Gertrude F. Link, 79

Gertrude F. Link, 79, of Grangeville, formerly of Fallon, Nevada and Lewiston, passed away Thursday, April 26, 2007 at Grangeville Health and Rehab. Center.

She was born February 12, 1928 at Silberbach, Germany, a daughter of Jakob and Maria Hartl. She attended school in Germany. She married Jesse E. Link in 1954 and in 1958 came to America and became an American citizen. Gertie and Jesse retired in Fallon, Nevada in 1973. Jesse passed away in 1981.

Gertie moved to Idaho in 2005 and struggled with dementia for two years before passing away.

She enjoyed sewing, painting, gardening and going to garage sales.

She is survived by her daughter and son in law, Liz and Joe Scarano and her grandson, Alex Flatt of Cottonwood, ID and her granddaughter Amanda Flatt of Tokyo, Japan. In addition to her beloved husband, her parents and a brother Rudy died earlier.

Memorial services will be held at a later date in Fallon, Nevada. Arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville. Send condolences to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.

James F. Reilly, 83

GRANGEVILLE: James Folger Reilly, 83, of Grangeville, died Tuesday, April 24, 2007 of causes relating to age at Syringa General Hospital in Grangeville.

He was born June 11, 1923 in Marshalltown, Iowa to James W. and Rosabel Folger Reilly. The family later moved to Davenport, Iowa where he graduated from St. Ambrose High School in June 1941.

Jim enlisted in the Army Air Corps in November of 1942. He was stationed in Big Spring, Texas, where he was a flight instructor. After the war, he remained in the Air Force Reserve until 1959, attaining the rank of Captain. He always said that he wished he had stayed in the military because he so loved flying.

In 1945 he returned to LeClair, Iowa where he, his brother Tom Tilton, and his mother Rose ran a small farm. He also studied Architecture at Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa.

He married Alyce Wales on October 17, 1953. With her daughters Karen and Alyce Mary from a previous marriage, and a son, David born a year later, they continued farming until moving back to Davenport in 1956.

He started working at the new Alco Aluminum Plant built in Bettendorf, Iowa and worked there almost 30 years until his retirement.

In 1967 they brought property in the mountains above Ft. Collins, Colorado, where he started building a house in 1974. After he and Alyce separated, he moved there in 1982 and lived in the house he built until moving to Grangeville in 1995. During that period he also spent time in Bozeman, Montana, helping Alyce Mary and her husband Kim Hager build a log house. He loved woodworking and had a well-equipped shop where he spent many happy hours.

He is survived by his wife Alyce; step-daughter Karen Krabbenhoft; brother To Tilton and wife Judy of Davenport, Iowa; step-daughter Alyce Mary and husband Kim Hager of Billings, Montana, and son David of Grangeville; five grandchildren, who he dearly loved, and three great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville. Friends may call Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Send condolences to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Virginia M. Holmes, 91

Virginia “Ginger” Holmes, 91, died Tuesday, April 24, 2007 in Grangeville of natural causes.

She was born September 19, 1915 at Monture, Idaho. She graduated from high school at Cascade. She then moved to Nampa where she met and married Charles B. Holmes, Sr. in 1934. In 1936 a son, Charles B. Holmes, Jr. was born. In 1942 they moved to Portland, Oregon.

Ginger was employed for many years as a book keeper. She was also active in Eastern Star and became the Grand Matron of her lodge.

She is survived by her only child, Charles “Bud” Holmes and wife Karen of Pollock, Idaho; a step-daughter, Dorothy Mark of Vancouver, Washington; three grandchildren, Charles III, Victoria and Larry, all of the Portland area; 10 great grandchildren; a niece, Betty Turley of LaGrande, Oregon and nephew Dick Raff of Washington.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her sister, Mary Raff and nephew, Gary Raff.

Services of a life celebration will be held at Pleasant View Baptist Church in White Bird, Idaho on Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.

Arrangements are under the direction of Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville.

Send condolences to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Leon Jeffery, 74

Leon Jeffery was born on January 14, 1933 at North Branch, Jewell County, Kansas, the oldest of six children of Delmar and Mary Knight Jeffery. He departed this life on April 20, 2007 in Grangeville, Idaho of natural causes.

Leon graduated from Greenleaf Academy and attended George Fox College and Seattle Pacific College from which he took BS and MA degrees. Army experience from 1953-1955 took him to Korea.

Leon taught for 30 years in the public schools in Kent, Washington. He loved to work with wood, using his backhoe, golfing and fishing. He was an elder and taught Sunday school at Salmon River Community Church in Riggins. He delighted in doing construction on five short-term mission trips to Latin America.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at the Salmon River Community Church in Riggins. Arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville.

Memorials may be made to the property addition at Salmon River Community Church, or to the Riggins EMT and Ambulance fund.

Send condolences to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Ardis M. Howerton, 85

Ardis M. Howerton, 85, of White Bird, died Sunday, April 15, 2007 at the Grangeville Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Ardis was born April 28, 1921 at Ferndale, Washington to Viola and Walter Lee. She graduated from Winthrop High School in 1939. She married Lewis Bonwell at Chelan, Washington in 1940 and had one son and four daughters. Ardis and Lewis were later divorced. In 1954 she married Beryl Smith and moved to White Bird. They had a son in 1955. Beryl was killed in a logging accident in 1961. In 1965, she married William “Bill” Howerton and lived with him in White Bird until his death in 2003. She then lived with her daughter, Lydia, until 2006 when she moved to the Grangeville Health and Rehabilitation Center where she resided until her death.

