Billy Jack Clark

Bill Clark passed away peacefully on March 24, 2022 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with his family by his side. Services will be held at 2:00 pm on April 23 ^rd at the United Methodist Church in Bonners Ferry.

Billy Jack Clark was born in Sandpoint, Idaho on April 13, 1937. A sister, Susan, joined him ten months later. His family moved to Moyie Springs when he was in the first grade. He graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1955. He worked at the bakery for a time when he was in high school. His favorite part of that job was frosting the maple bars.

After graduation he joined the National Guard and took his basic training in Fort Ord, California. He also worked for the Creamery and Hines Chevrolet in Bonners Ferry. He and a friend drove to Seattle to work for Boeing but after the training program, Boeing laid off many of their workers so “last hired, first fired” he came back to Bonners Ferry.

Jobs were hard to come by so he moved to Minnesota near his grandmother and an uncle. In 1962, he married Cathy Carpenter. They had one son and two daughters. He was heavy equipment operator in a gravel pit for many years. He also worked for a tile company and laid tile for many years. He loved to fish and spent many hours on the ice in his fish house during the winter and on their pontoon boat in the summer. He and Cathy kept busy with their kids’ sports schedules but they found time for good friends and happy times.

For Bill, though, Bonners Ferry was always home. He came back for every class reunion or when he was laid off in the winter. After he retired, he and Cathy built a log house near Moyie Springs. However, Cathy’s home was Minnesota with her family, friends and memories, so Billy moved back to Bonners Ferry alone.

In 1997, Bill and Nona Kaye (Linnemeyer) Barton were married – and two families became one. He loved hunting, fishing, golf, bowling, and playing cribbage with friends. He converted part of the garage into a workshop where he spent many hours making trucks, toy chests, wooden deer and anything that came from Nona Kaye saying, “I’ve been thinking”!

Bill is survived by Nona Kaye, Cathy Clark and Sue (Chichi) Brawn. Daughters: Patty Miller, Shelly (Larry) Steckman, Sons: Bill (Margie) Clark and Ken (Nely) Barton. Grandsons: Joe Miller, Kenny Barton and Jacob (Haley) Krejci. Granddaughters: Katie (Dakota) Miller, Lexi Clark, Suzi Link, Danielle (Austin) Springer, Amelia (Victor) Elizondo and Natalie Barton. Great-grandkids: Jaxon and Zander Springer, Noah and Oliver Elizondo and Emberlynne Krejci and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Bill Clark, mother, Mary (Clark) Mesenbrink and brother-in-law Phil Brawn, daughter, Tina Clark and son-in-law Bob Miller. He will be missed.