Charles (Chuck) Foster Heinemeyer, 89

Chuck was born on May 9, 1927, to Richard and Francis (Armstrong) Heinemeyer at a farm south of Stanton, N.D. He attended grade school in a one-room rural school before moving to Stanton to attend the Stanton public schools and graduated from high school.

After school he moved to Tacoma, Wash., to work in the Naval Supply Depot. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and had his basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. He was then assigned to the U.S. Navy Seabees and was stationed in Guam in the South Pacific.

After being discharged from the Navy, he went to work at the Potlatch Forest Sawmill in Lewiston, Idaho. It was in Lewiston that he met the lady he would spend the rest of his life with. On Aug. 22, 1947, he married Anthel Jean Bly in Lewiston, Idaho. After a short time, Chuck and Jean decided to move to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where they lived for the rest of their lives.

On Aug. 23, 1948, their first son Skip was born, followed the next year on Dec. 31, 1949, when the second son Randy was born.

Chuck went to work for Mueller’s Building Supplies where he was employed for 39 years until the business owner retired and closed the business. He then went to work for Ace Hardware for several more years on a part-time basis.

He was a lifetime member of the VFW Post 889 in Coeur d’Alene. He was a Federation of Eagles Lodge 486 member since 1949.

Chuck’s main interest was woodworking, building several pieces of furniture and cabinets. He enjoyed taking short family vacations to visit family and see new places in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. He enjoyed attending local arts and crafts shows and, of course, rodeos. Two of their memorable trips included a trip to Hawaii to visit Randy and his family and a trip to Calgary where they went to the Calgary Stampede Rodeo.

His wife, Jean, passed away Dec. 16, 2016. Surviving family members are his son, Skip and wife Cheryl in Richland, Wash.; and son Randy in Coeur d’Alene; grandchildren Dyanne Debbie Heinemeyer, Randy Lee Heinemeyer Jr., Kristen Billetdeaux, Jeannette Keith, Jesie Heinemeyer, Taaylor Heinemeyer, Andrea Heinemeyer, Venceint Sharum, Raelynn Jones, Sabestian Carter, Jackie Caiger, PeytonJoy Caiger, Aiden Wilkes and Carter Wilkes.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, with viewing from 9-9:45 a.m. at Yates Coeur d’Alene Chapel, 744 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, with a graveside following the service at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens, 7315 Government Way. Yates Funeral Homes has been entrusted with the care of arrangements. Please visit Chuck’s memorial and sign his online guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.