She was a caring, giving member of the White Bird community for many years. She was a member of the local Rebekah Lodge and the White Bird Community Methodist Church for more than 50 years. She enjoyed her family, friends, gardening, cooking, canning, and the great outdoors.

She is survived by two brothers, George and Kathy Lee of Priest River, Idaho and Richard and Irene Lee of Old Town; one sister, Barbara Studer of Rupert, Idaho; six children, Richard and Peggy Bonwell on Fairbanks, Alaska, Lydia and Jim Chrane of White Bird, Roberta Hallquist of Edmonds, Washington, Carolynn Jones of White Bird, Laurie Bonwell of White Bird and Charles and Janice Smith of Hines, Oregon; 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Cecil, and her husbands, Beryl Smith and Bill Howerton.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, April 23, 2007 at the White Bird Community Methodist Church with Pastor Cindy Roberts officiating. A private inurnment in White Bird Cemetery followed the services.

Memorial donations may be made to the White Bird Community Methodist Church, Royal Gem Rebekah Lodge of White Bird, or to a charity of your choice.

Cremation arrangements were under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville.

Send condolences to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Lucinda M. Smith, 74

Cindy Smith, 74, of Grangeville, passed away on Saturday April 7, 2007 at Syringa General Hospital in Grangeville.

She was born Lucinda Marie Dillard on July 2, 1932 in Idaho County, Idaho.
Cindy grew up on Tahoe Ridge and went to Big Cedar School through the 5th grade when her family then moved to Portland, OR. While living in Portland she met and married Truman Smith in Vancouver, WA on July 9, 1949.
Cindy and Truman moved to Lewiston in 1953 where Truman started Smith’sDrywall. In 1964 they moved to Elk City where they built and operated theJunction Lodge for 22 years.
Cindy loved sewing, fishing, gardening and was a wonderful cook. Cindy was in theprocess of writing a book about her younger years growing up on Tahoe Ridge and herfamily is planning to have it edited and published.
Cindy is survived by three sons, Dan and wife Piney of Elk City; Randy and wife Marthaand Mark and wife Kay of Grangeville; daughter Lori and Husband Jerry Sr. of WestLinn, OR.; brother John Dillard of Lewiston and sister Martha Dillard of Clarkston, WA.; 8 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, Truman; a sister Olive; granddaughter Susan and grandson Jerry Jr.
At her request, no public service will be held. Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville isin charge of cremation and a private family memorial will be held at a later date.

Send condolences to the family at Blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Caroline I. Frei, 92

Caroline Ida Frei, 92, of Grangeville, died Friday, April 6, 2007 at the Grangeville Health and Rehabilitation Center.

She was born May 26, 1914 in Cottonwood, Idaho, the 5th of 11 children born to John and Mary (Brockhaus) Wemhoff. The family lived on a farm two miles north of Cottonwood where she attended grade school and graduated from St. Gertrude’s Academy. Following high school she worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lewiston until her marriage to Alphons Frei on January 29, 1935. They lived in Craigmont for one year and Greencreek for six years before settling on a farm in Grangeville.

Caroline had a deep faith and was a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and an active member in the Alter Society for many years. She enjoyed playing cards, her sewing group and traveling, which included trips to Europe, Hawaii, and may parts of the United States. She was a loving mother to her nine children and a devoted wife to Al. Her example of faith and love are an inspiration to the entire family. She was a wonderful cook with a cookie jar that was always full, a good listener, and always ready to offer support. We will miss her.

Caroline is survived by her sons, Ron and Glenda Frei, Gerald and Jan Frei, Mike and Jana Frei, Rick and Debbie Frei, all of Grangeville, and son David and Ann Frei of Weiser, Idaho; daughters Kathy and Terry Lacey of Dublin, California, and Helen and John Scrivner of Spokane; daughters-in-law Barb (Jim) Frei of Grangeville, and Marilyn (Leroy) Frei of Spokane; 39 grandchildren, many great grandchildren, and three great- great grandchildren; sisters Dorothy Schmidt and Agnes Scharnhorst of Cottonwood and Helen Romain of Spokane.

She was preceded in death by her husband Al; sons Jim and Leroy; her parents; brothers Lawrence, Willy, August, Lee and Frank, and sisters, Margaret Arnzen and Gertrude Baune.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2007 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville. A vigil service will also be on Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Grangeville. The funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, April 13 at 11:00 a.m. at the church. Burial will follow at Prairie View Cemetery in Grangeville.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions may be made to Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church or Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Grangeville.
Condolences to the family may be sent to Blackmer Funeral Home, 305 N. Mill St., Grangeville, ID 83530 or blackmerfuneralhome.com.

Victor Wayne Townsend, 24

Victor Wayne Townsend, 24, of Grangeville, died April 2, 2007 at his home.

Victor was born on July 24. 1982 in Jackson, California and moved to Grangeville in July of 2004.

Victor was a devoted Christian and an avid fisherman. He loved life and had a heart of gold. He was always there to help whenever his family or friends needed help.

Victor is survived by his father and mother, Rick and Debbie Townsend,; brother and sister in law, Rickey and Emily Townsend and sister Lacey Townsend, all of Grangeville; grandparents, Colleen Townsend of Weiser, Tony and Gloria Townsend of Payette, and Ron and Alice Neeld of Jackson, California. Victor is also survived by numerous aunts and uncles and their families.

Victor was preceded in death by his grandmother, Diane Neeld and 2nd Cousin, Kevin Townsend.

A memorial was held on April 6, 2007 at Castle Creek on the South Fork Clearwater River where he loved to fish.

He will forever be in our thoughts and prayers. Our love for him will never die and he will never be forgotten.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home in Grangeville.