Obituaries

 


* For full obituaries, see the B section of this week's Weekly Pages section.

Karen Sue Duncan

Joyce Marle Appel

Dennis R. Anderson

YvonneH. Clark

Helen Holstein Geier

Betty Bowman

A memorial service for Betty L. Bowman, 82, Steptoe, will be June 28 at 11 a.m. at the Ball & Dodd Funeral Home in Spokane. Mrs. Bowman died May 22, 2014, at her home.

Born Oct. 16, 1931, in Coeur d’Alene to Roy and Marjorie Chappell, she attended school in Coeur d’Alene and graduated from high school there. As a young girl she had a talent for breaking horses. She worked most of her life as a care giver in care facilities and in the homes of her clients. She was a member and supporter of Disabled American Veterans.

Surviving are a brother, Donald Chappell; four sons, Brad (Tammy), Greg (Wanda), Mark (Janet) and Mike Bowman; several grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Dean Huber

A memorial service for Dean Huber, 70, Palouse, will be at the Palouse Federated Church June 20 at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Corey Laughary officiating. Mr. Huber died June 13, 2014.

Born Jan. 18, 1944, to Alfred and Ingrid (Hagstrom) Huber, he grew up in Tacoma and graduated from Franklin Pierce High School in 1962. He studied forestry at the University of Idaho where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Forestry (Wood Science and Technology) in 1967 and Master of Science (Major in Wood Utilization) in 1972.

Dean and Karen Wysong met at the University of Idaho. They were married June 8, 1968.

Dean was well respected in the forest product community.

He provided technical assistance for Simpson Timber Company, Moore Oregon Dry Kiln Company and Automation Combustion.

For four years he owned and operated Huber Consulting, a business that provided lumber drying technical assistance to the sawmill industry.

In 1975 he joined the USDA Forest Service where he was the program manager for Forest Products Utilization in the California region.

In 1994 he was transferred to New England where he became the program coordinator of the Northeastern Area of the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry until his retirement in 2005.

After his retirement they returned to Palouse to be closer to family and friends.

Surviving are his wife, Karen; three children, Kevin Huber of Elko, Nev., Heather (Charles) Finch of Lakeport, Calif., and Naomi Ruth Huber of Santa Rosa, Calif .; seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Donations in memory of Dean can be made to a charity of your choice.

Ronald John Nirk

Funeral services for Ronald John Nirk, 79, retired Potlach area stockman, were Wednesday, June 18, at the Church of The Nazarene in Princeton, Idaho, with the Rev. Kathy Kramer officiating. Burial with military honors followed at Freeze Cemetery with the Potlatch VFW Post and a United States Army honor guard participating.

Mr. Nirk died Saturday, June 14, 2014, at Kindred Nursing and Rehab-Aspen Park in Moscow.

Born May 7, 1935, to Durell and Mary Bysegger Nirk at the family home north of Potlatch, he attended schools at Potlatch and graduated from Potlatch High School with the class of 1953. He married Janie Elise Gibson, July 15, 1961, in Georgetown, S.C. They met in Alexandria, Va., where he served in the Army.

After he completed his Army service they returned to Potlatch, and he worked at Nirk Lumber Company and began farming and raising registered black Angus cattle on what became their R-B Cattle Ranch.

He belonged to the Latah Cattleman’s Association, the Washington Cattleman’s Association and the American Angus Association.

He actively participated in the Latah County 4H and FFA stock sales.

In 2013 they received the Pine Tree Award from the Potlatch Historical Society for the commissioning of the historical murals at Scenic Six Park.

He was most proud of the success of the Nirk Challenge at the Gritman Wellness Center.

For 20 years, he served as a commissioner of the Potlatch Rural Fire District and a director of Palouse Grange Supply.

He was a member of the Moscow Moose Lodge for more than 50 years.

Surviving are his wife, Janie; 15 nieces and nephews, 23 grand-nieces and nephews and 15 great-grand nieces and nephews.

Memorial donations can be made to Potlatch Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, 83855 or the Gritman Foundation for the Family Medicine Clinic in Potlatch.

Bonneta P. Smith

A graveside service for Bonnie Smith, 95, was Monday, June 16, at 2 p.m. at Goldenrod Cemetery in Tekoa with the Rev. Kathy Lee Kramer officiating. Mrs. Smith died June 9, 2014, at Orchard Crest Assisted Living in Spokane Valley.

Born Jan. 8, 1919, north of Tekoa to Luther and Georgia Brown Cummings, she moved with her family to Tekoa when she was a child, and she attended Tekoa schools. She graduated with the Tekoa class of 1937. Following high school, Bonnie worked at the Sweet Shop in Tekoa.

She and Dale E. Smith were married Oct. 16, 1939, at Coeur d’Alene, and they made their home in Tekoa. He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. While raising their family, Bonnie was a Camp Fire leader and Cub Scout Den Mother.

She was a member of the Union Pacific Ladies Auxiliary, Tekoa Golf & Country Club, Tekoa Jaycee Club and former member of the Christian Church where she taught Sunday school classes for many years. Bonnie served on Tekoa’s Slippery Gulch Committee and had helped with fundraisers to build Tekoa’s first swimming pool. She enjoyed playing cards, baking and canning.

Mr. Smith died in 1994, and she continued to make her home in Tekoa until moving to Orchard Crest in 2013.

Survivors include her children, Michael (Pat) Smith of Spokane Valley, Carolyn Hay of Farmington and Craig (Holly) Smith of Valleyford; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Kelly Marie Smith.

Memorial gifts may be given to the Tekoa Ambulance Fund, PO Box 597, Tekoa.

Robert L. Wallace

Robert L. Wallace, 85, retired Rosalia farmer, died June 6, 2014. In accordance with his request, a service will not be conducted. His family will conduct a private service at a later date.

Born Dec. 4, 1928, in Spokane to DeWitt and Olive Richardson Wallace, he graduated from Lewis & Clark High School in Spokane and studied forestry at Washington State College where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. After college he joined the Forest Service as a fire lookout in Arizona. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean Conflict and completed training in the Armored School. After the completion of his military service, he and his father purchased a farm in 1951. He married Margaret June Tupling on Sept. 24, 1955.

Interested in modern farming techniques, he served as superintendent of the Pine Creek Soil & Water Conservation District and was named the Conservation Farmer of the Year three consecutive years.

Bob was a lifetime member of the Malden Lodge, F. & A.M. and served as Master, District Deputy and on two committees for Grand Lodge. He was also a member of the Shrine and served many terms as “Daddy Advisor” for the Rainbow Girls in Rosalia. Bob was also active in the American Legion and served for several years on the Whitman County Library Board.

Surviving are his wife, June, and daughters Barbara and Karen.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Rosalia Ambulance Fund.

 

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