Archived Marriage Records
Carl Louis Riggers, 89
Carl Louis Riggers went home to be with the Lord, Saturday, March 26, 2011. He died of natural causes at Lewiston Rehabilitation and Care Center. He was born Dec. 21, 1921, to parents John Henry and Mary Sophie Riggers, and was the youngest of nine children. He was baptized at Good Hope Lutheran Church.
Carl attended school in Fairview grade school and graduated from Gifford High School. Upon his parents' deaths, he was destined to carry on farming the same land that his father had homesteaded in the 1890s at Gifford.
On June 1, 1947, Carl married
Ruth Lettenmaier of Southwick, at the old Trinity Lutheran Church in Lewiston. Carl had met Ruth at J.C. Penney, where she was a clerk in the men's department, and he came in to buy a pair of gloves so he could work on the farmers' telephone line. Together, they worked diligently to make a success of the farming business, remain active in their community and church, and raise their two children, Judy and Davern.
Carl was a quiet, hardworking person, enjoying others around him, and willing to do what was needed to make the world a better place. He was happy being a farmer, although he was bothered by hay fever and allergic to all of the crops and grasses, except beans and peas. He loved driving combine and tractor, but because of the allergies, he longed for a better way to do it. He was very good with welding and mechanics and, in 1965, he and Frank West used Cadillac parts to construct one of the first air-conditioned combine cabs in the Gifford-Reubens area. He was innovative and ahead of his time.
As a young man, Carl loved to go with the Gifford High School basketball team wherever they went to watch them play and support them.
He liked to ski. He and Ruth went to many different ski areas in the Northwest. For more than 25 years he served as an Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service (now Farm Services Agency) agent. After being appointed by the governor, he served on the Gifford cemetery board for many years.
Carl loved going to Arizona to spend the winters, first in a trailer, then later building a house in Mesa. He continued until he wasn't able to make the trip. He entered Orchards Rehabilitation Care Center, then Juniper Meadows Assisted Living, and later Lewiston Rehabilitation and Care Center. The family wants to thank all the caregivers who lovingly cared for him.
Carl is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruth, in the family home; son, Davern Riggers and Rozan of Culdesac; daughter, Judy Lewis and Chuck of Wallace; his grandchildren, Rachelle and Klayton Riggers of Lewiston, and Shawnna Riggers of Mesa, AZ, Lucia Gregory of Seattle, WA and Heather Heidt and Jason of Post Falls; his step-grandchildren, Nichole, Kelzey, Danny and Jessy; his great-grandson, Everett Heidt; brother, Martin and Martha Riggers of Lewiston; and many nieces, nephews and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings and their spouses, Henry, Herman, Otto, Albert, Emma, Selma, Martha; and sister-in-law Elsie.
Arrangements are being handled by Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home of Lewiston. Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Good Hope Lutheran Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Good Hope Lutheran Church or a favorite charity.
Catherine Elizabeth Reinfort Shubert, 93, Orofino
Catherine Elizabeth Reinfort Shubert, 93, passed away Thursday, March 24, 2011, at Life Care Center of Lewiston. She was born March 12, 1918, to John and Catherine Reinfort in Sterling, CO.
The family moved and settled in the Winchester area in 1926, where she completed her schooling and graduated in 1935.
On Jan. 18, 1939, Catherine married
Frank Shubert at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Orofino. They made their home on the Cavendish Grade, which later became the New Hope subdivision, where they raised their family and farmed. In 1976, they moved to Orofino.
During their retirement years, they enjoyed camping, fishing and playing cards with a number of wonderful friends.
They later moved to Moscow for a few years and Frank passed away in June 1996. Catherine then moved to the San Diego area, and later back to Orofino, where she resided at Brookside Landing for the past seven years.
Catherine was a lifetime homemaker and enjoyed knitting and crocheting. She was a devoted Catholic.
She is survived by her four daughters, Cecilia Hart, Esther Stalnaker, Joan Chase and Pamela Shubert; as well as 11 grandchildren; numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
The rosary and a funeral Mass were held Saturday at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Orofino. Inurnment followed at the Orofino cemetery.
The family suggests memorials be made to St. Theresa's Catholic Church.
Vassar Rawls Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Roger Joseph Monger, 72, Greer
Roger Joseph Monger, 72, Greer, passed away Monday, March 21, 2011 in Lewiston.
He was born Aug. 26, 1938 in Sandpoint to Anton Monger and Esther Monger Sundhagen. He married
Patricia Lynn Hammon in Ketchum on July 14, 1962.
