Gerald Achey, 56 Gerald "Poppa Clown" L. Achey, 56, Coeur d'Alene, dies Friday at Kootenai Medical Center. Born to John and Nancy Swayne in Kearney, Neb., on Sept. 4, 1931, he was raised and educated in Medicine Bow, Wyo. He was a signalman for the railroad in Wyoming prior to joining the U.S. Air Force in 1952. He served in the Philippines, Vietnam, Greenland, Alaska and stateside. He married Marianne Delzer on Nov. 4, 1953, in Odessa, Wash. After 20 years in the service, he retired in November 1972 and settled in Coeur d'Alene. He worked for three years for Hagen and Lunceford Plumbing and Boise Cascade Homes. In 1975 he went to work for North Idaho College in the Vehicle Maintenance Division. Achey owned and operated the Coeur d'Alene Clowns and Poppa Clowns Toybox at the Post Falls Flea Market. His greatest enjoyment was to make people laugh. His hobbies included building miniature houses and trains. He was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Coeur d'Alene. Survivors include his wife at home; son Warren L. Achey of Marino Valley, Calif.; daughters Pamela A. Stevens of St. Maries and Marietta F. Harper of Mount Lake Terrace, Wash.; foster brother John Achey of Scottsbluff, Neb.; half brothers Larry E. Wayne, Jerome Swayne and Leland Swayne, all of Vacaville, Calif; sisters Beverly Prather of Rock Springs, Wyo,. half sisters Loretta Emery of Steuvenville, Ohio, Georgia Forsyth and Janice Swayne of southern California; four grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by son, Melvin, in December of 1969; brother, Howard, in December of 1986. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d'Alene chapel, with the Rev. Ron Hunter officiating. Private burial will follow in Odessa, Wash. Visitation will be until 8p.m. Tuesday. ____________________________________________________________________ name of newspaper: Spokane Chronicle location: Spokane, Washington date of article: Tuesday, December 22, 1987 issue: 102nd year, number 66 page: C4 or 14 column: 1 source: https://newspapers.com/image/567263857 ... OBITUARIES ------------------- Gerald L. Achey Service for Gerald L. Achey, known as "Poppa Clown." will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d'Alene. Private burial will follow in Odessa. Mr. Achey, 56, died Friday at Kootenai Medical Center. He was born in Nebraska. Mr. Achey grew up in Wyoming and was a railroad signalman before joining the Air Force in 1952. During his 20 years in the Air Force he served in the Philippines, Vietnam, Greenland and the United States, including Alaska. Upon his retirement from the service, he moved to Coeur d'Alene and worked for Hagen and Lunceford Plumbing and Boise Cascade Homes. In 1975 he began working for the North Idaho College vehicle maintenance division. He owned and operated the Coeur d'Alene Clowns and Poppa Clown's Toybox at the Post Falls Fleamarket. He enjoyed building miniature houses and trains. Mr. Achey was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Coeur d'Alene. Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Marianne; one son, Warren L. Achey of Marino Valley, Calif.; two daughters, Pamela A. Stevens of St. Maries and Marietta G. Harper of Mountlake Terrace, Wash.; one foster brother; three half-brothers; one sister; three half-sisters; and four grandchildren. ... ____________________________________________________________________ name of newspaper: The Spokesman Review location: 999 West Riverside Avenue Spokane, Washington 99201 phone: +1-509-747-4422 website: https://www.spokesman.com/ date of article: Wednesday, November 04, 1953 issue: 71st year, number 174 page: 6 or 8 column: 4 about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spokesman-Review source: https://newspapers.com/image/568446834 ... -------------- WAITING PERIOD WAIVED DAVENPORT, Wash., Nov. 3.--Judge W. M. Nevins signed a waiver of the three-day wait period allowing a marriage licence to be issued immediately to Gerald L. Achey, 22, Larson air base airman, and Marianne Delzer, 15, Odessa. -------------- ... ____________________________________________________________________ name of newspaper: Spokane Chronicle location: Spokane, Washington date of article: Saturday, August 10, 1985 (main edition) issue: 99th year, number 276 page: 12 or 17 column: 3 source: https://newspapers.com/image/569538304 ... -------------- DELZER, Richard G. - Passed away August 9,1985 in Davenport, WA. His home, Odessa, WA. Survived by his wife, Elsle Delzer, at the home; two sons, Harvey Delzer, Odessa, WA, Walter Delzer Hamilton, Tacoma, WA; three daughters and sons-in-law, Della and Carl Meiaas, Spokane, Marianne and Gerald Achey, Coeur d'Alene, ID, Devonna and Herb Makie, Elgin, OR; one brother, Edward Delzer, Spokane; two sisters, Adeline Luce, Spokane, Ruth Schoessier, Grandview, WA; 13 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren. Member of United Congregational Church, Charter member Odessa Grange. funeral Service, Monday, August 12, 1985 at 11 a.m. United Congregational Church, Odessa, WA, Rev. R. E. Middleton, offciating. Interment, Odessa Cemetery. Memorials may be made to United Congregational Church or Odessa Cemetery Chapel Fund, Box 246, Odessa, WA 99159. STRATE FUNERAL HOME, Davenport, WA in charge. -------------- ... ____________________________________________________________________ name of newspaper: Port Angeles Evening News location: Port Angeles, Washington date of article: Monday, December 15, 1969 issue: 214th issue of 54th year page: front page column: 2 about: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86071979/ source: https://newspapers.com/image/16557001 ... Youth drowns in mishap in Neah Bay An 11-year-old boy drowned in a mishap Saturday afternoon at neah Bay, according to a report from Joe Etheridge, grounds safety officer at the Makah Air Force Base. Melvin Achey, son of Staff Sgt. and Mrs. Gerald L. Achey, was playing with a companion on logs at Hobuck Creek, when he slipped into the water and was trapped between two logs. His companion finally pulled him out of the water and ran to the nearby trailer court for help. Don Strong on Norman's Ambulance Service, administered mouth to mouth resuscitation for 10 minutes, then took the boy to the base dispensery where external cardiac massage was administered for five minutes. He was prnounced dead at 4:55 p.m. The boy who pulled him from the water was not identified. Funeral services will be Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Strate Funeral Home, Odessa, Wash. ... ____________________________________________________________________ name of newspaper: Spokane Daily Chronicle location: Spokane, Washington date of article: Wednesday, March 15, 1972 issue: 86th year, number 151 page: 11 column: 7 about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokane_Daily_Chronicle about: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86072020/ source: https://newspapers.com/image/578005622 Air Force Civil Engineering Officer Wins Meritorious Service Medal --- S. Sgt. Gerald L. Achey, whose wife, Marianne, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Delzer, Odessa, recently received the Air Force commendation Medal at Finley Air Force Station, N.C., for service as a plumber at Selfridge Air Force Base, Mich. ... ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeur_d%27Alene,_Idaho https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Kootenai_County,_Idaho_Genealogy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa,_Washington https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Lincoln_County,_Washington_Genealogy