Earl. L. 'Bud' King, 93

June 2, 1923 - Aug. 5, 2016

In loving memory of Earl. L. King, daddy, grampa, great-grampa and hero to many.

Milton-Freewater, Ore., resident, Earl L. “Bud” King, 93, died at his home on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016, with members of his family at his bedside. Earl (Bud) was born June 2, 1923, in Vinita, Okla., to Elba F. and E. Mae (Fox) King.

On Nov. 9, 1943, Earl married Ione M. Hancock in Independence, Kan., following their brief honeymoon of three days. Earl returned from his Navy leave and boarded his ship, the USS Pocomoke AV-9, and immediately sailed for the Saipan Sea, its assigned area of duty in the Pacific Theater of war with Japan. Ione returned to Osage, Okla., to complete her senior year of high school and graduate.

Prior to his service in the U.S. Navy, Earl (Bud) began his working life at age 16 as a cowboy on the Mullendore Ranch in Oklahoma. He enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps working as a sail conservationist being honorably discharged on June 30, 1941, to enlist into the U.S. Navy.

He underwent basic training at USNTC at Camp Farragut on Lake Pend Oreille, with advanced training in San Diego, Calif. He trained as a boilermaker and steam engineer. Earl (Bud) was assigned to the newly commissioned USN seaplane tender Pocomoke AV-9. On two occasions aboard ship, he escaped the explosion of the boilers which propelled the ship. He was honorably discharged from Naval service in January 1946 having the rank of second class petty officer boilermaker. Bud and Ione were separated by the Pacific Theater of World War II for two years and 10 months.

Bud and Ione resumed a long 67-year life of many occupations from gas station and cafe owners to farmers, but the one we remember most was the longest one. They were farmers and ranchers of cattle. Before and during these 38 years, Bud left his mark all over the Northwest as a pipeline welder. We had moved to the Spokane, Wash., area in the summer of 1956 because he loved the area of many trees and no tornado season.

The first farm near Spokane was a small diverse acreage of cattle, pigs and chickens, and hay and the smell of meadow. In 1965, we moved to a bigger farm, seven miles south of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Mica Flats. This is what we all remember the most. They were hog, cattle, grain and hay growers there for 30 years, and members of Mica Flats Grange.

They retired to Milton-Freewater in the summer of 1995. Both of them loved this small friendly town and had many friends and neighbors. He gardened and tended his yard until he was 90 years old. He was very patriotic and, as such, became active in American Legion and VFW posts serving in various ways, never missing a Veteran’s Day Parade down Main Street. He set out flags in town for every national holiday.

Earl, known better as Bud, passed into eternity following his wife, mother and father; three brothers, two sisters and his favorite horse, Katie.

He is survived by daughters Patricia I. Kinnick and husband Gene of Finley, Wash., and Barbara F. McCoy and husband Cliff of Spokane; seven grandchildren Stacy, Kendra, Spring, Karina, Kary, Kelsey and Kayla; eight great-grandchildren Rachael, Josh, Seth, Jaxxon, Daniel, Tessa, Wafiyah and Jenaan; and honorary son, Terry Turner of Hawaii.

A celebration of his life will be held in Milton-Freewater. Contact Trish at (509) 491-0382. His son-in-law, Cliff McCoy, will officiate. Private inurnment will be in Milton-Freewater.

Memorial contributions may be made to Wounded Warriors Foundation.