Leo Buryl Carrithers Obituary (1915 - 2007)

Born May 07, 1915, Leo Buryl Carrithers attended Stanton County High School in Johnson, KS. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Leo Buryl Carrithers.

Graduation Year	Class of 1935
Date of Birth	May 07, 1915
Date of Passing	Jun 19, 2007
About	LEO CARRITHERS, passed away June 19, 2007, at his Hood River home at the age of 92. A service to mourn and honor Leo will be at 11 a.m. , Tuesday, June 26, at Anderson's Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River. A reception will follow the service for all to share their memories and stories with one another. Interment will be at Idlewild Cemetery. Leo was born May 7, 1915, in Stanton County, Kan., on the family farm. He was one of eight children born to Francis Madison and Emma Dell Aller Carrithers. He grew up in Kansas, attending one-room schools in Stanton County, and graduated from Johnson High School in 1935. Leo attended Fort Hayes Kansas State for one year and then earned a bachelor's degree from North Idaho College of Education in 1950. He later attended Portland State and received a certificate in elementary education in 1960. Leo served his country proudly during World War II in the United States Army. Leo enlisted in the Army with a Kansas buddy in February 1941; "to get their year in." He served in France. He was wounded near Nancy, France. While in the hospital in the British Isles, his outfit; F Co. 137th Infantry, 35th Division, went to Normandy just after D Day, June 6, 1944, and was in most of the five major battles in the European Theater. Sgt. Carrithers was a 60mm mortar squad leader; he was the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and numerous other medals and accommodations. Leo married Betty Jean Heuett in Lewiston, Idaho, on April 29, 1949, and their union was blessed with three children. The family moved to the Hood River Valley in 1954, living in Parkdale before moving to Hood River. Leo and Betty were both teachers. Leo was a farmer as a boy in Kansas and started working at a young age. He farmed with his second family, the Charlie Wingers, in Stanton County and had his own acreage rented when he went into the Army. After a year to Fort Hayes Kansas State, he soon came to Idaho with his parents. He worked in the three C's and the railroad in Pierce, Idaho. He missed Kansas and his Winger family and returned to Kansas until he joined the service. After the War he returned to Northern Idaho, where he started teaching in a two-room rural school; then he went to college in Lewiston, Idaho and later graduated with a teaching certificate. He taught eighth grade at Parkdale Upper Elementary before moving to Dee School to become their principal and sixth grade teacher. Eventually he moved to the Barrett School and was there for seven years. He finished his teaching career at Park Street Elementary in Hood River in 1970. During the summers, he worked on a wheat ranch in Sherman County and loved operating the tractor and combine. He also worked for the Dodge dealership in Hood River and maintenance for the school district until completely retiring in 1977. Leo had many loves in his life, but about all he cherished time spent with family. He enjoyed his garden; the marigolds and roses; his trips to Bette's restaurant, tinkering in his garage on projects of all sorts and just visiting with friends. Leo was not afraid to speak his mind and tell you what he thought. He enjoyed family history, fixing things, tinkering in his shop, inventing things that he thought would be easier or simpler than the old way (he thought), browsing old newspapers at the Hood River County Library, visiting cemeteries and talking with people. When the kids were younger Leo took them for long walks along the Columbia and Hood Rivers in the Gorge. Later he and the family dog, "Sandy," walked and explored down along the Columbia River and hunted gophers (or moles) in the yard. Leo had a thing about gophers (or moles) in the yard; he would put out bait gopher poison and cover the holes with homemade signs warning "DO NOT REMOVE, POISON GOPHER BAIT." He loved browsing through old newspapers at the library. When he found an interesting item, he would copy it then give it to the person. Recently he found friends' wedding picture and copied it and gave it to them. He loved going through high school yearbooks and finding school pictures of people he knew. He loved talking to these people and asking where they lived and all about them. Leo loved taking long drives around the valley or Eastern Oregon and his kids cherished their trips with their dad. He would walk downtown to Bette's Place for lunch and then walk up the hill home. As walking became more difficult, Betty picked him up and would drive both ways. He loved his walking and gave it up reluctantly. His order was usually vanilla cheesecake and a plain bran muffin, both of which will be at the reception following the service. Leo is survived by and will be dearly missed by his wife of 58 years; three children; 11 grandchildren; 8 grandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law; numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Leo was preceded in death by three sisters, Neva, Ila and Leona; and four brothers, John, Earl, Edgar and Roy. The family suggests that any memorials be made in memory of Leo to either the First Baptist Church or the Hood River County Library Foundation in care of Anderson's Tribune Center, 1401 Belmont Ave. Hood River, OR HOOD RIVER NEWS, HOOD RIVER,
Events	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/153546765/leo-buryl-carrithers