Maurice Wilson Shoemaker

Maurice was born in Ekalaka, Mont., on March 2, 1925. He entered into rest and into the arms of our loving Heavenly Father on April 16, 2018. He was the fourth of seven children, and at the age of 11, moved with his family to Superior and then to Dixon where Maurice attended high school. He worked as a ranch hand and then for the railroad in the Dixon and Eddy Flat areas. During WWII, he entered the U.S. Army as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper serving all over in the European theatre. After his military service, Maurice worked for Flodin Lumber Company for 43 loyal years, as a lift truck driver, retiring as a planer boss.

Maurice was an avid fisherman, with some of his favorite fishing holes being up Thompson River and Prospect Creek. He was a very successful large game hunter, bagging an elk 13 years in a row! He was the family's pre-season huckleberry scout, for he knew where huckleberries were great in one place last year, they might not be this year. He was always the only family member who came out of the huckleberry patch without a purple tongue.

Maurice and his wife, Ilene, were married December 27, 1950. For their 67 years of marriage, Maurice always referred to Ilene as "his bride." In their young married years, they built a house from scratch on the Eddy Flat and raised four daughters. Later they moved to town (Thompson Falls), continuing to remodel and renovate several more houses.

Maurice was a kind, gentle man, who very much loved and appreciated being a father and a devoted family man. When the daughters were teenagers, he basically became a full-time taxi cab driver, shuttling his girls the nine miles to and from special after school sports and music practices, as well as social events. Maurice was a fairly quiet man, a serious people watcher, still loving to tease to distraction, and always enjoyed watching his family having fun!

In Maurice's retirement years, he and his wife Ilene enjoyed traveling, Sunday afternoon pinochle (he was a high bidder), and supporting the Thompson Falls Blue Hawk sport teams for more than 65 years.

At 88 years of age, Maurice was able to be part of the flight to Washington, D.C., as an honored veteran of WWII. He also attended the Thompson Falls Christian Church.

He is survived by his wife Ilene and four daughters, Cheryl (Loel) and Bev (Roy), of Missoula, Mont., Pamela (John) of Post Falls, Idaho, and Heidi (Jimmy) of Sandpoint, Idaho. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, one younger sister, Faith Franck of Rathdrum, Idaho, and many nieces and nephews.

Maurice's celebration of life memorial service will be 1 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2018, at the Thompson Falls Christian Church. There will be a luncheon following the service.

Anyone wishing to make a donation in honor of Maurice, please make them to the Thompson Falls Senior Center or the Thompson Falls Blue Hawk Athletic Association.