Gene Leinweber

Gene Leinweber, lifelong Colfax resident, passed away Monday, February 4, 2019, at the Whitman Health & Rehab Center in Colfax. He was 93. Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 11th, at 11:00 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church. Burial will be in the Colfax Cemetery. Friends may call at Bruning Funeral Home on Friday from 9 - 5 and at the church for two hours prior to services.

Eugene Edwin Leinweber was born April 30, 1925, in St. Maries, Idaho, to Alexander and Elizabeth Morasch Leinweber. He was the middle child of three; one sister and one brother. Gene moved with the family to Colfax when he was three years old. They settled on a farm in the Wilcox area. He attended the one-room schoolhouse there and Hamilton Grade School in Colfax until the eighth grade. Gene helped his family on the farm and he also found work as a laborer for other farmers in the neighborhood.

He met and married the love of his life. Gene and Queenie Hulse married May 18, 1948, in Moscow, Idaho. They made their home in Colfax and Gene worked for Moore Furniture briefly before starting a job at Robideaux Buick. In 1949, Gene started as a parts man for Jones Truck & Implement. During his tenure at Jones Truck, Gene made many friends and was well known for his ready smile, honesty and hard work. He spent many years as the sales manager there before retiring after 46 years in 1995. He continued to farm throughout this time and worked the land, usually after his day job was over, at Winona and Colfax. He also found time to spend with his three children and the family enjoyed several trips to Canada and National Parks.

Gene and Queenie built a home just west of town in 1965. Gene and Queenie travelled a lot after retirement. They enjoyed several cruises and a trip to Europe as well as all over the U.S. They moved into Colfax about five years ago. Some of Gene's fondest memories were of time spent with the children and later the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved spending time with all of them at their lake home on Cave Bay. He also loved his job at Jones Truck & Implement and felt like he had an extended family there.

Gene will be missed by many in the community, but especially by his wife of 70 years, Queenie; his children, Terry Leinweber and Kathy (Greg) Mayer, and his daughter-in-law, Georgie Leinweber all of Colfax; three grandchildren, Nic (Sarah) Mayer, Heidi (Andy) Ballard, and Heather (Todd) Strader; and by six great-grandchildren of whom he was so proud, Queenie, Stone, Austin, Asher, Grant and Ava. Gene was preceded in death by a son, Randy, in 1993; by his brother, Larry; and his sister, Louise Hutchens.

The family suggests memorial gifts in his memory be to Peace Lutheran Church, 309 N. Lake St., Colfax, WA. 99111 or to a charity of choice. On-line guest book is at http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of the arrangements.