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OUR OPINION
Going through the obituaries for the annual In Memoriam is a bittersweet experience for sure. There were plenty of people who died too soon, as well people whose loved ones wished would have lived a little longer but who had lived incredibly full lives.
Francis Cullooyah of Usk and Les Kokanos of Priest River certainly fell into the latter category. Both men had huge impacts on others, Francis as a Kalispel Tribe elder and cultural leader and Les as a firefighter.
Really, we could publish an entire issue of obituaries, written lovingly by those who obviously cared a great deal about the people who had passed.
Here are some snapshots that I lifted from some of the obituaries that appeared last year in The Newport Miner and Gem State Miner.
Paul Richard Van Stedum passed away peacefully at age 72 with his wife holding his hand and a woman playing “Let It Be” on a seven-foot harp. It was fitting, as Paul loved music, and the Beatles were one of his favorite bands. He played the guitar well and after retirement, played almost every night for an hour or two.
Gary Hofer of Newport had several careers in his life before passing at age 75. He was a friendly cashier at Safeway in Newport, a job from which he retired. He designed and built a mountain home where he enjoyed his retirement with his cats and an extensive library of mystery and sci-fi books.
Richard “Luke” Short of Sacheen Lake passed away at age 81. Among other things, Luke loved motorcycling with the Gold Wing group and square dancing with the Escondido Rambling Roses. For the last 10 plus years Luke and his wife, Jill, enjoyed traveling in their motorhome visiting family and friends across the entire USA.
Lila Jean Hendershott, the last of nine children, grew up in Usk. As an adult she moved to Spokane. Lila had fond memories of being a private investigator and remodeling houses with her ex-husband.
Claude “Shorty” Graham, the 2021 Priest River Timber Days Bull of the Woods, lived in Priest River for more than 60 years before passing away at age 82. His smile and laughter were contagious and “by golly” he loved to dance!
Irene Yukie (Kubota) Neves, passed away at age 91. She was born in Metaline Falls and graduated from Metaline Falls High School. The daughter of George and Nobuko Kubota, she went on to work for Life and People magazine.
Jean Hanson Kress lived to be 100. She was a founding member and organist at Bethlehem and attended American Lutheran in Newport. Jean was known for her pies and cookies.
Bonnie Jean Adams passed away at age 92. She and her husband, Gene, built their dream home in Metaline in 1964, a home they designed themselves. She was a leader of the local Girl Scout troop where she took the group camping, taught the girls to sew, cook and how to be good citizens. She loved babies and was highly suspicious of teenagers.
Adolf Botzheim was 12 when he and his family made the rough trip by ship to the U.S. from Wels, Austria. He was an incredibly hard worker, working for the Pend Oreille mine, the sawmill, cement plant and was a welding teacher and repair man for the Selkirk School District. He also was known for being “the best huckleberry picker.”
Lorna Louise Larson celebrated her 70th wedding anniversary with her husband John in 2024. She passed away at age 87. Lorna and John lived most of their lives together at their beloved home near Sullivan Lake, where they took daily walks regardless of weather. She loved the beauty of North Pend Oreille County.
All lives well lived.
