Obituaries: May 31, 2018

Gary Cochran

July 18, 1938-May 26, 2018

Gary L. Cochran, 79, of Pullman, Wash., passed away May 26, 2018, at the family farm outside of Pullman, surrounded by his family. Gary was born July 18, 1938, in Colfax, Wash., to Roy & Marie (Archer) Cochran. He attended school in Palouse, Wash., and was Salutatorian of his graduating class at Palouse High School. Gary attended Washington State University for a year before going to work on the family farm, which he operated his entire life. Gary married Sara Sue Reynolds and together they raised their family on the farm. Following Sara Sue’s death, Gary married Angela Mills in 2006.

Gary was a member of the Palouse Federated Church in Palouse, Wash., and supported its many endeavors. He was a member of the Flying Farmers, Pine Grove Grange and the Colfax Elks Lodge. He is survived by his wife Angela at the family farm outside Pullman; two daughters April (David) Pfaff of Garfield, and Theresa (Roy) Willy of Bend, Ore .; his son, Mark Cochran of Pullman; 10 grandchildren, and his sister, Sharon of Tenn. In addition to Sara Sue, Gary was preceded in death by his son, Matthew, in 2010 and by a brother, Ron.

The memorial service will be held on Friday, June 1, 2018, at 11 am at the Palouse Federated Church in Palouse. After a luncheon reception at the church, the celebration of life will continue at the shop on Whelan Road beginning around 2 pm. A family graveside service will be held at the Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax, Wash., has been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com.

Dorothy Lois Gordon

May 12, 1924-May 23, 2018

Mom died peacefully this morning. She was born to Herb and Erminie Wagner in St. John where she lived her entire life. She had 2 sisters, Floxy and Mary, and a brother, Freddy who died as a child.

Before Mom married John Gordon, December 28th 1946, she earned her teaching certificate from Cheney Normal. They built a home at the farm and lived there until 1956. They moved the house into the town of St. John because roads were too bad for Bill and I to get to school. Mom was not about to let Bill and I stay home and bug her all day when we should be getting an education. They lived in that home until 2004.

In 18 years they had 4 children, Bill (wife Laura) Pasco; Jeff (wife Vicki) Pasco; Donna (husband Steve Loomis) St. John, and Lynne (husband Brent Hite) Palm Springs. Mom worked hard taking care of us and Dad. She had a big garden every year. With the animals we had, the freezer was always full and every fall the shelves in the basement always filled up with freshly canned vegetables and fruit. Mom was a great cook. She loved to put together dinners with her sister, Floxy Webb, and sister-in-law, Georgia Gordon, for large gatherings of our extended families. As a Depression kid, she was always making us clean up our plate. It is a habit I wish now that I could break.

One of life’s lessons Mom imparted to us was that we had to be self-reliant and gave us a sense of self-worth. She taught us by the way she lived that we could do anything we put effort into. She taught herself to sew and cross-stitch and was excellent at both. Her creative side showed in the parade costumes she made for us as kids, the many community floats she worked on with the other moms and the cake decorating that, again, was self-taught. When we were in trouble, no matter what for, Mom never said, “Wait ‘til your Father gets home.” She was quick to hand out “correctional measures” but always with love.

Mom and Dad loved to travel and be around people. Mom’s parents lived in Hawaii and it was one of their favorite places. They would go right after Christmas and stay as long as they could. When Lynne was in grade school they would pack her up and take her with them. She would enroll in school while there. Later they bought a Condo in Hawaii Kai and would spend more time in the islands. When we visited you could tell they were really happy and “it beats sitting around the table at home where it is really cold.”

Mom really didn’t die this morning. She just moved on. She is now with Dad, who she missed terribly, and in the arms of the Almighty. See you later Mom!

Memorials can be made to any local organization of choice. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax, WA is caring for the family. On-line guest book can be found at http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com.

Ray Pogue

Jan. 23, 1935-May 26, 2018

Ray D. Pogue, 83, of Pullman, passed away May 26, 2018, at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash.

