Obituaries - Oct. 22, 2009

KatiAnn Watson

The memorial mass for KatiAnn Watson, 63, long time resident of Colfax, will be celebrated at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Colfax.

Mrs. Watson died on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009 at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Born July 29, 1946, in Bellingham, to Lowell and Rose Bacca Jackson, she grew up in Seattle and graduated from Bishop Blanchet High school in 1964. She worked in hospitals and became a respiratory therapist. She moved to Portland in the mid 1970s and married Jacob Watson there Jan. 5, 1979. They made Portland their home until moving to Steptoe and later to Colfax where they have resided since.

KatiAnn was the first licensed Midwife on the Palouse and served in that capacituy for several years. A loving wife and mother, she had a vibrant and magnetic personality. She enjoyed gardening, music, animals including hippos, and cooking. She placed second in the 2008 Lentil Festival Cookoff and is published in several cooking publications and books. She also served as a delegate for the Whitman County Democrats. KatiAnn was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

Surviving are her husband, Jacob, at the family home in Colfax; four daughters, Rose Watson of Las Vegas; Aynn Watson of Fairbanks, Alaska; Kate (Courtney) Lindsay of Federal Way; and Bronwyn Watson of Los Angeles, Calif .; one son Morgan Watson of Pullman; her mother, Rose Jackson; one sister, Marcy Rotchy, and three brothers Loren, Jeff, and Brian Jackson.

Memorials are suggested to the Seattle Midwifery School at Bastyr College.

Online condolences:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Ruth Cloaninger Wagner

A memorial service for Ruth Elaine Cloaninger Wagner, a member of the 1941 class of Colfax High School, will be Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Colfax. Mrs. Wagner died Oct. 5, 2009.

Born in Colfax to Art and Florence Cloaninger March 18, 1923, she was raised here. After graduating from Colfax High School, she moved to Spokane and worked at the Old National Bank.

She and Joseph Wagner, who was also raised in Colfax, were married Sept. 14, 1945. She continued to work at ONB until she left to raise their two children. Because of her husband’s work, the family lived in several locations in Washington and Idaho, They eventually moved to Southern California in 1972, but returned to Spokane in 1986 to be close to friends and family. For the last two years they have lived with their son and daughter-in-law in Riverside, Calif. In September, they celebrated 64 years of marriage.

Mrs. Wagner was a homemaker, a swim instructor, a leader for Girl and Boy Scouts. She enjoyed bowling, fishing and hunting mushrooms and collecting rocks. The Wagners traveled to England and Ireland in 1995 to explore her ancestral homeland.

She was a supporter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the Spokane Chapter of the Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni Association, and an active member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Spokane.

Survivors include her husband, Joe, a daughter Theresa (Elio Longobardi) Wagner, San Francisco; a son, Daniel (Victoria) Wagner, Riverside, Calif .; two sisters, Edna Rose Cloaninger, Colfax; Florence Sherfey, Kennewick, one brother ,. James Cloaninger, Colfax, and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Discovery Eye Foundation, 6222 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 260, Los Angeles, 90048. http://www.discoveryeye.org.

On-line condolences:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Marjorie Gump

The funeral service for Marjorie A. Gump, 75, was Monday, Oct.19, at 1 p.m. at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse with the Rev. King Rockhill officiating. Burial followed at the Garfield Cemetery.

Mrs. Gump died of cancer Oct. 15. 2009, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston.

Born Jan. 7, 1934, at Ree Heights, S. D., to Forrest and Jennie Menning Gibson, she came west to Steptoe with her family at the age of two years. They later moved to Elberton where she attended school. She graduated from the Garfield High School with the class of 1951 and later attended Kinman Business College in Spokane. She married Garold Gump Nov. 1, 1952, at Coeur d’Alene and the couple made their home at Garfield where they farmed.

She was employed at the Garfield pea mill for a couple of years and later worked at the Garfield Meat Market for five years. In 1976 Marjorie began a carrier as a rural carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and retired in 1996 after 20 years of service.

