daughters, Antoinette Bruno of Beaverton, Ore., Marie Grant of Nespelem, Wash., Evelyn Pascal of Ford, Wash., and Dorothy Williams of Vancouver, Wash.; 18 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Josephs Long Term Care Center in Chewelah.
William Loeper Santa Maria, Calif.
Graveside service for William Loeper, 87, will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Loeper, who was born in Washington state, died Monday.
He received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1932 from Washington State College in Pullman.
Mr. Loeper was a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1946 and commanded the USS LST 811 that toured the Asiatic Pacific Theater during World War II.
He was a resident of the Spokane area until moving to Santa Maria in 1960, where he owned and operated Bill Loeper Ford until 1984.
Mr. Loeper was a member of the Elks Club, Noontime Kiwanis, Al Kader Temple of Wilsonville, Ore., and the Santa Maria Shrine Club of Al Malaikah Temple of Los Angeles.
Survivors include his wife, Lucille; a daughter, Joan Carbaugh of Sacramento, Calif.; a sister, Myrtle Freter of Valleyford; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation.
Joyce Willis Spokane
Visitation for Joyce Arlene Willis, 62, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral HomeNorth. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Willis, who was born in Grand Forks, N.D., died Tuesday.
She moved to Spokane in 1943 and married Walter Willis in 1954.
Mrs. Willis ran a day care in her home for 20 years and retired in 1981.
She was a member of the World War II Ex Prisoners of War Club, Disabled American Veterans Women’s Auxiliary, First Church of the Open Bible, and was affiliated with the First Church of Nazarene.
Her husband died in 1990.
Survivors include four sons, Verne, Douglas and Kirk Willis, all of Spokane, and Craig Willis of Federal Way, Wash.; three brothers, Leonard Sampson, and Gordon and Eugene Allen all of Spokane; a sister, Viola Stevens of Spokane; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Northwest Kidney Foundation, P.O. Box 3035, Seattle, WA 98114-9906.
Willard ‘Woody’ Stockton Elma, Wash.
Funeral service for Willard J. “Woody” Stockton, 77, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Pines Cemetery.
Mr. Stockton, who was born in Elma, Wash., died Tuesday.
He served in the Marine Corps for 26 years, serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He retired in 1973.
Mr. Stockton moved to Spokane in 1977 and drove a school bus for Spokane School District 81, until he retired in 1992.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Joyce; three sons, David and Willard Stockton, both of Spokane, and Lawrence Stockton of Salem, Ohio; two daughters, Linda Stockton of Denver and Peggy Radford of Billings, Mo.; a brother, Myron Stockton of Austin, Colo.; a sister, Paula; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Frank Bieker Spokane
Funeral Mass for Frank John Bieker, 71, will be at 10:30 a.m. today at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church. A private inurnment will be held. HennesseySmith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bieker, who was born in Ferdinand, Idaho, died Tuesday.
He served in the Navy during World War II and was a 41-year resident of Spokane.
Mr. Bieker was an industrial arts instructor at Ferris High School.
After retiring, he worked as a crop insurance adjuster.
He was a member of the Retired Teachers Association, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish and the Men’s Club.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Clementine; two sons, Michael Bieker of Spokane and Douglas Bieker of Seattle; two brothers, Don Bieker of Ferdinand and H. Jim Bieker of Ontario, Ore.; a sister, Marlene Zodrow of Lewiston; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Dorothy Peha Almira, Wash.
Visitation for Dorothy Peha, 74, will be from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur, Wash. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Almira Community Church in Almira. Interment will follow at the Almira Cemetery.
Mrs. Peha, who was born in Rocklyn, Wash., died Tuesday.
She graduated from Harrington High School in Harrington, Wash., and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Peha was a member of the Almira Community Church and the Cannawai Grange.
Her husband, Ludwig Peha, died in 1993.
Survivors include a son, Larry Peha of Almira; a brother, Marvin Dietrich of Davenport, Wash.; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Almira Fire Department or the Almira Cemetery Association.
Eleanor Eddy Spokane
Funeral service for Eleanor “Ellie” Eddy, 75, will be at 2 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Private interment will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Eddy, who was born in W. Des Moines, Iowa, died Tuesday.
During World War II, she worked in a munitions plant in Iowa.
Mrs. Eddy played in two national basketball tournaments of the Amateur Athletic Union.
She moved to Spokane in 1945 and worked as a florist.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, H. Boyd; two daughters, Sue Roberts of Spokane and Karen Johnston of Cheney; two brothers, Leonard Wood of W. Des Moines and Frank Wood of Ocala, Fla.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association Eastern Washington Chapter.
