Larry R. Seibel

Larry R. Seibel, 83, of Trout Creek, Montana, passed away on Saturday, October 29, 2022, after a brief battle with cancer. He requested no services be held. Larry was born February 16, 1939, in Peabody, Kansas, to Walt and Fern Seibel. The family moved to Deer Park, Washington, in 1943 where they initially lived in a two-room house built by Walt with no indoor plumbing or electricity. During the years in Washington, Larry and his older brother Jim performed most of the chores around their small farm, milking cows before catching the school bus, returning home to milk again, clean the barn, and readied the milk for the milk truck to pick up. They fed livestock, irrigated fields, rode the baler, and hauled hay. It was hard work but instilled a strong work ethic in them and was something he said he never regretted. This is where Larry grew to love fishing, something he was very passionate about until he passed away. As a young boy he would venture out on his own, two to three miles, to a nearby lake to cast his line. He caught crawdads for bass bait and often used willow branches for fishing poles

In 1950, the Seibel family, now in its entirety, including Walt Jr, Linda Diane, and Barbara, moved to Nampa, Idaho, and eventually settled in nearby Caldwell. Larry graduated from Caldwell High School in 1957.

He joined the Air Force and attended pilot training as a USAF Aviation Cadet. He was honorably discharged in 1964.

After the Air Force, he attended college and during many summers, he worked for the Boise National Forest surveying for the construction of roads. He always spoke of his time in the mountains and forests fondly. He continued working in other engineering positions in the Boise area up until January 1969.

Larry married Linda Carter in 1968. He was overseas in South Vietnam, working for RMK-BRJ (a consortium of four of the largest US construction companies) when his daughter, Tonya, was born in July 1969. He returned home in May of 1972, and it was then that he received his Bachelors in Civil Engineering from University of Idaho in August of that year. Larry and Linda divorced in 1971.

One of his first jobs post-graduation was with the Dept of Interior at Grand Coulee Dam, Washington, on the construction of the third power plant.

Larry moved between different jobs from Boise Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Lewiston, Idaho, Madras, Oregn, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and finally retiring from Anderson Perry & Associates in Walla Walla, Washington, in late 2004 after 11 years with the company. He made many life-long friends during those years, and he worked at staying in touch with those friends no matter where he worked or lived.

Following his retirement, dad moved to Eureka, Montana, a place he found most idyllic to enjoy his outdoor hobbies and solitary lifestyle. He spent much of his time on Lake Koocanusa fishing, and many hours exploring the mountain roads around the area. He enjoyed having friends and family come visit him there. His annual fishing trip to Kootenay Lake at Woodbury Resort in British Columbia was always a highlight of the year.

Dad's final move was to Trout Creek, Montana, in 2017 where he remained until his passing. He was so fond of the area, the people, the new friends he made, and living near the Clark Fork River and Noxon Reservoir, where he could fish to his heart's content, and participate in bass tournaments.

Larry enjoyed many hobbies aside from fishing including hunting, woodworking, photography, gemstone hunting and collecting, fishing rod building and restoring, and was an avid reader. Just before his passing, he had come to Boise to attend the last formal CHS Class of '57 reunion. He was just too ill to attend and was so disappointed by that.

He was predeceased by his parents Walter and Fern Seibel; brother Jim Seibel, and sister Barbara Martell; niece Mandy Hite; and brother-in-law Chuck Hite.

Larry is survived by his daughter Tonya Fisher of Boise, Idaho; grandsons Rowdy Fisher and River Fisher; brother Walt Jr. Seibel (Sandi) of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho; and sister Linda Diane Hite of Weiser, Idaho; numerous nieces, a nephew, and their children.

The obituary and memorial video is also posted on YouTube titled "Larry R Seibel Memorial Video."