Roger graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1956 and worked for a few months as a railroad worker. In 1957, he worked for the Federal Bureau of Public Roads surveying the Lochsa River. Following that he worked at various locations in Idaho including Horseshoe Bend, Lowman, McCall and St. Maries. Roger began work for the U.S. Forest Service in Pierce in June 1976 and transferred to Orofino. He worked at Orofino and Kelly Creek, retiring from federal service in 1987. He worked as a fishing guide from 1987 to 2006.
He was drafted into the Army in 1961 and was honorably discharged in 1963.
He was a member of the Ascension Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Lynn Monger; son, Kurt Evan Monger and wife, Chris of Palmer, AK; daughter, Deana Penton and husband, Scott, of Moscow; granddaughter Justine Melaina of Idaho; great granddaughter Arianna of Idaho; sisters, Deloris Christopher and husband, Paul of Spokane, WA, and Arlene Gamelielson of Post Falls; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Anton Monger and his mother, Esther Monger Sundhagen.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 25, at the Ascension Lutheran Church with Pastor Stan Hoobing officiating.
Memorial donations may be made to the Jackson Baldwin Foundation, 3527 8th St. C, Lewiston, ID 83544.
Carol Ann Norwood, 69, Orofino
Carol Ann Norwood, 69, Orofino, passed away Monday, March 21, 2011 at her residence.
Cremation will take place. Services will be held at a later date. Pine Hills Funeral Chapel and Crematory is caring for arrangements.
Viola 'Ole' Beeson, 78, Orofino
Ole Beeson passed away Wednesday, March 16, 2011, at Clearwater Valley Hospital. Cancer took her quickly and quietly.
Ole was born Nov. 13, 1932 in Weippe to John and Elsie Leffert. She married
Jim Beeson Sept. 20, 1953 in Lewiston. They owned and operated the Conoco Gas Station on the corner of Main and Michigan Ave. in Orofino and also a bulk oil delivery service until Jim's passing in March 1976.
Ole led an adventurous and selfless life. Cooking for a gold mining camp, bartending at Konkol's Lounge and preparing meals for the Orofino Care Center were a few of Ole's many jobs. She was a proud member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a familiar face there volunteering her time and energy wherever it was needed. You could always count on Ole to work hard and serve others. She took great pride in carrying the American flag in local celebrations and parades and could always be found playing Bingo on Thursday nights in the Bingo hall. She was treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary up until her death.
Ole is survived by her three children, Lindsay and Robyn Beeson of San Clemente, CA; Pam and Kim Jones of Lewiston and Pete Beeson and Paula Heaton of Moscow. She has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild with another one on the way. She is also survived by her brother, Ed and Sharon Lefferts, and sister, Ellen and Rex Knight.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Charlie Lefferts of Weippe.
A memorial service celebrating Ole's life was held at Pine Hills Funeral Chapel Monday, March 21. Donations can be made in Ole's name to Ladies Auxiliary of the Orofino VFW.
Viola Irene Beeson, 78, Weippe
Viola Irene Beeson, 78, Weippe, passed away Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at Clearwater Valley Hospital in Orofino.
A service will be held in her memory on Monday, March 21, at 1 p.m. at Pine Hills Funeral Chapel in Orofino.
Pine Hills Funeral Chapel is caring for arrangements.
William E. Lane, 82
William E. Lane, 82, most recently of Clarkston, WA and a longtime resident of the Clearwater River Valley, left to take care of his job, drinking beer and chasing girls, Monday evening, March 7, 2011, at Tri-State Hospital. He was "fantastic," until the day he died. You just had to ask him and he'd tell you.
He lived a long and varied life, doing things many people only dream about. He raced cars in North Lewiston and bragged that his speed record for the dirt track could never be broken because the track was later paved over.
He piloted small airplanes and a helicopter. His most famous landing was at night when the strip was covered in snow and he touched down on the wrong side of the lights. The plane flipped onto its top, and the photograph in the local newspaper looked like it had been mistakenly printed upside down.
He loved to run his jet boats, snowmobiles, four-wheelers and rafts and was a member of the Hells Canyon Boat Club, River Access for Tomorrow and similar groups. He also was a member for many years of the Clarkston and Lewiston Eagles lodges, and the Clarkston Moose Lodge.
He was part of the first group to snowmobile the Lolo Motorway from end to end. He rafted the Grand Canyon more than once and ran the length of the Salmon River many times. On one occasion when he was about 70 he floated from Dagger Falls near Stanley to Lewiston on one continuous trip. He was always ready to take on a challenge.
He was a self-made man who came from the poverty of the Kansas Dust Bowl. He was a proud man who always believed he was right. What made it hard to take was that all too frequently it was true.
