Harold J. Van Asche, 82
Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, Harold J. Van Asche, 82, of Pinehurst, Idaho, passed away peacefully Aug. 7, 2021, at the Good Samaritan Society in Silverton, Idaho. He was born April 7, 1939, in Los Angeles, Calif. Harold was the son of Lawrence and Susanna (Kailing) Van Asche.
On Aug. 11, 1962, Harold was united in marriage to Maxine Christensen, a widow with two young daughters whom he adopted as his own. Together, they had four more children and raised all six as one big happy family. In 1969, Harold and Maxine moved from their home in Holladay, Utah, to the Silver Valley, where Harold went to work for the Bunker Hill Mining Company in the engineering department. From there, he worked as a general contractor and had his own construction company. Later, he went to work for Shoshone County as an assessor. He then became Director of Planning and Zoning and Disaster Services. During his tenure at the county, he participated in developing the 911 system for them and was also instrumental in the development of the wonderful trail system that we have in the valley, Rails to Trails.
Harold was an active member of Jehovah’s Witnesses since 1972. He served as an elder for many years, often comforting, teaching and assisting others. He believed in the Bible’s hope of a resurrection.
As a resident of the city of Pinehurst for decades, he was known for his daily walks through town. He usually had a garden and enjoyed tending to his vegetables, particularly tomatoes. Harold also loved what North Idaho had to offer and enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor activities with his family. Harold loved to compete with his sons while engaging in those fishing and hunting activities. He had a great passion for history and research. He established the Red Sea Research Group. Over the years, he traveled to Egypt numerous times to further his research. He enjoyed sharing stories and pictures of his travels.
Harold is survived by his children, Diane (Rocky) Sauer, Charlie (Daniel) Fike, Tom (Jan) Van Asche, DeeDee (John) Betzner, Susan Cartularo and Laurence (Tamara) Van Asche; six grandchildren, Jeremy, Corey, Mackenzie, Lane, Shelbie and Lauren; along with two great-grandchildren, Austin and Bryton. Harold is also survived by his daughter from a previous marriage, Melissa Shipley and her two children; his siblings, Chris (Martha) Van Asche, Alice (Don) Stilwell, Mike Van Asche, Pat (Linda) Van Asche and Dennis (Jan) Van Asche; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Maxine; and his siblings, Art Van Asche, Rose Grogan and Marjorie Williams.
A private memorial service for the family will be held in early September. A video recording of that event will be made and a link to access will be posted on Shoshone Funeral Services’ obituaries section of its website.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in Harold’s name may be made to the worldwide work of Jehovah’s Witnesses at https://donate.jw.org/ui/E/donate-home.html#/donate or a charity of your choosing.
Shoshone Funeral Services & Crematory, Kellogg, Idaho, is entrusted with services. You may share your memories of Harold and sign his guest book at www.shoshonefuneralservice.com.
