Obituary: St. John, Roy E.
Age 91
He was born Roy Edward St. John on October 17, 1923 near Oakesdale, WA to Fayette and Lillie V. (Tomlinson) St. John.
He attended the Bishop Country School, the Seltice Country School, and graduated from Farmington High School in 3 1/2 years in 1941.
Roy started farming with his father while in high school at Seltice and Farmington.
Roy married Edith Johnston on May 18, 1943 at Moscow, ID.
The couple made their home near Farmington where they farmed in the Seltice area.
Roy raised wheat, barley, peas and lentils during his nearly 70 years of farming.
He semi-retired in 1996 and moved from the farm into Tekoa.
For the past 6 months, he has lived at the Courtyard in Colfax.
His wife Edith passed away in December of 2014.
Roy was a lifelong Whitman County resident.
As a farmer, he was a member of the Washington Wheat Growers, the Washington Pea and Lentil Association, the Pine Creek Soil Conservation District, and was named Conservation Farmer of the Year in 1979.
Roy received the 1975 Banker’s Award from the Pine Creek Conservation District.
In Tekoa he was a member of the Tekoa Community Church, an active member of the Tekoa Boosters.
He was an honorary Chapter Farmer in the Tekoa FFA and in 2014 was named an Honorary Lifetime Member for his 50 years of support to the FFA.
He was a member of the Stateline Swingers square-dance club, and a former member of the Eagles Lodge.
His hobbies included fishing and hunting.
Survivors include one daughter Connie (Harry) Brandt of Tekoa, WA; two sons, Dan (Maureen) St. John of Oakesdale, WA and Joe (Becky) St. John of Farmington, WA; seven grandchildren; Tammy (Ignacio) Mendoza, Jeremy (Krista) Brandt, Celesta (Jon) St. John LaFountain, Josh (Cristi) Brandt, Heather (Kyle) York, Scott (Janae) St. John, Brenna (Brandon) VanDalsen; and 12 great-grandchildren; Ashley (Jake) Wissink, Mason Rutledge, Cassandra Mendoza, Tatiana Mendoza, Cierra Brandt, Kierstyn York, Lauryn York, Decker St. John, Piper St. John, Vienne LaFountain, Kasen VanDalsen and Finley St. John.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Earl and Dale St. John, a sister Virginia St. John, and his grandson Shane St. John.
Funeral services will be held Friday, March 27, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Tekoa Community Church in Tekoa, WA.
Pastor Kathy Lee Kramer will officiate at the service and burial will follow at Goldenrod Cemetery in Tekoa.
Viewing will be at Kramer Funeral Home in Tekoa on Thursday from 9 AM until 5 PM.
Memorial gifts may be given to Tekoa Community Church, Box 845, or to the Tekoa Ambulance Fund, Box 597, Tekoa, WA, 99033.
KRAMER FUNERAL HOME of Tekoa, WA is handling the arrangements.