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Obituaries
4/28/2014 12:02:40 PM

Carl Hollingsworth
Chief Master Sergeant Carlos "Carl" Hollingsworth, beloved husband, dad, grandpa, uncle and friend, went to his permanent change of station, heaven, on March 11, 2014, in Sun Lakes, Ariz. He was born in Lillybrook, W.Va., on Feb. 25, 1931, to Everett and Florence Hollingsworth. He graduated from Beckley High School in 1948 and then entered the Army Air Force. His first overseas assignment was in Germany during the Berlin Airlift. He met his wife, Betty, while he was stationed at Larson AFB, Wash. They were married in 1958 and shared 55 wonderful years together. He was stationed all over the world including Korea and Vietnam. He retired from the Air Force after serving 27 years and moved to Liberty Lake. He was employed by Jaremko Nissan for over 15 years. 

In 1955 Carl became an amateur radio operator while stationed in Japan. His last call sign was W7KYJ. He loved playing softball, basketball and bowling on the Air Base teams. As a pitcher, he was known for his knuckleball. He learned to fish on the New River in West Virginia as a child and spent many hours fishing at Liberty Lake when he retired and later in Arizona with his grandson, Chase.

Carl volunteered many years for the Post Falls School District repairing AV equipment, especially at Ponderosa Elementary School. He was the PFEA Patron of the Year twice. He loved to repair things for other people. He attended the Liberty Lake Community Church, Spokane Valley Nazarene Church and Cornerstone Church in Chandler, Ariz.

As a snowbird in Arizona, Carl enjoyed watching his grandson Chase and his friends, who all called him Grandpa Carl, play baseball. He also loved to play bingo and attend Mariners and Dodgers spring training games.

Carl is survived by his wife, Betty Hollingsworth; his children, Debbie and Jules Edwards and their son, Chase (Chandler, Ariz.) and Gregg and Sandy Hollingsworth (Tempe, Ariz.); brother-in-law Ward and Maxine Clemmo (Puyallup, Wash.); cousin Dee Dee and Michael Ray (Chesapeake, Ohio); sisters-in-law Irene Grames (Kissimmee, Fla.) and Sharon Clemmo (Moses Lake); plus many nieces and nephews. 

We love him and miss him. Until we meet again, we will celebrate his life and await the day we are all reunited. A military celebration of life service will be held 2 p.m. June 7 at the Spokane valley Nazarene Church with a meal following afterwards in the church gym/ROC. 
 

Margaret Rasmussen
Margaret Sheard Blackwood Rasmussen was born in Bracken, Saskatchewan (Canada) on July 30, 1930, during the great depression. The Lord called her home on April 11, 2014 in Spokane, Wash. Margaret's parents, William John Sheard and Emily Margaret Buie Sheard, homesteaded in Canada and Montana. They were both Canadian immigrants. She was the seventh of 11 children.

The family moved to St. Ignatius, Mont., when Margaret was three. She attended school in St. Ignatius and Hamilton, Mont. In 1945, during her sophomore year, the family moved to Chewelah, Wash., where she graduated from high school. In 1949 her parents moved to Mica, Wash. 

Margaret worked for Pacific Telephone until she met and married Mitch Blackwood in 1952. Mitch was in the Air Force and for 20 years they traveled the United States until he retired in Spokane in 1971. Together they had five daughters and Margaret was a full time mom, a job she took seriously. Margaret and Mitch were married 34 years when Mitch passed away from cancer. 

In 1988, Margaret went to work as a secretary for the Liberty Lake Community Church. There she met Anton (Ras) Rasmussen, an elder in the church. They had a lot in common. Ras was also from Montana and he had taught and coached football in Chewelah. He was a retired vice principal of Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley. They married in 1991. They loved vacationing in Hawaii and went every other year until health issues prevented them from traveling.

Margaret was a devoted Christian and was active in the Liberty Lake Community Church. She was also very active in the Liberty Lake Garden Club. She loved gardening, cake decorating, traveling, helping those in need and doting on her grandchildren. Her faith in God and her great sense of humor gave her the strength to face any adversity she had to endure in her life. She always said she was blessed to have had two great marriages and the love of two very good men.

Margaret is survived by her husband, Anton Rasmussen; her five daughters, Kathy Clayton (Mel), Pat Wagner (Stuart), Tina Rupp, Joni Chambers (Dave) and Joyce Bodie (Dave); four stepchildren, Lynn Vincent (Tom), Steve Rasmussen (Nancy), Gary Rasmussen (Judy) and Ann Gotfredson (Bill).  She is also survived by three brothers, Norman Sheard, Donald Sheard and Walt Sheard, as well as one sister, Eleanor Holmes. Together, Ras and Margaret have 23 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Emily Buie Sheard; two brothers, John Sheard and Allan Sheard; and four sisters, Olive Bryson, Anne Page, Verna Carr and Florence Newell. 

A Celebration of Life Ceremony was held at April 18, 2014, at Liberty Lake Community Church. Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of Spokane.
 

