Obituaries - Feb. 10, 2011

Dorothy Lowe

A memorial service for Dorothy Alice Billingsley Lowe, 91, a life long resident of Whitman County, will be Saturday, Feb. 19, at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Colfax. Dorothy will be buried next to her husband at the Colfax Cemetery in a private ceremony.

She died Jan. 31, 2011, at the Whitman Health & Rehabilitation Center in Colfax following a short illness. She had made her home at The Courtyard for the past six years.

Born near Steptoe, Jan. 25, 1920, to George and Gladys McGinnis Billingsley, she attended school in Steptoe. She married Marcus (Dutch) Lowe Sept. 28, 1935. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters and a son; Linda Ann, Donna Jean and Daryl George.

She was a faithful member of the Colfax First Baptist Church. She was also a long time member of the Rebekah Lodge. She was very busy as a homemaker. She and her husband enjoyed many hours together driving through the beautiful countryside of their beloved Palouse. They also took many car trips to the Blue Mountains. They were both avid fans of the Colfax Bulldog sports and activities.

Mr. Lowe died in 1992.

Survivors include her children; Linda Coats, Pueblo, Colo .; Donna (Mike) Farmer, Hurst, Texas and Daryl (Karen) Lowe of Colfax; her sister, LaVelle McGee of Oakesdale; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Steptoe Community Fund, Box 25, Steptoe, 99174. On-line condolences:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Betty Timm Bunn

Betty Timm Hays Bunn, 65, who was raised at Garfield, died of cancer last Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at her home in North Bend. In accordance with her wishes, a funeral service will not be conducted. She has been cremated.

Born Sept. 13, 1945, to John Roy and Katie Cottrill Timm, she was raised on the family farm in the Garfield area and graduated from Garfield High School. She married Tom Hays, and they resided on Bainbridge Island. She retired after working for the Department of Housing & Urban Development.

They were later divorced and she married Dwight Bunn. They lived at Poulsbo for several years and later moved to North Bend to live near family members.

Surviving are her husband, Dwight; two sons, Jeff (Christie) Hayes, and Joel (Mandi) Hays, both of North Bend; four sisters, Vi Embree, Port Angeles; Wanda Roper, Oakesdale; Donna Kottke, Spokane; and Agnes Palmer, Kingertown, Pa., and four granddaughters.

Norma Evers

A memorial service for Norma Louise Kucera Evers, 87, was at the First Congregational Church of Dayton Friday, Feb. 4. Mrs. Evers, who moved to Pullman four years ago after living most of her adult life in Dayton, died Feb. 1, 2011, in Pullman, from causes related to osteoporosis.

Born in Spokane Jan. 6, 1924, to Louis and Vera Gray Kucera, she attended Spokane schools but spent summers with her grandparents, Jennie and Perry Gray, in Moscow. A gifted musician with absolute pitch, she began piano training at the age of 2 after her parents noticed she pieced out tunes on piano keys that she was not tall enough to see. She also studied voice and cello at Holy Names Academy, played first-string cello in the North Central High School Orchestra, and was a soloist in the All-Northwest Youth Orchestra.

After graduating from North Central High School in 1942, she attended Kinman Business School in Spokane, then worked as a stenographer and secretary at the Davenport Hotel and then for Murphey, Favre, and Co.

She and Marvin D. Evers, agriculture teacher in Dayton, were married May 29, 1948, in Coeur d’Alene. They lived in Dayton for the next 58 years, except for a year in California where he was stationed during the Korean War. Norma taught herself to play the organ and for more than 50 years was one of the organists at the Congregational Church. She continued to play even after losing most of her hearing, and she once told her daughters that deafness wasn’t the tragedy for her because she “always had music playing in her head.” After moving to Pullman in 2006, she played the piano at Bishop Place Senior Living on Sunday mornings.

Norma played varsity tennis in high school and loved to swim and water ski. She had an intense appreciation of nature and particularly liked canoeing at Twin Lakes where she spent part of every summer for 60 years. She valued close friendships with fellow members of the Benevolentia Club in Dayton. She loved gardening, cocker spaniels and thunderstorms; played a blistering game of gin rummy and every Sunday worked the New York Times crossword in pen.

Mr. Evers died in 1994.

Survivors include two daughters, Kathy (Doug) Meyer, Pullman, and Mary Sue Evers, Beaverton, Ore .; one sister, Patricia Mallery, Birmingham, Ala., and four grandchildren. The family suggests memorials go to the Congregational Church in Dayton, the Alzheimer’s Association, or any charity concerned with the welfare of dogs.

Online condolences:

http://www.kimballfh.com

JoAnn Hatley

The funeral service for JoAnn Hatley, 65, Pullman, was Tuesday morning, Feb. 8, 2011 at the Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Pullman. Burial followed at the Pullman Cemetery.

She died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, at her Pullman home following a sudden illness.

Born Jan. 16, 1946, in Colfax to Edward and Eileen Semler Ankerson, she grew up in Colton and attended Notre Dame Academy School.

Following high school, she attended Fort Wright College in Spokane where she received her associate degree.

In 1966 JoAnn married Pat Reisenauer and they made their home in Colton.

JoAnn was a homemaker, school bus driver and worked at White Drug.

Pat and JoAnn later divorced.

In 1986, JoAnn went to work at Washington State University, where she was an office assistant in the career services department.

She retired this past January following 25 years of service.

JoAnn married Dennis Hatley in 1990 and together they made their home south of Pullman.

She was a mainstay in FFA and 4H throughout the years and enjoyed her role as homemaker.

JoAnn enjoyed her flower garden, camping, crocheting, especially baby blankets, and making Midershane.

Surviving are her husband, Dennis, at the family home south of Pullman; her seven children Tom Reisenauer and Julie Reisenauer, both of Spokane; Mike Reisenauer of Colton; Tom Hatley of Spokane; Patrick Hatley of Pullman; Denise Hatley of Grangeville and Alanna Ellis of Colfax; three sisters Rita and Mary Pat Ankerson and Helen Leguis; two brothers John and Frank Ankerson, and nine grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to the Pullman FFA or to Fire District 12.

Online condolence:www.kimballfh.com

William F. Lothspeich

A celebration of life for Bill Lothspeich, 91, was Saturday, Feb. 5, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Vancouver. Rosary was said Friday at Vancouver Funeral Chapel. Mr. Lothspeich died Feb. 1, 2011.

Born in Colfax, July 13, 1920, to Anthony and Neva Lothspeich, he grew up in Colfax and served during World War II at the Marine training base in Quantico, Va. He graduated from Eastern Washington State College in 1945 as the first athlete to letter in three sports. He earned his masters degree at Washington State College in 1948 and moved to Vancouver to pursue a career in education. He and Louise McKee were married June 9, 1948.

He served as a teacher, counselor, coach, dean of boys, principal, director of secondary education and concluded his career as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Vancouver School District. He was the first recipient of the Washington State Educator of the Year Award in 1974. He served as a director of the Hazel Dell Sewer District, a volunteer for the Vancouver Lions Club, Fort Vancouver Seafarer’s Center, director of IQ Credit Union and other volunteer groups

Surviving are his wife of 62 years, Orie Louise; daughter, Linda (Dennis) Meade; son Brad (Leah) Lothspeich; sisters, Jane and Kay; eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Bill Lothspeich Memorial Scholarship Fund at Our Lady of Lourdes Church/School, 4723 NW Franklin, Vancouver, 98663 or Vancouver School District Foundation, Box 6039, Vancouver, 98668.

(See paid obituary for Donald Lust on Page B4 in the weekly paper section)