Boundary County ID Archives Obituaries.....Castles, Charles “Chuck” July 25, 2004
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Volunteer Volunteer Idaho1417@gmail.com May 21, 2007, 11:14 pm

Bonners Ferry Herald, Thursday, August 5, 2004

Charles “Chuck” Castles, 87, of Bonners Ferry passed away quietly on July 25,
2004 after an extended illness at the Boundary County Nursing Home.
   Castles was born on April 4, 1917 in Hiko, Nev. To Charles and Urba Eta
Castles.  They lived on his father’s cattle ranch there until his father’s death.
   He often told the story of how hard everyone had to work and that didn’t
leave any time for someone to watch him when he was a toddler.  They decided
that they had the perfect solution – an old horse called “Nellie” that Chuck
dearly loved to sit on.
   All went well until the horse got hungry.  When she would eat, she would pull
the reins out of Chuck’s hands.  He would start bellowing until someone came and
pulled her head back up and gave the reins back to him.
   One day the came up with the plan to put a feedbag on Nellie so she couldn’t
eat.  All was well until the sun started beating down on them and Nellie decided
to go get a drink.  The poor horse almost drowned itself all the while little
Chuck was screaming bloody murder and hanging on for dear life…
   Castles learned a lot on the ranch from the ranch hands.  He said he started
smoking when he was just seven and burned down the bunkhouse while practicing. 
He learned a work ethic that stayed with him the rest of his life and he always
spoke fondly of those days.
   After his father’s death, Chuck and his mother moved around trying to survive
by working odd jobs.  They lived in California and Nevada before moving to
Bonners Ferry.  Chuck attended high school in Bonners Ferry and then went back
to Nevada and worked as a carpenter on some of the first casinos in Las Vegas.
   He also spent time in the Cee Cee Camps as a heavy equipment operator and
eventually bought his own dozer and worked in the logging industry.
   He met Peggy Sinclair and they were together for over 13 years.  He kept busy
trying to help her raise six children.  Peggy passed away and Chuck was then a
grandfather and was very proud to be known as “Pa Puck” for many years.
   As the years passed, Chuck started noticing a pretty little lady that he used
to know when he was a teenager.  He finally got up the nerve to ask her to go to
dinner with him and she accepted.  That was the beginning of a short, but
wonderful life with Wanda Johnson.
   They danced, traveled, laughed and had a special kind of love.  They were
together for eight short years until Wanda passed away with cancer.
   Chuck went into the nursing home at that time.  He was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s and spent many days feeling very sad, but not remembering what
exactly he had lost.  He knew it was something pretty rare and wonderful.
   Although Chuck couldn’t remember a lot of things, he didn’t forget how to
dance.  His stepdaughter Jenny would go over to the nursing home and they would
dance when they would have entertainment of music.  They would go on walks and
visit with people in the Community Restorium across the street.  Chuck always
enjoyed the people.
   He never lost his sense of humor and even when you would look at him and
think to yourself, “There’s nobody home in there, “ he would surprise people and
say something funny.  This happened right up until the end with the girls who
worked at the nursing home.
   Chuck is survived by a son Ken Castles, stepchildren Marla Bohne of Post
Falls, Mary Ann Ames of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, Ron Sinclair of Post Falls, Jenny
Fessler of Bonners Ferry and Randy Sinclair of Mt. Vernon, Wash.  His stepson
Hugh Sinclair passed away on June 10.  He had several grandchildren and a great
grandchild.
   Huck leaves us with a lot of memories.  He always was an honest man who could
be counted on when needed.  He had earned the love and respect of many whom have
passed on before him and those of us who are left.
   We will miss you Chuck.


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