J.D. (James Dennis) Lauer

James Dennis (J.D.) Lauer passed away peacefully on July 23, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Regional
Medical Center, Lewiston, Idaho after a short hospital stay following a fall outside of church
Saturday night and breaking his hip. He was born August 20, 1938, at the Mader place near
Keuterville to Joe and Rosemary Arnzen Lauer.

J.D. attended grade school in Greencreek, Idaho and graduated from Greencreek High School in
1956 at which time he began working at John Hoene Implement in Grangeville. Due to a
motorcycle accident that left him in a coma for three days, he was unable to join the active
military but did join the National Guard involving weekends in Boise where he cooked for the
servicemen. He married Carol Gehring on Sept. 5, 1960, in Keuterville, Idaho.

At Hoene Implement he started as a parts man and eventually became an equipment salesman.
He recited part numbers in his sleep and knew what equipment every farmer on the Prairie had
in their machine shed. Many a farmer showed up at our house in the evenings during harvest
needing a part. He would put us kids in the back of the pickup and off we’d go to get the
specific part that evening. He even made side rails for the back of the pickup advertising
Hoene’s Sales, Service and Parts. In 1977, he became a co-owner of Prairie Equipment, the
successor of Hoene’s. He returned to Hoene’s in Grangeville for several years. In 1984, he
began working for Seubert Excavators on crushers and eventually became a shop foreman. He
retired in 2003 but continued to flag for them for several years.

J.D. was very involved in the community. He served in every capacity for the JayCees and the
Lions Club being instrumental in many community projects. He was an ambulance EMT going
on calls all hours of the day and night. He was a founding member of the Cottonwood Federal
Credit Union serving on the board and loan committee until 2002.

His hobbies included flying, farming, woodworking and camping. JD obtained his pilot’s license,
bought a plane and thoroughly enjoyed flying all over the state for 20+ years. Flights with J.D.
included dropping parts into fields all over the Prairie! J.D. and Carol also enjoyed milking cows
(automatic milkers for 3-4 cows), selling the milk and eggs to townspeople from an outside
refrigerator under the deck, raising cattle, and other various livestock over the years on their
small farm on the edge of Cottonwood. The family enjoyed camping and four wheeling for
many years in the Idaho mountains. In retirement, J.D. and Carol started traveling and
spending winters in Yuma with many of their friends. During this time, they also enjoyed
attending their grandchildren’s school and sporting events in Boise and Spokane.

J.D. is survived by his children: daughter, Amy and her husband, Dean Schaecher; son, Doug and
his wife, Kim; grandchildren, Tessa and her husband Reuben Van Herk, Jace and his wife Lilly,
Austin Schaecher, Courtney and her husband, Andrew Enzler, and Jenna Lauer; his great
grandchildren, Mavrick and Caroline Van Herk; and his sisters-in-law; Anna Gehring, Claudia Gehring and Shirley Gehring, and many nieces and nephews who he enjoyed, who he laughed
with, and who were so good about helping him with his daily challenges these last few years.

He was preceded in death by his wife Carol, his parents: Joe and Rosemary Lauer, brothers;
Elroy and his wife Shirley, and Wayne ‘Tiny’, his in laws; Ted and Inez Gehring, Ethel and Delmar
Rad, Dorothy and Willie Kaschmitter; Jim and Bette Gehring, Bob Gehring, Dave Gehring and Vic
Gehring.

He was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church with a very strong faith. On July 23 rd , J.D.
decided he was done with life on earth. His body was just worn out. His wife and parents came
and took him home as he smiled in recognition with his last breath. We can hear the Lauer boys
laughing and telling stories, and all the visiting going on with NO hearing aids. But we bet Dad is
probably still talking loudly.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 3:30 PM, Saturday, July 27 th , 2024, at St. Mary’s Catholic
Church, Cottonwood, with a rosary preceding the service at 3:00. There will be a dinner at the
Keuterville Community Hall after the service. The family would enjoy seeing everyone at the
dinner. A private graveside burial will take place Monday at the Cottonwood Cemetery.
If desired, memorials can be made in J.D.’s name to Holy Cross Chapel, c/o St. Mary’s Parish,
508 Church St., Cottonwood, ID 83522, or Monastery of St. Gertrude, 465 Keuterville Rd.,
Cottonwood, ID 83522.

Blackmer Funeral Home, Grangeville, is in charge of the arrangements.