Spokane County WA

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

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

Hagen, Clarence Carl – Obituary

His home, N10605 Elma, husband of Mrs. Ava Hagen, at the home. Father of Miss Yvonne M. Hagen, Leith Duane Hagen, both at the home, son of Mrs. Oscar Labidee, Sidney, Mont.; brother of Mrs. Laura Morris, Port Gervis, N.J.; Mrs. Edwin Schlenz, Kalispel, Mont.; Mrs. John Weisz, Ray, N.D.; Ralph Hagen, Miles City, Mont.; Harry Hagen and Ernest Hagen, both of Poplar, Mont. Member of Congregational Church, Lynd IOOF Lodge, No. 184, Jones Encampment No. 78, Canton Spokane No. 2, Past Grand Patriarch of Washington, Elks Lodge No. 1930, Moses Lake Funeral Service Mon., July 26, at 1 p.m. … Read more

Kaemming, Carson, Jr. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Carson Kaemming Jr., 18, of Cheney, Wash., died Oct. 22, 2004, from injuries received in an automobile accident at Cheney. His funeral was today at Cheney Funeral Chapel in Cheney. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Carson was born on March 30, 1986, at St. Augustine, Fla. He moved to Cheney, Wash., with his family in 1987 and lived at Cheney and Ritzville where he attended school and worked at Zips restaurant in both communities. Survivors include his father, Carson Kaemming Sr. of Spokane,Wash.; his mother, Sharon Kaemming of Four Lakes, Wash.; … Read more

Blackburn, Robert Neil, Dr. – Obituary

Joseph, Oregon Dr. Robert Neil Blackburn, 77, of Cushing, Okla., and formerly of Joseph died July 27. Dr. Blackburn was born Aug. 1, 1929, in Cushing, Okla. He served as a jet fighter pilot in the Korean War and taught other pilots how to fly by instrument. After leaving the military, he graduated from medical school at the University of Oklahoma, and served his residency at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane. He bought Dr. Coffman’s practice in Joseph and practiced there for nearly 25 years. He delivered many of the babies in Wallowa County for two generations. He worked in Asotin, … Read more

Stiltz, W. A. – Obituary

Body Of W.A. Stiltz Is Found In Fruit Car Mr. Steve Stiltz of Rock Creek, left Saturday evening for Spokane, having been called there by the mysterious death of his brother, W.A. Stiltz, whose body was found Friday in a fruit car at Hillyard by and employe of the Western Fruit Express company. It was thought from the condition in which the body was found, to have been murdered. A coroner’s jury, however, decided that death was not due to violence. The body was brought back by the brother and burial was in Baker. Deceased was unmarried and had spent … Read more

Dunne, Rita C. Mrs. – Obituary

Rita C. Dunne, 90, of Spokane, Wash., a former Baker City resident, died May 6, 2002, at Spokane. A vigil service was at 7 p.m. Friday at the Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass was said Saturday at St. Charles Roman Catholic Church. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery. Mrs. Dunne was born in Baker City on Feb. 18, 1912. She had lived at Spokane for 60 years. She had worked at Fairchild Air Force Base packing parachutes. Mrs. Dunne was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church, where she designed and made the vestments and sanctuary hangings. Her husband of … 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

Davis, Vivian Clare McGrath Mrs. – Obituary

Vivian Clare McGrath Davis, 100, died Jan. 2, 2008, at her home in Spokane, Wash. Her graveside funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the North Powder Cemetery in North Powder. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home of Spokane is in charge of arrangements. Through this century,Vivian touched many lives and helped many people, her family said. Whether she was helping out on the family farm or playing music, she was always there to please. She was born on Sept. 28, 1907, at North Powder, to Walter Vincent and Leila Marquerite Gardner McGrath. She spent 72 years of her life at … Read more

Folkins, Fred – Obituary

Passed away May 28, 1975 in Fairfield, Wa. his home, Fairfield, Wa., where he had resided 65 years. Survived by two sons, Lee Folkins, Spokane, Wa., Kent Folkins, McMinnville, Ore., one daughter, Mrs. Mary Kay Amick, Albany, Ore.; two brothers, Bert Folkins, Soquel, Calif., Clarence Folkins, Spokane, Wa., one sister, Mrs. Gladys Hildebrand, Santa Ana. Calif., eleven grandchildren, three great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services, Mon., June 2, 2 p.m., from the First United Presbyterian Church, Fairfield, Wa. Rev. Douglas Acker officiating. Cremation to follow. Mr. Folkins will lie in state at the Schazenbach Funeral Home, Fairfield, Wa. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Major W. F. Hooker

MAJOR W.F. HOOKER. – This leading citizen of Eastern Washington, whose capacity for public affairs, and whose independence in politics, have become proverbial, is a native of the Palmetto state, having been born at Hookerton, Green county, North Carolina, in 1835. Like all true Southerners, he is proud of his ancestry, his father having been a captain in the war of 1812 and twice a member of the legislature of North Carolina, and a member of the convention which formed the constitution of that state. Young Hooker was educated at Wake-forest College in his native state, and at the age … Read more