Ray was born January 23, 1935, in Brownington, Mo., to Loyd & Maggie (McMillan) Pogue.

He grew up in Missouri and graduated from Clinton High School in 1954.

Following graduation, Ray served in the US Army for two years during which time he was stationed at Fort Bragg until his honorable discharge.

On September 6, 1958, Ray married Maxine Bauder in Clinton, Mo., In 1960, they moved to the family farm outside of Pullman, where Ray has made his home since.

Ray spent his entire life farming and was dedicated to his family and the land he worked.

In addition to farming, Ray enjoyed driving school bus for the Pullman School District for many years, always welcoming the kids with his enduring smile each morning.

Ray was a longtime member of the Whelan Grange and served in many different offices throughout the years. Ray and Maxine were always side by side in various Grange endeavors. Ray was also a long time member of the Moose Lodge. Together they followed Cougar Men's basketball and enjoyed being season ticket holders since the early 1970’s. Ray and Maxine celebrated 50 years of marriage in September 2008, prior to her preceding him in death in 2009. Ray was a longtime member of Simpson United Methodist Church in Pullman.

He is survived by his two granddaughters: Alanna Pogue and Angela (Eric) Gibson; his five great-grandchildren: Kaeden, Abbigail, Kiara, Morgan and Shane all of Pullman; two brothers, Gene (Linda) Pogue & Dale (CarolJo) Pogue, and his many other extended family members. In addition to his wife, H. Maxine, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Donna Bryan, in 2010.

A memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, June 3rd, from 2-4 pm at the Whelan-Ewartsville Grange Hall followed by the visitation from 4-6 pm at Kimball Funeral Home. Ray's funeral service will be held Monday, June 4, 2018, at 11am at Simpson United Methodist Church, 325 NE Maple Street in Pullman. Vault interment will follow at the Pullman Cemetery (dinner to follow at Simpson UMC). Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman, Wash., has been entrusted with arrangements. Memorial donations are suggested to the Whelan-Ewartsville Grange, Whitman County Fire District 12 or to a favorite charity. Online condolences may be sent to http://www.kimballfh.com

Nancy Schu

Oct. 16, 1946-May 14, 2018

On May 14, 2018, after a long battle with her health, Nancy Schu passed away peacefully with three of her four children by her side.

Nancy was born to Betty Lambert and Otto M. Lambert on October 16, 1946.

She was raised in Farmington, Wash., and later moved to Rosalia where she was a longtime resident and a huge contributor to the community.

She served as the Campfire leader for 18 years and, in 1981, Nancy became the organizer of the Rosalia Giving Tree and did so for 35 years.

During this time, she spent countless hours making sure that the children in her community would not go without Christmas each year.

Nancy worked as a social worker for Children Services in Spokane before moving to Rosalia and becoming a preschool teacher in Tekoa for many years.

She had a passion for baking and later opened Nancy’s Red Brick Café.

She enjoyed playing pinochle with her friends and her beloved float house on Coeur d’ Alene Lake where she spent many summers watching her children and grandchildren grow and enjoying the scenery with her best friend, her cat Scouty.

Nancy is survived by her four children, sons Del (Laura) Schu, David (Holly) Schu, Ryan (Jenna) Schu and daughter Shelly (Dan) Beach; 12 grandchildren Chris (Mary), Linda, Brad (Amanda), Ashley, Josiah, Bethany (John), Isaiah, Hannah, Noah, Claire, Ayla and Evelynn, and four great-grandchildren Audrianna, Tyler, Keili and Ollie. She was preceded in death by her grandmother Bernice McQueen, mother Betty Lambert, father Otto Lambert and brother Otto (Otty) Lambert. Nancy’s love for her family was undying, her heart was huge and her laughter contagious.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday June 10, 2018, at the Rosalia Methodist Church at 2 pm. Memorial donations can be made in Nancy’s honor to the Rosalia Giving Tree at the INB branch in Rosalia.