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.