Dale Bushnell, longtime St. John resident, passed away February 12, 2018 surrounded by his loving family at The Community Pride in St. John. He was 88. A Memorial Service for Dale will be Saturday, February 24th at 11:00 a.m. at the St. John Community Building. Private family graveside service will be in the St. John Cemetery. Viewing will be Wednesday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, Thursday and Friday 9 to 5 at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Dale was born October 2, 1929 in Deer Park, Washington to Walter and Ruby (Hillard) Bushnell. He grew up in the Deer Park area where he attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse at the end of their lane. His father was the teacher there. He attended Deer Park High School where he participated in football and boxing. After high school, he attended Gonzaga University for two years on a boxing scholarship. His coach was Joey August. On Christmas Day 1949 he married the love of his life Marian Dee Riddle. For a short time they made their home on Peone Prairie. Then in 1950 during one of the coldest winters on record they moved to St. John for a job with Inland Power & Light where he worked for the next 37 years. He loved his job and often said he couldn't understand people who hated to go to work on Mondays. He claimed he couldn't wait to get to work on Monday mornings. Like all the linemen of his era, he was a tough old dog. He did love to work. Dale was also very dedicated to his community. He served as a volunteer with the St. John Fire Department, spent several years on the St. John School Board, and was a Scoutmaster during the 1950's. He belonged to the Methodist Church, was a longtime member of the Grange and bowled for many years in Rosalia on the Cold Storage team from St. John. He usually kept busy with a remodel project or two going on as well, whether it was in the family home or a house he had purchased to improve and re-sell. Or the cabin on the Pend O'Reille river he purchased after retiring that he and Marian completely remodeled. Life wasn't all just work though; he enjoyed fishing, having an occasional beer at the Rialto Tavern in town with friends. Summer vacations at Priest Lake and the regular "gaming" trips they made to nearby casinos. After retirement, Dale and Marian enjoyed trips around the Western United States which usually included a stop or two somewhere in Nevada. Dale will be missed by many in the community but especially by his loving wife of 68 years Marian; his daughters, Callie (Randy) Moore, Carrie Colyar, Candy (Dick) Behrens and by his son, Bruce Bushnell; eight grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren with three more on the way. He was preceded in death by his brothers Warren and Vernon and by a sister and brother-in-law, Leroy and Nellie Russell. Dale's family would like to thank all those at Community Pride for the wonderful and loving care they have shown and given to Dale over the last eight months. The family suggests memorial gifts be made to the St. John Fire Department or to the St. John United Methodist Church. On-line guest book is at www.bruningfuneralhome.com
Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is caring for the family.