Archived Marriage Records
Joseph David McCann, 74
Joseph David McCann, 74, of Lewiston, passed away Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, from complications of pneumonia resulting from an accident while working on a home project. If you knew Joe, he was always busy.
He was born on June 19, 1935 in Wilton, WI, to Edward and Leona McCann. He spent many years and much time with his uncles, Bernard and Norbert Berendes. He graduated in 1953 from Wilton High School, and soon after moved to Lewiston.
It did not take him long to find the love of his life. He married
Nadine Riggers on July 11, 1959, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
In his younger years, Joe worked for Skelton's Floor Covering, McCann's Mill in Weippe, Gleason Oil and McCann Land Company, where he farmed and managed cows, as well as managing his own cattle operation near Tammany. After moving back to Lewiston, he worked for S&H; Contractors as a project manager/heavy-equipment operator. He later was employed at Excel Transport, where a work-related injury forced him into early retirement.
Joe enjoyed spending time at the family cabin at Soldiers Meadow. He loved snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, never being wrong and sharing stories with friends or anyone who would listen. In his later years his favorite hobby was woodworking. He built and designed bird- houses and feeders that were sold nationwide on QVC. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, going to their games, running them to school and making them laugh.
He was always busy working in the yard, and always had time to help a friend. He never knew a stranger and always had a joke and a smile to share.
Joe is survived by his wife and best friend of 50 years, Nadine; his favorite son, Kurt McCann and Donna Mueller of Princeton and granddaughters Mandy Jo and Derrick Reynolds, Kayla and Tyler McCann-Furchtenicht and Kellie McCann, and three great-grandchildren; favorite daughter Karla McCann of Lewiston and granddaughters Tayler, Morgan and Maddy Jo Asplund; favorite daughter Kimberly McCann of Lewiston and grandchildren Clayton, Kendal and Cooper Hatfield. Also surviving are brothers Gene and wife Liz of Stanley, Iowa, Jay and Dona of Clarkston, Mike and Gloria of Fort Wayne, IN, and Dennis and Kim of Janesville, WI; sisters Margaret and Tom Polek of Lewiston and Sue Ann and Tom Buick of Grand Junction, CO; his favorite uncle, Norbert (Nubs) Berendes of Tomah, WI; his mother-in-law, Amanda Riggers of Lewiston; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Jack, Jerry and Jan.
The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Following the service there will be a gathering of family and friends at the Lewiston VFW Hall.
Donations can be made to the Willow Center for Grieving Children or the Shriner's Hospital.
Carlene J. McKay, 74, Orofino
Carlene Janice McKay, 74, Orofino, passed away Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, at her home.
Private family services were conducted.
Pine Hills Funeral Chapel of Orofino is caring for arrangements.
John Boyett McCluskey, Jr., 80, formerly of Orofino
PENDLETON, OR - John Boyett McCluskey, 80, of Pendleton, OR, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, at his home.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Burns Mortuary Chapel in Pendleton. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army in Pendleton. Comments about his life and accomplishments may be made by friends in his guest book at www.burnsmortuary.com.
Mr. McCluskey was born May 10, 1929 in Tucson, AZ, to John and June McCluskey. He was educated in Tucson and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona. He was a career employee of the U.S. Forest Service from 1951 to 199l and was an environmental coordinator at the time of his retirement. He worked on the Clearwater National Forest from 1951 through 1965 beginning as a road engineer and going on into range conservation. He worked in real estate for a number of years after retirement from the Forest Service.
In 1956 he married
Kathryn Coles of Jacksonville, FL, and they had four children. He was a member of Elks, Oregon Association of Realtors, and U.S. Forest Service Retirees Association. He was a Republican precinct committeeman and was an enthusiastic observer of the political scene and current events. Mr. McCluskey held a single engine private pilot's license and was a resident of Pendleton for 32 years.
Mr. McCluskey is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kathryn McCluskey of Pendleton; sons, John B. McCluskey III of Montreal, Canada, and Kelly McCluskey of Seoul, Korea; daughters Mary Wehland of Pendleton, and Valerie Calley of Athena; and 11 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Alice McCluskey, and brother, James McCluskey.
Private burial services will take place on his favorite mountain in Idaho at a later date.
Kenneth Walter Schwartz, 94, formerly of Orofino
Kenneth Walter Schwartz, 94, formerly of Orofino, passed away Monday at Lewiston Rehabilitation and Care Center.
Services are pending. Pine Hills Funeral Chapel and Crematory is caring for arrangements.
Louis 'Louie' Ward Stalnaker, 89, formerly of Orofino
Louis 'Louie' Ward Stalnaker, of Clarkston, WA died Saturday, March 6, 2010, at Life Care Center of Lewiston due to complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 89.
