Obituaries - May 20, 2010

Duane K. Battien

Memorial service for Duane K. Battien, 62, will be Saturday, May 22, 2:30 p.m. at the Cheney Community Church, 1307 Third Street, Cheney. A celebration of his life will immediately follow. Visitation will be Saturday, May 22, 1:30 p.m. He died May 13, 2010 at his home in Malden.

He was born Aug. 14, 1947. He retired in 2003 as a Chief Master Sergeant after serving 37 years with the 141st squadron of the Washington Air National Guard at Fairchild Air Force Base.

He was a volunteer firefighter for the town of Malden. Duane had a passion for Gold Wing motorcycles and was a proud member of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. He enjoyed spending time with his family and numerous friends.

Survivors include his son Klint, step-daughter Carmen and her children, sisters Linda and Roxanne, and his long-time companion Phyllis, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Edsel R. Beplate

A memorial service for Edsel R. Beplate, 52, a resident of Potlatch, was Saturday, May 15, at the Freeze Church, Potlatch. Pastor Kathy L. Kramer officiated. He died Monday, May 10, 2010 at his rural Potlatch home.

Born Sept. 13, 1957, at Moscow, to Victor and Lizett Colvin Beplate, he attended school at Potlatch and graduated from Potlatch High School in 1976.

He married Teresa Butler May 6, 1989, at Coeur d’Alene, and the couple made their home north of Potlatch. He worked at Potlatch Forests, Inc., mill from 1976 until it closed. He later was employed at Clearwater Power for two years. For the past 18 years he has worked at D-8 as a machinist. Mr. Beplate also worked for Dave Lange near Colfax, as a farm worker for the past few years. Edsel enjoyed four-wheeling, woodworking and mechanical work. He was a great handyman.

Survivors include his wife, Teresa Beplate, Potlatch; three sons, Derek and Kevin Beplate, Lawton, Okla .; Donald Beplate, Potlatch; two brothers, Joe Beplate, Deary; Dick Beplate, St. Maries, and two grandchildren.

An account is established at the US Bank in Potlatch, 200 6th Street, Potlatch, ID, 83855 to help the family with expenses.

Cecil E. Curtis

A memorial service for Cecil E. (Bub) Curtis was Wednesday, 78, native resident of Garfield, was Wednesday, May 19, at 2 p.m. at the Garfield Christian Church. Pastor Dean Walker officiated. Potlatch VFW and Garfield American Legion with a US Army honor guard conducted military honors. Mr. Curtis died Tuesday morning, May 11, 2010 at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, from an apparent heart attack.

Born July 23, 1931, at Garfield, to Cecil and Ada Bonney Curtis, he attended school at Garfield and graduated from Garfield High School in 1949. After high school he worked for Pfaff farms for about three years. He joined the United States Army Feb. 4, 1953, was later discharged Feb. 3, 1955, as a corporal. He then transferred to the Army Reserves and discharged April 10, 1961.

He married Cheryle Ludolph, Feb. 17, 1959, at Garfield, and they made their home in Garfield. Mr. Curtis worked in building construction as a cement finisher for many area contractors before he retired in 1994. He was a member of the Local Labor’s Union in Spokane.

He helped his wife Cheryle operate Cher’s Restaurant in Garfield.

He was a member of the Garfield Christian Church, Garfield and Palouse Gun Club, and enjoyed golfing.

Survivors include his wife, Cheryle, Garfield; two sons, Clifford (Dina) Curtis, Boise; Gary (Carol) Curtis, Stafford, Va .; two sisters, June Sharp, Oakesdale, and Betty Pendergrass, Spokane Valley; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to the American Heart Association or to the Garfield EMS at Garfield, 99130.

Patricia Haeder

A memorial service for Patricia Ann Wells Haeder, 54, former Steptoe resident, was May 6 at Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver.

She died at her home in Carson, April 24, 2010.

Born to Norman and Viola McCoy Wells in Spokane, July 1, 1955, she grew up in Spokane and married Michael Haeder, who was raised in the Pullman area, Oct. 12, 1973.

They resided in the Steptoe area for approximately 10 years and later lived at Vancouver where they lived for 10 years before moving to Carson where they have lived for the past 12 years.

She was a member of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Janelle Davenport.

Surviving are her husband Michael Haeder and a son, Michael Chad Haeder, both of Carson; son-in-law Tony Davenport; her father, Norman Wells, Kansas City, Kan., sisters Stella Butler, Newman Lake; Jeanie Kile, Cheney; Joyce Maly, Spokane; brothers Raymond Wells, Spokane; Russ Mullen, Columbia, S.C .; and three grandchildren.

The family suggests memorial donations go to Crossroads Community Church, Box 7708, Vancouver, 98662.

Marietta Huff

A graveside service for Marietta Huff, 94, long-time resident of Palouse, will be Friday, May 21, at noon at the Greenwood Cemeter in Palouse with a memorial service to follow at the Palouse Federated Church at 1 p.m. with Pastor Corey Laughary officiating.

Mrs. Huff died Saturday, May 15, 2010, at the Legacy House in Post Falls.

Born Nov. 28, 1915, at Oakesdale, to William and Grayce Tramil Neergaard, she attended school at Ewan and later moved with her family to Priest River, Idaho and graduated from Priest River High School in 1934. She later attended Kinman Business College in Spokane.

In 1937 she was an attaché taking dictation and typing for the Idaho House of Representatives in Boise. In 1939 she was an attaché for the Idaho Senate and helped type the permanent journal after the regular session.

She married Ronald Huff Sr. Sept. 7, 1941, at Coeur d’Alene and the couple made their home at Priest River where Mr. Huff was a logger. On July 1, 1961, the couple moved to Palouse. Marietta was a cook at the Pullman Memorial Hospital in Pullman for 15 years and retired in 1976.

