Obituaries March 9

Kenneth D. Austin

Funeral services for Kenneth D. Austin, 89, will be Saturday, March 11, at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Nazarene in Princeton, Idaho. Pastor Bob Lambert will officiate at the service, and burial will follow at the Freeze Cemetery north of Potlatch. A covered dish luncheon will follow at the Princeton Church.

Mr. Austin died Saturday, March 4, at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, Idaho.

Born Oct. 23, 1927, at Decatur, Neb., to Alvin J. and Winifred McCleerey Austin, he came with his family to the Potlatch area in 1939 and attended the Hatter Creek Country School, Princeton School and Potlatch High School, graduating in 1945. He served as a corpsman in the United States Army for two years and was honorably discharged in 1947 as a private first class. Ken returned to the Princeton area, enrolled at the University of Idaho and earned a bachelor’s degree in dairy science.

He married Gloria Hadaller Sept. 12, 1953, at Potlatch. The couple raised seven children and were married for 61 years before her passing on Aug. 5, 2015.

Ken started working summers for the Potlatch lumber mill while he was in high school. He worked for the Forest Service as a fire fighter and later for the Farm Home Administration in southern Idaho. Ken started working for Potlatch Forests, Inc. at the Potlatch mill in 1964. He worked as the boiler operator at the mill until it closed in 1981, then transferred to Post Falls particle board plant, retiring in 1992. Following his retirement, the couple continued to make their home at Princeton.

Ken was a 4H leader at Princeton for more than 20 years. His group, the Hatter Creek Country Cousins, participated in many local fairs. He also enjoyed repairing items and was referred to as Mr. Fix-it by his children.

Survivors include four sons, Lonie Austin (Marilyn), Steve Austin (Kathy), Vernon Austin (Angie) all of Princeton, Idaho, and Duane Austin (Lupe) Post Falls, Idaho; two daughters, Bonnie Hash (Jeff) Princeton, Idaho, and Sally Anderson, Pullman, Wash .; 21 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Rosalie.

Memorials may be given to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, 83855 or to the CIA Newsletter, Box 44, Princeton, 83857.

http://www.kramercares.com

Maximus Omelas

A memorial service for Maximus Omelas, LaCrosse eighth grader, will be Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m. at the LaCrosse High School gym. He died Feb. 26, 2017, from a severe asthma attack.

He was born Sept. 7, 2001, at Yakima to Brandy Farmer-Rogers and Rafael Omelas.

He had made many friends after moving to LaCrosse and attending middle school. He enjoyed playing beatbox, riding his dirt bike and playing football with his siblings.

A funeral service was conducted Saturday, March 4, at Christian Worship Center in Zillah, and burial followed at the Zillah Cemetery.

Condolences to the family can be sent to http://www.valleyhillsfh.com

Barbara Joan Pierce

Barbara Joan Pierce, 94, died in St. John Feb. 22, 2017. She moved to Community Pride in St. John, Wash., four years ago to be closer to family.

Her family plans a service at a later date.

She was born Sept. 2, 1922, to Percival and Dorothea Barstow in Richmond Suree, England.

Barbara is predeceased by her husband, Russell, in 1982. They were married Aug. 18, 1944, in England. After the war they lived in Pomeroy. She enjoyed playing the piano and organ, cooking, walking on the beach in Lincoln City, swimming and visiting with friends and family.

She worked as a cook at the Garfield County Hospital for 20 years before retiring. She then moved to Lincoln City to fulfill her dream of living near the ocean.

Surviving are son, Alan; daughter, Ardis Swift (Chet); two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; sister, Olive Beechey, and brother, Denis (Agnes) Barstow, both England.

Leonard Pyne

A service for Leonard (Len) Pyne, 92, former basketball coach at Palouse and Colfax who went on to a long career at Columbia Basin College, will be March 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Kennewick Nazarene Church, 2401 S. Union in Kennewick. Mr. Pyne died in Kennewick at The Chaplaincy Hospice Feb. 21, 2017.

Born in Spokane June 14, 1924, to Leonard C. Pyne and Varah Walker Pyne, he graduated from Central Valley High School in 1942. He was a three-sport letterman and an all-city basketball player in 1942. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1946 and a masters degree in 1956. While attending the University of Idaho, he played varsity baseball and basketball. He was the captain and leading scorer for the 1946 Pacific Coast Northern Division championship team.

He coached one year at Palouse High School and nine years at Colfax before going to Columbia Basin College in 1956, where he coached baseball through 1964. His team won two NWAACC championships in 1963 and 1964. He was also assistant basketball coach for 12 years and coached the golf team for 15 years. His golf teams won eight NWAACC championships.

After retiring in 1985, Len was inducted into six athletic Halls of Fame.

Len was a 60-year-plus member of the Elks Lodge.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marie Hulse Pyne. They were married from 1963-2006.

Surviving are his companion Jackie Littler, daughter Gerri Lynn (Joe) Thomas and five granddaughters.

Memorial donations are suggested to the Columbia Basin College Foundation, 2600 N. 20th, Pasco, 99301, or to the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, 1480 Fowler St., Richland, 99352.

Edith Whitehead

Edith Brandon Whitehead, 79, Palouse, died in Pullman, Feb. 26, 2017, after a long battle with cancer. A celebration of her life will be at the Christian Church in Othello Saturday, April 22.

Born in Portales, N.M., Sept. 8, 1937, to Jack and Letha Brandon, she moved with her family to California and then to Joplin, Miss., where her father died. In 1946, they moved to Yakima, Wash., where her mother met and married Ray McElfresh.

She attended Moxee High School where she met Larry Whitehead. They were married Feb. 15, 1955.

She loved to camp and fish, the beach, traveling and watching Gonzaga basketball on television.

She was a long-time member of The Church of Christ in Yakima and Ephrata.

Surviving are her husband, Larry; sisters Frances Whitehead, Yakima, and Rose McElfresh McFarland, Toledo, Wash .; son Larry Lee, Othello; daughter Dottie Foster, Garfield; four grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Ila Ulrich Woodward

A celebration of the life of Ila Alberta Ulrich Woodward, 94, will be Saturday, March 11, at 11 a.m. at Sumner Family Church, 1400 Silver St., Sumner. Graveside services will be at Pine City Cemetery March 13, at 11 a.m. A potluck lunch will follow at Rosalia Methodist Church.

Mrs. Woodward died March 1, 2017.

Born in Rosalia, May 3, 1922, she graduated from Rosalia High School and married James Woodward in 1940. She started working for the Rosalia post office in 1953 and retired after 27 years.

Surviving are a daughter, Lula Belle Richardson; three sons, William, James and Leo Woodward; 24 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

For paid obituaries, see Weekly Pages: March 9

Jacquelyn Henderson: Nov. 7, 1925-March 3, 2017

Daniel W. Boone: Sept. 27, 1927-March 2, 2017

Emmitt D. Cain: July 25, 1957-Feb. 24, 2017