Eugene “Gene” Vetter passed away from heart failure at his home in Pollock Pines, California, on November 27, 2024. Gene was born July 23, 1948, in Grangeville. He was the son of Maynard and Helen Vetter.
The family moved from Grangeville to the Moyie Springs area in the early 1950s. Gene spent the rest of his youth in Boundary County. He attended Evergreen elementary, Valley View elementary and graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1967. After high school Gene moved to the Seattle area. For a short time while there he worked for Boeing. He quit working for Boeing to enlist in the United States Navy.
While in the navy Gene reached the rank of Electricians Mate 1st Class. He served aboard the USS Newport News, the USS Shasta and others. While serving aboard ship he visited 27 foreign countries, including multiple trips to Viet Nam. He finished his navy time in 1973 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
After his military service Gene decided to stay in California and he lived there for the rest of his life. Gene was an accomplished industrial millwright and worked all over the United States for several different maintenance companies.
For health reasons he was forced to stop working in the late 1990s.
Prospecting for gold and riding his Harley were his two real passions in life. Like all prospectors, Gene was convinced that the big strike was just a few feet from where he was digging. Even though he never found the pot of gold, he never lost the dream.
Riding his bike was equally important. Gene rode hundreds of thousands of miles all over the west coast. If you were riding with Gene you had two choices. Choice one was a heart pounding boot dragging white knuckle ride that got you to your destination the same time as him. Choice two was to ride like a normal person and get to the destination ten minutes after him and, the same old question. “What took you so long?”
Gene took his last ride just two short weeks before he passed.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Maynard and Helen Vetter, older brother Dave Vetter and brother-in-law Herman Mesenbrink.
He is survived by his brother Les [Lois] Vetter, Moyie Springs, sister Carol Mesenbrink, Rathdrum, and several nieces and nephews.
Happy trails bro. You will be missed.