Obituaries

* For Full Obituaries and photos, see Weekly Paper Section.

Neila Obenchain

Former Colfax resident Neila I. Obenchain, 77, of Ronan, Mont., died April 15, 2012, at her home. Services are not planned at this time.

Born July 22, 1934, in Cottage Grove, Ore., to Frank and Geneva Richardson, she attended schools in Cottage Grove and graduated from Cottage Grove High School. She went on to attend Boise Bible College where she met Duane (Dewey) Obenchain. They were married June 5, 1954, in Cottage Grove, Ore., and he served churches in Boise, Glide, Ore., Ronan, and Spokane until 1972 when they moved to Colfax, where they lived until 1978.

They then lived in Boise, Weiser, Idaho Falls and Pablo, Mont. Neila had her own business, Mountain Shadows Country Crafts. She played piano at Dewey’s churches and taught Sunday school and led the choirs at the Kootenai Christian Service Camp at Lake Mary Ronan where she was a pastor’s assistant.

Surviving are her husband; two sons, Dan (Maria) Spokane Valley, and Greg (Cindy) of Denver; brothers Ken Richardson, Bob Richardson, and Dave Richardson all of Cottage Grove; sisters Betty Aubrey of Portland, Ethel Powers of Springfield, Ore., Naomi Harrison of Fallon, Nev., Cathy Cooper of Klamath Falls, Ore., and Penny VanOsdol of Pocatello, Idaho, and four grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to Boise Bible College. Messages of condolences may be shared with the family online:

http://www.groganfuneralhome.com.

Patricia Foster Thonney

A memorial service for Patricia Ellen Foster Thonney, 58, was Sunday, April 15, at the First Congregational Church of Ithaca, N.Y. She died of breast cancer at home in Cayuga Heights, N.Y., last Monday, April 9, 2012.

Born in Greenfield, Ind., June 13, she was raised on the family farm two miles west of town. She was active in 4H with projects ranging from pigs to pies.

She graduated from Purdue University in 1975 and received a masters degree from Washington State University in 1977. That fall, she started as an Extension Associate in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. Among her projects and publications were “Food for Health: The Carbohydrate Connection;” “Alive! Food & Fitness for Life;” “Now You’re Cooking;” “Kitchen Science for Kids;” “In-Touch Science: Foods & Fabrics;” and the “Cooking up Fun” project, a youth development strategy that promotes independent food skills.

She was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Ithaca where she taught Sunday school and served as a clerk. She was a leader for Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts.

She was active in the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes where she helped to start the support group on living with cancer. She was the top individual fundraiser and her Women’s Noon Group was the top fundraising team for the 2011 Cancer Resource Center Walkathon.

She and Michael L. Thonney were married in 1979 and they have a daughter, Elizabeth of Seattle, and a son, Benjamin of Ithaca. She is also survived by her mother, Carol McElroy Foster of Greenfield; sister, Martha O’Keefe, Norwich, N.Y., and brother, John Foster Greenfield.

Memorial donations may be made to the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, 612 W. State Street, Ithaca, N.Y., 14850.