Obituaries

Vernon Fry

A celebration of life for Vernon Fry, 78, Colfax native who died Dec. 20 at Sunshine Gardens in Spokane, will be Jan. 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene with a reception to follow. Internment will be at 2:30 p.m. that day at Spokane Memorial Gardens.

He was born March 28, 1933, to Walter and Rebecca Fry at the home of an aunt in Colfax. Mr. Fry attended Martha Washington School in Colfax before the family moved to the Freeman area where he attended Freeman Grade School and Lindbergh High School.

Mr. Fry farmed in the Valleyford and Steptoe areas most of his adult life. He enjoyed the company of family and friends, music and riding four-wheelers and snowmobiles.

His wife, Sally, died in 1998 after they had been married for 47 years. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Ann Marie, in 1979.

Surviving are a daughter, Nanci (Logan) Bane and one grandson. The family suggests memorials go to Sunshine Gardens or the Union Gospel Mission.

Emma M. Ringer

A memorial service for Emma M. Ringer, 86, will be today, Thursday, Dec. 29, at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Nazarene in Princeton, Idaho, with the Rev. Kathy Kramer officiating. Mrs. Ringer died at her home in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011.

Born Jan. 28, 1925, in Winifred, Mont., to James and Zetta Merrill Bailey, her older brother and his wife, Bill and Maggie Hash, took her to live with them after her parents died while she was still a girl.

She graduated from Potlatch High School and on May 20, 1946, married Bill Ringer in Moscow. They lived in St. John, Palouse and on a farm in Potlatch, Idaho. In 1962 they moved to Moscow, and she worked at the University of Idaho as a cashier.

She was a former member of the Gritman Hospital Auxiliary in Potlatch. They enjoyed fishing and riding a 4 wheeler in the mountains.

She is survived by her husband, Bill, Moscow; daughters Sharon (Melvin) Gray, Moscow, and Karla (Ron) David, Lewiston; two grandsons, and three great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials to the Fairview Village Estates, 403 Samaritan Lane, Moscow, 83843.

Colton Craig Otis

Colton Craig Otis, six-month old infant son of Patrick and Allison Waythomas Otis of Colfax died early Christmas morning, Dec. 25, 2011, at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Colton had undergone surgery to repair a hypoplastic left heart that he was born with and died in recovery. He was born June 14, 2011, in Spokane.

Patrick and Allison Otis moved to Colfax about two years ago from New Mexico.

Allison is a veterinary student at Washington State University and Patrick works in the veterinary school.

Colton was a happy boy who enjoyed being outdoors.

He liked to stick his tongue out a lot and babble, coo, or “talk” to his animal friends, especially the giraffe and elephant.

Even though he was born with a heart problem and spent the first two months of his life in the hospital, he was a fighter and a strong boy.

Surviving in addition to his parents in Colfax are maternal grandparents Peter and Laura Waythomas of Spokane; paternal grandparents Tim Otis of New Mexico and Becky Otis of Indiana; uncles Craig Waythomas and Ryan Otis and an aunt, Callie Otis, as well as great-grandparents Rose and Richard Crum, Karen Findley and Maralou Craig.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, Dec. 30, at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pullman. On-line condolences may be left at Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax.

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Donna Throop

Donna Alice Thygeson Throop, 87, died Dec. 24, 2011, at Pullman Regional Hospital. She had recently made her home at Bishop Place in Pullman. Her son, Bob Thygeson and his wife, Tanay, reside in Farmington.

Born Oct. 25, 1924, in Yakima to Leonard and Florence Smith, she graduated high school at Columbia Academy in Battle Ground and worked in the ship yards as a messenger.

She later worked in the Kaiser Hospital as a nurse’s aide and moved to Portland to work as a welder until the end of World War II. She and Bob Thygeson were married in Vancouver and later moved to Minnesota where she worked for about 20 years as an LPN. She retired in Hazel Dell, Wash.

Donna regularly attended the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Surviving are her sons Bob (Tanya) Thygeson, Steven Thygeson, Lee (Barbara) Thygeson, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda Thygeson.

Online condolences can be sent to http://www.kimballfh.com

Rosalia rite

pending

Christopher George died at his Rosalia home Monday morning, Dec. 26, 2011, after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 44 years old. Chris worked as a professional welder for a fabricating and machining business in Grand Forks, B.C. and commuted to his home in Rosalia each weekend. He is survived by his wife, Erin, and four children. A memorial service is being planned for late next week in Rosalia. A full obituary will be published in next week’s Gazette.