She was a member of the Garfield Christian Church, a member of the bridge club, ladies aide, and the Order of the Eastern Star all of Garfield. She was a 4H leader, and served on the Garfield Ambulance Board, a volunteer for Garfield School reading program. She was a member of the retired Mail Carrier Association at Clarkston. She enjoyed traveling and visited Thailand twice, Australia, Nashville, Tenn., and Branson, Mo. Her travels also included a Colorado train trip and white water rafting.

She moved to Clarkston in 2007 to be near her husband who was in the Idaho State Veterans Home at Lewiston. Mr. Gump died in January of 2009.

Survivors include four daughters, Dianna (Kenny) Rake, Portland; Linda (Jim) Hasenoehrl, Spokane; Cindy Frunz, Pullman; Amy King, Lewiston; one brother, Milton L. Gibson, Lake Stevens; one sister, Elaine Wiegel, Spokane; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to the Idaho State Veterans Home, 821 21st Ave., Lewiston, 83501, to the Palouse River Counseling Center, 340 NE Maple, Pullman, 99163, or to the American Cancer Society.

Blanche M. Larson

A mass of Christian burial for Blanche M. Larson, 92, was Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in DeSmet, with Father Thomas Connolly, S.J. officiating. Burial followed at Fairview Cemetery in Rockford. Rosary was recited Monday evening at the church. Mrs. Larson died Thursday Oct. 15, 2009, at her home near DeSmet.

Born April 14, 1917, at Richardton, N.D., to Michael and Magdalene Dinnius Pfeifer, she attended the Abbey Catholic School in North Dakota. She came west in 1935 and married Vernon E. Larson, Sr. Sept. 3, 1939, at DeSmet, Idaho. They farmed in the DeSmet area until retiring in 1968. Mr. Larson died in 1993.

She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the church Altar Society at DeSmet, a founding member of the Tensed Senior Citizens, and the Highland Ladies Club. Blanche enjoyed gardening, bird watching, handcrafts, macramé, crocheting, and glass collectibles.

Survivors include two sons; Henry (Marilyn) Larson, DeSmet; Vernon (Juanita) Larson, DeSmet; two daughters, Norma Willms, Walla Walla, and Mary (Robert) Lewis, Everett; one brother, Peter Pfeifer of Moscow; three sisters, Marie Benching, Lewiston; Barbara Winters, Salem, Ore., and Therese Rape, Coeur d’Alene; 14 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be given to the Tensed Senior Citizen, Tensed, 83870.

Anna Stueckle

A graveside service for Anna Gunelia Collins Stueckle, 86, former long-time Colfax, resident, was Monday morning at the Dusty Cemetery with a memorial service following at 1 p.m., at the Colfax Church of the Nazarene. She died Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Walla Walla General Hospital.

Born Feb. 14, 1923, on the Tunis Homestead in Montana to William E. and Anna Gunelia (Evjen) Collins, she grew up in Montana where she attended school until moving with her family to Colfax.

She graduated from Colfax High School.

Anna was legally adopted in her later years by Ralph and Vera Mader who were extremely influential in her life.

Anna married Edwin Arthur Stueckle June 8, 1941, in Colfax.

They lived in the Dusty area until 1955 when they moved to Colfax.

Anna also spent time working at Roger Brothers Seed Co., the Jennings Elementary kitchen, Curly Top Salon, Stitching Shop and Anderson’s Bakery.

She was a devoted member of the Colfax Church of the Nazarene.

A family historian, she enjoyed working on genealogy.

She also enjoyed cooking and baking.

Mr. Stueckle died in 1999.

Surviving are her children, Terry (Michele) Stueckle, Pasco; Roger (Judy) Stueckle, Pendleton, Ore .; Gunelia (Jerry) Fowler, Boise, Idaho; one sister Viola Collins William; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Memorials are suggested to the Colfax Church of the Nazarene Building Fund.

Online condolences:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Frederick G. Lopes

Frederick G. Lopes, 68, a retired elementary school teacher and a resident of Spokane, died Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax following an apparent heart attack. Arrangements are pending at Kramer Funeral Home, Palouse.