William Henry 'Bill' Price, 90

William Henry "Bill" Price, 90, of the Wolf Lodge area, was called to Heaven and into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, on Aug. 30, 2012. He died of pneumonia while staying at Ivy Court Nursing home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Bill was born July 18, 1922, in Center Valley, Pa. He was the eldest son of Henry M. Price and Florence Keck Price. Together his parents owned and operated a 20 acre farm, Sunny Meadows, just outside of Coopersburg, Pa. Bill's descendants came to America in 1719 from Wittgenstein, Germany, and settled in Indian Creek in the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania.

The Prices were elders and preachers of the Church of the Brethren, formerly called Dunkers, a Christian church. Some were teachers, some owned large farms, and others were mill owners. During the American Revolution they provided food and shelter to any and all that were hungry and cold during the conflict.

As a young boy, William would trap muskrats in the early mornings before school. He would tan the pelts and sell them to help his family during the Great Depression. As he grew older, William worked for the Campbell's Soup Company picking tomatoes in the fields.

When he was old enough, William worked for the Bethlehem Steel Company for several years. 1939 saw the beginning of World War ll, and of course, Bill was there to serve his country. He enlisted into the United States Navy in 1940 and served aboard the U.S.S. Canberra, a heavy cruiser dispatched to the Pacific Fleet. The U.S.S. Canbera was torpedoed in 1944 off the coast of Formosa. Bill and the rest of the injured were put aboard the hospital ship "Hope." He was returned to Boston, Mass. to the Chelsea Naval Hospital.

On Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1945, Bill married Gladys G. Shuman. They were married 67 years, until his death.

After their wedding, Bill became a building contractor and real estate developer. He built hundreds of stone and brick homes in his Forest Park development in Coopersburg, Pa. He also built his family a beautiful 10-room stone home on ten acres called "Willow Springs Estate."

Bill constructed several small lakes and ponds for fire protection, irrigation, recreation, and for the water foul and wildlife in the area. Next to his beautiful stone house he constructed a large pond and stocked it with Golden Trout, Rainbow Trout and Bass.

In 1958 his friend, Reverend Oral Roberts, visited with his family and enjoyed a day of fishing. As a devoted Christian he had his own radio program on WSAN in Allentown, Pa., called "Great is Our God." Bill was the author of "The Stork's Lieutenant," based on the true story of his rescue of pregnant women with his bulldozer in the middle of historical blizzards in Pennsylvania.

As the owner of a construction company, Bill hired young men just released from jail. He would give them a place to stay and employment in his business. Bill assured them that if they gave their life to Christ, God would reward them and they could then start a whole "new" life becoming productive members of society once again.

Bill completed many schools, including Bainbridge Navel Training, Wentworth Tech, Bethlehem Business College, Moody Bible Institute, and several others. He served as the Vice Chairman of the Allentown Christian Business Men's Committee, and served in the U.S. Civil Defense Department.

In 1971, Bill and his wife Gladys wanted to move west. So, they purchased a small ranch in Idaho, and in 1972 they picked up all their belongings and moved to the Wolf Lodge area of Kootenai County with their two daughters, starting their new life on the ranch. As the owners of "Elk Mountain Ranch" they soon began to plant an orchard, start new beehives, and raise horses and border collies. The whole family pitched in to cut the hundreds of cords of wood they needed to heat the house for the next 40 years at the ranch.

Along with being a rancher, Bill started Price Realty in Coeur d'Alene, and served as the owner/broker until his health started to fail.

William Henry Price was a large, hard-working man with a big heart and a gentle soul. He will be greatly missed by a lot of people, lots of friends and family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Florence Price; brothers Paul, Timothy, John and infant brother, Henry Jr.; and by his sister Martha and Mary, all of Pennsylvania.

Bill is survived by his wife of 67 years, Gladys Geraldine Price; daughter Susan E. Dredge-Dickson; adopted daughter Angela Rose Dredge, and son Quinn Daniels, all of Coeur d'Alene; daughter Faith L. Bergem and her son, named after his grandfather, Eric William Price Bergem; brother James Price, sisters Esther Boykas and Ruth Hoffman, and many nieces and nephews all in Pennsylvania.

No services were held at the request of his wife, Gladys Price, and daughter Susan Dredge.

I'm sorry you had to go, but they were waiting for you with outstretched arms of family and friends. Waiting for your return home. It is by one's dying that one awakens to eternal life since the soul never dies.

Miss you and love you Daddy!

Your daughter and grandson,

Faith Price Bergem and Eric William Price Bergem