John L. Regehr

John L. Regehr was born to John D. and Helena Regehr on April 18, 1922.  He grew up with his family of six sisters and two brothers in the area of Merced, Calif.

John struggled with back injuries and arthritis and in May 2011 was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. 

His last few days appeared very calm and relaxed. He died peacefully at home in his sleep on Nov. 22, 2011.

He was a born machinist and was always fascinated with pulleys, belts, wheels and what makes motors run.

John married Shirley Heptner on Aug.11,1994 and they had three children: Pamela, Gary and Bryon. They continued to live in the Merced area where John started working in orchards and packing sheds. He was responsible for keeping the machines running and assembly lines synchronized. In the late 1940's they moved to Bonners Ferry where he worked for a rancher for a number of years. He also as employed as a machinist for Bonners Ferry Lumber Company where he built many things for the mill.  After leaving the mill, he owned and operated his own logging truck till his retirement in 1990.  Even after retiring, John kept busy working as a mechanic/machinist for son Gary. His invaluable expertise and wisdom always amazed Gary.

John and Shirley were divorced in 1968.  Most of his family continue to live in Bonners Ferry and now include Pamela and Michael Larson, Gary and Anne (Goodwin) Regehr and Bryon and Judith (Reyburn) Regehr. He has five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

While John was visiting family in Greeley, Colo., he met Margaret Koehn.  They were married in Denver, Colo., on Aug. 31, 1972, living in Bonners and then moving to Post Falls in 1991.

John was a true "Ford" man and enjoyed refurbishing a 1937 Ford pickup which he and Margaret drove to a family reunion in Oregon. In addition to being a very dedicated worker, John had a passion for and owned a Harley Davidson.  He enjoyed a number of motorcycle trips to Kansas, Arizona and Colorado as well as rallies around the Northwest, including a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Sturgis. John was also an avid reader and spent many hours on his computer, reading, learning and researching.

 He leaves behind his devoted wife of 39 years, Margaret who resides in Post Falls. "Grandpa John" will be greatly missed.