Spokane County WA

McGrath, Vivian Clare – Obituary

North Powder, Oregon North Powder native Vivian Clare McGrath Davis, 100, of Spokane and formerly of North Powder and Union, died Jan. 2 at her home in Spokane. A graveside funeral service will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the North Powder Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral home in Spokane is handling arrangements. Vivian was born Sept. 28, 1907, to Walter Vincent and Leila Marquerite Gardner McGrath in North Powder. She lived there for 72 years. Being a natural musician, she played drums and piano in the family quartet at dances in Union and Baker counties. Prior to the 1940s, the … Read more

Biography of Hon. J. J. Browne

HON. J.J. BROWNE. – The broad-minded citizenship which looks to personal advantage only through the general prosperity, and makes the public weal and growth occupy the first place, is the best guarantee of a great future. This Spokane Falls enjoys. None of her citizens is more fully impressed with this theory of metropolitan attainments than he whose name appears above. Mr. Browne was born at Greenville, Ohio, in 1843, and was educated for the law at the Michigan University. Coming to this coast, he remained four years at Portland, practicing law. He also served as superintendent of public schools. In … Read more

McFetridge, S. M. – Obituary

S. M. “Mac” McFetridge died June 15, 2007. He was 84. Mr. McFetridge served as a corpsman in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Solomon Islands, Bougainville, Guadalcanal and Bella la Vella. He was also a crane operator for Kaiser Aluminum and raced horses at Playfair Race Track. Mr. McFetridge is survived by his wife Dodie McFetridge; three stepsons; a stepdaughter Shari and numerous cousins. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., June 23, 2007, at Ball & Dodd Funeral Home, 5100 W. Wellesley Ave; Spokane, WA 99205. Interment will be at Fairmount Memorial Park in … Read more

Donohue, Florence Mary – Obituary

Florence M. Donohue, 2101 First St., died Friday in Spokane, Wash. She was 74 years old. Mrs. Donohue was born November 25, 1885 in La Grande, the daughter of Donald and Joan (Childers) McLachlen. Her grandfather John McLachlen came to the Grande Ronde Valley as a young boy and was later U. S. Marshall and Sheriff of Union County. She was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church and at one time worked in the rectory as the priest’s housekeeper. She was also an Air Mail carrier for the Post Office. On May 19, 1912 she was … Read more

Spalding, Minnie Elizabeth Bonner – Obituary

Longtime Helena resident Minnie E. (Peg) Spalding of 912 Park Lane, died early today [March 30, 1981] at St. Peter’s Community Hospital. She was 74. She came to Helena in 1925. Mrs. Spalding had worked for the Internal Revenue Service and the State Department of Income Tax. She retired in 1962. She was born on December 28, 1906 in Alhambra to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Bonner. She attended schools in Townsend and graduated from high school at Spokane, Wash. She married Charles A. Spalding on July 3, 1926 in Boulder. Mrs. Spalding was a member of the Josephine Hepner Chapter … Read more

Nelson, Harlan, Capt. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Capt. Harlan Nelson, 86, who served with The Salvation Army in Baker City from 1974 to 1978, died Feb. 8, 2006, at the Glisan Care Center in Portland. There was a service of celebration at the Portland Tabernacle Corps. Maj. Dale Hill officiated. Harlan was born on Oct. 9, 1919, in Glenrock, Wyo. After graduating from high school, he married Sybil Putnam. For several years, Harlan co-owned two restaurants in Spokane and then moved to Portland where he opened an appliance repair shop. Later he and Sybil moved to Beaverton where he owned and operated … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Fred Furth

FRED FURTH. – One looks for saddles and harnesses in Spokane Falls under the sign bearing the name of the above. The gentleman thus designated is from Germany, where he was born in 1839. He came to America in 1855. Stopping but a short time in St. Louis, he came to San Francisco in 1856 via Panama, and went thence to Washoe and Virginia City, Nevada, merchandising. He located in Colusa county, California, in 1869, and came thence to Spokane Falls, engaging in his present occupation. Mr. Furth is of the opinion that Spokane Falls is, and will be the … Read more

