Earl Alfred Chapin

Earl Alfred Chapin passed away on July 9th. He was born in Pierre South Dakota to Frank Forrest and Nora May (Henneman) Chapin on March 27th, 1932.  When he was 3, the family had to leave the dust bowl area to find a new home. The search ended in Edgemere Idaho. 

Earl went to Edgemere school through 8th grade, high school in Spirit Lake, and graduated from Priest River high when the family moved there his senior year. After school he worked in several local mills, settling at Pack River Mill in Dover. He married JoAnn Fern Lynch in 1950 and they had 3 children; Carol, Cliff, and Ken.  They built a new home, and the family of 5 moved into it in 1955. Earl and JoAnn divorced in 1960.

Earl started collecting guns and antiques for additional income. He and his sons built a stone building next to the house to display them. He met Beverly Ann Bacon Winfrey and they married in 1967. She and her son Dave Winfrey moved into the family home. Bev was a counselor at the high school which gave them summers to hike, bike and fly.

In 1974 Earl retired from the mill and worked full time on his collectibles. He had a super cub that he flew in the Idaho outback and a 172 Cessna that he and Bev flew for long trips and to gather collectibles. They loved to travel! They flew all over the United States, traveled to several countries, and went on several cruises. 

Bev passed in 2014 and Earl went to live with his son, Ken, in 2017.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents, sister Dorothy Monk and brother Mason Chapin.  He is survived by his children Carol Cressey & Earl White, Cliff & Linda (Neely) Chapin, Ken & Paula (Gardner) Chapin, Dave and Sally (Van Diest) Winfrey and an adopted daughter Marsha O’Dell Elliot and husband Mike. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren