Obituaries 9/29/11

A memorial service for Lorene W. Ball, 87, was Monday, Sept. 26, at Grace Lutheran Church in Potlatch, with the Rev. Larry Vieth officiating. She was cremated, and her ashes were buried at Mendenhall Cemetery. Mrs. Ball died last Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, at the Guardian Angels Homes of Lewiston where she had been a resident since March of this year.

Born July 31, 1924, at Potlatch, to Emmett and Helen Smith Atkison, she attended school at Onaway. She and Cletis (Dick) Ball were married Sept. 7, 1940. The couple made their home at Palouse until 1948 when they moved to a small farm on Crane Creek north of Potlatch. Mrs. Ball was a homemaker all her life. The couple enjoyed spending winters in Yuma, Ariz. Mr. Ball died in March of 2010.

She was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church at Potlatch. She enjoyed cooking, dancing and entertaining family and friends.

Survivors include three sons, Richard (Pak) Ball, Post Falls; Ronald Ball, Hayden, and Don (Toni) Ball, Potlatch; one daughter, Patty Nirk, Wenatchee; six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, or to the Grace Lutheran Church, Box 306, Potlatch, ID 83855

Barbara Ann Krouse

Barbara Ann Krouse

Barbara Ann Krouse, 56, lifelong area resident, passed away Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, at Pullman Regional Hospital. She was 56. A graveside service will be Saturday, Oct. 1, at 11:00 a.m. at the Winona Cemetery. Barbara was born Aug. 27, 1955, in Colfax. She was the oldest of five children born to Robert and Marjorie “Patricia” (Nussbaum) Huffman. She grew up in the Hooper area where her father worked for the railroad. She graduated from Washtucna High School in 1975. Barbara worked for several years as a nurse’s aide for the Palouse Nursing Center in Colfax, now Paul’s Place, and made her home in Colfax.

She married Roger Krouse in Coeur d’Alene July 2, 1980. He worked at the feed mill in LaCrosse and later worked at the Whitman County Gazette for 15 years. The couple moved to Winona after his parents died and lived there for several years. Barbara was a private duty caregiver for people in their own homes. She enjoyed hand crafts such as embroidery, knitting and crocheting.

After Mr. Krouse died in 2007 she moved to the Whitman Senior Living Center in Pullman and lived there for the last four years.

Surviving are her parents Robert Huffman of Sprague and Pat Huffman of Battle Ground, and her four siblings, Wayne Huffman, Reardan, William Huffman of Sprague, Lynn Johns of Amboy, and Mary Huffman of Colfax.

On-line condolences: http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Arnold G. Foster

A graveside service for Arnold Gene Foster, 84, resident of Colfax for the past 16 years, was Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the Colfax Cemetery with the Rev. Floyd Overstreet officiating. A small reception followed at Hill-Ray Plaza. Mr. Foster died last Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Colfax.

Born May 23, 1927, in Plainview, Neb., to Joseph and Muriel Baird Foster, he grew up on the family farm.

While working with a corn picker he sustained the loss of a hand which was caught in the machine.

He and Shirley Ann Theis were married Feb. 22, 1948, and they made their home in Plainview where he later worked for the City of Plainview Public Works Department.

In 1968, they moved to Lemon Grove, Calif., where he repaired and installed air conditioners and furnaces with his brother.

He then became head custodian at the Lemon Grove school for 14 years.

After retiring, they enjoyed traveling, playing cards and painting.

Shirley died in 1995, and he moved to Colfax to be closer to his daughter and family.

He moved to Hill-Ray Plaza and became the handyman and custodian around the place and also served as president of the board of directors for two years.

He and Lori Scott met at Hill-Ray, and they were married Sept. 26, 2008.

Surviving are his wife, Lori, sons Gene (Linda) Foster and Mark Foster, both of Jackson, Ohio; his daughter, Nancy (Dennis) Lintvedt, Colfax; three sisters, Ruth Petersen, Lincoln, Neb., Doris (Dale) Jenkinsen, Muscatine, Iowa, and Eileen (Del) Anderson, Ramona, Calif .; nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials go to Friends of Hospice, 1610 NE Eastgate Blvd, #850, Pullman, 99163; or to Hill-Ray Plaza, 801 S. Vista Point Dr., Colfax, 99111. On-line guest book:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

John W. Thompson

The funeral for John William (Bill) Thompson, 81, longtime Waitsburg resident who was a graduate of Palouse High School, was Monday, at the First Christian Church in Waitsburg. Burial followed in the Waitsburg Cemetery.

Mr. Thompson died Sept. 17, 2011, at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. Born May 23, 1930, in Pompey’s Pillar, Mont., to John William and Elizabeth Boller Thompson, he later moved to Palouse.

He was the owner of Waitsburg Television Cable Company. He and Luella Anderson were married in Hawaii Oct. 23, 1984. A devout WSU Cougar fan, he rarely missed a home football game. He served on the Waitsburg City Council, the Waitsburg Ambulance Board, Waitsburg Historical Society and was a member of the Masonic Lodge, B.P.O.E. Lodge of Walla Walla where he had served as president of the Wheelers. He also served as president of the Waitsburg Lions Club. He attended the Waitsburg First Christian Church. Surviving are his wife at their home in Waitsburg; his daughter, Linda (Ron) McCauley, Walla Walla; three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Sam Thompson, and a daughter, Marcie Thompson. Memorial contributions may be made to the Waitsburg Historical Society in care of Mountain View-Colonial DeWitt, 1551 Dalles Military Road, Walla Walla, Wash.