She was a member of the Palouse Federated Church, Palouse Senior Citizens, the H.O.A. Club. She was also a former member of the Grandmother’s Club in Colfax and the Rebekah Lodge.

Survivors include one son, Ronald Huff Jr., Eugene, Ore .; one daughter, Susan (Gary) Krause, Spirit Lake; one step-daughter, Merryann (Billy) Gillham, Lake Chelan; one sister, Patricia Jackson, Beaverton, Ore .; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren and three step-great-grandsons. She was preceded in death by her husband, great-grandson, Mathew and daughter in law, Cheryl Kinnee.

Memorials may be given to the Shriners Hospital for Children, Box 2472, Spokane, 99210-2472 or to the Palouse Community Center, Box 23, Palouse, 99161

Donavon W. Parker

A celebration of life for Donavon W.(Donny) Parker, 62, will be Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. at the DeSmet Longhouse in DeSmet, Idaho. The Rev. Marlow Thompson will officiate.

Mr. Parker died May 11, 2010, at his rural Plummer home from cancer.

Born Nov. 15, 1948, at Tekoa, to Joe and Bernita Krell Parker, he attended school in Tekoa and graduated from Tekoa High School with the class of 1966. Don played football and baseball and was named to several Whitman County All-Star Teams. Following high school, he attended Eastern Washington State College and Washington State University where he studied veterinary science.

He and Mindy Morrow were married Jan. 2, 1980, at Coeur d’Alene, and they made their home near DeSmet until 1986 when they moved south of Plummer, where they lived for the last 24 years.

He worked for Thomas Farms near DeSmet for a few years before he started working for Kenitra Inc., a grain dealer in Tekoa, which became Prairie Grain, Inc. in 1984.

Don became a partner in the company in the mid-1980s and worked as the grain elevator manager since.

Don’s hobbies included hunting, snowmobiling, four-wheeling and spending time at the Coeur d’Alene Casino. He had served on the Plummer School Board for two years and was active in many community events. He was a member and past president of the Lakeside High School Booster Club at Plummer.

Survivors include his wife, Mindy, at the Plummer home; one son, Seth Clinton of Plummer; his mother, Bernita Parker of Spokane; one brother, Mike Parker of Spokane; three sisters, Linda Lovell of Spokane; Debby Parker of Lynnwood and Sandra Parker of Spokane.

Memorial may be given to the Lakeside Booster Club, PO Box 484, Plummer, Idaho, 83851.

Ralph H. Poffenroth

Ralph Poffenroth of Edmonds, 87, Endicott native who retired after a career in the automotive business, died May 7, 2010. Funeral services will be held at a later date.

He was born Aug. 18, 1923, in Endicott to George and Katharine Scheuerman Poffenroth. He graduated from Endicott High School in 1941 and enlisted in the US Navy. Mr. Poffenroth saw action as a Radioman in the South Pacific and North Pacific Aleutian Islands campaigns on the USS Louisville, USS Richard B. Anderson, and LST 543. He was enrolled at the Navy V12 programs at Gonzaga University in Spokane and the School of Mines in Butte, Mont. He married Charlotte Elaine Bafus in 1945.

After the war, he attended Auerswald Business College in Seattle then worked at Signal Oil Company until 1960. For the last 40 years he was employed at several car dealerships as accountant and business manager. During this time he was awarded many certificates of excellence by national car companies. He retired at the age of 85.

He is survived by his wife, four children, Richard (Deanna) Poffenroth, Ruth Cook (Ray Midence), Joyce Putnam and John Poffenroth, a sister, Beverly Oswald, three grandsons; one step-grandson; three great-granddaughters and two step-great-grandchildren.

Jack L. Parkins

A memorial service for Jack L. Parkins, 86, Palouse, will be Saturday, May 22, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse. The Rev. Dave Caudle will officiate. Cremation will precede the service.

Mr. Parkins died early Wednesday morning, May 12, 2010, at his Palouse home from cancer. A potluck dinner will follow the services at the Parkins family home in Palouse.

Born May 22, 1923, at Moscow, to Vernon L. and Linda Chaney Parkins, he attended Moscow schools and graduated from Moscow High School in 1941. He joined the Army Air Corps Feb. 25, 1943, and served in the European Theater during WWII. He served with the 8th Air Force as a teletype operator. He was discharged Nov. 24, 1945.

He married Alice Hamilton on Aug. 23, 1943, at Moscow. Mr. Parkins worked as a plumber and was employed at McFadden Plumbing for 5 years. The couple then moved to Helmer, Idaho, where they farmed for eight years. They moved back to Moscow and operated the Shell Oil dealership until health concerns forced him to retire.

Jack later worked at the University of Idaho and operated the Olympic size swimming pool and later transferred to the plumbing department until he retired in 1985. The couple moved to St. Maries and built a home on the St. Joe River and lived there until moving to Palouse in 1998 to be near their family.

Jack enjoyed fishing and lapidary work. Many relatives enjoyed jewelry with stones he had faceted. He enjoyed digging for garnets at Helmer and sapphires in Montana. He was also a lifetime member of the Moscow Moose Lodge.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Alice Parkins at the Palouse home, three sons, Terry (Kathy) Parkins, Moscow; Johnny (Sharon) Parkins, Palouse; Ken (Patty Lu) Parkins, Viola, Idaho; one daughter, Patricia Dodge, Seattle; one brother Ray Parkins, Potlatch; six grandchildren, one step-granddaughter and four great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials go to the Palouse Community Center, Box 23, Palouse.