| Description |
: |
On Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009, Harold Leonard Lemons of Brewster, Wash., passed away at home in the arms of his wife, Violet. Harold had struggled for several years with breathing problems, having damaged his lungs during early years on the farm and working construction. His weakened body finally stopped.
Harold was born Sept. 24, 1920, at the family farm near Manhattan to Iva Lemons and Maud (Oyler) Lemons. He attended school in Manhattan, graduating in 1940, with a state farmers degree from Future Farmers of America. He then went into the livestock business with his father.
In 1945 he married...
Read More
|
On Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009, Harold Leonard Lemons of Brewster, Wash., passed away at home in the arms of his wife, Violet. Harold had struggled for several years with breathing problems, having damaged his lungs during early years on the farm and working construction. His weakened body finally stopped.
Harold was born Sept. 24, 1920, at the family farm near Manhattan to Iva Lemons and Maud (Oyler) Lemons. He attended school in Manhattan, graduating in 1940, with a state farmers degree from Future Farmers of America. He then went into the livestock business with his father.
In 1945 he married Elizabeth Sophie Spring of Belgrade. They had two children; Melanie Elaine and Melburn Ernest.
In 1958 the family ranch was sold and they moved to Bozeman. Harold went to work for the government ASC program. After it was discontinued, he went to work for Goodfellow Brothers Construction from Wenatchee, Wash., as a dozer operator on a construction job in Rocky Canyon between Livingston and Bozeman.
Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth and Harold separated, and he moved to East Helena, where he lived with his sister and husband, Ralph and Anna Maud Domer. He continued to work construction for several years, then was called by the union in Spokane, Wash., to go to work on Boundry Dam in Idaho.
In 1965, he was sent to work on the Wells Dam Project near Pateros, Wash. It was there that he met and married his present wife, Violet Waddell on Sept. 17, 1967. After their marriage, Harold and Vi traveled around Washington and Idaho, working construction for seven or eight years. In 1975, they returned to Brewster, Wash., where they have lived since. Harold worked construction at Grand Coulee Dam and Chief Joseph Dam until he retired in 1982. He then worked for the city of Brewster as caretaker for the cemetery. He retired "for good" in 1988, when he was "68."
Harold was definitely an outdoors guy. He liked to hunt, fish, and ride horses in his younger years. With encouragement from his brother-in-law, Ralph Domer, he began pitching horseshoes in the 1970s. He became a member of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association and won many trophies in Washington and Canada. In 1990, he was a state champion in Washington.
He belonged to the Oddfellows Lodge for 62 years, receiving the Declaration of Chivalry. He belonged to the Brewster Grange and was a member of the Brewster Kiwanis Club, participating in many projects - Christmas card sign, sand bag sale, gate to the cemetery, lighted cross, to name a few. He was awarded the Vaugh Godbey Memorial Award: "Citizen of the Year" in 1992.
Harold was an avid snowmobiler and even made a memorable trip to Yellowstone Park with one of his friends, Gene Hulsey. Another snowmobile buddy was Ralph Morgan, who shared many fun times. He continued to ride horses once in a while and spend time with another close friend, Jack Groeneveld. One of his "favorite" pastimes was playing pool with his sons at home or the guys at the Senior Center.
He is survived by his wife, Vi of Brewster, Wash.; her children, Richard Waddell of Okanagan, Wash., William Waddell of Chehalis, Wash., Carol Lee Thomas of Arkansas; and his children, Melanie Rowlison of Littleton, Colo., and Melburn Lemons of Pullman, Wash.
Harold was a hard-working, fun guy. He will be missed.
He will be cremated and his ashes will be buried in the spring on a date yet to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, Vi requests that memorials and contributions be made to the Brewster Senior Center.
Published in Bozeman Daily Chronicle on Jan. 14, 2009 |
