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William 'Bill' Earl Kahn
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April 6, 1939 ~ January 27, 2014 |
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January 30, 2014 |
William Earl Kahn was born to Elmer and Lena
Smith Kahn on April 6, 1939, in Fairview,
Oklahoma. He left us unexpectedly on January 27,
2014.
Little is known about his childhood. When he was
four and a half years old his mother passed away
on Thanksgiving Day. His school days were spent
in Fairview, and that is also where he gave his
heart to the Lord and then was baptized into the
Church of God In Christ, Mennonite, on March 19,
1950, by Minister George Nichols.
Sometimes he worked in the woods with his dad.
When he was about twelve years old, he and his
sister, Iris, enjoyed building a little cabin in
the canyon across the road from their house. His
family moved to DeRidder, Louisiana, sometime
during 1957. Bill found this state much too hot
and muggy for his liking.
In 1961, Bill came to Idaho with his friend Aldo
Classen. Aldo's Dad had called ahead to Walter
Amoth's and this became their first place to
board. That first summer here the Kootenai River
was flooding and they spent three weeks working
on the dikes.
Bonding quickly with North Idaho and its clear
air made spicy with the scent of pines, Bill
made it his permanent residence. Here he bonded
with the people also. Through the years several
families had the privilege of having him board
in their homes; Walter and Susie Amoth, Lawrence
and Rachel Unruh, Chet and Nettie Mae Unruh,
Frank and Lovina Buerge, and David and Fern
Dirks.
Shy and handsome, they enjoyed his songs and
poems, his easy humor and shouts of laughter
even if the joke was on him sometimes. At
Christmas time he was generous with special
gifts for the children of the household, making
lasting impressions with special memories. He
loved little children and usually found one to
hold after church or at other gatherings. During
his last days, Jared and Carrie's children were
there to give him hugs, making his day.
When he settled into the work force, one of his
first jobs was with General Feed and Grain in
Bonners Ferry. His first trucking job was
hauling pipe for Don Amoth. In 1967 Bill, bought
his first truck, an International. Later he
would own a Kenworth and then a Freightliner.
These were log trucks, pressed into service for
Ray Everhart, Bruce Leighty, and then Tom Foust
with Bill at the wheel.
Logging was at its height in the North Idaho
Panhandle in those years. It was hard work but
satisfying, getting up long before dawn. When
fire danger was high in summertime, it meant
running the hoot owl shift, leaving for work in
the wee hours of the morning to get his load
while the dew was still on and the temperatures
were cooler. It was early, but the pristine
beauty of an Idaho dawn surely made up for some
of it. And oh, what a view from the mountains!
"I Sing the mighty power of God who made the
mountains toll…”
Winter driving on slick mountain trails was an
entirely different story, but he was spared any
serious accidents.
During those years, the cook, Aunt Rachel, says
she'd be up at 2:30 to turn the lights on, fix
breakfast, and get the lunch out the door with
the first log truck driver in residence. The
rooster would crow. She’d turn off the light and
return to bed. For driver number two, it was the
same routine a bit later. The lights would go
on, breakfast served, lunch pail out the door
with driver, the rooster would crow again,
thinking this logger would make the sun rise. No
such luck. The kitchen lights went out again.
Still dark.
On Saturdays there was usually plenty of truck
work to do in the shop. Bill was a good mechanic
and did most of his own work. Sometimes he said
that his truck talked to him. He'd ask her a
question and the engine would groan out, "Noooo!''
Smaller engines than trucks occasionally
appeared in his shop. For example, during the
beginning years of Mountain View Christian
School in Bonners Ferry, Bill unselfishly
serviced at least one of the teacher's cars
quarterly, picking it up and delivering it back.
No labor charged.
Done with boarding, in 1980 he had the Seaman
Brothers build him a house up on Baldy Road at
the base of Baldy Mountain in a little clearing
among tall evergreens.
He loved the spot.
Here he came to relax. He read a lot, especially
studying the church writings.
Through all his years he stood firm on the
beliefs of the Church that he claimed in his own
youth. In mid-life he developed a hobby of
searching out antique Bibles and adding special
copies to his collection. But more than that, he
read and studied the Word. He enjoyed singing
and had a large collection of songbooks. Time
was spent studying the music and getting groups
together to sing before church Sunday evenings.
Some of the songs that were his favorites
because of the inspiration in the words and in
the music were "Oh, Could I Speak the Matchless
Worth,” “Bringing Home Our Sheaves” and “I Sing
the Mighty Power of God.” A favorite quartet
song was "O My Redeemer.” Song leader was his
title at the Mountain View Congregation in
Bonners Ferry and more than once and he also
served as custodian at the church.
Travel wasn't ever his main agenda. His family
in the south wished he would come to visit more
often. He spoke fondly of them and when they
came to visit here, it was easy to tell he
thought the world of them.
He was well known in several restaurants around
town where he usually took his meals. He made
friends there through the years whom he loved
and related to as family. Others of his church
family took him in also. John and Elizabeth
Holdeman had him over every Saturday night for
supper when their children were small. Willie
and Darlene Peachey invited him on Thursday
nights for suppers over these last years, and
Bill could have a say in the menu that night.
Thirty-five years passed before he retired from
logging in 2002. Poor health dogged him during
retirement and he had some rough times, for
often he was a very sick man.
His friends, Lyle Unruh and Willie Peachey,
looked in on him to assist him so he could stay
in his own home or visited him during his
hospital stays. Recently he gave his last and
personal testimony of his faith in God and his
bond with the brotherhood he belonged to.
Shortly thereafter, on Monday, January 27, 2014,
he passed away, leaving those of us who knew him
with sadness. Yet good memories and thankfulness
for the spice he added to our lives is a comfort
and the confidence that he died at peace.
Those left to cherish his memory are two sisters
Iris and husband Howard Smith, Westpoint,
Mississippi, and Ann and husband Arlyn Holdeman,
Leland, Mississippi; nieces and nephews Bruce
Smith and wife Twyla, Clarksdale, Mississippi;
Sherry and husband Randy Unruh, Line Springs,
Iowa, Gaylene and husband Clint Koehn, El Campo,
Texas; Cindy and husband Marlin Jantz, Westpoint,
Mississippi; Starla and husband Warren Schmidt,
Clarksdale, Mississippi; Wynona Holdeman,
Montezuma, Kansas; Forest and wife Kendra
Holdeman, Leland, Kansas; Sandra and husband
Linley Toews, Leland, Mississippi; and their
children and grandchildren. First cousin Frances
(deceased) and husband Gene Harms of Bonners
Ferry.
Although many in the congregation touched his
life, there would be counted as his closest
friends Willie and Darlene Peachey, Lyle and
Rosemary Unruh Clayton and Dorothy Unruh, Rachel
Unruh, John and Elizabeth Holdeman and family,
and Galen and Twyla Ensz, all of Bonners Ferry,
Aldo Classen, Greeley, Colorado, and Rory and
Cara Walker, presently serving in Zambia,
Africa.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father
and stepmother Susie Koehn Kahn, three aunts,
two uncles and one nephew.
Services were held at the Mountain View
Congregation in Bonners Ferry on February 1,
2014, with ministers Willis Dyck, Ben Nystrom,
Shane Ensz, Glenn Ensz and David Isaac
officiating. Interment was in the Mountain View
Mennonite Cemetery.
Family and friends are invited to sign Bill’s
book at
www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of
Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. |
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