Durward Jensen Chewelah, Wash.
Funeral service for Durward H. “D.H.” Jensen, 83, will be at 11 a.m. today at the Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah. Burial will follow at the Chewelah City Cemetery.
Mr. Jensen, who was born in Joplin, Mont., died Tuesday.
He moved to Paradise Valley, Idaho, as a child and later worked as a cook with the Civilian Conservation Corps.
In 1937 he married and moved to Lincoln, Wash., where he worked at the Lincoln mill until he retired as plant superintendent in 1971.
He moved to the Endiat Valley near Wenatchee for seven years and moved to Chewelah in 1978.
Survivors include his wife, Lois Jensen; a son, Gary Jensen of Portland; a daughter, Carol Vaughn of Everett; a sister, Lillian Rageland of Spokane; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Carl Anderson Spokane
Memorial service for Carl S. Anderson, 65, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Central United Methodist Church. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Anderson, who was born in Fort Monroe, Va., died Jan. 6.
He moved to Spokane in 1941 and in 1950 graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.
Mr. Anderson served in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict.
He worked as a custodian for Spokane School District 81 for 15 years until his retirement in 1994.
Mr. Anderson was a member of the Central United Methodist Church.
Survivors include three daughters, Lori, Jean and Kari Jo; two brothers, Richard and Ernest Anderson, both of Spokane; and two sisters, Elsie Schultz and Mary Gwinnup, both of Spokane.
John Paxton Cheney
Memorial service for John Ross Paxton, 54, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kingdom Hall in Cheney. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Paxton, a 17-year resident of the area, died Tuesday.
He was born in Lakeview, Ore.
He retired as an Air Force Captain in 1985 and then worked as a Network Specialist for Spokane County.
Mr. Paxton’s is survived by his wife, Lora; a son, Todd Paxton of Long Island, N.Y.; a daughter, Glynnis Newbry of Chewelah, Wash.; and a granddaughter.
Ethel Ottosen Spokane
Memorial service for Ethel Adell Ottosen, 91, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Fairfield Presbyterian Church in Fairfield. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Fairfield is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ottosen, who was born in Tum Tum, Wash., died Monday.
In 1923 she married Julius Ottosen and they moved to Waverly.
She served as the town treasurer and was head cook for East Liberty School District from 1959 to 1971.
Mrs. Ottosen was a member of Fairfield Presbyterian Church and the Moran Prairie Grange.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include a sister, Olive Ottosen; a brother, Dale Clark; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Fairfield Good Samaritan van’s fund or the Fairfeld Presbyterian Church.
Bessie Wiersma Veradale
No service will be held for Bessie (Sylvester) Wiersma, 87, at her request. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Wiersma, who was born in Spooner, Wis., died Thursday.
In 1929 she married Red Wiersma in Spooner and in 1942 they moved to Spokane from Bend, Ore.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Don Wiersma of Spokane; a daughter, Fern Anderson of Veradale; two brothers, Ralph Sylvester of Spokane and Charlie Sylvester of Duluth, Minn.; a sister, Sylvia Arnold of Duluth; eight grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 22 great-great-grandchildren.
Fern (Eid) Cooper Spokane
Memorial service for Fern A. (Eid) Cooper, 82, will be at a later date. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cooper, who was born in Moscow, Idaho, died Sunday.
She graduated from high school in Moscow, and in 1935 married Walter Cooper in Moscow.
They moved to Spokane in 1935, and she was a homemaker.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include two sons, Richard Cooper of Tacoma and Jack Cooper of Spokane; and a daughter, Norma Cooper of Issaquah, Wash.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane or the Shriners Hospital for Children.
Grace Puckett Otis Orchards
Visitation for Grace G. Puckett, 90, will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. A private interment will be held at Pines Cemetery at a later date.
Mrs. Puckett, who was born in Bear Creek Township, Minn., died Tuesday.
She was raised in Minnesota and moved to Otis Orchards in 1948.
Mrs. Puckett was a homemaker.
Her husband, Roy Puckett, died in 1982.
There are no surviving family members.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Bertha Harman Spokane
No service will be held for Bertha S. Harman, 92. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Harman, who was born in Germany, died Monday.
She was a 60-year resident of Spokane and was a homemaker.
Survivors include two sons, Leo Harman of Spokane and Don Harman of Elk; two daughters, Lois Nay and Sharon Gerard, both of Spokane; 14 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
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