Henry N. Ard died Nov. 5, 2012. He was born April 19, 1919, to George and Grace Ard on a ranch in Clementsville, a small hamlet in southeastern Idaho. He attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse that was just down the road from the farm. He and his siblings had to move and set up a household in St. Anthony, where he graduated from high school.
In 1938, he entered the University of Idaho, majoring in mechanical engineering, but was called to active duty in June 1942 before he graduated. After training in the South, he was sent to England for the buildup of the European invasion forces and was finally sent to France as part of the relief groups for the Battle of the Bulge. His troop ship, the Leopoldville, was torpedoed on Christmas Eve 1944, but after a harrowing experience in the frigid English Channel he was rescued but was reported missing in action and presumed dead to his family. His unit regrouped, and he served as the commander of a battalion communication platoon of the 66th Black Panther Infantry Division in the European theater of operations. He received the Purple Heart, European Theater Operation Medal, Expert Rifleman Medal, Good Conduct Medal and much later in the 1960s retired as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.
After the war, he returned to Moscow, where he completed college, then taught engineering at the university for several semesters. He left teaching to work for Potlatch Corp., formerly Potlatch Forests Inc., in Lewiston as a design engineer. He served the last 10 years of his 26-year career as the mechanical superintendent in charge of all logging, railroad and maintenance shops in Headquarters, until retiring in 1974. In 1975, he went to work at Blount, formerly Omark Inc., as a manufacturing engineer and advanced to the position of development engineer before retiring Dec. 31, 1992.
During most of his adult life Henry was heavily involved in all branches of the Masonic Lodge. He was active in Nez Perce No. 10 AF and AM, Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Lewiston, York Rite Bodies, Ceremonial Divan Director of the Ceremonial Divan of Calam Temple of the Shrine. He served as associate guardian of Job's Daughters Bethel No. 53 and associate grand guardian of the state of Idaho for the International Order of Job's Daughters, master of several of the Masonic and Scottish Rite Bodies, obtaining the 33 and the highest degree of the Scottish Rite Masons. He was a past commander of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte Arrivee Ard; his daughter, Shannon Coffin; and his brothers Francis, Gilbert, Harold and Phil Ard; and sisters Beatrice and Frieda. He is survived by daughter Marilyn Ard Cameron; sons Alan Ard and Mike Ard; and grandchildren Colin Cameron, Jennifer Ard and Ewan Cameron.
A celebration of life will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. April 21 at the Lewiston Masonic Temple, 855 Main St.