Obituaries
Colly Schultheis
91, Colton resident
Colletta Marie "Colly" Schultheis, 91, a longtime
Colton resident, died Thursday, Dec. 25, at Overlake
Hospital in Bellevue, Wash., of age related causes.
Colly was born March 6, 1912, in Uniontown, Wash., to
Henry and Elizabeth Taufen Esser. She grew up in
Uniontown and attended St. Boniface Elementary School
and graduated from St. Boniface High School in 1930.
Colly married George A. Schultheis in Uniontown on
Nov. 23, 1937. They lived in Colton, where they farmed
for more than 40 years. She was a loving wife, mother
and homemaker. Her husband George preceded her in death
in 1986. She continued to make Colton her home until
moving to Pullman's Bishop Place in 2000. Earlier this
year, Colly moved to the Seattle area to be closer to
her daughter.
Colly was a member of St. Gall Catholic Church in
Colton. She was active in the Catholic Daughters of
America and St. Gall's Altar Society, as well as the
Colton Grange Association. Colly always was a wonderful
cook and baker, even though often it was out of
necessity. She enjoyed Latch Hook artwork and made
numerous Christmas tree skirts.
She is survived by her three children, Sharon Penwell
of Kent, Wash., Mary Ann Busch of Spokane, Wash., and
Mark Schultheis of Newport Beach, Calif.; two sisters,
Isabel Olsen of Moscow, Idaho, and Frances Thompson of
Spokane, Wash.; one brother, Eugene Esser of Genesee,
Idaho; and eight grandchildren. In addition to her
husband, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda
Mandick.
The Rosary/Vigil service will be at 7 p.m. Monday,
Dec. 29, at St. Gall Catholic Church in Colton. The
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec.
30, at St. Gall Catholic Church. Rev. Victor Blazovich
and Rev. Michael Schultheis, S.J., will concelebrate.
Interment will follow at St. Gall Cemetery. Arrangements
are under the direction of Kimball Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the St. Gall Endowment
Fund.
Virginia Ferguson
Moscow resident
This world is not conclusion,
A sequel stands beyond,
Invisible, as music,
But positive, as sound.
- Emily Dickinson
Virginia C. Ferguson left embodiment on Dec. 17, and
is now enjoying life in another dimension. She is
grateful for all the experiences of learning and fun
shared with family and friends on Earth, and hopes that
their lives will continue to be blessed with peace and
love.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Hospice
Family Care Inc., 100 E. Sheldon St., No. 100, Prescott,
AZ 86301; or Hospice of the Palouse, 700 S. Main,
Moscow, ID 83843.
Ralph Smith
79, retired teacher
Ralph E. Smith 79, of Oak Harbor died Dec. 14.
He was born Aug. 5, 1924, in Tacoma, Wash., to
Merritt Othello Smith and Susanna Louise Lindgren. Ralph
graduated from Olympia High School, received a B.A. in
music from Central Washington University, and did
postgraduate work at Washington State University. He
served in the Navy working on submarines during World
War II.
He was a music teacher in eastern Washington for 27
years, ending with retirement from Pullman High School
in 1979. In recent years, he enjoyed volunteering his
time playing the piano before performances at Whidbey
Playhouse.
He was preceded in death by his wife Georgina
Morris-Smith and brother William Smith of Federal Way.
He is survived by eight children, Rodney, Mike
(Gloria), Greg, Kyle (Marva) Smith, Roger Clark,
Elizabeth (Steven) Lee, Christine (Mike) Perkins, and
Laurel (Steve) Chentow; 21 grandchildren, and 11
great-grandchildren.
His family and Whidbey Playhouse are hosting a
memorial service on Jan. 11, between the hours of 2 and
4 p.m. at the Whidbey Playhouse in Oak Harbor, Wash.
Remembrances can be made to the Whidbey Playhouse, P.O.
Box 571 Oak Harbor, WA 98277.
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