Janet Lee (Martinson) Wesche
May 13, 1938 – March 31, 2014

Our beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt and grandma "Jan" Wesche passed away at the age of 75 on March 31, 2014, at her home in Liberty Lake, surrounded by her family.

Jan was known for her fun-loving spirit, encouragement to others, her hospitality and her very positive attitude. She lived every day with a zest for life that was rare and believed that strangers were only friends she hadn't met yet. Jan's motto was, "Why not?"

Jan was the second in a family of four girls raised in Bellingham, Wash. She loved to sing as they walked to the Baptist church on Sunday and rode bikes with her sisters in the summer the 6 miles to Lake Whatcom. Jan graduated from Bellingham High School, attended Western Washington College one year and then graduated from Seattle Pacific College in 1959. She met her husband, David, at SPC, and they married only two weeks after her graduation. Jan supported her family by teaching elementary school while Dave was a medical student. She had two children before her husband joined the U.S. Air Force and one son during the military years. She also did some substitute teaching when the family moved, and they lived in Texas, California, and Alaska during that time. Jan moved the family to Lynnwood, Wash., a block away from her sister, during the year Dave was stationed in Vietnam. While in Alaska, Jan was a troop leader for her daughter's Junior Girl Scout troop for two years. 

After the military, the family lived in Portland, Ore., and while there, Jan taught reading to students with dyslexia. She was also a museum docent at the Oregon History Museum and gave downtown tours of the city. After Dave's residency in Oregon, the family moved to Liberty Lake and Dave began his practice in the Spokane valley. Jan made friends quickly and made Liberty Lake her home.

Jan soon learned to waterski, and over the years she participated in other water activities: kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing. Jan participated in a kayak excursion in Canada with a group of women she met for the first time on this trip, and they became lasting friends. 

While living at Liberty Lake, Jan participated in many activities with her friends: a bridge group, a book club, a biking group and a member of the "B" team (the "Best" Team) water ski group. The "B" team was a group of friends who waterskied every morning during the summer, and she did this until the age of 71. 

Jan was an annual participant in Spokane's Bloomsday run from 1978 until 1998, only stopping at the age of 60 when an ankle she'd broken years before became too painful. At that point, she became an avid biker. She was also an enthusiastic snow skier and a member of the Schweitzer Mountain Chapel committee.

Jan was a Realtor for a few years in the Spokane Valley area. She was part-owner of Brighton Court, an assisted living facility in the Valley where her mother was able to reside for eight years, and Jan loved being able to visit her mom on an almost daily basis. She was a member and officer of PEO Chapter IT and recently became a member of the Daughters of Norway. She served as president and board member of the Alpine Shores neighborhood association and served as Director of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

Jan loved to travel and visited many families overseas. These were the families of exchange students she and Dave had hosted over the years, and also families she met through her daughter's year as an exchange student. This included trips to Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Italy, Holland, Austria, and even a side trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. After Dave retired, he was able to accompany Jan on many of her adventures: swimming with the dolphins in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; an African safari in Kenya; and a trip to China to visit Dave's birthplace, where he was born to missionary minister parents.

Jan was a community volunteer of the American Cancer Society, visiting and encouraging women through Reach to Recovery. She served as a school board member with two terms as president of the Central Valley School District from 1983-1991. Jan was also a member of the Washington State Medical Association Auxiliary from 1983-1994 and served as a Spokane County president and Washington State president during those years.

Jan lived her Christian faith and was a wonderful example of Christ's love. Her favorite verse was Joshua 1:9, which says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Jan's presence will be missed by those who knew and loved her. She was a "force of life," a generous spirit and a friend to all. 

Jan is survived by her husband of 55 years, Dr. David H. Wesche of Liberty Lake; daughter, Dr. Shannon L. Wesche of Tucson, Ariz.; son, Dr. Daniel E. Wesche (Maureen) of Flagstaff, Ariz.; and son, Marcus A. Wesche (Shea Wills) of Liberty Lake. Jan leaves a legacy of 12 grandchildren: Samantha, Anna Marie, Bailey, Nicholas, Thomas, Maggie, Grace, Jaelyn, Nora, Kate, Olivia and Charlie.

Jan is also survived by her three sisters, Charlotte Gay (Merlin) of Everett, Wash., Lloydine Nordtvedt (Thomas) of Ketchikan, Alaska; and Carolyn Bren (Mike) of Grandview, Wash.  She is also survived by her dear sister-in-law, Colleen Wesche Lewis, of Portland, Ore., brothers-in-law, Paul Wesche (Berniece) of Albany, Ore., Lilburn Wesche (Esther) of Boise, Idaho; Robert Wesche (Dora) of Youngtown, Ariz., and numerous nieces and nephews.

At Jan's request, there will not be a service at this time. At the family's request, donations can be made in Jan's name to Hospice of Spokane or Cancer Care Northwest Foundation.

A guest book can be signed at www.dignitymemorial.com.

Editor's note: One other noteworthy passing can be found in this month's Splash. Read story on Bernard Daines. 

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