Obituaries: April 19, 2018

A celebration of the life of Gordon Dean Beyer, 52, Potlatch, will be Saturday, April 21, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the Nazarene Church in Princeton, Idaho, with a potluck dinner to follow. Mr. Beyer died Feb. 6 at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, Idaho.

Born June 19, 1965, at St. Maries, Idaho, to Gordon M. and Sherry L. Brown Beyer, he attended schools at St. Maries and Potlatch and earned welding certifications at LCSC in Lewiston. He and Kristiana Jones were married May 2, 1986, at Coeur d’Alene, and made their home at Potlatch where they raised three children.

He worked for Garfield area farmers where he learned to drive semi-trucks and in 1998 began driving logging trucks for Wm V. Lowry & Son. He also worked for Wilbur Ellis, Bennett Lumber and Hansen Logging at Harvard.

Surviving are his wife of 31 years, at the Potlatch home; two sons, Steven Beyer, Moscow, Idaho, and Aarohn Beyer, Potlatch; one daughter, Elainalynn Andres (CJ), Potlatch; four sisters, Shirley Mooney, Portland; Lynda Rustand, Moscow; Sherry Allery and Peggy Fortner, both of Genesee, Idaho, and six grandchildren.

http://www.kramercares.com

Gary Donald Hansen, Oakesdale native and longtime Spokane resident passed away April 12, 2018,

following a brief illness. He was 71. A service to celebrate and honor his life will be held Saturday, April 21st, at 1:30 p.m. at Southside Christian Church in Spokane with Pastor Galen Doughty officiating. A reception will follow.

Gary was born February 15, 1947, in Spokane to Donald and June Blank Hansen. He grew up on the family farm in the Tekoa-Farmington area where he developed his strong love for the land and the Palouse country farming way of life. He attended school in Oakesdale and excelled in sports. He loved the competitive spirit that came with playing football, baseball and basketball. He graduated from Oakesdale High School in 1965 and went on to Wenatchee Valley College to play baseball. While in college, Gary discovered the game of golf and carried a passion for the sport the rest of his life.

He moved back to this area to marry the love of his life, Louise Hoenike, on September 16, 1966.

After attending a year of college at Eastern Washington University, Gary and Louise moved back to the family farm to start their family and Gary worked for Linke Implement while helping his father farm.

He soon joined the staff of Calkins Manufacturing as a welder working on farm equipment and boat trailers eventually being promoted into sales.

Gary soon became one of the company's top sales people.

His ability to strike up a conversation with anyone contributed to his success.

He always made it a priority to know his products inside and out and his farming experience gave him the ability to fix his product right in the field if needed.

After leaving Calkins, Gary became a sales representative for several other agriculture-related equipment companies and worked in that capacity for many years, never really retiring from the job he loved. Gary did find time to play golf and he did so nearly every Saturday morning, playing with friends at Hangman Valley Golf Course. He cherished time spent with his grandchildren and family and was proud of them all.

His great sense of humor and dedication to those he loved will be missed most especially by his wife of 51 years, Louise, at their home; his son, Kirk and wife Ronda Hansen, Spokane, and his daughter, Shannon Hansen, Spokane. He is survived by the pride and joy of his life, three grandchildren, Kyla, Ryan and Takari; by his two sisters, Wendy Ohme and Sheri (Cory) Schell as well as his brother-in-law, Elmer Hoenike; sister-in-law, Diane Stiles, and a large extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family suggest memorial gifts be made to Southside Christian Church Youth and Children's Ministries or Oakesdale Presbyterian Church. Online guest book is at http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Leland H. Miller, 68, passed away peacefully on Saturday April 7th, in Coeur d’ Alene, ID. Leland was born in Colfax, Wash., on August 15, 1949, to Harold and June (Campbell) Miller.

Leland graduated from Colfax High School and attended college in Spokane. He spent his career in Agricultural Equipment Manufacturing. He married Joyce (Helm) Miller in June of 1969. Leland was a loving husband and father who enjoyed baseball, fishing, camping and hunting.