Bill was born in Syracuse, KA, the eldest of six children of William Ross Lane and Effie Mildred Cochran Lane. His family lived in several locations in Kansas during the first few years of his life, including Syracuse, Salina, Ulysses, Sublette, Garden City and Johnson. The family moved from Johnson to Del Norte, CO, in 1935, then to Canon City in 1938 and from there to Kooskia in late December of 1941.
His formal education ended in the eighth grade, which wasn't uncommon then, but he never stopped learning.
He lived most of his life in the Clearwater Valley, Kooskia to Lewiston, where he had several businesses over the years, including an auto parts store, vehicle repair shops, and general contractor. The number of buildings and houses he built in the Kamiah-Kooskia area for himself, for his businesses and for others is too great to remember.
As a young man, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service running telephone lines through the Idaho backcountry where there were no roads. He and his uncles, Howard and Art Cochran, helped build U.S. Highway 12 from Kooskia to Montana, and he was among the first people to drive it. His two oldest sons, Bill and Mike, were among the first to travel the road from end to end before the gates were officially opened, stopping along the way to fish the Lochsa.
He loved family reunions, especially if he got to do the organizing.
In his last years, when his body and his mind were wearing out and he couldn't do all the things he expected of himself, he spent a lot of hours at the Clarkston Eagles. He had many friends there who looked out for him and treated him well. He cared for them, too. His family is grateful for their friendship.
He is survived by eight children, Sandra L. Lee of Lewiston, daughter of the late E. Jean Branstrom McElhinney; William E. Lane, Michael R. Lane and Cindy L. Miller and husband, Alan, all of The Dalles, OR, and children of Lucille Hayes Virgil; and Jerry R. Lane and wife, Linda of Clarkston, John M. Lane and wife, Rene of Lewiston, Roberta (Melonie) Rohn of Seattle, WA, and Charles L. Lane and wife, Raven of Colville, children of the late Zellamaye Merrill Burkenbine. He also is survived by two step-children, Calvin Booth and Reniece Sandler, both of Coeur d'Alene, children of Lila Perry.
He also is survived by two sisters, Donita Naternicola and Linda Emry and her husband, Gary, all of Boise; a brother, John M. Lane and his wife, Elsie, of Boise and Cascade; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Veanice Lee; and a brother, Jerry Lane.
At his request, Bill was cremated and his ashes will be scattered later.
A celebration of his life is planned from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20, at the Clarkston Eagles, 505 Maple St. Friends and family are asked to come with a favorite story, ready to tell or written for someone to read, but mostly just to come to celebrate a life lived well.
Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for arrangements.
Mary Thompson, 82, formerly of Orofino
Homer, AK resident Mary Thompson, 82, died Feb. 20, 2011. Anyone who knew Mary Thompson would have encountered her tireless energy, which could not be stopped by any adversity.
A celebration of Mary's life was held at March 5 at the United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Hospice of Homer.
Born on April 30, 1928, in Tanta, Egypt, to Harold and Elizabeth McGeoch, Mary spent her childhood abroad. Each year they would get two new turkeys: one named Christmas and one named New Year's. For vacations, the family would take trips to Europe. When World War II started, the McGeochs' returned to the United States, where Mary graduated from high school in New Concord, OH. She then attended and graduated from Muskingum University in the same town. She met her future husband, Jim Thompson, at Lake Chautauqua, NY, while working as a camp counselor. They were married
on June 13, 1951.
Mary's husband, James Thompson, was pastor at the Orofino United Methodist Church from 1961-1966.
After having their three children, they moved to Homer in 1966 for Jim's work at the Methodist Church. She learned to carve a moose with the help of her Betty Crocker cookbook, and quickly became accustomed to Alaska life. She became the church secretary and organized Sunday bulletins, hosted dinners and youth dances. She also taught at Homer High School, where she coached cheerleading, swimming and occasionally drove students to competitions in Valdez, AK. In her years of retirement, she was recognized as volunteer of the year by the city of Homer. She continued to invest countless hours into the community she treasured, and was proud to call her home.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Thompson; brother, Fred McGeoch and wife Anne; and daughter, Carol Thompson. She is survived by her brother, Lyle McGeoch and wife Florence; her sons, Fred Thompson and his wife Coni; Rick Thompson and his wife Sharon; grandchildren, Sara Hansen and her husband Tyler; and Zack Thompson; and all beloved friends.
Comments may be made at: https://homernews.com/stories/030211/obits_omt.shtml#.
Fred Partney, 73, Peck
Fred Partney, 73, Peck, passed away at Clearwater Valley Hospital in Orofino Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011.
A service will be held in his memory at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Orofino Tabernacle Church in Orofino.
Pine Hills Funeral Chapel in Orofino is caring for arrangements.
