Historian Flinn dies at age 96

Paul Flinn — a Boundary County icon who wrote wildlife and historical columns for the Bonners Ferry Herald for 57 years — passed away Saturday, Jan. 23, after complications with surgery. He was 96.

Serving as the county’s lone Idaho Department of Fish and Game officer for 14 years, Flinn is credited with introducing turkeys to Boundary County in 1974 after releasing five of his own Merriam turkeys.

In the 1950s, Flinn spent much time on snowshoes in 12 feet of snow in 40-degree below zero weather researching caribou in the county’s high country.

He also was fluent in five languages, including Kootenai.

Flinn had been in good health, still lived on his own and met friends for coffee four days at week at Jill’s Cafe, said daughter Peggy Myers.

“He had surgery a year ago and the heart specialist said he had the heart of a 75-year-old,” Myers said.

Up until one year ago, Flinn still drove, mowed his grass and plowed snow.

It’s believed he fell inside his home on Jan. 15 or 16. Myers found her dad the morning of Jan. 18, when she made her weekly visit to help him with housework, laundry and getting groceries.

Flinn was taken to Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene, where he remained in intensive care for two to three days. He was moved into a regular room and was expected to come home this week.

“He ended up having surgery and there were some complications,” said Myers, who was at the hospital with her brothers Jack and Richard when her dad passed.

Flinn began writing for The Herald in 1953 and still wrote his weekly columns on an old Royal typewriter.

“He’d sit in a little dark room and would correct his own mistakes,” Myers said. “He knew how important it was to people. He was a history buff.”

Local historian Howard Kent will miss Flinn.

“He’s written the history of the community,” said Kent, who appreciated anytime Flinn wrote about Kent’s grandfather, justice of the peace A.J. Kent, who came to Boundary County in 1892.

“I will miss his column,” Howard Kent said. “It’s part of the Bonners Ferry Herald.”

Arnold Fessler will missed Flinn at coffee. The two joined Jim Marx, Glen Grove and Les Levig four days a week at Jill’s Cafe.

“I’ve been having coffee with five or six years,” Fessler said. “He was one of the guys. He will be missed.”

Jill Nystrom, owner of Jill’s Cafe, also will miss Flinn.

“He meant a lot to me,” Nystrom said. “At 96, you’ve lived a pretty good life. (At coffee on Monday) the talk was about him.”