Neil Grinolds passed away at his home in Juliaetta, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, of congestive heart failure, surrounded by his family members.
Neil was born to Ted and Vera Grinolds Sept. 30, 1939. He grew up on the family farm on Cedar Ridge where he attended the one room Cedar Ridge schoolhouse, later to graduate from Kendrick High School in 1957. His education also included Lewis-Clark Normal School and the University of Idaho.
He was later to meet his wife of 63 years, Eva May Hawley, of Grangeville. They were married in 1962, in Coeur d’Alene, and moved to the Cedar Ridge family farm.
Neil was employed with Howard and Mead, which was later known as Gem State Lumber Company, where he did various jobs such as debarker, forklift operator and drove lumber truck. He also was employed on the Gem State’s logging crew operating skid cat. He later continued logging for Everett Farrington for several years where he operated the 518-cat skidder and was also a sawyer. He later went on to work for Zimmerman Logging (later known as Darby Logging) where he operated skid cat for several years. He retired from Grinolds Logging in 2003, but retirement did not suit him so he returned to work for his good friend Doug Johns of Johns’ Construction of Juliaetta. Other retirement jobs included Jim Porter Logging, also a good friend of Neil’s, and of course, Bob and Scotty Konen, where he enjoyed showing them what a caterpillar could really do with the right operator on it.
Neil enjoyed hunting, racing motorcycles, and snowmobiles. He also enjoyed gardening, reloading and shooting, and riding his side-by-side.
He is survived by his wife, Eva, his son Jeff, Lee and Kathy Grinolds, Clifford and Becky Grinolds, several nephews and nieces, also two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his brother, Ted Grinolds, and a sister Janice Paynter.
The family plans to have a celebration of life in Juliaetta when the weather warms up in the spring. It will include a visit to Tamarack Ridge, Neil’s chosen location for his final resting place. The dates will be posted on Facebook and a small notice in the Lewiston Tribune.
