Obituaries Feb. 11

MARVIN MERRELL

A memorial service for Marvin Merrell, 82, will be Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene in Princeton, Idaho, with Bob Lambert officiating. Mr. Merrell died Feb. 3. 2016, at Bishop Place in Pullman.

Born Oct. 21, 1933, in Seattle to Mark and Genetha Klappenback Merrell, he attended schools in northern Idaho and finished at Potlatch. Marvin worked as a sawyer for a variety of logging contractors over the next 20 years.

He married Meryl Lee Jones Sept. 25, 1954, at Clarkston, and they made their home at the family homestead in Princeton. In 1969, he began employment with the Latah County Road Department and remained with them until he retired in 1995. Marvin continued to log and manage his home place for many years.

After retirement, the couple enjoyed outdoor activities including camping, hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed working in his wood shop and assisting Meryl with bird house projects, family gatherings, playing pinochle at the Princeton and Harvard community centers and spending time with his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife in 2010.

Survivors include one son, Mark (Dona) Merrell, Princeton; one daughter, Cathy Reeves (Jerry) Meridian, Idaho; two brothers, Dale (Connie) Merrell, Boise; and Phil (Debbie) Merrell, Seattle; two sisters, Ann (John) Merrell Vogt, Eagle, Idaho, and Judith Merrell; five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

He was also preceded in death by a grandson, Casey Steven Merrell, and son Steven Lee Merrell.

Memorials may be given to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, 83855.

PHYLLIS B. PARRISH

A celebration of the life of Phyllis B. Parrish, long-time resident of the Palouse area, will be Saturday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. at the Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse. A reception will follow at the Palouse Federated Church. A recitation of the rosary will be Friday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Potlatch.

Mrs. Parrish died Jan. 30 at Pullman Regional Hospital.

One of eight children of John and Blanche Nagle, she was born in the Freeze area of Latah County, Idaho, in 1923. She spent her entire life in the Palouse area, starting with elementary school at the Daily School and graduating from Palouse High School. She worked at Old National Bank in Palouse before her marriage to Dwight (Swede) Parrish in 1944 and beginning her career as wife, mother and homemaker.

Surviving are five children, Chad (Pamela) Parrish of Missoula, Mont .; Ronda Messinger of Post Falls, Idaho; Dan Parrish of Palouse; Nancy (Casey) Giddings of Republic and Tom Parrish (Rebecca Beach) of Pullman; a sister, Sally Graham of Puyallup; eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorial donations be made to Palouse EMS, or Palouse Community Center, PO box 23, Palouse, 99161.

DENNIS J. PETERS

Dennis J. Peters, 59, died Feb. 4, 2016, in Cheney after a long battle with diabetes and kidney disease. A celebration of life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Cheney Funeral Chapel.

Born in Spokane Dec. 29, 1956, to John and Gertrude Peters, he graduated from Rosalia High School with the class of 1975. After graduation he worked for Rosalia Producers for a time and then went to work for the City of Rosalia, first as a maintenance man and later as chief of police. Dennis, who had two sons, Joshua and Jeremy, from a previous marriage, married Cheryl Lowe in 1996 and added a stepson, Vaughn Lowe, to his family. They owned and operated the Hangman Creek Bar & Grill in Waverly from 1997 until 2007.

Surviving are his wife, Cheryl; stepson Vaughn (Jill); seven grandchildren; a brother, Daryl; and sisters Kathleen, Marlene (Joe), and Sheryl (Sam). He was preceded in death by sons Joshua and Jeremy.

Donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation or The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

For paid obituaries, see the weekly pages for Feb. 11

Geraldine Bippes: Oct. 5, 1933-Feb. 6, 2016

Roger C. Edgren: Aug. 28, 1928-Feb. 1, 2016