Rev. Lowell O. Carlson

Rev. Lowell O. Carlson (86) passed away on November 12, 2015 at Bonner Health in Sandpoint, Idaho. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 1:00pm at Becker Auditorium with private interment followed.

 Lowell was born on July 3, 1929 in Darlington Idaho , a town just a bit smaller than Naples .  When he was just a young child his family bought a farm at Notus Idaho .  They moved there to farm and raise their three children.  Lowell went to school in Notus, grades 1 – 12.  He rode his horse to school as some of the kids did.  He told many tales of growing up in Notus.  Stories like riding his horse through town with friends and putting all the street lights out, riding to the river and having big bonfires and good eats, pulling various items behind the horse for sledding parties when they were lucky enough to have snow, later driving up mountain roads with a car where he shouldn’t have been.  He really enjoyed his youth and had life long friends that he has been in contact with all thru the years.

 When he was sixteen he got truly interested in spiritual things.  He spent hours talking to his Mom and Dad about the Bible, asking many questions.  He read the bible and many other books, about missionary life, theological things as well.  He thought for a time he would like to be a missionary in Tibet .  God had other plans for him.  He actually started his first ministry at a youth camp in the Idaho Mountains .

 When he finished high school he went to Santa Barbara California in his model T.  He took his older sister with him as she was returning to Westmont College where he was planning to attend.  He had a huge adjustment to make in so many ways, because he was just a country farm boy.  He was quickly nicknamed Spud.  He is still called that by the friends he made there.  Sometime into his first year of school a professor sat him down under a tree and had quite a talk with him.  He then began to take school a bit more serious.  He sang with a quartet while he attended there and traveled to many different kind of churches.  It was during that time when he decided it didn’t matter what the name on the church was, there were many wonderful believers in every denominations. 

 After college he married Joyce and moved to New Cuyama California .  While he was there he started a Bible church, worked in the oil fields to support his family, and had their son Tim and a baby girl named Ester that died shortly after birth.  He lived there for five years and made many more life time friends.  He preformed his first marriage there and remained friends all through the years with them until they both passed away.

 His next move brought him to Kendrick Idaho.  That is where he started his teaching career.  He mentioned many times that it is where he got his baptism of fire teaching.  He also worked at the mill while he was there and worked with special friends.  They all came to Bonners Ferry and ended up teaching school at the same school for many years.  Son Brent was born while they were in Kendrick. 

 Lowell ’s next move was to Bonners Ferry Idaho .  In the summers he worked at the mills, learned to load box cars with lumber and went back to teaching during the school year.

He taught at Valley View,  He loved teaching.  Also daughters Mary and Jennifer were added to the family while in Bonners Ferry.  He taught in Valley view for about five years and then went to Naples and taught for a few years.  He was greatly loved by his students.  \

In the early 70’s they moved to Moscow so Lowell could go to school and get his Masters in elementary administration.  While there he taught school at McDonald grade school in an open classroom concept.  He learned many more skills of teaching while he was there.  He loved that experience.

 His last move was back up north.  He lived at Hope and was principal at Clark Fork in a school grades 1-12 for two years before finishing his career in education.  He was greatly loved by many of his students and he returned their love.

 In 1978 he met and fell in love with Bonnie and they were married June 22, 1979 . Two more children were added to his family at that time.  Doug and Lauri Bell. They both highly respected and loved Lowell . They had thirty six years of many awesome adventures.  They have shared their home with many children, teenagers and adults that needed a place of reprieve for a time to grow, heal, and just learn to live.  All of them making life richer for Lowell .  It was during this time Lowell and Bonnie adopted one more child.  It was a teenager they had off and on since she was eleven.  Marilyn became number seven.

 I can’t begin to touch all the highlights of the last thirty six years but I will quickly hit a few.  They are not in any since of order.

 Pastoring the Free Methodist church for 22 years.

Preforming marriages and funerals for so many in our community.

The incredible gift our church gave when they sent us to Stand in the Gap in Washington DC

Our living experiences, from care taking homes, cabin living, teepee living to our wonderful home on Highland Flats.  Every one of them enjoyed to the fullest.

Our trip to Israel .  A gift from our church family and the whole community.  There just are not words that can express our appreciation and thanks for allowing us to have that experience.

All the people in and out of our home.

Most of all, the love that we have felt and experienced during Lowell ’s life time here.

He is survived by his wife Bonnie, son Tim Carlson & wife Donna,  Brent Carlson and Daughter Lauri, Doug Bell and wife Lorraine, Mary Seppela and Jim, Jennifer Hellman and husband Greg, Marilyn Kammer and husband Ken.  Twenty one grandchildren and six great grandchildren, many loved nieces and nephews.

 He is preceded in death by his parents Orient and Ruth Carlson, Sister Alice Mordhorst, brother in law Jim Mordhorst, sister Shirley Eyestone, son in law Steve Seppela.

 Lowell will leave an empty place in our lives but we are all richer by having known him.