Vernon Joseph Beitz was born in Hillsboro, North Dakota on January 6, 1926 to John and Frances Beitz. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on January 31, 2020.
Vernon started school in a two room schoolhouse in Hillsboro before attending school in Lacey and Oroville, Washington. Early in life Vernon already had in mind what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wants to be a farmer. In 1939, when the Beitz family moved to Oroville he immediately began working for different people in the Agriculture Industry doing backbreaking jobs at the age of 14. Later, he worked for the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District, Great Northern Railroad and helped build the bridge west of Oroville.
In the 1950’s, Vernon and his brother Alfred got a contract to supply firewood for the Oroville School District heating system. For three years they supplied the school with over a thousand cords of firewood cut from Whistler Canyon, the Dry Gulch area and Gordon Mooney Place near Sidley Lake. In 1955, the Beitz Brother’s Ready Mix business was formed and developed north of Oroville, near the Deep Bay area. They did road work and other Ready Mix odd jobs in the Oroville and Tonasket areas. For three years they hauled thousands of yards of gypsum to Ellisforde for the Cool Company’s refinery. When the apple trees were starting to bear in their orchards, they sold the plant to Verbeck Brothers of Tonasket to focus their effort on the farm, raising apples and a herd of cattle. Vernon pretty much spent his life on the farm raising fruits and cattle.
While farming, Vernon who loved the outdoors, with family and friends, made a lot of trips deer and elk hunting the wilderness of the Blue Mountains, Montana and Idaho, to Grand Tetons of Wyoming. Many times those hunts were pretty successful. With horses, the family also fished the lakes of the Pasayten Wilderness during the summer months and many other lakes in the area. Vernon was an avid supporter of the Second Amendment. He believed in the right to keep and bear arms faithfully supporting the NRA. He was a member of the Tonasket Gun Club and shot trap for many years.
Vernon is preceded in death by his parents, brother Alfred and sister Mildred Thomas. He is survived by his loving and caring wife of 35 years, Noveleta; children from the first marriage, Vernette (Steve) Gilmore and Jesse (Laura) Beitz; three granddaughters, Sarah, Rachell and Amanda; nieces, Carol (Tom) Sherman, Kristin (Nathaniel) Overman and Karen (Joel) Pearl and numerous Reverentes and Hanolds family members.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Oroville Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1715 Main Street, Oroville, WA, 98844 with Father Luta officiating, followed by a lunch reception at the church basement. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Immaculate Conception Church Annual Catholic Appeal.
Bergh Funeral Service & Crematory is in care of arrangements.
