Heidi Luettgerodt, 57

Heidi Luettgerodt, a longtime resident of Bonner County, passed away at Schneidmiller House in Hayden, Idaho, on June 25, 2021. She was only 57 years old.

Heidi was born in Moorhead, Minnesota, on May 5, 1964, to her father, Gerald Lee Dronen of Sharon, North Dakota, and her mother, Janet Frances Peterson of Bertha Minnesota.

When she was 2 years old, her father, mother and older brother, Gerald Lee Dronen II, moved to southern California for a job offer to her father. They settled in Redlands, a neighboring city of San Bernardino, where Heidi went to grade school. The family later moved to San Bernardino where Heidi attended San Gorgonio High School and graduated in 1983. While working at Butch’s Grinders in the “North End” of San Bernardino, Heidi met the love of her life, Chuck Luettgerodt at Pancho Villa’s night club in 1986. They were married on May 5, 1989, in Las Vegas, Nevada after a bowling tournament for Heidi’s bowling league.

Heidi continued to work in the food and hospitality industry including the Honey Baked Ham retail store as the assistant manager, and at the Payless Drug Store as the garden department supervisor, both in San Bernardino.

After her employment at Payless, Heidi became a tile setter’s assistant to her husband Chuck, performing all aspects of grouting, cleaning and overall quality control of all production pieces for two years while they were working at several job sites in the Menifee and Temecula areas until a job offer in the workers compensation and property and casualty industry from GAB Robins in Ontario came along, and she transitioned into that position seamlessly.

In the mid-1990s, Heidi went back to school and studied welding technology at San Bernardino Valley College. She completed the two-year course with honors and the required hours to take the AWS certified welder test and could “stick” weld circles around her husband Chuck. Heidi became more involved with Chuck’s aircraft maintenance and repair business at Redlands Airport so she put a career in welding on hold, but continued to keep a hand in welding and related processes for her craft and art projects.

After purchasing their property on the outskirts of Sandpoint in 1999, and after several years of summer-time construction, Heidi along with their three German shepherds became a permanent resident of Bonner County, Idaho, in 2004.

Heidi immediately became employed at Cygnus Inc. in Ponderay as their “sanitation engineer” cleaning the bathrooms and general facility janitorial work until she was promoted up through the ranks to the shipping department where she eventually became the inventory clerk for the company’s inventory department.

After her husband Chuck relocated their aircraft maintenance and repair business to Sandpoint, Heidi became the administrative officer and chief corporate accountant, including the chief sanitation engineer, the sole seamstress of the upholstery department, as well as the parts and inventory manager for the business while still performing her duties at Cygnus Inc.

Heidi was an avid quilter and enjoyed anything that she could create with a piece of fabric, a needle, some thread, her hands and or her vast assortment of sewing machines. She made many quilts and other craft projects for herself and other people, mostly of which she gave away as gifts to family and friends. Heidi enjoyed going to the fabric stores, the craft fairs, the swap meets and the antique stores while dragging Chuck along and exploiting his ability to carry all of her purchases and acquisitions.

Heidi and Chuck did not have any children, so their passion for German shepherd dogs became her replacement for children and Heidi became very involved with the breeding, training and overall upbringing of her beloved German shepherd dogs.

She enjoyed riding her four-wheeler in the surrounding mountains and on back road treks to distant destinations to camp or just for lunch. Heidi was a former member and continued corporate sponsor of the Panhandle Riders Association ATV Club.

One of Heidi’s greatest enjoyments was boating on Lake Pend Oreille and “restaurant hopping” when entertaining visiting friends and relatives during the summer months, or just spending the day with Chuck and their dogs aimlessly drifting around the lake.

Other outdoor activities Heidi enjoyed was snow shoeing and cross-country skiing on her property or the surrounding trails close to her home.

Heidi also enjoyed spending the day with Chuck at Green Bluff picking the fruits of the season, then going fabric and/or antique shopping and then on to dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, making a day of their adventures. Heidi and Chuck were always together doing other activities as well, from grocery shopping to traveling around the United States and abroad.

Heidi embraced and enjoyed the “getting back to basics” concept of the rural lifestyle in North Idaho by growing vegetables and herbs in her gardens and working in her yards of different flowers and trees, including splitting and stacking firewood for the winter seasons. Heidi loved the “five” seasons of North Idaho especially the fall with its colorful trees and the cool breezes on an otherwise warm night.

She enjoyed driving her vintage VW Double Cab pick-up truck that Chuck imported from Sweden as a present for her 51st birthday. She enjoyed driving it on their weekend adventures or just around town — especially with Jake, her German shepherd, proudly riding in the bed.

Heidi lived her life with extreme enthusiasm and vigor. She had no problem speaking her mind or giving someone the “what for” if she didn’t agree with ones behavior or didn’t care for some situation. She was a very loving, caring and opinionated person, and would unapologetically defend her position on all subjects if contested. Her strong will and perseverance were her signature traits that Chuck found attractive. She had a fire in her soul that was fierce, and she displayed that flame often and could easily turn up that flame when she felt the need.

Heidi is survived by Chuck, her devastated husband of 32 years and their German shepherd dog, “Jakob;” her brother, Jerry “Lee” Dronen II and his partner Angy Jerig; her biological father, Jerry L. Dronen; and many half- and stepbrothers and sisters, as well as many cousins, aunts and uncles. She is preceded in death by her mother, Janet; her maternal grandmother Frances Kay; her mother’s sister, Althea; and all other maternal and paternal grandparents.

A private farewell ceremony will be planned for a later date.

Family and friends are invited to sign Heidi’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.