Obituaries - Jan. 6, 2011

Virginia M. Luther

Memorial services for Virginia M. Luther, 87, will be Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 11 a.m at the Colfax United Methodist Church. Pastor Stephen Johnson will officiate.

She died of cancer last Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Whitman Health and Rehab where she resided for the last five months.

Born Dec. 3, 1923, in Winchester, Idaho, to John and Geneva Brooks, she graduated from Clarkston High School. She married Bernard Luther who farmed in the Colfax area. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997.

They resided in Colfax, later moved to LaCrosse and then moved back to Colfax. She went to nursing school at Gritman Hospital in Moscow where she received her LPN degree. She loved her nursing career and continued to work for approximately 12 years in the Colfax hospital. After she retired, she volunteered nursing services at Hill Ray Plaza.

Virginia enjoyed bowling, watching sports on television and playing pinochle. She was a member of the United Methodist Women in Colfax and also sang in the choir. Known for her love of people, she was always available to help and assist and known to stay up nights with someone who was ill.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband.

Surviving are her sons, Bob Luther, Spokane Valley; Steve Luther, Colfax; one daughter, Wendy Stellmack, Lahaina, Hawaii; a foster daughter, Carol Whitman, Pullman, and a brother, Alvin Brooks, Lewiston.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Colfax Methodist Church or to Whitman Community Hospital.

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

Juanita Byrne

The funeral service for Juanita Messinger Byrne, 87, a long time resident of Garfield, was Monday afternoon, Jan. 3, at the Christian Church in Garfield with the Rev. King Rockhill officiating.

She died Friday, Dec. 24, 2010, at Quarry Assisted Living in Vancouver. Mrs. Byrne moved to Vancouver in 2006 to reside closer to family members.

Born Sept. 9, 1923, in Latah County to Reid and Hazel Espy Messinger, she attended a country school in Latah County through grade school. She later lived with relatives during the week to attend high school in Garfield where she graduated with the class of 1940.

She and William Byrne were married Feb. 11, 1942, at the Hitching Post in Coeur d’Alene. While her husband was in the service during World War II, Juanita worked in Colfax. After the war they made their home in Garfield where they raised their family. She worked at the State National Bank of Garfield for many years until her retirement. She enjoyed her home, family, gardening, reading and riding horses with her husband. She was a member of the Garfield Methodist Church and sang in the choir for several years.

She was preceded in death by her husband.

Survivors include two sons, Bill (Pattie) Byrne of Gresham, Ore., and Nick Byrne of Vancouver; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to the Friends of Hospice, 700 S. Main Street, Moscow, ID 83843.

Rebecca Coon

A memorial service for Rebecca Dawn Coon, 32, Rosalia, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, at the Suburban Christian Church in Corvallis, Ore., and at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Rosalia High School. She died Dec. 29, 2010, in Spokane.

Born Dec. 7, 1978, in Alva, Okla., to Steve and Claudia Lee, she moved with her family to Tulsa, Okla., attended her first years of school there before the family moved to Philomath, Ore. Becky graduated from Philomath High School in 1997. Becky married Jacob Coon Sept. 4, 1998.

She attended Oregon State University and Missouri Southern State University and was scheduled to graduate with a doctorate in pharmacy from Creighton University in May, 2011. She attended Southside Christian Church in Spokane, and was a long-time member of Suburban Christian Church in Corvallis, Ore.

Surviving are her husband, Jacob, and daughters Amity and Dara of Rosalia; her parents, Steve and Claudia Lee of Corvallis, Ore .; two sisters, Kristin (Chris) Williams of Athena, Ore., and Joni Lee of Corvallis, Ore., and her grandparents, J.R. and Mary Lee of Tulsa.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Rebecca Coon memorial fund c/o U.S. Bank, 523 S. Whitman, Rosalia, 99170.

Melvin F. Kagele

Melvin F. Kagele, life long area Ritzville farmer, died Dec. 29, 2010, following complications from leukemia. Services will be at the Mennonite Church Saturday, Feb. 12, at 11 a.m.

Born Nov. 12, 1930, in Ruff, to Fred and Amelia Schmauder Kagele, he was a life-long member of the Mennonite Church.

