Obituary - Elmer M. Roise

Heart Attacks Claim Life of Elmer Roise

Elmer M. Roise, 59, a longtime county official, civic leader and service club official, died at 8:40 last night at St. Joseph's Hospital after suffering a second heart attack in two days. He had been in apparent good health before suffering the first attack.

Mrs. Roise said her husband became ill about 2:30 Wednesday morning and was taken to the hospital immediately, where a heart attack was diagnosed. He did not survive a second attack last evening.

He was born Sept. 2, 1905, at Moscow, a son of the late John and Dorothea Roise. He was graduated from the University of Idaho in 1929 with a bachelor's degree in education.

Roise worked for Swift & Co. at Los Angeles for 10 years after getting out of college, then returned to Lewiston and began work with Nez Perce County in 1941 as a probate court clerk and part-time juvenile officer, returning as assistant probate judge in 1945 after World War II service in the Army Air Corps.

18 years as Judge

A Democrat, he was appointed probate judge in October 1946, when the late Judge John L. Phillips became ill, and served 18 years continuously in the post. At the time of his death he was a deputy assessor.

During the nine terms as probate judge Roise was virtually never reversed by higher courts on his decisions concerning estate cases. Also, during his term of office a new concept in juvenile litigation was instituted, and he was the first judge in the county to handle juvenile cases under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.

He lost to Mrs. Marion Swartz in his bid for re-election in 1962 and was not a candidate in last year's election. He had been a deputy assessor in the office of County Assessor R. G. Curtis since 1963.

Headed Idaho Judges

Among honors and offices he held included the past presidencies of the Idaho Probate Judges Ass'n, the Lewis-Clark Opportunity School and the Lewiston Lions Club. He was one of the founders of the Opportunity School. He was a member of Lewiston Elks Lodge, Lewis-Clark American Legion post and was a communicant of the Trinity Lutheran Church.

His wartime service included three years, two in New Guinea and the Phillipine Islands.

He married Dec. 24, 1939 to Leola M. Stephenson at Lewiston, and she survives him at the home, 113 16th Ave. Also surviving are a daughter, Lucinda, at home; two brothers, Joseph Roise, Spokane, and Col. Harold Roise, Alexandria, Va.; a sister, Lillian Grindstaff, Coeur d'Alene. Another brother, Delbert Roise, Spokane, died last year.

Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Trinity Lutheran Church, the Rev. A. K. Bethman officiating. Burial will be at Normal Hill Cemetery.

The body will be at Vassar-Rawls Funeral home until 2 p.m. Saturday.

Lewiston Morning Tribune, Friday, July 16, 1965, p. 16, col. 1
Transcribed by Kerry Kasza