Carl Edward Rauthe, 75
Carl Edward Rauthe, 75, passed away Monday Nov. 28, 2005, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell.
Carl was born Jan. 15, 1930, in Somers, to Frank and Leone Lininger Rauthe. He attended schools in the Flathead Valley.
In April 1948, Carl enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a Gunners Mate Third Class aboard the USS Leonard F. Mason. He received the Occupations Service Medal for serving during the Korean War, the Korean Service Medal and Ribbon, and the United Nations Medal. He was discharged from the Navy in March 1952.
He started driving trucks when he was 14 years of age. He was mentored by Mark Meyers, who taught him how to run every piece of equipment that has to do with logging. Carl truly loved to get his hands dirty doing all the jobs related to logging. Whether it was sawing, jamming, doing deck work, or driving trucks, he could do it all and loved every minute of doing it. He drove just about every type of truck known to man at one time or the other.
He married Lillian Olson, who passed away in 1992. He met Darlene Jump, and they dated and were married Oct. 17, 1998. Seeing them together, you could really see the twinkle in their eyes. They enjoyed and did everything together as a pair.
Carl was past president of the Log Hauler Association, and was a member of the Eagles and the Moose lodges.
He loved golfing, hunting, taking drives in the country, looking for wildlife, and he loved his family. Carl was a very special father and grandfather who truly loved being with his family.
He was preceded in death by his father, Frank John Henry Rauthe; his mother, Leone Aurand; stepdad, Oliver Aurand; sisters, Agnes Newell and Elsie Sundberg; brothers, Frank and Hank Rauthe; and stepbrother, Butch Aurand.
Carl is survived by his wife, Darlene Rauthe, of Kalispell; children, Brad Rauthe and his wife, Susan, Carla Clarke and her husband, Mike, stepson, Kevin Jump and his wife, Carol, Kelly Jump, Kristi Personett and her husband, Brian, and Kim Burnside and her husband, Glen; sister, Genevieve Meyers, of Kalispell; grandchildren, Jason Rauthe and his wife, Trina, Chad Rauthe and his wife, Sandra, Wade Clarke, Michelle Clarke, and 12 stepgrandchildren; and 14 stepgreat-grandchildren.
Public visitation for Carl will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church with Pastor Mark Cutler officiating. Burial will be afterward at Glacier Memorial Gardens.
The family suggests memorials to Human Therapy on Horseback, P.O. Box 1514, Whitefish, MT. 59937; or to lmmanuel Lutheran Home, 185 Crestline Ave., Kalispell, MT 59901.
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.