Louie was born June 22, 1920, in a farmhouse near Southwick, the fifth child of Lewis Elsworth and Myrtle Leanna Widvey Stalnaker. He was raised on a farm upriver from Ahsahka on the North Fork of the Clearwater River, just a few miles behind the present day Dworshak Dam. The homestead is now covered in some 500 feet of water.
He attended school in Orofino and graduated from Orofino High School in 1938, after which he worked the farm with his dad. He also worked at Riverside Mill and began doing carpentry work. In 1942, "Uncle Sam" tapped him on the shoulder and he was off to serve our county during World War II in Northern Africa and Southern Europe.
During his time overseas, his father passed away. Louie returned in 1945 to continue to run the farm and expanded it not only to raise cattle and hay, but also nearly 1,000 laying hens. He also continued his work as a carpenter in Orofino.
On June 20, 1958, he wed Esther Lucille Shubert at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Orofino. Their time to settle in together on the farm was short-lived as "Uncle Sam" had other plans for the land along the river; the government intended to build the tallest straight-axis dam in the world just downstream. The young family, which now included three very young children, scrambled to find a new home, build the necessary buildings to house the chicken operation, and move all of the livestock within a six-month period.
The family settled on acreage on Lower Ford Creek Road. Within the next few years, the family was complete with the birth of two more children.
Louie and Esther continued farming for many more years while they both took employment in Orofino. Louie was a talented cabinetmaker and concrete finisher, working for CV Concrete. After retirement and selling the farm, he and Esther moved to Moscow, where he built them another home. Louie was baptized in the Catholic faith in 1997 at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
In 2005, as the effects of Alzheimer's became more challenging, they sold the Moscow home and relocated to Clarkston, where Esther could focus better on his care. After moving, he became a member of Holy Family Catholic Church.
Louie is survived by his wife of Clarkston; daughters, Cathy and Bernie Judge of Pocatello, and Bobbi Konzek of Nampa; sons Norm and Debbie of Orofino, Ed of Aloha, OR, and Jim and Tami of Hillsboro, OR; 10 grandchildren, Heidi Judge Hough, Brian Judge, Shawn Judge, Tim Konzek, Mark Konzek, Kristin Konzek, Jordyn Stalnaker, Jarryt Stalnaker, Karena Stalnaker and Justine Stalnaker; four great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn Hough, Tyler Hough, Dallas Konzek and Addisyn Konzek; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Lloyd Stalnaker, Verna Horton, Alma Stalnaker and Alice Chase; and a great-grandson, Hayden Hough.
The rosary will be recited and a memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clarkston. Inurnment with military rites will be at the cemetery in Southwick at 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Alzheimer's Association or a charity of choice.
Russell Edward Heiskari, 80 Orofino
Russell E. Heiskari passed away March 4, 2010 at Life Care Center of Lewiston,. He was 80 years old.
Russell was born Feb. 27, 1930 to Waino & Mary (Beckman) Heiskari in Saint Louis County, MN. He married
June D. Mehtala Aug. 25, 1951 in Boise. They lived in Kamiah until 1953 when they moved to their residence in Orofino.
Russell enjoyed the outdoors by taking long drives, trap shooting with his family and friends and steelhead fishing. He also loved tinkering, whittling, adding to his prized junk collection, watch and sewing machine repair, mechanics and listening to polka music. By far his favorite hobby was spending time with his grandkids.
Russell was a 50+ year member of the Masons and also an avid 50 + year member of the Shiners being a unit member of the Jackass Patrol.
Russell was preceded in death by his wife, June, in 2003 and his parents.
Russell in survived by his three daughters: Judi Snyder, Laurel Wynn and Mary Gord; a brother, Wayne Heiskari; a sister, Karen Knapik; grandchildren, Nsharra Key, Shawna Knight, Jodie Wyant, Deak Wynn, Justin Hollibaugh, Lacy Spencer and Jake Spencer. Russell also has 20 surviving great-grandchildren.
A memorial service for Russell will be held Saturday, March 13, at Orofino's Veterans of Foreign Wars at 1 p.m. In Lieu of flowers donations can be made for funeral expenses to Potlatch Credit Union in Orofino.
Pine Hills Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in caring for arrangements.
Clifford (Cliff) D. Kleer, 81, Orofino
Clifford (Cliff) D. Kleer of Orofino passed away Tuesday March 2, 2010 at his family home in Deary doing what he loved.
