Walter Krein

Walter Krein, 85, passed away on Monday, February 26, 2007, at home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, surrounded by his wife and children, after a long battle with cancer. Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, March 3, 2007 at Coffelt's Funeral Chapel, 109 N. Division Ave., in Sandpoint, Idaho. Burial will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Sandpoint, Idaho. Walt was born April 20, 1921, to Christian and Christina Krein at Lavell, Idaho. He spent his childhood years in American Falls and graduated from American Falls High School. He attended Idaho State College for two years where he played football and studied forestry. A member of the Greatest Generation, he then joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II as a B-26 bomber pilot. Upon his discharge from the military, he joined the Idaho State Police and served as a patrolman in the Sandpoint region for two years. After being accepted into the U.S. Border Patrol, and assigned to duty in West Texas, he asked the love of his life, Doreen Ann Howell to marry him by saying, “Would you like to go to Texas?” The couple married on May 10, 1949. Walt was a career Border Patrol pilot, stationed on both the Canadian and Mexican borders, and retired in El Paso, Texas, at the age of 56. He enjoyed a 30-year retirement and remained involved by attending national Border Patrol conventions and monthly luncheons with fellow retired officers in Spokane. An avid outdoorsman, Walt enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, and trekking into the wilderness on horseback. He loved working in the yard and tending to his beautiful roses and was able to maintain his love for flight by spending countless hours “flying” on his computer. Walt also loved to read and particularly enjoyed history, especially books about the Civil War and the Lewis and Clark expedition. His greatest joy in life was spending time with his family, and he often traveled to Arizona, Tennessee, and Texas to visit them. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Doreen, of Coeur d’Alene; his son and daughter-in-law, Steven Walter and Susan Krein of Kingsport, Tennessee; his daughter, Debra Long, of Phoenix, Arizona; and his daughter and son-in-law, Michele and Andy Haddad of El Paso, Texas. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Stephanie and Amanda Krein; Meghan Freeney and Rachel Long; and Aaron and Mark Haddad; and one great-grandchild, Isaiah Freeney. Two brothers, Wilbur and Ted Krein, and two sisters, Ruth Stevens and Lucille Balis, also survive him. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Douglas Allen Krein. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Walt was a quiet, but strong, man loved by all who knew him. He will be greatly missed.