Paul Flinn, 96

Paul Morton Flinn, 96, passed away Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010.

Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at the Free Methodist Church in Boners Ferry with interment following at Grandview Cemetery.

Paul was born Nov. 16, 1913, in Lewiston to the Rev. Edward Morton and Hallie Beatrice Flinn.

During high school, which were the years of Depression, Paul worked odd and part-time jobs. On graduation he started work at the Lapwai Game Bird Farm for the Idaho Fish and Game Department. From graduation to 1942 he worked at the Lapwai and Jerome game bird farms where he had become superintendent.

In February, 1942 Paul resigned from the Fish and Game Department to enter into defense work in the Portland area.

Returning to Idaho in late 1942, he again went to work for the Fish and Game Department and was assigned law enforcement duties in the Lewiston district. A transfer to Kooskia as conservation officer gave him patrol duties for the Lochsa, Selway, Middle and South Forks of the Clearwater River until 1947.

In October 1947 Paul transferred to Boundary County as a law enforcement officer. Until resigning in 1961 he was the only wildlife official in the county and responsible for all fish and game affairs.

Other than wildlife affairs, Paul was involved in civic matters and was a member of various lodges and organizations. He was a principal in assembling a sportsmen’s wildlife exhibit rated among the best in the Northwest.

During the Kootenai Valley flood of 1948, Paul rowed a boat many times the length of Main Street moving people and goods.

He briefly headquartered in Bonners Ferry, but for the most part he resided at the McArthur Waterfowl Refuge where he served in dual capacity as refuge manager and conservation officer. As refuge manager he started a resident flock of Canada geese with seven birds.

Along with waterfowl management, Paul initiated the stocking of Eastern Brook and Rainbow trout to refuge waters, which resulted in a major sports fishery.

Beginning in 1953 and throughout his life, Paul wrote wildlife and historical columns for the Bonners Ferry Herald.

He was the first to record and film caribou in the Selkirk Mountains of Idaho. From 1954 through the winter of 1961 he spent many hours in company of citizen associates on snow shoes on 12 feet of snow in 40 degrees below zero on research in the high country.

In July 1961, Paul retired from the Fish and Game Department with a total of 30 years. For the next number of years he worked for the City of Bonners Ferry in the electrical department as a hydro-power plant operator.

With more than 35 years in the public service Paul retired and followed hobbies he had long cherished. Among these was the rearing of game birds, mostly ornamental pheasants and pigeons. In 1974 he released five Merriam turkeys of wild stock and from these came the flocks of wild turkeys in and around Boundary County.

In June 1982, Paul was taken into the Kootenai Indian Tribe of Idaho as an honorary member. His long standing friendship with the Kootenai people was rewarded by a ceremony attended by Kootenais from Canada, Montana and Idaho.

Paul continued to write, through the remainder of this life, the “Old Timer's Column” on an old Royal typewriter.

If he heard of a family having a reunion in the county, he made special effort to put in his column, articles about the ancestors of that family. Two of his greatest enjoyments were history and game birds. In later years you could find him on a regular basis at a local coffee shop discussing local affairs as well as history.

Paul spoke five languages, all self-taught. Among them was Spanish and he was fluent in the language of the Kootenai Indian. He enjoyed “testing” people with one of these languages. If they didn't respond in one language, he would try another.

Paul was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; parents; and brothers Austin and Edwin Flinn.

Besides friends, he leaves behind a daughter, Judy Flinn of Lewiston, (children Julie, Laurie, Susan, John, Jaime and Travis), son, Jack (Violet) Flinn of Bonners Ferry (children Mark and Denise), son, Richard Flinn (daughter Amber), and daughter Peggy Flinn (Roger) Myers (children Dustin, Hallie and Brandi); 19 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Family and friends may sign Paul’s book at www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com. Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is handling arrangements.