Cliff was born July 22, 1928 in his parents' home in Avon to William and Maud (Hawkins) Kleer. Cliff was a born woodsman. At the young age of 13; Cliff told everyone he was 16 and started working for the Potlatch Timber Protective Association (PTPA), in 1941. In 1945 at the age of 17 Cliff took the option to graduate early from Deary High School to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. After training at Camp Pendleton, Cliff served 13 months in the Asiatic Pacific Area as Tank Crewman, Equipment Operator, and Rifle Marksman. In 1947 Cliff was discharged at Treasure Island as Corporal and was a lifetime member of the Deary VFW Post 3330.
After his tour in the service he returned to Deary and went back to work for the PTPA for one more year, following the 1948 flood before going to work for Carl Nelson. This was the start of a lifetime career of logging. During the off seasons of logging, Cliff used his G.I bill to take flight instruction from Charles (Frenny) Frensdorf at the Orofino Airport. Cliff owned two airplanes with which he flew fire patrol and mail, for both the Clearwater Timber Protective Association(CTPA) and PTPA for several years.
In 1967 after working with and for various logging contractors, Cliff bought his first line machine, "Daisy" a LS98 Link Belt, and formed his own logging company. He logged for the Riverside Lumber Company, the Potlatch Corporation, the state of Idaho, and other private landowners up until he retired in 2005 at the spry age of 77.
On March 23, 1970, Cliff married
Darlene Forest/Larson and accepted John and Tom Larson as his sons. Cliff was a loving husband and father, who spent his summers with his family in the woods hunting, fishing, and working. Cliff helped develop the two boys' already healthy love of the woods, by taking both of them to work and teaching them the ways of the logging world. Both John and Tom worked for Cliff, and John purchased the line skidding side of Cliffs logging company in 1995.
Along with being an avid hunter, gardener, and fisherman, Cliff was a 46 year member of the Grangeville Elks Lodge. Cliff also was a long time member of the Associated Logging Contractors and served on the board of directors; as well as a founding member of the Associated Loggers Exchange, and served as chairman of the board of governors for two years. Cliff cherished time with family especially the time he had with his grandchildren and great grandchildren, he often referred to this as his bonus.
Cliff is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years Darlene, his oldest son, John Larson and wife Vickie. Grand children include grandson, Alan Larson and his wife Cody; granddaughters, Amy Larson and Mallory Martinez and her husband Jesus, and youngest grandson, Corey Kleer Larson. Great Grandchildren include Erika Larson along with Kala, Nathan, and Anthan Kleer Martinez all of Orofino. Cliff is also survived by his sisters, Nancy Swenson of Potlatch, Irma Lunsford of Deary; Dixie Graham of The Dalles, OR; and Nina Sandquist of Salam, OR along with six nieces and four nephews.
Cliff was preceded in death by his parents William and Maud (Hawkins) Kleer; brother Hurbert Kleer; sister, Donna Kleer,;sister, Alma Prickett; brother, Kenneth Kleer; and son, Thomas A. Larson.
Cremation has taken place. Cliff's family is planning a memorial service to be held on April 18th at 1 p.m. at the VFW Building.
Dianna L. Rice, 66, Orofino
Dianna L. Rice, 66, Orofino, passed away Wednesday, March 3, 2010, with her family by her side at her home in Orofino.
She was born June 1, 1943, in Covington, KY to Laura Davenport and was the oldest of her five siblings.
Dianna grew up in Sandpoint and later moved to Libby, MT. When she came back to Idaho, Dianna worked at the Jaype Mill in Pierce throughout the 1970s. In the spring of 1980, she and her beloved husband, Bill moved to Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. There she worked at the Fireweed Lodge in Klawock, AK. Bill and Diana later moved to Craig, AK, where she worked as a bartender at the Hill Bar as well as the Moose Club.
In 1987, Dianna and her husband adopted their oldest daughter, Jessi, from South Korea. They later moved back to Idaho when they purchased their home on Huckleberry Butte. In 1990, the couple adopted their second daughter, Sirenna and completed their family.
Dianna loved their log home in the country and worked there as a homemaker and loving mother while her husband worked as a helicopter logger in Alaska. She liked cooking, planting flowers, hummingbirds, reading and spending time with her two daughters. She was a very talented and enjoyed painting, quilting, sewing, crocheting and any other craft she could get her hands on. Dianna enjoyed giving her creations to friends and family as well as teaching others to make them. Dianna loved Alaska and visited her mother and stepfather, Paul there many times with her daughters.
Dianna is survived by her husband, Bill; her oldest daughter, Jessi; her youngest daughter, Sirenna and boyfriend, Robert Falconer and grandson, Cameron Falconer; mother-in-law, Dixine Rice; sister, Janie Decker and brother-in-law, Allen Decker; sister, Linda Howard, and brother-in-law, Bob Howard; several nieces and nephews and their children; caregiver, Donna White; and dear friend, Jean Karlin.
