Obituaries

Mary Jane Cocking

A memorial service with military honors. for Mary Jane Cocking, 87, former Farmington area farm woman, was Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m. at the Peace Lutheran Church in Colfax with the Rev. Phil Misner officiating and a U. S. Navy honor guard participating. Mrs. Cocking died early Nov. 24, 2011, at City View Adult Family home in Pullman.

The daughter of Horace and Marie Miller Belden, she was born in North Platte, Neb., Aug. 14, 1924.

The family moved to the La Grande, Ore.

area when was a toddler.

Her mother died when she was two, and her father continued to support the family until Mary Jane was around 11 years old.

Her father’s railroad job no longer allowed him to care for the family, and she was raised by Gus and Ida Elg.

When she turned 16, she struck out on her own and worked as a nanny for people in the La Grande area until she graduated from high school in 1943.

She then worked at a rivet factory until 1945, when she joined the U.S. Coast Guard where she served as a cook on Nantucket Island, Mass., until the end of World War II. She then moved to Pullman to attend Washington State College for a year while jointly owning a small dairy operation with Rob Thonney.

After the death of Rob’s wife, the dairy closed, and she went to work for Pan American Airlines and flew as a stewardess from Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska.

On January 15, 1949, she married LeRoy Cocking in Seattle.

They moved to Farmington where LeRoy had purchased a farm.

For the next 37 years, Mary Jane worked side by side with her husband, driving tractor, managing the hog facility and raising five children.

They purchased a home in Colfax and moved here in 1986.

They continued to commute to the family hog ranch daily until 2003.

In 2006, she and Leroy moved to Courtyard Assisted Living in Colfax where they resided until 2008, when they moved to City View Adult Family Home in Pullman.

Mr. Cocking died in November, 2008.

Mary Jane loved the outdoors and taking her family to the lake, working with the hogs on their ranch, raising flowers and vegetables, canning, baking and cooking. One of her greatest joys was having her entire family come for holiday celebrations.

Surviving are her daughter, Jenny (Walker) Sirnio, Tucson, Ariz., two sons, Tom (Robin) Cocking, Colfax; and Scot (Mary) Cocking of Farmington; 11 grandchildren, and one great- grandson. She was also preceded in death by a son, Steven; a daughter, JoDell Babb and a grandson, Chad Burnham.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Steven Cocking Memorial Scholarship Fund at Garfield-Palouse High School or to the Salvation Army.

Gary Wayne Hellinger

Gary Wayne Hellinger, 60, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, from an apparent heart attack at his rural Farmington, home. He will be cremated and his ashes will be interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Farmington at a later date.

Born June 23, 1951, at Colfax to Howard W. and Evelyn Curless Hellinger, he grew up on the family farm between Garfield and Farmington. The farm was purchased in 1895 by his grandfather and great-uncle, William and John Hellinger.

Gary attended schools in Garfield and graduated from Garfield High School in 1970. He served four years in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War as a weapons repair specialist stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand. Discharged as a sergeant in 1974, he returned to the Garfield – Farmington area and worked with his father on the farm and as a heavy equipment operator.

He enjoyed snowmobiling, playing cards, fishing, and repairing and restoring cars. He never married.

Survivors include his sister, Carol Hellinger Cox of Spokane Valley and a half-brother, Charles Hellinger of Pahrump, Nev.

Burrell H. Schierman

Burrell H. Schierman, 80, retired Colfax area farmer, died Nov. 15, 2011, at Hospice House in Hayden, Idaho. A celebration of his life will be next spring.

Born Aug. 28, 1931, in Colfax to Harry and Marie Schierman, he was raised on the farm east of Colfax. He attended Colfax schools and was a member of the 1950 class at Colfax High School. He served in the U.S. Army and then worked as a route supervisor for Coca Cola. He and Sally Porter were married in December of 1959.

They farmed east of Colfax for many years. After he retired from farming they moved to Moscow in 1988 where he owned and managed the Slurp & Burp Tavern. After he retired from the tavern business they moved to Sagle, Idaho, and then, due to health problems, to Hayden.

Surviving are his wife of 52 years, Sally Porter Schierman; Hayden; daughter, Kathy Scheirman Bleam, Spokane; sons Burrell Schierman, Jr., Nampa, Idaho; and Ted Schierman, West Richland; one brother, Steven Scheirman, Moscow, and five grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials be gifts to Hospice House, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, Idaho, in appreciation for the care they provided for him.