Lawrence (Larry) Monroe Mills, 79

On Feb. 18, 2005, Lawrence Monroe Mills snuck away to be with his wife Neva Jean in heaven.

We will all miss his cartoon character personality. With his larger than life smile and always happy to see you greeting. Every meeting started with "Well Helloooo."

Services will held on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005. They will be at the Well Springs Center in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Graveside services will follow at Grandview Cemetery. There will be a potluck dinner at Chic 'n' Chop to follow that. All friends and family are invited to attend any or all events.

Larry was born Dec. 25, 1925, to Gladys and Robert Mills, and was the family's own little Christmas baby.

He spent most of his childhood in Newport, Wash. He graduated high school in Newport as a member of the class of 1944.

In 1944 he joined the Army. He served his country in World War II. He saw many things ranging from foreign land to combat. He served until 1947. He retired with the rank of sergeant.

In 1949, he met a beautiful young woman named Neva Jean Bradley from Bonners Ferry. They were wed on June 30, 1950, in Bonners Ferry at the Assembly of God church.

Larry worked for the Great Northern Railroad. They soon moved to Milan, Wash., where they lived in the depot station. They lived there until May 1951. At this time Larry went back to the gang.

Their first son, Tony was born while Larry was in Glacier, Mont. Their second child was born in 1953, their first daughter, Rose. They stayed in Bonners Ferry until 1955.

In 1955, they moved to Montana. They spent the next nine years moving from one town to the next. 1956 also saw the birth of their second son, Billy. Their second daughter, Lorna was born in 1957.

In 1964 they returned to Bonners Ferry. They lived here until his death in 2005.

In 1972 the day before Jean's 39th birthday they became grandparents. They had a total of nine grandchildren.

In 1986 Larry retired from Burlington Northern Railroad. He retired early. This allowed them to do a little more traveling. Although they never got a chance to do many things they had always hoped for.

In 2004 he lost his wife to Congestive Heart Failure. A disease that he had been battling for years. This was very hard on him. In the end he just wanted to be with her. His health declined severely after her birthday.

In 2005 he was sent to ECF at Boundary Community Hospital. Four days later, he also passed away from congestive heart failure. In actuality he probably died from a broken heart!

The railroad was not only his job. It was his life. Sometimes we thought that he ran on steam. He collected as many trains as he could get. All had a history and a story. He could tell you more than the average person needs to know about them. His home was filled with clocks, pictures, and miniatures of trains. This was truly his passion.

He loved to tell us all his fishing stories. All where true, some just stretched to make it more exciting. Even in his later years he could reel in a fish faster than you. Every fish on was "a good one." If not a good one they were "little stinkers." No matter which, they all got that little giggle of joy. If you ever fished with him, you learned something, even if it was just how to stretch the truth! Next time you catch a stinker let him go and stretch the truth. We will always miss that about him.

He was proceeded in death by his wife, Neva Jean Mills; both of his parents, Robert Mills and Gladys Falk; and a grandson, Daniel Mills.

He is survived by his daughters, Rose Marie Peterson, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Lorna Jean Jarms of Spokane, Wash.; two sons, Tony Mills of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Billy Mills of Gardener, Kan.; a brother, Ernie Mills of Yakima, Wash.; 9 grandchildren, Robert Winey, Kenneth Winey, Syrina Rose, Adam Mills, James Mills, Angel Mills, Heather Wilson, Melissa Mills, Ryan Mills; and 10 great-grandchilden, Arista, Serenity, Angela, Kelby, Liam, Ethan, Cayman, Tosha, Parker, Elena.

All of the family would like to thank you very much for all your love and support.