Billy G. Gaines

Billy G. Gaines, 53, resident of Malden for the past three years, died Thursday morning, Sept. 15, at his home. He was cremated and his urn will be placed in the family cemetery in Iuka, Miss.

Born Sept. 6, 1958, at Corinth, Miss., to John Harrel and Nelidene Bugg Gaines, Sr. He attended schools in Mississippi and graduated from Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Miss., in 1976. Following high school, Billy worked in Mississippi for a furniture manufacturing company and later for construction companies for the next several years.

In 1983, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he served for the next six years.

He trained to be a boiler and pressure vessel inspector.

He was honorably discharged from the Navy in February of 1989.

Following his discharge, he worked in Hartford, Ct., for Hartford Steam Boiler & Insurance Company as a boiler inspector for the next eight years.

He moved south to Louisiana in 1997, settling in Baton Rouge, where he worked for Boiler Rebuilders and Fabricators.

In March of 2007, he moved west to Salem, Ore., and worked for the State Building Codes Division.

In 2008, Mr. Gaines went to work for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries as a boiler and pressure vessel inspector.

He moved to Malden in 2008.

Billy enjoyed riding motorcycles and hunting.

Survivors include his mother, Nell Gaines, in Iuka, Miss .; two brothers, John Harrel Gaines Jr.

of Glen, Miss., and Timothy Gaines of Iuka; two sisters, Sherry Thacker and Deborah Hudson, both of Iuka.

Alvin Vernon (Vern) McCormack II

Alvin Vernon (Vern) McCormack II, 84, died Tuesday morning, Sept. 27, 2011, at the Tekoa Care Center where he had made his home for the past threee years. Mr. McCormack owned and operated the Cash Hardware Co., the John Deere dealership, in Tekoa for many years. Memorial service will be Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2:30 p.m. in the Tekoa Community Church. Family suggests memorial gifts be made to the Tekoa Care Center. A full obituary will be published in next week’s Gazette.

Funeral mass for Leo James Fuchs, 78, Worley, will be Saturday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. at the Worley Longhouse. A potluck dinner will follow. Mr. Fuchs died Sept. 17, 2011, at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’ Alene.

Born Sept. 20, 1932, to Michael and Emma Reiland Fuchs near Oakesdale, he was one of 11 children.

He was raised on a family farm north of Tekoa, attended St. Joseph’s Academy in Tekoa and graduated from Tekoa High School with the class of 1950.

He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis until he received his honorable discharge in December of 1954.

He and Ila Rhea Weatherford were married Sept. 10, 1954.

They lived and farmed in Tekoa, Endicott and Worley and had two sons, Terry L. (Wanda) Fuchs and Michael J. Fuchs, and two daughters, Kim W. (Jason) Hix, and Cheryl L. (Mark) Boss.

They were divorced in 1974.

He worked for several farmers, logged in the winters and farmed at Worley through the 1983 harvest.

Mr. Fuchs married Cathy Smith in 1975, and they were later divorced. He met Linda Waddell in 1980 and they were later married. They had two children, Melinda S. Fuchs and Ryan Fuchs. Linda’s older sons, Robert Droivold and Scott Waddell, became part of his family.

Mr. Fuchs was known for the smoked whole hog barbecue he provided for many area functions. He also operated a smokehouse and produced German sausage, salami, pepperoni and fish. Also, for many years they operated The Other Place Bar in Worley.

He also produced dozens of smoked turkeys during Thanksgiving. He enjoyed gardening and fishing on the St. Joe River and Moose Creek Reservoir.

Surviving are his wife, Linda, at the family home in Worley; his six children and two step-sons; sisters, Pauline Cole of Moscow, and Rita Moore, Sacramento; brothers, Neil Fuchs of Tekoa, Ted Fuchs of Spokane Valley and Edward Fuchs of Rathdrum; 19 grandchildren, and 29 great-grandchildren.

A graveside inurnment service for Kathryn E. (Katie) Barstow Karo, 79, will be today, Thursday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m. at the Mountain View Cemetery in Farmington, with Walt Miller officiating. She died Friday morning at the Memory Villas at Bishop Place in Pullman where she resided since July of 2010.

Born Oct. 10, 1931, at Moscow to Rex and Marguerite Warren Barstow, she attended schools at Moscow and graduated from the Moscow High School in 1950. She later attended the University of Idaho for two years. Katie was married and later divorced. Katie lived in Tigard and Salem, Ore., for several years and worked as a bookkeeper and receptionist for a metal fabrication company in Newburg, Ore., where she lived from 1972 to 1979. Katie also was a Mary Kay consultant in Salem for nearly 10 years. She moved to Spokane Valley in 2003 and later moved to the Brighton Court Assisted Living in Spokane before moving to Bishop Place at Pullman in 2010.

She was a member of the Ladies Eagles Auxiliary, Spokane, and an avid square dancer. She also attended the Valley Open Bible Church, Spokane Valley.

Survivors include two brothers, Rex M. Barstow, Lewiston; Robert A. Barstow, Tacoma; three nephews, Ben Barstow, Palouse, Larry Barstow, Federal Way; Scott Barstow, Redmond; two nieces, LeeAnn Nilsson, Lewiston, and Linda Eaton, Fishers, Ind. Memorials may be given to the St. Judes Children Research Hospital or to the charity of donor’s choice.

Other Paid Memorials Can Be Found on Pages 9/29/11:

Ruth Dorothy Ruthstrom