Joseph 'Joe' Samuel Kauffman, 87
Joseph “Joe” Samuel Kauffman, 87, died Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at Lebanon Rehab Center in Lebanon, Oregon.
He was born on Leap Day Feb. 29, 1928, in Creston, one day after his mother’s 40th birthday, the 12th child in a family that would grow to 15 children. He attended the Cayuse Prairie one-room school house and was one of the first in his family to graduate from high school. He also learned the value of hard work while helping with the family farm and sawmill. During the World War II era, Joe served his country as a conscientious objector serving as an orderly in a Colorado Hospital.
He met his future wife, Ruth Unternahrer, at Hesston College in Kansas. While they both were serving the hospital in La Junta, Colorado, they eloped and were married in Raton, New Mexico.
Joe was a member of Mountain View Mennonite Church in Kalispell and attended Lebanon Mennonite Church while living in Oregon. He was also a longtime member of the Flathead Valleyaires Barbershop Chorus.
He had a great love for music, both singing and listening to it. He often joined his six older brothers to present acappella gospel music at local churches.
Joe had a great passion for sports and played league basketball past age 60. He also organized the church softball league in Kalispell and adult basketball leagues.
Joe grew up in rural Creston, one of the youngest members of a large family. His strong value of family shown throughout his life, from his birth family relationships to his relationships with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Joe (and Ruth) were foster parents to 60 children over many years with seven children coming into the household at a young age and being there until adulthood and remaining as close family members.
Joe taught school for many years, starting and ending his teaching career in small country schools in rural Northwest Montana. Joe began his teaching career in Mountain Brook School, a two-room school house several miles from his childhood home and also taught in Elrod School (Kalispell), Western Mennonite School (Oregon), Cayuse Prairie School (where he attended all eight grades as a child), Homer Christian School (Alaska), Kalispell Nazarene School, and finished his teaching career in the one-room Pleasant Valley School near Marion.
Joe lived the vast majority of his life near Kalispell, with brief stints in Colorado, Kansas, Alaska and Oregon.
Joe grew up in a hunting family and loved hunting trips into the Swan Valley and Bob Marshall Wilderness with family members. He also was the local guide for the Outspoken Tours hiking ventures into the Rocky Mountains.
He was preceded in death by his parents, N.L. “Roy” Kauffman and Anna (Snyder) Kauffman; and 12 of his siblings, Reuben, Mabel, Ruth, Mary, Paul, Aldine, Bernice, Dave, Norman, Lilly, Jim and Sanford; one daughter, Kelli White; one son, Charles Upham; and one grandson, Jordan Carlson.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth U. Kauffman of Lebanon; two sisters, Gladys Reimer of Whitewater, Kansas, and Rosella Eby of Drake, Saskatchewan; four daughters, Kristina and Leonard Krabill, and Amy and Todd Borntreger of Lebanon, Tracy and Bruce Drury of Libby, and Sandra Cannon of Buda, Texas, five sons, Brent and Debra Kauffman of Lebanon, Doug Kauffman and Sherry Jolley, and Scott and Patti Carlson of Kalispell, Raymond and Jasmine Burland of Butte, and David Kauffman of Deer Lodge;17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and a multitude of nephews, nieces and extended family.
A celebration of Joe’s life will held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, at Mountain View Mennonite Church, 795 Mennonite Church Road, Kalispell, less than a mile from his place of birth.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Joe’s name to the worldwide relief agency of Mennonite Central Committee, 1010 G Street, Reedley, CA 93654.