Obituaries - Dec. 2, 2010

Marie Doak

MaryLee Tollett

Stanley Shrope

Otto von Strahl

Harlan G. Brannan

Eva Casper

Gertrude Wolfe

Raymond Wojahn

Marie Ruth Doak

Marie Ruth Doak, 87, long time Colfax resident, died Sunday night, Nov. 28, 2010, at The Courtyard. A memorial service will be planned for a later date.

Born at her grandmother’s home near Rosalia Oct. 29, 1923, to John and Ruth Ulrich Nordheim, she grew up in Connell, where she graduated from high school in 1942.

She attended Washington State College in Pullman and while there she met James E. Doak, who was also serving in the U.S. Navy at the time.

They married January 27, 1946.

Following his honorable discharge from the Navy they moved to Boston in 1950 where he attended seminary.

Marie did sewing and some alteration work.

Pastor Doak’s first call as a pastor was to Davenport. Other calls followed and included St. John, Deer Park, Burlington and Mabton, before going to Sandpoint, Idaho.

Several of their churches included a second location and kept both Marie and Jim very busy.

She loved to sing and often served as choir director.

While in Sandpoint, she worked for the Community Action Agency. They moved to Stevenson before coming to Colfax in 1977. Marie worked for the Whitman County Library for more than 30 years.

She was active in the United Methodist Women including several district offices. At the time of her death, she was the Inland District UMW Spiritual Growth Leader. She was part of the singing group at the Colfax Methodist Church and was often asked to sing at funerals and weddings. She was also a member of PEO and Daughters of the Nile. She liked to quilt and made blankets for family and friends. She was an avid reader and enjoyed watching sports on televiision.

Surviving are her son, Steve Doak of Steptoe; a sister, Elda Armstrong of Kingston; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Suzanne Kay Nelson, in 2005 and her husband in 2000.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Whitman County Library or the Colfax United Methodist Church.

On-line condolences: http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

MaryLee Tollett

A memorial service for MaryLee Tollett, 94, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Malden Church with a community pot luck to follow.

She died Nov. 24 2010.

Born June 26, 1916, to William and Della Humphrey at the family home in Steptoe, she lived in Steptoe until graduating from high school. She went to nursing school a short time and came back to marry Cliff Tollett from Thornton, June 8, 1935. They lived and farmed at Thornton and she stayed on the family farm after he died in 1991 until she moved to the Courtyard in Colfax in 2009. She was a member of the Malden Community Congregational Church, LWB, Excella Club and the Malden Chapter of Eastern Star for 66 years. She served as worthy matron for four terms, Deputy Instructor from 1956-1957 and Grand Warden in 1963.

In addition to her husband, she also preceded in death by a son, Richard, who died at birth, daughter Patricia Mercer, and grandsons, Joel and Keven.

She is survived by a son, Mark (Janice) Tollett of Thornton; daughter Elizabeth Vincent of College Park, Md .; her sister, Kaye Clark of Pullman; 11 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Malden Community Congregational Church, Box 307, Malden, 99149.

Stanley W. Shrope

Stanley W. Shrope, 89, a resident of Tekoa since 1956, died Friday, Nov. 26, 2010, at his home in Tekoa. At his request, a public service will not be conducted. He will be cremated.

Born Sept. 22, 1921, at Sam, Wash., to William O. and Harriet Grace Cress Shrope, he attended elementary schools in Seattle and high school in Pullman where he graduated in 1941. Stan married Maxine Marshall on Nov. 14, 1942, and the couple made their home in Pullman. He served in World War II with the U.S. Army Signal Corps and motor pools in the the Philippine Islands. Following his discharge, he returned to Pullman.

In 1949 Stan started working for Brotherton Seed Co. in Pullman. He was transferred to Tekoa in 1956 where he managed the Brotherton Pea Mill until his retirement in the 1980s. Following his retirement, the family continued to make their home in Tekoa and wintered in Yuma, Ariz.

He was a longtime volunteer for the Tekoa Fire Department, and had served as Tekoa’s Fire Chief. He volunteered many hours helping the Tekoa Golf Course get started in the 1960s. Stan enjoyed spending time with family and friends at Big Creek, Idaho.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years Maxine at the Tekoa home; four sons, William Shrope of Coeur d’Alene; Robert (Jane) Shrope of Pullman; David (Laurie) Shrope of Tekoa; Charlie (Mary) Shrope of Spokane; two brothers, Oren Shrope of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Glenn Shrope of Spokane; 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts are suggested to the Empire Theater, c/o American West Bank, Box 1048, Tekoa, 99033 or to the Home Health and Hospice of the donor’s choice.

