Obituaries 7/11/14

Esther V. Koch, 99, former long-time Colfax resident, died Friday, July 8, 2011, in Spokane Valley. She had resided at the Stillwater Family Adult Home in Spokane Valley for the last 10 years.

At Esther’s request there will be no formal service, but there will be a celebration of her life at a later date for family and friends.

Born Nov. 24, 1911, in Colfax to William and Pearl Lee, Penawawa orchardists. Esther took on the role of being a homemaker after her mother died at when she was 12 years old. In 1928, the family moved to northern California, and Esther stayed there for four years, before returning to Colfax. Esther graduated from Colfax High School in 1932 and married Clark D. Koch in November 1933. Clark died in 2005 after 73 years of marriage.

Esther liked to do handy crafts like crocheting and knitting, and she enjoyed teaching friends how it was done. Esther worked for a lot of the farm families in Colfax and at Roger Brother’s Seed Co. sorting peas for many years. She also worked for Safeway as a meat wrapper until her retirement. Clark and Esther became snowbirds after they both retired in 1970, and they spent the next 28 years in between Arizona, Southern Idaho, Colfax, and Spokane.

Surviving are her two sons; Gary C. Koch, of Garden Valley, Idaho, and Daryl L. Koch, Liberty Lake; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

On-line condolences:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Marion H. Arrasmith

A memorial service for Marion H. (Nick) Arrasmith, 79, will be today, Thursday, July 14, at 11 a.m. at Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse. Larry Hunt Jr. will officiate with Potlatch VFW Post of the US Navy honor guard participating. Cremation will precede the service.

Mr. Arrasmith died early Saturday July 9, at the Providence Holy Family Hospital in Spokane.

Born April 15, 1932 at Springfield, Colo., to George and Clara Maupin Arrasmith, he attended Palouse schools and graduated from the Palouse High School with the class of 1950.

He joined the United States Navy July 30, 1950, and served during the Korean Conflict aboard the U.S.S. Leyte. He received his honorable discharge May 28, 1954. He worked as a carpenter and built and remodeled homes and also did roofing.

He married Lorraine Hunt May 14, 1977, at Palouse and the couple made their home at Palouse.

He was a charter member of the Palouse Lions Club and a member of the Potlatch VFW. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, traveling and refinishing furniture. He was also a member of the NRA.

Survivors include two sons, David (Elizabeth) Arrasmith, Palouse, and Larry Hunt (Dawn) Jr. Garfield, WA, two daughters, Sharon (Bill) Woltering, Garfield, and Val (Tom) Carpenter, Princeton, Idaho; one brother, Charles Arrasmith, Clarkston; two sisters, Hazel Kuehner, Pullman, and Kathryn LeFore, Milton-Freewater, Ore .; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts are suggested to go to Palouse Emergency Medical Technicians, Palouse.

The funeral for Karen Kristine Heilsberg Johns, 59, Colfax, will be Saturday, July 16, at 11 a.m. at the Colfax United Methodist Church. Viewing will be Thursday & Friday at Bruning Funeral Home. Burial will be at the Colfax Cemetery. She died Saturday, July 9, 2011, at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane.

Born March 8, 1952, in Colfax to Donald and Christine Filan Heilsberg, she moved with her family to Spokane and attended Roosevelt grade school and Sacajawea junior high. They moved back to Colfax when Karen was a freshman in high school. She graduated as president of her class in 1970.

She attended Washington State University for a couple years before she transferred to Eastern Washington University in Cheney. She married Scott Johns in 1972 and they later divorced. Karen graduated with degrees in industrial arts and in fine arts. She did student teaching at Ferris High School in Spokane and later taught in the Endicott School District. She moved to Colfax where she held several jobs around town including work at a gas station and also as a janitor for a time. She was always an animal lover and she enjoyed operating her own dog grooming business out of her home.

An avid reader, she was also a talented artist and wood-worker. She was a set builder for the Colfax Civic Theatre. For many years she played Santa Claus for friends and family in the Colfax area. She treasured spending time at the ranch at Wilcox and spending summers at Lake Pend O’Reille. She loved horses and her poodle, Lucy. She also had an extensive collection of horse-related items.

Surviving are her mother, Christine Heilsberg of Colfax; two sisters, Cindy (Mark) Lewis of Spokane and Cathy (Paul) O’Rourke of Spokane Valley and her brother, Jim (Sandy) Heilsberg of Colfax; as well as her companion Teresa Madole also of Colfax; six nieces and nephews and 6 great-nieces and great-nephews.

Memorial gifts are suggested to a charity of the donor’s choice.

On-line guest book:

http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Bruning Funeral Home, Colfax, is in charge of the arrangements.

Paid Memorials available on Pages 7/14/11

Dorthy May Neiser and Marthalessie Brundige