He served on many boards, recently completing a 27-year service to Big Bend Electric Co-op. He served in the Army during the Korean Conflict from 1952 to 1954.

Melvin is survived by his wife of 56 years, Erna (Pein) along with his children Don Kagele, Connie Phillips, Bev (Darrel) Kulm and Jullie (Emmitt) Cain, along with seven grandchildren.

The family requests memorials go to the Ronald W. Baumann Memorial Scholarship c/o EACHF P.O. Box 365, Ritzville, WA 99169; or Bronc Boosters, P. O. Box 422, Ritzville, WA 99169, Lind FFA P. O. Box 566, Lind, WA 99341 or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Shane D. St. John

A memorial service for Shane Daniel St. John, 35, was Sunday afternoon, Jan. 2, at 2 p.m. at the Tekoa High School gymnasium. Mr. St. John died last Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in an avalanche accident near Calder, Idaho, while participating in his favorite past-time, snowmobiling.

Born March 3, 1975, at Spokane, to Dan and Maureen Millhorn St. John, he grew up on the family farm near Tekoa. He attended schools at Tekoa where he was an honor student, and an enthusiastic and loyal member of the basketball and football teams. Shane graduated with the class of 1993 and attended Washington State University in Pullman where he graduated cum laude in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in business management.

He and Amy Blum were married Nov. 26, 2005, in Colfax, and they made their home near Farmington. Shane worked with his dad on the family farm near Tekoa. He spent many enjoyable hours working in the shops at home and on the farm.

In addition to snowmobiling, Shane also enjoyed water skiing, riding jet skiis and motorcycles. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and friends at the cabin up the St. Joe River on Big Creek.

Survivors include his wife, Amy, and their son and daughter, Decker and Piper, at the home; his parents, Dan and Maureen St. John, Oakesdale; two step-children, Mason Rutledge, Rigby, Idaho, and Ashley Stable, Cheney; his sister, Celesta (Jon) LaFountain, Shelbyville, Tenn .; grandparents, Roy and Edith St. John, Tekoa, and Addie Millhorn, Tekoa.

In Shane’s memory, a college fund has been set up at AmericanWest Bank and U.S. Bank for his children’s education.

James M. McBride

A memorial service for James M. McBride, 85, will be Saturday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. at the Oakesdale Presbyterian Church. A potluck dinner will follow. Mr. McBride died Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010, at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax.

Born March 7, 1925, in Dyersburg, Tenn., to Wesley and Edna Ashworth McBride, he lived in many places over the years and retired at Oakesdale in 1992. He enjoyed gardening, fishing and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Lois; 10 children, Paul, Rick, Patty, Ruby, James, Daniel, Judy, William, Thomas and Robert; 33-grandchildren; 60 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

R. Larry Poston

R. Larry Poston, 79, Potlatch, died Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2010, at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. He will be cremated.

Born Sept. 25, 1931, at Potlatch to Zephaniah and Tinsy Eskridge Poston, he attended Potlatch Schools and graduated from Potlatch High School in 1950.

Larry joined the United States Navy and was stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He married Louann (Ann) Smith July 25, 1951, at Moscow. The couple made their home in Honolulu until his discharge from the Navy.

In 1954, they moved back to Potlatch, where Larry was employed at Potlatch Forests, Inc. as a planer man and later became a supervisor until the mill closed. In June of 1986, they moved to Omak, where Larry was employed by Colville Indian Precision Pine and worked as a planer man until he retired in 1995. They moved back to Potlatch in 2003.

Larry attended the Presbyterian Church at Potlatch and was a member of the Potlatch Fire and Ambulance crew, American Legion and the Potlatch Post of Veterans of Foreign wars. An avid hunter, he enjoyed gardening, bowling and visiting with family and friends.

Survivors include his wife, Ann, two daughters, Terri Poston, Snohomish; Debbie (Scooter) Rochon, Marysville; three sisters, Loretta Vowels, Princeton; Lorraine (Buzz) Cann, Sedro Woolley; Patty (Gene) Hill, Libby, Mont .; two grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Memorials may be given to the American Diabetes Association, or the Potlatch Fire and Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, Idaho, 83855.

(SEE PAID OBITUARY FOR LYLE BAILEY ON PAGE A10 IN THE WEEKLY PAPER TAB)