Gerard, Ida May (Hall) – Obituary

Mrs. Ida M. Gerard, 91, a former Ellensburg resident, died Wednesday at the Central Memorial Hospital in Toppenish. She had been in the hospital one day, having been in the Parkside Sanitarium in Toppenish since March 21. She was born July 26, 1866, in Covington, Kentucky. She was married to Joseph N. Gerard in Mt. Vernon, Ill. in 1884. He preceded her in death in February, 1938 in Los Angeles. Mrs. Gerard came to Ellensburg from Mt. Vernon in 1888, moved to Spokane in 1901, to Wapato in 1916, to Detroit, Mich. in 1923, to Seattle in 1925, returned to … Read more

Bilyeu, Evelyn Hulda Olson – Obituary

Bilyeu, Evelyn H. passed away May 7, 1984 in Spokane. Her home, Spokane, WA. Mother of Mrs. Byron (Sandra) Salsby, Newburgh MY; grandmother of Camille Montenguise, Newburo, NY, Kris Salsby, Kent Salsby, both of New York; great granddaughter of Lisa Montenguise, NY; sister of Hilda Olson, Spokane, WA, Ed Nelson, Salem, OR; numerous nieces and nephews. A resident of Spokane, 34 years, 25 years in Teiko prior to Spokane. Member of the VFW Auxiliary. Funeral services will be held Monday, May 14, 1984 at 2 p.m. in the Gothic Chapel, Hazen & Jaeger Funeral Home, N1306 Monroe St., in charge. … Read more

Gibbs, Donald – Obituary

La Grande, Oregon Donald W. Gibbs, 77, of Redmond and formerly of La Grande, died March 12 of Parkinson’s disease. A private family memorial service took place March 17. Redmond Memorial Chapel handled the arrangements. Mr. Gibbs was born Sept. 13, 1929, to Hallie and Mary (Kane) Gibbs in Spokane, Wash. He began working as a baker at the age of 15 and continued in that profession most of his life. On April 1, 1950, he married Carolyn Killingbeck in La Grande, where they lived before moving to Redmond. He owned Gibbs Bakery in downtown Redmond for 43 years. He … Read more

Fisher, James W. – Obituary

Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon Enterprise resident, James Wolvert Fisher, 74, died Dec. 18, 1994, at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. “J-Dub”, as he was affectionately called, was born June (incorrect) 21, 1920, at Vale, the son of James E. and Vera Kyle (Draper) Fisher. After graduating from Wallowa High School in 1939, he worked with his father on Alder Slope cutting wood and helping in the family restaurant “Fisher’s Cafe”. On May 2, 1945, he married Margaret (Margy) Ruth Reece. She preceded him in death in 1988. After a 3 1/2 year tour of duty in France, Italy … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry Brook

HENRY BROOK. – The record of this gentleman is not only a satisfactory commentary upon his own business capacity, but also upon the dimensions of the business of the city, and a scale of its enterprises, since his coming here in 1883. Mr. Brook was born in England in 1842, and came to America in 1870, locating at Minneapolis. He reached Spokane Falls in 1883, doing since that time a very successful business. In 1885 he was elected a member of the city council, and while in that office favored the measure to buy the waterworks and furnish the people … Read more

Edwards, Ora Dell Ricketts – Obituary

Clark Co., WA Ora Dell, age 90, December 10, 1980, Vancouver, Wash. Born February 7, 1890, Cheney, Wash., lived at 3605 Y St., Vancouver and had been a Clark County resident 50 years. She was a homemaker. Sons, Leonard Edwards, Battle Ground, Wash., and Kenneth Edwards, Vancouver. Daughters, Ruth McAlpine, Yuma, Ariz., and Frieda Jones and Merle Andrews, both of Portland, Ore. Brother, Marvin Ricketts, Portland. Sister, May Beer and Elizabeth Taylor, both of Portland. Fourteen grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. She was a life member of Pioneer Daughters of Washington. Her grandfather, E. P. Ricketts was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Raleigh E. Rochester

