Ronald Dodge, 74, Orofino

    Ronald W. Dodge, 74, of Orofino, died Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010, at the Life Care Center of Lewiston. Arrangements are pending at Mountain View Funeral Home of Lewiston.

Evertt I. Spencer, 80, Orofino

   Evertt I. Spencer, 80, of Orofino, died Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston.

    He was born July 12, 1930 in Orofino to William J. and Louella Taylor Spencer.

    He attended the Banner School. His childhood memories included many antics, including climbing the big railroad trestle by the school, teasing his siblings, finding lost watermelons, and many more almost-daring acts with his lifelong friends, the Lyda brothers, Clarence (Red) Philpot and others.

   He served in a military police unit in the U.S Army during the Korean War. One of his duty stations was the nuclear testing sites in Nevada, where he personally witnessed the devastating effects of the atomic bomb. He returned to his beloved Idaho following his military discharge.

   He and Helen House were married Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1951, in Orofino. They settled in Clearwater County in the communities of O’Mill and Grangemont. The couple had two daughters, Holly and Nora. Helen passed away in 1997.

   Evertt made a career of being a dozer operator in the logging industry in Clearwater County until his retirement in 1992. He began his work life at the age of 12 to assist his family. He worked for several employers, including White Pine Lumber Company, Louis Porter Logging, Wm. Deyo Logging and Ken Miller Logging. He made many friends along the way.

   He loved the outdoors, which included hunting and fishing. He was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, and an avid believer in the Constitutional right to bear arms. Evertt built his muzzleloader and spent many happy times in the Clearwater back country, hunting with his brother Chet and brothers-in-law Myron Buchert and Irwin Rush.

   Evertt enjoyed history and reading, especially the Lewis and Clark journals, America’s development, advances and trials, and North Idaho history. He was active in the Grangemont community and was a member of the Grangemont Fire District.

   Evertt was a talented musician who played many instruments, including lead guitar, banjo, accordion and mandolin. He was happy when he played with his brothers and friends. One of his special moments was assisting other people in developing their music abilities. He was especially proud of his role in helping his nephew Ian Graham advance his musical talents.

   Surviving Evertt are his daughters, Holly Spencer of Olympia, WA and Nora and John Trammell of Craigmont; his sister, Rose Buchert of Orofino; sisters-in-law, Darlene Rush of Lewiston, Sharron Marcell of Orofino, Bonnie Spencer of Orofino and Bertie Spencer of Spokane, WA; and many nieces and nephews.

   Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Chet, Louis, John and Henry; and brothers-in-law Myron Buchert and Irwin Rush.

   A graveside service was held Aug. 7 at Weseman Cemetery in Orofino, with Floyd Enyeart officiating.  Mountain View Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Janet Baker Hancock, 78, Montana

   Janet Patricia Baker Hancock passed peacefully to her rest after a courageous battle with cancer on Friday morning, Aug. 6, 2010. She was 78.

   She was born on March 20, 1932 in Miles City, MT, the youngest of three children born to Alfred and Catherine Baker.

   She gave her life to the Lord as a young girl. She became a registered nurse and married Deryl Leggitt. Two daughters were born to them, and they went to Paraguay, South America as missionaries. While working there, Deryl became sick with leukemia, and they returned to the U.S., where he died six months later. 

   She later met and married Robert Hancock, a young pastor. They served together in various churches. Another daughter and a son were born to them. With her husband, Bob, she spent 11 years in Indonesia as a missionary nurse. She obtained her master's degree in public health from Loma Linda University. With a grant from the U.S. government, she developed a maternal-child health program for malnourished babies in the villages of West Java, Indonesia.

   Bob and Jan purchased acreage on Crow Bench Rd in 1994, to which they moved upon retirement in 2004. Prior to moving to Orofino, she worked as a nurse for the county health department in Nevada.

   She is survived by her husband, Robert; children, Patricia Cheryl Anholm, Lorene Wright, Denise Benner, and Robert Hancock, Jr.; brother, Dr. Bruce Baker; and eight grandchildren.

   A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14 at 4 p.m. at the Orofino Seventh-day Adventist Church, 3414 Hwy. 12. Interment will be on the Hancock-Wright family ranch at 9 am on Sunday morning, Aug. 15.

Arthur H. Sutton, 79, Orofino

   Arthur Henry Sutton died Monday, Aug. 9, 2010 at Clearwater Health and Rehabilitation in Orofino. He was 79.

   Art was born March 20, 1031 in Roberts. He was the second of three Sutton boys to Eugene Henry Sutton and Winifred Gladys Munden-Manning Sutton.

   The family moved many times during the 1930’s and settled in Ahsahka in 1944. Art attended Ahsahka Elementary School during his eighth grade year under the tutelage of Miss Edith Crowley. He attended Orofino High School, where he excelled in boxing and football.

   Art was a member of both the 1949 and 1950 undefeated Maniac football teams. Upon graduation from high school, Art married Betty Louise Clayton on Aug. 19, 1951 at the Orofino Methodist Church.

   He worked for Finke Logging and Norris Hengen until being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952. He served in the U.S. Army until 1954. During this time, Art was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA, Camp Roberts, CA and Dugway Proving Grounds, UT.

   Upon returning home to Idaho from the Army, Art went to work at the Ahsahka Planer. He worked there until 1963 when he formed a partnership with John Stephenson. They worked a rock drilling and blasting company until 1968. At that time, their company, “Gem State Enterprises,” purchased and operated an excavation business in Orofino. Art worked until well after he retired in 1997.

   Art enjoyed working, operating his backhoe, hunting, steelhead fishing, gardening, his family and generally staying busy.

