Les Levig, 91

Leslie Levig died peacefully in his home July 11, 2015 after an extended illness.

His funeral service will be Thursday July 16, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church on Cody Street.

Les, son of Harold and Ella (Haagensen) Levig, was born Oct. 1, 1923, at Sacred Heart, Minn. He moved to Bonners Ferry in August 1942 with his parents. He served with the United States Army from February 1943 to March 1946. After his discharge, he worked as a carpenter in Fairbanks, Alaska, Minneapolis, Minn., and San Diego, Calif., but the lure of Bonners Ferry always made him return to “God’s Country” to work in construction, help with his dad’s farm, or work at the Moyie Lumber Company mill.

He met his future wife in 1943 at Iowa State College campus in Ames, Iowa, where the U.S. Army had sent him for specialized engineering training. He introduced her to his roommate who dated her after Les and she stopped seeing one another. The roommate and Jeannette were married in May 1944. Of this union four children were born Cathleen, Dennis, Donald, and Beth. When Les discovered his old friends were divorced, he started corresponding with Jeannette and went to Chardon, Ohio, where they were married. He brought his newly-made family back to Bonners Ferry in a 20-passenger school bus, which the Boundary County School District had ordered from Ohio. To this union a daughter, Lynnette was added.

After he worked for two years in Bonners Ferry doing construction, the family moved to the San Francisco Bay area where Les was superintendent for the James Smith Construction Company.

In November 1972, Les, Jeannette and the two youngest children, Beth and Lynn, returned to Bonners Ferry where Les combined farming and carpentry. In 1977, they started Levig Wholesale Nursery , specializing in cold hardy plants. Les served in the National Guard and was on Boundary County Planning and Zoning Committee, Trinity Lutheran Church Council, Bee Line Water Board, president of the Idaho Nursery Association, and the Kootenai Valley Nursery Association.

In 1997 Les and Jeannette spent a year in Tanzania, Africa, working with ELCA World Missions.

Les was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Lois Wells, and his sons, Donald and Dennis Lincks, and grandson Timothy Lincks.

He is survived by his wife, Jeannette, daughters Cathy (Rick Hatcher), Beth (Les Butters), Lynn (Ron Self), Dennis’s wife (Rona Marcy), and Donald’s wife (Sharon Barcklay), along with numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild, sisters Dorothy Mincher and Lenora Rudman and many nieces and nephews.

Immediately after the service, there will be a celebration of Les’ life downstairs in the fellowship hall to honor his sense of humor. Come and join the family and friends as they share their favorite “Les” stories.