Dwain Bumgarner Sr.

1924 - 2021

Dwain was born in Florence, Wisconsin as the youngest of ten children and grew up as the favorite of his six elder sisters. He excelled in football, baseball, and track in high school, and those were the days before football helmet facemasks, so there were plenty of bloody noses and facial abrasions to wear along with his letterman's sweater. After high school, Dwain joined the Army and was shipped overseas to fight the Nazis in France, Belgium and Germany as part of the 217th AAA Gun Battalion anti-aircraft Battery. After his proud return from the war, he moved to Janesville, Wisconsin and became a floor covering mechanic, got married to his sweetheart Rose Smith, and raised two daughters and three sons. To skip the harsh Wisconsin winters, Dwain moved the family to Washington state and eventually settled in rural Arlington on five acres that he liked to call the Lazy "B" Ranch. He continued in the flooring industry, but his work ethic was such that he always had a weekend or evening project cooking at home, such as the electricity-generating water-wheel he built on the creek that ran through the property, and the indoor swimming pool and basketball court he built from scratch as an addition to the main house. After his first wife Rose passed away from cancer in 1979, he married Ellen Olson and soon retired to live in Bend, Oregon. Retirement didn't suit him well, however, so he went to work at a local funeral home assisting in preparing the recently deceased for their final goodbyes. Years later, Dwain & Ellen moved to Yuma, Arizona where he worked as a property manager for an RV resort, and they stayed in that area through Ellen's illness and death in 2019. Dwain, at 96, was still playing military marches and sad love-songs on his accordion, swimming in the community's pool, and drinking plenty of his favorite wine, but he experienced complications from a recent triple bypass and passed away on March 17th of this year. He is survived by daughter Jean Richards of Paha, WA, son Steve Bumgarner Sr. and wife Linda of Yuma, son David Garner and wife Carol of Yucaipa, CA, and step-son John Olson of Arlington, as well as 7 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Dwain Jr. and daughter Susie. A pot-luck celebration of life will be held from 10:00 - 3:00 on Sunday, August 22nd at the home of Dwain's granddaughter Lisa Head, at 16107 84th Street NE in Granite Falls. Please sign the online guestbook if possible and raise a glass of something delicious as a toast to this hard-working, much-loved Veteran.

April 6, 1924 - March 17, 2021