Obituaries 4/28/11

James Kenneth Miller

A graveside services for James Kenneth Miller, 84, retired farmer in the Steptoe-St. John area, was Saturday, April 23, at 11 a.m., at the Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe.

A gathering of friends and family was held at the Wheatland Grange. Mr. Miller died April 4, 2011, at Good Samaritan in Spokane Valley.

Born Aug. 3, 1926, in Rosalia, to James W. and Ruby Woody Miller, he attended school in St. John and lived all his life on the family farm between St. John and Steptoe. He and Opal Korsvold were married Nov. 16, 1947.

He was a member of Wheatland Grange, Whitman County Wool Growers, and served 43 years on the Bethel Cemetery Board. He was also a member of the St. John Gun Club and in 1985 won the Washington State Singles Trap Shoot in 1985.

He was preceded in death by an infant son, Stanley.

Surviving are his wife at the home; son, George (Andrea) Miller, St. John, and daughters, Susan (Steve) Sackmann, Lind, and Barbara Miller, Spokane; five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may go to Bethel Cemetery, Box 76, Steptoe, 99174 or St. John-Endicott School Foundation, Box 411, St. John, 99171.

Patricia Heilser

A memorial service for Patricia (Pat) Ann Heisler, 82, long time Colfax resident, will be Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Colfax. Urn burial will follow at the Colfax Cemetery.

She died Monday, April 25, 2011, at her home.

Born May 15, 1928, in Potlatch, Idaho, to Frank and May Hart Olfs, she graduated from Potlatch High School in 1946. One of Pat’s sisters lived in Colfax and she introduced her to Roland Heisler, also of Colfax. They were married Aug. 13, 1950, in Colfax. They made their home here all of their lives. Roland worked for the highway department and Pat kept very busy as a nurse’s aide. She worked in the old convalescent center and later for Paul’s Place. She retired 12 years ago. She liked animals, especially her dogs and cats. She also enjoyed drawing and working crossword puzzles. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Colfax.

Surviving are two daughters, Marie and Ruth Heisler, both of Colfax; and a sister-in-law, Bessie Cox of Pullman. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roland, in 2007; a daughter, Betty, in 2004, and two infant sons, John and James.

The family suggests memorials be made to Anna Ogden Hall through the Union Gospel Mission.

On-line guest book:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Eva Jensen

A memorial service for Eva S. Thompson Jensen, 89, Palouse, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Palouse Federated Church. She died April 13, 2011, at Pullman Regional Hospital.

Born Aug. 3, 1921, at Pompey’s Pillar, Mont., to John W. and Elizabeth Boller Thompson, both from Latah County, she lived with her family near Billings, Mont., until they returned to the Palouse country when she was in the eighth grade. They lived on the ranch on River Road between Potlatch and Palouse and attended Palouse Public Schools. She was a member of the Palouse High School class of 1938.

She attended Kelsey-Baird Business College and worked for a short time before she married Clarence H. Kuehner of Palouse in 1941. They farmed outside Palouse at the foot of Kamiak Butte. Mr. Kuehner died an untimely death August of 1956.

Eva then attended Lewis-Clark Normal School and Washington State College to earn her bachelor’s degree in education. She taught at Pullman until her marriage to Professor Max C. Jensen in November, 1962. They traveled extensively as he taught and worked on irrigation projects in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. While in foreign countries, she taught in the dependents’ schools.

When they returned to the United States to stay, they purchased the ranch near Palouse on which she grew up, and they lived there until shortly before his death in July 1985. After his death, she returned to the ranch and lived there. She was active in P.E.O., Palouse Federated Church, an avid bird watcher and grower of beautiful flowers. She remained fond of good poetry and music, and was an avid follower of international events. Last

November, she moved to Whitman Senior Living Center in Pullman.

Surviving are brother, William (Bill) Thompson of Waitsburg, her children, Carol Wickenkamp of Clarkston and Mark Kuehner of Palouse; two grandsons; four granddaughters and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials donations can be made to the P.E.O. Scholarship Fund in care of Tonya Knauf, 435 Sumner St., Palouse, 99161, or to the Union Gospel Mission in Spokane.

Mary Margaret De Mattia

A memorial service for Margaret De Mattia, 82, will be Saturday, April 30, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse. Mrs. De Mattia died Monday, April 25, 2011, at Leighs Elderly Care, Spokane Valley.

Born Dec. 15, 1928, at Palouse, to William P. and Elizabeth (Spencer) Turnbow, she attended Palouse schools and graduated from Palouse High School in 1946. She married Nicholas De Mattia Dec. 26, 1948, at Palouse and the couple made their home at Potlatch. Margaret was employed at the University of Idaho in Food Service until she retired in 1990. Mr. De Mattia worked at the Potlatch Mill and for the forest service at Potlatch. The couple moved to Moscow and have made their home in Spokane Valley since 2006.

Mr. De Mattia died in June of 2009.

She was a member of the Bible Baptist Church, Spokane Valley. Margaret enjoyed crocheting and making afghans.

She is survived by two sons, Nicholas De Mattia, Princeton; Michael (Aline) De Matia, Richland; two daughters, Molly (Howard) Quigley, Bozeman, Mont., Mary (Bill) Whitney, St. Maries; two sisters, Elizabeth Wiley, Spokane; Cynthia Kusler, Lenore, Idaho; six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to Friends of Hospice, 1610 NE Eastgate Blvd., #850, Pullman, 99163.