She was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Laura Davenport; stepfather, Paul Davenport; brothers, Tom Rickett and Rick Breeden; and sister, Cathy Breeden.
Dianna was a loving wife and mother and will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Pine Hills Chapel in Orofino, with the Rev. Philip Bonner officiating.
Arthur Paul Cowley, 77, former Clearwater National Forest worker
Arthur Paul Cowley, U.S. forester, environmental educator and big tree expert, died Thursday, March 4, 2010, in San Juan Capistrano, CA, at the age of 77, surrounded by his immediate family.
Art was born April 9, 1932, in Jefferson City, MO, to Arthur Bernard Cowley and Leonilla M. Tellman. In 1962, he married
Maureen Louise Sullivan of Lewiston, the daughter of Irvin John Sullivan and Celeste Uhlenkott Sullivan. For 35 years, Art worked for the U.S. Forest Service, where he was a forest ranger and held management positions in public affairs and environmental education. He worked for the Nez Perce and Clearwater national forests in Idaho, the Francis Marion Forest in South Carolina, the Ouachita National Forest in Hot Springs, AR, and the Sequoia National Forest in Porterville, CA. He has been a resident of Porterville since 1979.
Since 1995, Art was state coordinator for the American Forests' California Registry of Big Trees, for which he traveled throughout California at his own expense in search of arboreal giants and found 190 of the state's 318 biggest trees. In 1998, while attending mass at the historic Carmel Mission, Art identified what became a state champion, a blue gum eucalyptus, on Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch property.
Excerpt from article in American Forests magazine:
"While Clint Eastwood has long recognized the tree's beauty, it was American Forests' California Big Tree Coordinator, Art Cowley, who first noticed its potential. Cowley spied the tree in 1998 while attending mass at the Mission (Carmel, Calif.) and used his always-close-at-hand yellow tape measure to check his guess."
Art had been featured in numerous publications, including American Forests, The Sun, the New York Times, the St. Louis Globe, the Porterville Recorder and the Orange County Register. The "major landmark" of Art's career, he said in a December 2002 article for the Bakersfield Californian, was planning the Trail of 100 Giants for the Sequoia National Forest. This popular interpretive trail winds through old-growth giant sequoia trees, some of the biggest trees on Earth.
Art conducted environmental education workshops and courses for 30 years for various colleges, including Fresno Pacific University, Fresno State University, Reedley College, Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas, teaching courses including Project Wild, Project Learning Tree, Giant Sequoia Management, and The Biggest Trees of California - a Cultural and Economic Resource.
Art graduated from St. Peter's Catholic High School in Jefferson City. He received a bachelor of science degree in forestry from the University of Missouri and a master's in education from the University of Arkansas. Active in state and community affairs, Art was past chairman of the board for the Three-Forests Interpretive Association for Sequoia, Sierra and Stanislaus national forests; past board chairman of the Tule River Parkway Association; and was a naturalist with Tulare County's outdoor school (SCICON). In Hot Springs, he served as president of the Society of American Foresters; chairman for the Jaycees Parks Board Association; president for Saint Mary's Parish Council; and helped formulate TREE (Training Resources in Environmental Education). He received numerous awards, including the Arkansas Wildlife Federation Forest Conservationist of the Year award, Project Learning Tree Award and the Hot Springs Key Man award.
Since 2005, Art was a patient in one of the nation's most promising clinical trials for Alzheimer's, Elan Pharmaceutical's AAB001 Clinical Trial, and dedicated four years helping further research for this disease.
Our lovable, good-natured, inspirational "Big Tree Man" is no longer with us here on Earth, but Art will live forever in our hearts. In lieu of flowers, Art would have liked it if you could plant a tree in his memory, spend some time hiking in a national forest, and hug your family members and let them know how special they are. Art had asked that his epitaph read, "Now that I'm up high, I can see and find the biggest trees easier. I'll let you know where they are. May the world grow like a beautiful tree."
Preceding him in death were his brothers, John and Jim Cowley, and his sisters, Janet Schwering and Roberta Selvidge.
Surviving him are his brother, William Cowley of Dallas; his devoted wife, Maureen Sullivan Cowley; and their four children: Mary Takaoka and her husband Tsuyoshi of Yokohama, Japan, Camille Newton and her husband Ray of Bonsall, CA., Jane von Bothmer and her husband Bernard of San Francisco, and Arthur Ian Cowley of Porterville. Art and Maureen were blessed with seven grandchildren, Erika, Monika and Naomi Takaoka, Brandon Williams, Connor Newton, and Athena and Tatiana von Bothmer.
The rosary will be recited at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Lewiston, the same church where Art married
his sweetheart Maureen 48 years earlier, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 and burial at Normal Hill cemetery in Lewiston.
