John Maurer, 75

John Maurer passed away on  Dec. 30, 2011 after a lingering illness, at Holy Family Hospital in Spokane.

John was born on March 20, 1936, in Mitchell, S.D. He was raised in South Dakota.

John joined the Air Force in 1954 and in 1958 moved to Kalispell, where his family had relocated.

John married Carol Magstadt on Aug. 16, 1959, in Kalispell. John was a member of the Kalispell Fire Department for 12 years. He also worked in construction for many years, and ended his career working at Ranch & Home in Kalispell.

John was a resident of Kalispell for 45 years until he and Carol retired and moved to Mead, Wash., in 2003, to be closer to family.

John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carol Maurer, in Mead; son, Marty Maurer, and his partner, Gary Pritchard, of Spokane; daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, Stacey Martin, of Kennewick, Wash.; daughter, Jodie Maurer, and her fiance, Jeremy Rother, of Papillion, Neb.; grandson, George Martin, and his wife, Angela, of Spokane; grandson, Rick Martin, and his wife, Jill, of Spokane; and two great-granddaughters, Samantha and Lauren Martin, of Spokane. John was also expecting a third great-grandchild in June 2012.

John is also survived by two sisters, Carol Ann and Margaret; and one brother, Bill (William) Maurer; along with several nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Hans and Maybelle Maurer; sister, Phyllis Maurer; brother, Gordon Maurer; and his grandson, Jonathan.

A graveside memorial will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 6, at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice, Salvation Army or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.