Howard Batchelder loved people, hard work and a good laugh.
"He loved everybody. He really did," remembers Batchelder's son Richard.
His other son, Gary, nods in agreement, "He had a big heart."
Named after President William Howard Taft, Batchelder was born one of 13 children in Clinton, Iowa, on January 3, 1909. He died Sept. 9 at the age of 95.
When he was 15, with his eighth-grade year of schooling behind him, Batchelder and a friend left their homes in Wisconsin to search for work in the West. They "rode the rails" around the country, doing a variety of jobs, including a two-year stint in South Dakota, where Batchelder and his dog herded sheep. It was during this period Batchelder gave himself the nickname "Powder River Dick," a name that reflects the quirky sense of humor his children fondly recall.
Batchelder's wanderlust waned when he met a schoolteacher named Helene Brackelsberg, who taught grades one through eight at the one-room Wolf Lodge School near Coeur d'Alene. The couple married and had four children – two boys and two girls.
In the late 1930s, what began as Batchelder simply helping his neighbors haul garbage from their properties led to the first regular residential garbage service in Coeur d'Alene. In 1947, Batchelder again became a part of local history when he traveled to Michigan to purchase a load packer garbage truck for his sanitation business. The load packer was the first of its kind to operate in Idaho. In 1948, Batchelder adorned the truck with signs and proudly drove it in the Fourth of July parade.
The city assumed responsibility for residential garbage service in 1951. Batchelder, who according to his children possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, wasted no time in modifying his load packer garbage truck to accommodate his new business as a private contractor. He also bought a farm where the Shilo Inn now stands and developed a trailer court. His children laugh as they recount how Batchelder and his friend, a plumber named Harry Yates, raced donkeys around the horseshoe-shaped drive in the trailer court.
Around 1974, Batchelder retired, sold the trailer court property and bought a farm in Hayden. Not content with a quiet retirement and upon learning his grandson was allergic to cow's milk, he started a Grade-A certified goat dairy, which he operated for about 10 years. He supplied goat milk to not only his grandson, but also to numerous families in Kootenai County. Batchelder regularly gave tours of his dairy to local schoolchildren. The tours always ended with glasses of goat's milk and cookies.
Aside from Batchelder's professional contributions, he served his community as a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Pius X Catholic Church. He also served as president of a merchants' association, a precursor of the local chamber of commerce, according to his children. In his later years, he was president of his senior center.
To his friends and family, however, Batchelder is perhaps best known for they way he treated others with respect and kindness. He loved to dress as Santa Claus and deliver presents to disadvantaged families during the holidays, and he never missed an opportunity to help someone having financial difficulties.
"Mom never knew who he was bringing home for lunch or dinner," Richard remembers. "He'd see a hitchhiker, feed him and put him to work."
Batchelder's passion for life also included fishing in Hauser and Hayden lakes, playing the accordion and telling stories.
Batchelder began playing the accordion at age 15, a hobby he pursued throughout his life. During his latter years, it wasn't uncommon to find him rousing a crowd at a local senior center. Batchelder also reveled in telling stories about his life. His children remember him often being the center of attention at gatherings, where he captured the interest of all who were within earshot of his storytelling.
Although Batchelder's grown children miss the man who taught them to care for their families and others, to work hard and to be honest, they all agree he lived a full, happy and adventurous life.
"He had a great life," Gary says. "He really lived a great life."
The Spokesman-Review Sat., Nov. 13, 2004