Obituaries - Aug. 12, 2010

Evelyn M. St. John

A memorial service for Evelyn M. St. John, 79, retired Rosalia farm woman, will be Saturday, Aug. 14, at 11 a.m. at the Oakesdale Cemetery. The Rev. Erik Buhl, pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church will officiate.

Mrs. St. John died Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010, at Whitman Health and Rehabilitation Center in Colfax.

Born May 25, 1931, to Walter and Ida Leitz Horlacher on the farm at Rosalia, she was one of seven children, four boys and three girls. She went to Riggs Elementary School. She then moved to Rosalia with her brother, Lee Moin Horlacher, and worked for Dr. Ogden for six years. That enabled her to finish junior high and high school at Rosalia where she graduated with the class of 1949. While living in Rosalia, she was a member of the Rosalia Christian Church.

Evelyn married Marlin R. St. John Sept. 8, 1950, at Oakesdale. They farmed at Rockford for four years, then moved back to the St. John family farm at Rosalia. Evelyn drove truck, helped Marlin move machinery and worked with him side by side during the 44 years they farmed. They retired in the fall of 1994.

Survivors include her husband of nearly 60 years, Marlin, at the family home near Rosalia; daughter, Vicky Lee Cochran of Colfax; son, Michael Ray St. John of Yakima; daughter in law Lou Ellen St. John at the family farm home near Rosalia; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Her son Nicholas St. John preceded her in death June 7, 2006.

Memorials may be given to the Community Presbyterian Church at Oakesdale; Whitman County Fire District No. 7, Box 291, Rosalia, 99170 or to the Whitman County Fire District No. 10, Oakesdale Station, 202 Hodges Road, Oakesdale, 99158.

Viola Asbjornsen

Viola M. (Marge) Asbjornsen, 92, died Aug. 4, 2010, at the Whitman Health & Rehab Center in Colfax where she had resided for the last four years. A private service will be in the Port Madison (Kane) Cemetery on Bainbridge Island next to her husband.

Born Feb. 27, 1918, at Fort Ransom, N.D., to Lewis and Lilly Anderson Lorentson, she spent her growing up years moving between North Dakota and Chicago and began working as a nanny.

In her early twenties, she became a ballroom dancer and spent time in many of the famous ballrooms in Chicago.

She moved to Winslow on Bainbridge Island where she worked as a riveter, among other things, on minesweepers there during World War II. She met Andrew Asbjornsen who was also working in the shipyards and they married April 4, 1945.

They made their home near Winslow for a time and in 1951 moved to Seattle.

Marge was a homemaker and mother as their family began to grow and also worked for a couple years in food services at Adams Elementary School.

She later worked for several years in the packaging and shipping of pharmaceutical supplies.

Her husband died in 1972.

Marge retired from Biddle & Crowther in 1983.

She loved to watch sports and especially enjoyed following the Mariners and the Seahawks.

She played bingo, loved to go to the casinos and to Reno on trips with friends.

Marge moved to Chewelah in 1993 to be closer to family, to Ferndale for five years before going back to Chewelah and then moved to Colfax four years ago.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Richard, in 1991.

She is survived by two sons, Terry (Beth) of Colfax and Douglas (Susan) of Medical Lake; her sister, Mabel of Florida; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

On-line guest book is at http://www.bruningfuneral home.com

Pauline Nygaard

A memorial service for Pauline Clara Nygaard, 98, long time Potlatch area farm woman, was Monday at Potlatch Presbyterian Church. A graveside service followed at the Freeze Cemetery. The Rev. Kathy Kramer officiated. She died Aug. 3, 2010, at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow.

Born Nov. 11, 1911, near Fairfield, to Gustov and Marta Bohning Kuehner, she lived on the family farm. They later moved to a farm in the Spangle area and then to the Four Mile district near Palouse.

She completed the eighth grade at the Four Mile School. She then went to high school one year in Palouse and one year in Waverly and later graduated from Valley Ford High School. She then graduated from Northwest Business College with an accounting degree.

She and Alfred Nygaard were married Sept. 28, 1929, and they made their home in Potlatch. Later, they moved to a farm in the Potlatch area where Pauline has resided since.

Pauline worked as an office manager for the Potlatch Mercantile until it burned down. She also worked for the two movie theaters, one in Potlatch and one in Plummer. She then worked for the White Pine Drug Store as a clerk and bookkeeper until she retired in 1974.

She was a member of the Rebekah Lodge as financial secretary and captain of the degree staff, a member of the Royal Neighbors as treasurer and captain of the degree staff, a member of the Potlatch Working Women as treasurer, a member of the Potlatch Hospital Auxiliary and Potlatch Senior Citizens.

She attended the Potlatch Senior Citizen meal site and Worley Casino. Pauline enjoyed knitting, croqueting, gardening, fishing, camping and huckleberry picking with family and friends. She enjoyed watching Gonzaga basketball games and watching her grandchildren participate in sports.

Pauline was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred J., in 1998 and a son Jack, in 1990.

She is survived by her daughter-in-law Sherry Nygaard, Kooskia, and brother John Kuehner, Garfield; five grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to the Potlatch Fire and Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, ID or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Kramer Funeral Home of Palouse is in charge of arrangements.