He is survived by his son, Rick (Kari) Miller; daughter, Emily Singer; three grandchildren, Joshua and Alexander Miller, and Parker Singer; two sisters, Elaine Burns, Kathy Kramer; and a brother, Ernie Miller, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made in Leland’s name to Colfax Rotary c/o Little League Field, P.O. Box 362, Colfax, WA 99111. Bell Tower Funeral Home has been

entrusted with arrangements.

Memorial donations are suggested to Potlatch Ambulance, PO Box 63, Potlatch, ID. http://www.kramer cares.com

Frank W. Montgomery, 70, died Feb. 21, 2018, in Colfax. Frank was born May 7, 1947, to Frank and Evelyn James Montgomery. A memorial service will be May 4 at 11:15 a.m. at the Medical Lake Veterans Cemetery.

Bruning Funeral Home is caring for the family. On-line guest book:

http://www.bruningfuneral home.com

Irene Simpson, 102, of Pullman, passed away April 16, 2018, at Pullman Regional Hospital. Irene was born Nov. 13, 1915, in Johnson, Wash., to Jacob & Verniece (Marine) Steiner. She grew up and attended school in Johnson, graduating from Johnson High School in 1931. She especially liked math.

Irene married Glenn A. Simpson in 1940 and together they farmed and operated a dairy farm in the Colton, Wash., area. Following Glenn’s death in 1957, Irene went to work at Washington State University in the Food Science Department where she worked as a lab technician for over 21 years until her retirement. Irene was a hard working mother who raised her four children by herself following Glenn’s death.

She was a longtime member of the Uniontown Bible Church. Irene was a woman of faith who studied Bible scripture and was active in church life. Irene was a member of the Johnson Grange for over 50 years. She volunteered at the Pullman Senior Center and was a member of the Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary. She logged over 5,000 hours of volunteer service at the hospital and in 2000 was named Volunteer of the Year. She continued volunteering until she turned 96. Irene was also a member of the Johnson Booster Club and the Union Flat Community Club. She found great joy in raising large gardens throughout the years.

She is survived by her daughter, Judy (Milton) Sawyer of Spokane; two sons, Jim Simpson of Pullman; Gary (Julie) Simpson of Pullman; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Joan (Bob) Reilly of Wenatchee, Wash .; a cousin, John (Margaret) Steiner of Federal Way, Wash. and sister-in-law, Betty Steiner of Phoenix, Ariz. In addition to her husband Glenn, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Linda; eight siblings, and her parents.

Viewing will be held at Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman, Wash., on Thursday from 2 to 4 PM. The memorial service will be held on Friday, April 20, 2018, at 2 PM at Kimball Funeral Home. A family graveside services will precede the memorial service at the Pullman City Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to http://www.kimballfh.com. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation.

A memorial service for Russell Sorenson, 77, will be April 21, at 3 p.m. at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse. A private burial will follow at Rock Creek Cemetery in Potlatch, and food and fellowship at 5 p.m. at the Scenic Six Park Depot. Mr. Sorenson, died April 5, 2018.

Born Aug. 3, 1940, to Henry and Marion Baker Sorenson, on his family’s farm in Elk Mound, Wis., he was raised there. In 1959 he enlisted with the U.S. Navy. After an honorable discharge, he worked at various jobs including valet parking in St. Paul, Minn., and assembling outboard motors outside of Chicago before returning to the Elk Mound area to begin a career in commercial construction with a local laborer’s union and a few years later took over the family farm.

In 1970 he married Nancy Davis and they started a small hog farming operation and then a dairy operation while he also maintained his construction career. In 1985 they moved to Rockwall, Texas, then back to Wisconsin, eventually settling in Bloomer, where his children finished out school. He and Nancy divorced in 1989, and he retired from the laborers union in 1998.

A few years after retirement, he moved to Moscow and then he moved to Potlatch. He remained active in construction, but found time to fish and travel.

He is survived by sons, Scott (Becky) and Eric (Leslie) of Potlatch; daughter Stacie Evjen (Travis) of Beloit, Wis .; brother Lyle, of Eau, Claire Wis., and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by son Jason.