|
|
Randy Linn Fort |
|
May 13, 1953 ~ April 30, 2016 |
|
May 12, 2016 |
 Randy
Linn Fort, 62, of Naples, Idaho, formerly of
Rushford, Minnesota, died unexpectedly from
complications of an aneurysm April 30, 2016 at
Bonner Health, Sandpoint, Idaho. His wife Spring
was at his side, holding his hand, when he
passed. A memorial Service will be held on June
18, 2016 From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
Northwest Territory Event Center, Naples, Idaho.
Celebrations of life will be held this summer
close to home in Idaho, and at a later date in
Minnesota.
Randy Fort was born May 13, 1953 in La Crosse,
Wisconsin, first son of six children born to
Janice and Arnold Fort. He grew up on a dairy
farm in Houston County, Minnesota, the state
where most of his family still resides.
Fort enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1971. He
completed basic combat training and then
advanced individual training for the military
occupational specialty (MOS) 51B, carpentry,
construction and utility worker at Fort Leonard
Wood, Missouri. Fort served tours of duty at
West Point, New York; Korea; and Fort Lewis,
Washington, where he learned additional skills
in stone masonry. He was honorably discharged
July 1974 with the rank of Specialist 4 (E-4).
Just months before leaving the military, Randy
visited Spirit Lake, Idaho, with Army friends
for a social visit, and met the woman who would
later become his wife, Spring Artz, oldest
daughter of Barbara Adkins. It was love at first
sight. Upon discharge that July, he spent a few
weeks in Spirit Lake to arrange his new life
with Spring, before returning to his family’s
home in Minnesota to get settled.
He soon started work at Rochester Silo, but left
when the work proved too risky, and moved on to
Deer Lake Farms in Wisconsin. He sent for Spring
to join him from Idaho in October of that year.
They were married April 10, 1975, and set up
house in Minnesota. The pair ran a local dairy
farm together, milking and handling all the
chores. Spring worked right up until the morning
their son, Jeremiah “Buck” Fort, was born. The
new family took up residence in a house located
on Uncle Donald Fort’s dairy farm in February
1976. This move allowed Randy to embark on the
first stage of his longtime diesel and farm
equipment repair career, starting at Tri County
Co-op.
Later, in 1984, Randy went into business for
himself running Fort’s Tractor Repair. The
business grew, until such time that his pickup
no longer functioned as a sufficient base of
operations. A hauling trailer, shop, and even an
employee would be helpful now to meet the great
demand for repair work. In May 1990, after much
discussion, the house was listed for sale,
belongings were auctioned off, and the three
relocated to North Idaho, nearer to Spring’s
parents.
Randy learned how to hunt when he was a kid,
from his dad and Uncle Earl. They hunted deer,
fox, and raccoon in Minnesota. One thing Fort
loved is hunting with hounds. They were the
mainstay of his raccoon hunting livelihood when
the family was starting out, and the prized
hounds ended up being close partners and
companions as well. Subsistence hunting was the
way, and the new countryside in Idaho would
allow for adding elk, bear, cougar and bobcat to
the diet and hunting experience.
Coeur d’Alene Tractor hired Randy on the spot at
their Bonners Ferry location, and he was once
again employed. In 1997 Spring and Randy
purchased 6 acres in Mountain Meadows. They
lived there ever since, and Spring will remain
there.
In 2012 Randy had imaging tests to diagnose the
cause of his back problems. Images showed a
cancerous node in his lung, which was treated
soon after through surgery. He retired at that
time even though he would have rather kept
working. After retirement, he eventually was
happy to spend time at the shop for social
rather than professional reasons. He loved his
leisure time in recent years, watching lots of
movies, old westerns among them, and planning
his day around favorite television shows.
Though he would resist the compliments, it is
widely agreed by those who knew him, that Randy
was known for his intelligence, humor, and quick
wit. His outstanding work ethic was instilled in
him as a young boy by his father. The legacy of
doing the right thing and caring for others has
been passed down and is still going strong in
Buck and his daughter Alanna, Randy’s
granddaughter. Randy cared about saving small
farmers money, even going out late at night to
fix a bailer – and getting it done quickly – so
his clients could get back to work. He also
taught clients how to manage small fixes
themselves, regardless of how that might cut
into his own future earnings. This is how the
family chooses to remember him: a tough guy on
the outside, who could give a good ribbing, who
also could be tender at times and who cared a
great deal for those around him.
Randy was preceded in death by his father,
Arnold Fort, and uncles, Donald and Earl Fort,
among other siblings.
He is survived by wife, Spring, of Naples,
Idaho; son Jeremiah (“Buck”) and granddaughter
Alanna, of Marysville, Washington; mother,
Janice Fort of Winona, Minnesota; sisters Linda
(Reid) Church and Rhonda (Louis) Literski; three
brothers, as well as numerous cousins, nieces
and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the
Randy Fort Memorial Fund, in person at any
Mountain West bank or by mail at Randy Fort
Memorial Fund, Mountain West Bank, PO Box 59,
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.
SERVICES
Memorial Service
Saturday, June 18, 2016
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.n.
Northwest Territory Event Center
Mountain Meadows Road
Naples, Idaho 83847 |
|
|
|
|
