Walter George Hightshoe, 66, of Bemidji, MN died Friday, October 11, 2019 at home in the arms of his loving wife, Karen.
He was born July 9, 1953 to Charles and Bertha (Stella) Hightshoe in Nebish, MN. He grew up in Nebish on the family farm and graduated from Blackduck High School in 1971.
Walt married Donna (Smythe) in 1974, and they moved to Montana where he worked with Tim Mistic logging. While living in Montana, they welcomed their first daughter Brandy. Walt and Donna returned to Nebish in 1978 and welcomed daughter Chenoa and later Sarah.
Walt drove truck for many years, starting with a milk truck for his neighbor, Arlak Kaasa. In later years, he also drove for Rodney Benson followed by Leroy Anderson.
In the mid-80s he started his own logging business, and worked in the woods until 2000. He also started building and selling homes, and continued to drive logging truck for Owen & Wentworth.
In December 1999, Walt married his sweetheart Karen, and gained four more daughters.
Walt liked to hunt & fish, and raised pheasants for many years. He enjoyed building & flying model airplanes, gardening and tinkering and fixing on everything from small engines to restoring a Farm-All tractor. He enjoyed going to the family farm, where his brothers still farm, and wouldn’t hesitate to hop on a tractor to help out or fix on a piece of equipment that wasn’t working right. He loved animals and had many dogs through the years, as well as a Llama. You wouldn’t be surprised to stop by for a visit and find Walt watching a good western on TV.
But more than anything, Walt loved spending time with Karen, his seven girls and all his grandkids, and recently welcomed and held his first great-grandchild.
Walt retired from driving logging truck in 2009, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He bravely fought lung cancer, never complaining. He was later diagnosed with brain cancer, and he never gave up and never stopped smiling. He enjoyed the saying “You can’t scare me; I have seven daughters”. Walt spent many days talking with God and when complications from COPD finally took him, we knew he would be in God’s hands.
He is survived by his wife, Karen, father-in-law Karsten Verke, daughters Brandy (David) Kaasa, Chenoa (Ryan Kryck) Robnik, Sarah (Troy) Gillman, step-daughters Angela (Steve) Lyseng, Shanon Kalbrener, Donelle (Josh) Anderson, Kayla (Mitch) Salin, 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Siblings Evelyn Walters, Lorraine Knighton, Jerald Hightshoe, Dorothy Molash, Betty Sisson and Carl Hightshoe; Karen’s brothers and sisters and spouses, and 12 nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles & Stella, brothers Bernard Hightshoe and Floyd Hightshoe.
A celebration of life with be held Sunday, October 20, 2019, at The Bluebelle Event Venue, 4710 Jacks Rd NW. The service will begin at 1 pm, followed by a time of sharing and luncheon.
Guest at www.OlsonSchwartzFuneralHome.com