Otto von Strahl

Otto von Strahl, 89, died Thursday, Nov. 26, at his home in Oakesdale. A service will not be conducted.

Born March 6, 1921, in Berlin, Germany, to Baron von Strahl and Elizabeth Lagerbielke, he left Germany with his family before the outbreak of World War II and moved to South Africa where he enlisted as a translator for the Allied forces.

After the war, he worked in hotel management for the Hilton Hotel chain in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in Burlingame, Calif.

Otto met his wife, Joyce in 1961 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Shortly after their wedding he became a Chartered Life Underwriter and continued in this career until his retirement.

They moved from California to Cheney 23 years ago.

A long time member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Santa Clara, he became an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cheney and will be remembered for his many photographs of church members at various functions over the years.

He and Joyce moved to Oakesdale in 2008, and he was welcomed by the Presbyterian Church.

Otto is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Joyce, his daughter Lysa, a step-son Michael, four grandsons, two granddaughters and three great-grandchildren.

Otto valued the work done by the University of Idaho/Washington State University WWAMI Program for medical studies and was proud to donate his remains to this fine program.

Harlan G. Brannan

Harlan Glen Brannan, 81, retired Onecho area farmer, died Nov. 17, 2010, in Hawaii. He and his wife have been residing in Hawaii for the past 10 years.

Born Oct. 29, 1929, in Colfax, to Fred and Vera Brannan, he graduated from Colfax High School with the class of 1947 and served in the Marine Corps. In 1951, he married Geneva Lind Carroll and they settled on the family farm in the Onecho area. Harlan farmed from the mid-1950s until his retirement in 1984. He served as president of the Cattlemen’s Association and was active in the soil conservation district. He was named for Cattleman of the Year and Farmer of the Year awards while serving with those organizations.

He was an avid WSU Cougar fan and served as the Whitman County Cougar Club president. He also served as a coach for the Eagles Little League team and attended his children’s events, served on the football team’s chain gang and kept score of basketball teams during the Coach Bob Bafus era. He enjoyed golf and was a lifetime member and former president of the Colfax Golf & Country Club.

After he retired from farming, Harlan and Gene moved to Sequim where he enjoyed fishing in the strait of Juan de Fuca. Next, they lived in Walla Walla and then moved to Twin Lakes, Idaho, while wintering on the Big Island of Hawaii. They have lived in Hawaii full time since 2000. He worked as a gardener and served on the board of their condo association. He continued his farming habits by selling strawberries from a stand on the Big Island.

Surviving are his wife, Geneva, Waikoloa, Hawaii; five children, Jo Ann Olsen, Renton; Robert (Sigred) Brannan, Carroll Brannan, both Spokane; Scott (Robin) Brannan, Boise, and Randall (Marylou) Brannan, Kirkland; a brother, Gene “Scooter” Brannan, Colfax, a sister, Dorothy (Larry) Harris, Colfax; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Eva M. Casper

A celebration of life for Eva Casper, 94, will be at Harbor View Manor senior residence, 919 South Fawcett Ave., in Tacoma from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010. She died in her sleep Nov. 14, 2010.

Born July 11, 1916, in Diamond, to Eugene and Mecie Frazier, she graduated from Colfax High School in 1934.

She married Steve S. Casper Sept. 14, 1935, in Boise.

During World War II they lived in Spokane, Benge and Neah Bay.

They moved to Enumclaw in 1945, and he worked at the White River Lumber mill until they purchased a small grocery store, service station and cabins on Griffen Ave. on the west side of Enumclaw.

They named the complex Steve and Eva’s Auto Court and later added a small drive-in restaurant, the Chatterbox.

They moved to the Seattle area in the mid 1950s.

After Steve died, Eva later moved to Mission Hills, Calif., and then back to Washington and spent her final years in both Puyallup and Tacoma.

She was an avid bowler and golfer.

Her high point was getting a hole-in-one during league play.

She was preceded in death by husband Steve, daughter Marcia and grandson Robert.

She is survived by her son, Steve (Donna) Casper, of Gig Harbor; three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials go to a charity of the donor’s choice.