The subject of this sketch is a native of the occident, and beneath its stars he has labored and gained the success that is now his to enjoy, while he is now one of the prosperous and substantial agriculturists and stockmen of Wallowa county, and has made for himself a name and place in the midst of the progressive and intelligent population of our county. Raleigh E. was born in the Willamette valley, at Salem, on July 11, 1955, being the so of James and Deliah L.E. (Warren) Rochester. Of his boyhood days, but little is noted, but we are … Read more

Butner, Julie – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon Julie Butner, 57, former resident of Enterprise passed away at home surrounded by her family, on Sept. 12 in Spokane, Wash., after a brave five-year battle with cancer. Her shortened life left her with many great memories, most of which were shared with her husband, John Butner, of 39 years. She was born on Aug. 31, 1947 to Jack and Evelyne Wagner. Julie grew up in Enterprise, spending much of her time at her parents business, Wagner’s Men’s Store. Although she lived in Spokane for 31 years, she considered Enterprise her home and did what she could to … Read more

Huss, William Sylvester – Obituary

Graveside funeral services for William Sylvester Huss, 84, Ellensburg pioneer who died at Medical Lake, Monday [January 10, 1949], will be held at the IOOF Cemetery here Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock with Rev. R. W. May officiating. The family requests that no flowers be sent. Born in Laclede, Mo., June 3, 1864. Huss came across the plains by ox cart with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Huss in 1865. They settled in Grant County, Oregon and moved to the Kittitas Valley in June 1885. He had resided here since that time. He was employed for 25 … Read more

Fowler, J. J. – Obituary

Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon W. W. Fowler’s Father Passes Away Suddenly J.J. Fowler, father of W.W. Fowler of Enterprise, died suddenly of heart disease last week in his room in a Spokane hotel. W.W. Fowler was greatly shocked to hear the news on Friday and left at once for Portland, where his father’s body was taken for burial. The father was here in November, leaving on the tenth. He was robust and appeared in the best of health and did not look more than 55 years of age although he was 62. The senior Mr. Fowler was a salesman for … Read more

Biography of Paul F. Mohr

PAUL F. MOHR. – Perhaps to no man is Spokane Falls under so deep a debt of gratitude for the early completion of the diverging lines of railroad, tapping the richest parts of the surrounding territory, as she is to Mr. Paul F. Mohr. To this gentleman’s persistent efforts, coupled with a thorough knowledge of his undertaking, is directly attributable the completion, in the year 1886, of the Spokane & Palouse and the Spokane & Idaho Railways, both of which roads will exert a powerful influence on the future of the city. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 28, 1849, Mr. … Read more

Biography of James Birnie

JAMES BIRNIE. – Mr. Birnie was a Scotchman by birth. He was born at Paisley, county Renfrew, Scotland, in the year 1800. In 1816 the ambitious lad left his native health and emigrated to Montreal, Canada. Here, under the tutelage of a Catholic priest, he studied the French language for about two years, at the end of which time he entered the employ of the Northwest Fur Company as one of its clerks, and was sent across the Rocky Mountains to Fort Spokane, where he arrived towards the close of 1818. The fort at this time was in charge of … Read more

Dulin, Dorothy Irene – Obituary

Lostine, Oregon Dorothy Irene Dulin died Feb. 20, 2008. She was born Jan. 13, 1918 in Spokane, Wash. to Olla Lee Gooch and John Fredrick Bachman. Dorothy grew up in Vancouver, Wash. and was the youngest of five siblings. She graduated high school and worked in a cannery before moving to southern California, where she spent the next 64 years of her life. There, she met John W Dulin, a young man from Springfield Mo. They were married in Las Vegas, Nev. on Nov. 16, 1941, and recently celebrated their 66th anniversary. Dorothy worked in a bag factory and later … Read more