Memorial Service
Golden Spike Clubhouse-
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Email Details
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8580 W. Yosemite St
Rathdrum, ID 83858 -
A burial service will be held in the spring at Champion Hill Cemetery in North English, Iowa.
Gene Popham
July 10, 1932 — January 1, 2017
Gene Popham
Gene Arnold Popham, 84
It is with deep sadness and great joy that we announce the death of Gene Arnold Popham. Gene was born on a farm in Iowa County, Iowa, on July 10, 1932, to Willard Melvin Popham and Verlenia Ora Tippie. He went to be with the Lord on Jan. 1, 2017, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Gene was raised on the farm as the oldest of six children. He graduated from North English H.S. in 1950. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served 16 months in Korea. He often said that the Koreans surrendered when they heard he was coming.
Upon his return he and Janet Darlene Kirkpatrick were married on Aug. 7, 1955. Over the next 10 years, they had five children. For a living, Gene had a successful career in sales management of livestock feed throughout the Midwest. They lived in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and South Dakota. As a man of great faith, Gene served and supported the local Christian church as deacon and elder. He served on the Board of Directors of Central Christian College in Moberly, Mo., for more than 30 years.
He was loved as a great husband, father, friend, storyteller and practical joker. He never met a stranger. He loved to work and to be with kids and grandkids. He was an accomplished woodcarver of birds and fish, and enjoyed sharing those skills with others.
Gene is survived by his wife of 61 years, Darlene of Idaho; son Joel (Brenda) of Indiana; son Dr. Jerry (Dr. Nadine) of Colorado; daughter Gina (Dr. Jack) Kosters of Arizona; son Jon of Illinois and son Jason (Loree) of Virginia; his 14 beloved grandchildren, Joshua (Jackie), Sarah, Caleb, Elijah, Abram, Jerrod, Julia, Luke, Claire, Samuel, Madison (Taylor), Samuel, John and Jacob; and his siblings, James Popham, Julie Gilbertson, Terry Popham and Karen Sue Koberg. Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Betty Kirkpatrick.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, at the Golden Spike clubhouse, 8580 W. Yosemite St., Rathdrum, Idaho. A burial service will be held in the spring at Champion Hill Cemetery in North English, Iowa.
Special thanks to Darlene, all of the Golden Spike and Real Life friends who loved him so well through his illness, and to Homewatch CareGivers and Hospice of North Idaho who comforted and cared for him with grace through his final weeks.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Gene Popham, please visit our flower store.
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