John Pelz, 80
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
John Carl Pelz, 80, passed away Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Sandpoint, Idaho. He was laid to rest at Pack River Cemetery next to his beloved wife Peggy.
John was born March 21, 1945, in Bloomington, Ill., to Carl Henry Pelz and Nell Lavone (Day) Pelz. They can be found on the Tulsa, Okla., 1950 census with his 2-year-old sister, Frances A. Pelz. John attended Central High School in Tulsa, Okla., and completed Army Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., in June 1962 and was next stationed at Ft. Gordon, Ga.
He married Peggy Jewel Burkhart on March 27, 1978, at Wichita Falls, Texas. Together, they enjoyed success under the team name “Furr Chili” competing at Wichita Falls chili cook-offs.
John’s lifetime occupation was as an industrial machinist. For two years in Wichita Falls he worked with Universal Design, a contract machine shop at 401 Mississippi, where he designed, marketed, built, and repaired hydraulic cylinders. In 1980, due to need to expand Universal Design incorporated under the name Universal Industries Inc. with John as vice president.
John and Peggy moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1986 to get away from tornadoes. Peggy proceeded to work for Sandpoint Motor Co & Taylor Parker Chevrolet for 29 years. In 1988, after working with Albeni Falls Machine Shop, John combined with Jack Stromquist to combine their skills and opened Premium Machine. Then, by 1996, John was independently operating J&P Machine in Priest River Industrial Park; offering a full range of machine work.
John was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy (2023); his parents, Carl Pelz (1972) and Nell “Day” Pelz (2005); a sister, Frances Ann “Pelz” Smith (2013); a son, Troy John Pelz from a previous marriage to Barbara Dee Steur; a brother-in-law, Roy Allen (2018); and a sister-in-law, Judy Burkhart Welch Williamson (2024).
John is survived by one stepdaughter, Marcy Kerr; four sisters-in-law, Alice Carter of Clintwood, Va., Phillis Fricke of Weston, Mo., Jane Volkart of Belzoni, Miss., and Joyce Burkhart of Bolivar, Mo.; a very caring helpful niece, Sarah Welch Pickett of Greenwood, Mo.; and numerous other nieces and nephews.
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling arrangements. Please visit John’s online memorial at lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.