Bonners Ferry Herald, Thursday, March 27, 2003
Leonard Edward Youngwirth, 85, passed away March 22, 2003 at Kootenai Memorial
Hospital in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho after a brief illness. A vigil Service was
held on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at 7 p.m. in the Bonners Ferry funeral Home,
Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Thursday, March
27, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. in the St. Ann’s Catholic Church with internment
following in the Grandview Cemetery.
Leonard was born in LuVerne, Iowa on Aug 7, 1917 to Edward and Margaret
Youngwirth and was the oldest of seven children. He was raised and attended
schools ion Whittemore, Iowa.
Leonard married Geraldine Henely Oct. 14, 1941 in Aryshire, Iowa. He served
as a medic in World War II. Following the war, Leonard and Geraldine lived in
Whittemore where Leonard began a 40-year career as a salesman.
He spent the first 30 years being a Fuller Brush salesman and the last 10
years before retirement as a real estate agent. Whittemore is where they began
raising their family. In 1953 they built their home in Emmetsburg, Iowa. In
1963 they moved their family to Wheatridge, Col. where they lived until retiring
in 1984.
Once retired they moved to Bonners Ferry to be near family and enjoy the
beautiful outdoors. Geraldine passed away in March of 1987.
Leonard’s hobbies included woodworking, cooking, gardening, traveling to
visit his family, and fishing. His greatest love was helping out at St. Anne’s
Catholic Church. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the American
Legion.
He is survived by his seven children; Mike and wife Patsy of Post Falls,
Idaho; Pam and husband Jim m Fulcher of Denver, Col.; Kathy and husband Charles
Thomason of Meraux, La.; pat and wife Terri of Benson, Ariz.; Mark and wife
Barbara of Colorado springs, Col.; Tim and wife blanche of Bonners Ferry, Idaho;
and Mary and husband Tom of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; also 22 grandchildren, Denise
Wilney, Michelle Gross, John Youngwirth, Linda Jouppe, Deborah Garcia, Steven
Youngwirth, Priscilla DeCianne, Joy Romero, Scott Fulcher, Renee Gutierrez,
Charlie Thomason, Brian Youngwirth, Brad Youngwirth, Jamie Youngwirth, Sara
Youngwirth, Amanda Hupka, Jesse Youngwirth, Kira Youngwirth, Jennifer
Youngwirth, Timothy Youngwirth, Thomas Mackey and Lisa Mackey; 20
great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; longtime friend Shirley
Linnemeyer, brother Vic Youngwirth and wife Marion of Sherburn, Minnesota;
sister Dolores Kramer of Algona, Iowa; brother-in-laws Bill McGuire of West
Bend, Iowa and Art Plathe of Algona, Iowa, and Rich Kohlhass; numerous nieces
and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Geraldine; parents Edward
and Margaret Youngwirth; sisters, Ruth McGuire, Helen Plathe, Irene Kohlhass,
and Edna Reding; and brother-in-laws Marvin Reding and Albert Kramer.