Neale Hoisington

4/15/1932 — 10/20/2021

• Service Date: 11/20/2021
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Neale Ray Hoisington, 89, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, at his home in Juliaetta.

He was the seventh child of nine. His parents were Cletis Frank and Beatrice Minnie (Prentiss) Hoisington. Neale was born, April 15, 1932, at home on Potlatch Ridge near Juliaetta.

Neale was a life-long resident of Nez Perce and Latah Counties attending Stony Point school through the eighth grade and Lapwai High School, graduating in 1950. In 1951, Neale was the rider for the Kendrick Cattlemen’s Association. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952. Neale served as a top-secret cryptographic specialist. He was assigned to the 8309th Signal Corps in Honolulu from April 1953 to September 1954.

On May 18, 1957, he married Unis Westendahl in Kendrick. They later divorced.

The year was 1957 when Neale and H.J. “Woody” Woodworth barged a herd of 28 Hereford and Scotch Highland cattle to Sanak Island about 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The 60-foot-by-18-foot barge was propelled by two diesel engines and took 20 days to travel from Seattle to Sanak.

In 1963, Neale and Unis moved to Simeonof Island, Alaska, and wintered on Chirakof Island.

In the summer of 1964, Neale worked on a fishing boat skippered by Lawrence Yatzminof, a natural born fisherman. Taking nine weeks, they made the largest haul of 96,800 salmon to the cannery at False Pass between the peninsula and the Aleutians.

Neale began riding horses at the age of 4 or 5, starting out on his dad’s little bay mare, Elsie. Over the years, he was assisted by several horses and four border collies. Snooks was a sorrel mare. Hall’s Flame was a thoroughbred stallion originally owned by Ted Hall, George Hatley, and then by Neale. Neale got two good geldings from the stallion, Spooked and Herkimer.

His dogs included Pat, a female border collie who worked cattle and sheep during the years in Alaska. Part of that time, Neale operated a 60 foot power barge, Western 1, picking up fish from a boat and taking it to the cannery at King Cove. He also hauled 96 wild sheep from Chirakof to Simeonof. Neale stated that without Pat rounding up the sheep in a short time, he would have never gotten the sheep loaded on the barge. Spike was a white male border collie. Shoosh (named after a niece because both dog and niece had freckles) and Joey were both female border collies.

After returning to the Lower 48 in the fall of 1964, he was a contract mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for 19 years when he wasn’t tending to cattle. Neale also worked at the Gem State Lumber Mill as a boiler fireman. He and Bruce Sherman were partners in the Cedar Creek Cattle Company for 12 years. He admitted that his life centered around “cows, cows and cows.” Ben Jain, a rustic cowboy around the area, stated he had never seen a better herd of Charolais cattle than those Neale raised.

Neale met Marilynn Robb Lagergren where she worked at the Kendrick Drive-In. On Aug. 9, 1983, Neale and Marilynn were married at her friend Clara Queener’s home in Lewiston. Neale acquired two sons, Chuck and Mike, when he and Marilynn tied the knot.

In his spare time, Neale perfected his skill in leather work, making 22 sets of bridle reins, two of which were sold and most of the rest were given away. Neale also excelled at woodworking by crafting cedar chests, picture frames and other odds and ends.

Neale was preceded in death by his parents Cletis and Bea Hoisington; brothers Arnold, Frank, Phil and Lauren; sisters Vivian Blair and Cleta Mae King; and nieces Colleen Blair and Tina Hoisington.

Survivors include his wife, Marilynn; sons Chuck (Sheila) Lagergren and Mike (Dana) Lagergren; grandchildren Bo, Lane and Jacob Lagergren, Kristina Keener; great-grandchildren Kaylin Keener, Corey Lagergren, Whitney Leiser; brothers Jim (Linda) Hoisington and Don (Elaine) Hoisington; as well as several nieces and nephews who adored him.

A service is set for 11 a.m. Nov. 20 at the Kendrick Veterans of Foreign Wars with a covered-dish meal.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Kendrick VFW or J-K Ambulance EMTs.

Service Information

Date & Time

Saturday, November 20, 11:00 AM

Location

Kendrick VFW Hall
301 B Street
Kendrick, Idaho 83537

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