Clyde Duaine Stone
Boundary
County native and former councilman and county commissioner
Clyde Dwaine Stone, 89, passed away Tuesday,
January 31, at Boundary Community Hospital in
Bonners Ferry.Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 4, at Free Methodist Church. Private interment will be in the Grandview Cemetery, Bonners Ferry.
Born in Bonners Ferry April 8, 1922, Clyde was the son of Leon and Grace Stone. He was one of eight children.
They lived in a home on the South Hill, and then rented a home in Moravia.
The family moved back to town and the Clyde started school at the Old South Side wooden school house. He attended fourth grade thru eighth in the South Side brick building. During the first half of the seventh grade, he went to school in the Lindberg School House while helping with chores and staying with Frank and Edna Bucher.
The second half of the year he was back at the South Side School.
The summer before his Junior Year he joined the 3 Cs. He was sent to Chatcolet, where he was on a crew that chipped rock for Rocky Point and he also spent part of that summer fighting fire. After graduation from Bonners Ferry High School, he worked for Safeway. Then he went to work at the service station on the North Side, helping deliver diesel to the holding tank at the Continental Mine, leaving red paint on Canadian lumber trucks that he met on the road. He also hauled fuel to stations and farms and unloaded G.N. tank cars.
He joined the Navy in October, 1942, getting on a troop train from California in Spokane. He said one kid from California was bare footed because someone threw his shoes out the window. He wanted to be an Aircraft Mechanic so he was shipped to Norman, Oklahoma. He graduated in May, 1943, as an Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class.
Aboard the carrier Independence, he headed for the Hawaiian Islands, stopping at Ford Island and working on PBM flying boats. Then he went to aircraft school at the Oakland Airport in October, 1943, graduating as an Aviation Machinist Mate Second Class. He was discharged in January, 1946.
While still in the Navy in 1945, he married Twyla J. Cooper. In 1952 Clyde and Twyla adopted a baby boy "Gary," and a daughter "Lauri" in 1962.
After 39 years, he retired from Lindsey Helmer Hardware. People still tell us stories about him coming to their homes and repairing their appliances. He served on Bonners Ferry City Council from 1980 through 1984, and as a Boundary County Commissioner from 1983 through 1988.
He worked summers for the U.S. Forest Service at the Bonners Ferry Ranger District for 22 years, reluctantly retiring the summer of 2010.
Clyde is survived by daughter Lauri Edwards, five grandchildren; Chaun Stone (Malisa), Camille Stone Stricklin (Ron), Jessica Stone Ridinger (Mike), Micah Stone (Laura) and Katie Stone, and seven great grandchildren; Jeremy, Amberlei, Zachary, Camron, Rashelle, Keaton and Cade.
He was a wonderful caring father, grandfather and friend. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
We Love You Dad/Grandpa!
Clyde was preceded in death by his wife, Twyla, son Gary, his parents, brothers "Bud" Carlyle, Joseph, John and Patrick.
Memorials can be made to the Senior Hospitality Center, Bonners Ferry.
Family and friends are invited to sign Clyde’s book at www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.