   Art is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betty; three children, Dan and Janice Sutton, Lori Sutton, and Traci and Brent Telecky all of Orofino; seven grandchildren, Ron Sutton, Rick Sutton, Stacey Ellis, Cassie Madsen, Lucas McIntosh, Jessica Telecky and Sonny Telecky; 11 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Melvin Sutton of Kelso, WA.

   Art was preceded in death by his parents; brother, William (Sonny) Sutton; half-brothers Wesley, Alonzo, Robert, Edward and John D. Manning; half-sisters Marjorie O’Farrell and Dorothy Dreyer, and an infant daughter, Mary Jane.

   Services will be held Friday, Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. at Pine Hills Funeral Chapel. A fellowship meal will follow the service at 1051 Michigan Ave. (Avista Auditorium).

   Pine Hills Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in care of arrangements.

Donald E. Palin, 81, Weippe

   Donald E. Palin died at his home in Weippe on Sunday, July 25, 2010. He was 81.

   He was born to Elmer and Ethel Mason Palin Aug. 14, 1928 in Sutherland, NV. He was the youngest of seven siblings. He came to Montana as a young boy in 1935 and later on to Idaho when he was 18.

   He married Shirley Anderson. They had a son, Russ, and later divorced. Don married Lucille Chapman Willis, and she had two daughters, LaDonna and Martha. Together he and Lucille had a daughter, Marlene. They built a house together and raised their children in the town of Weippe.

   Lucille passed away Feb. 28, 2007, they were married 54 years.

   Don worked in the logging industry for many years, starting out at logging camps outside of Headquarters. He worked on the log drive from the upper Northfork of the Clearwater River to Ahsahka and from there onto Lewiston, before the Dworshak Dam was built. He ended up in the log yard of Jaype in Pierce and Headquarters as a shovel operator. He retired from Potlatch in 1997.

   Most of all Don enjoyed fishing trips, picnics, hunting, huckleberry picking and driving around the mountains in the Weippe area with his family and friends. His last few years were inspired by playing pinochle, pool, and having an ice cold beer at the Elk Horn Bar where he made new friends.

   He is survived by his children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

   He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lucille; brothers, Elmer, George, Walter, and Lindy; half-brother, Wilber; and sisters, Mary and Elizabeth.

   There will be a celebration of Don and Lucille’s life at a later date.

   Pine Hills Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in care of arrangements.

Mildred Casey Beghtol, 81, Texas

   Mildred Irene Casey Beghtol died Friday, Aug. 6, 2010 of metastatic breast cancer in Houston, TX. She was 81.

   Mildred, Mic, or Casey as she was known to her family and friends, as born July 6, 1929, in the home of her parents, Violet Parrish Casey and Claude H. Casey, near Lomax, NB.

   She grew up on a farm in Nebraska and attended a one room country school through the eight grade and high school in Oconto, NB.

   Mildred took a one year rural teaching course at Kearney State Teachers College, which qualified her to teach for four years. She taught for three years in one room country schools and one year in the Overton, NB, grade school.

   She returned to college in Kearney and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in art and minor in business and French. She was president of her senior class and a member of Kappa Pi, honorary art fraternity.

   On June 22, 1954, Mildred married Carter V. Beghtol in the Church of Wayfarer in Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA. He was in the U.S. Air Force stationed at the Army Language School in Monterey, CA.

   He was transferred to San Antonio, TX and Mrs. Beghtol worked as the secretary to the Vice President of Ingram Iron Works until their first son, Karl Casey Beghtol, was born in a military hospital, a one story wooden structure without any frills.

   After her husband was discharged from the service they lived in Omaha, NB, where their second son, Eric Vance Beghtol, was born in a nice civilian hospital the day before his dad started to medical school.

   After Dr. Beghtol graduated from medical school and finished his internship, the family moved to Orofino, where Dr. Beghtol established a family practice.

   Mrs. Beghtol was very active in politics; a precinct committee woman, secretary-treasurer of the Clearwater County Central Committee, Republican state committee woman, appointed by the governor to the twenty member Commission of Arts and Humanities, first woman ever elected to the Orofino City Council.

   She was vice president of Clearwater County for the American National Red Cross and also on the Board of Directors of the Lewis-Clark chapter of the American National Red Cross, chairman of the Orofino Library Board, President of the Clearwater Art Association, and Director of the Te-Wap-Poo Art Gallery.

   Mrs. Beghtol was initiated into the P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapter AW in 1966; she was also a member of the American Association of University Women, Clearwater County Hospital Auxiliary and the North Idaho Medical Association Auxiliary, parents swim team organization, P.T.A. and was a Cub Scout Den Mother.

   After the family moved to Houston, TX, she worked for a market research company, then learned to be a medical secretary and worked full time in her husband’s medical office typing medical charts and generally overseeing his business office for a few days.

   Mrs. Beghtol transferred her membership in P.E.O. from Chapter AW, Orofino to Chapter EP of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Houston, TX.

   While in Idaho she expressed her creativity in oil painting, mostly of landscapes and still life. In Texas she took many classes and worked with fiber in weaving off-loom, macramé, and stitchery.

   She was an avid letter writer with a great sense of humor, loved reading, cats, crafts, and was always curious about the world around her. She wanted to know about the birds she saw, to identify the flowers she had not seen before as well as anything else that crossed her path.

   She was a collector and collected everything from cat cards and other cat related things, quotes and baskets to family history.

   Mrs. Beghtol is survived by her husband, Dr. Carter V. Beghtol; sons Karl and Eric; and grandson Spencer James Beghtol.

   Her family appreciates Houston Hospice and the Neptune Society with deep appreciation for their help and care.

Thelma Nylund memorial service

   A memorial service for Thelma "Term" Nylund will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at the Weippe Cemetery, with a gathering to follow at the Wesleyan Church in Weippe.

   Term died in Vancouver, WA on July 17, 2010.