Wilfred R Nieting

Wilfred “Will” Richard Nieting passed away on January 3, 2020, at the age of 92 surrounded by his family. Will was born in Newhall, Iowa on November 7, 1927, to the Reverend Otto Nieting and Paula Schliepsiek. He attended high school at Concordia Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota. He enlisted in the Army shortly after his high school graduation in 1946 and served honorably in Korea. He took advantage of the G.I. bill and attended Valparaiso University. After finishing college, he taught high school biology and history and earned a master’s degree in school administration from the University of North Dakota before finding his true passion in the forests of Montana. He joined the U.S. Forest Service permanently in the late 1960s and held many jobs in numerous forests across the West before his retirement in 1989. Post-retirement he found enjoyment driving a truck bringing fertilizer to farmers around Townsend, Montana. He loved horses and his dog Sally. He loved to tinker in his garage. He earned a certificate as a “small appliance repairman” and actually repaired small appliances around the house. He loved long drives and the big skies of Montana. He may have been known to drink a beer or two. He loved the history of the U.S. West and U.S. history in general. He could get further in a Sunday crossword than many experts with his knowledge of Latin and German. He was a lifelong FDR Democrat. He had a dry sense of wit that would leave you with a smile. He loved the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears through all of their ups-and-downs. Above all else, he loved his family. He is survived by his wife Joan of 50 years as well as his two daughters, Lorri (Lee) Kempffer and Karla (Mark) Bilafer, and four grandchildren, Ryan, Alyssa, Mia, and Luke. He was the last of his immediate family but still has numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss him. A funeral mass will be held on January 10, 2020, at 10 a.m. at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 708 E. Lake Street, Medical Lake, Washington. His ashes will be laid to rest in Whitehall, Montana in the spring of 2020. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Spokane, 121 S. Arthur, Spokane, WA 99202, or St. Anne’s Catholic Church of Medical Lake.

Wilfred R Nieting

November 7, 1927 - January 3, 2020