Charles Lewis Wickhorst

Charles Lewis Wickhorst, a gentle man, died on October 24, 2010. He is remembered by many for his strong faith, strong work ethic, and vivid stories. Charles was born December 25, 1918 to Louis Wickhorst and Alice Doughty Wickhorst in Longmont, Colorado. The family then moved to Kimberly, Idaho in 1927. Chuck told of ice skating on the canals during the winter, and, during the Depression, helped support his family with a newspaper route. At age 13, he was apprenticed to a local mechanic in Buhl, earning room and board, living above the shop, for the experience. He worked in Oklahoma City, with friends Al and Dave Walker, before being drafted in 1942. After basic training, he briefly returned to Idaho to marry Grace Malone. Chuck was deployed to North Africa and Italy, where he served as motor pool sergeant, servicing and repairing vehicles and supporting the troops on the front lines. He earned a bronze star for his courage during a crisis situation. He returned to Twin Falls and worked for various car dealerships. A son, Thomas Charles, was born in 1947. As the economy spiraled down, Grace and Chuck moved to Astoria, Oregon, where Chuck continued working as a mechanic. In 1950, the Wickhorsts returned to Idaho and, in 1951, Ellen Lee was born. The dealership Chuck was working for closed, and he declared that it was time for a holiday. The next day, seventeen cars were parked in the yard, ready for Chuck to work on them. He had become his own business. Later, he purchased the property on Washington Street that became Chuck's Auto Repair. He never retired, and if we stopped in to see Grandpa Chuck, he'd often be found repairing or tinkering in his shop. Grandpa Chuck had an undeniable sense of humor, which was especially apparent when he was telling stories of adventures motorcycling and hunting in the mountains with Fred Davis. Grandchildren remember him as a man who could fix anything yet had all the time in the world for his family. He is survived by two sisters, Edie and Colleen, a son, Tom (Donna) Wickhorst, and a daughter, Ellen (Scott) Neff. He has five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The Wickhorst family would like to offer a special thank you to Idaho Home Health and Hospice nurses, Paul and Pam. The family would also like to thank Henderson Family Chiropractic, Dr. Spencer Henderson, Candy Miller, and Janine Scott. A service will be held Saturday, October 30th at 11:00 a.m. at Parke's Funeral Home. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, October 29th at Parke's.