Earl & Judy Lunceford
The Lunceford family have had six generations who have called Coeur d’Alene their home. The family history began in the 1900’s when Sam Lunceford, father of three sons, arrived in Coeur d’Alene.
Leaving his family behind, he travelled from New York by way of Minnesota and finally on to the territories of Montana and Idaho. Subsequently his wife and three sons: Frank, Ruben and Earl ,followed. Frank Andrew Lunceford, the oldest, married Clara Berg in Frazee, Minnesota and had two sons, Charles Amor born in1915 and Earl George born in 1916.The family travelled west together and settled in Coeur d’Alene in 1922. Both Earl and Charles attended Coeur d’Alene High School and North Idaho College. In 1939 Earl married June Kelly, who also attended Coeur d’Alene High School.
The Kelly family had a long heritage also starting with William John Kelly, who came from County Claire, Ireland. He settled in Poughkeepsie, New York where he married Delaney LeClaire. Together they also travelled west, after hearing that President Grover Cleveland had declared land in Idaho open to be homesteaded.
They arrived in 1886 and homesteaded on land known then as French Gulch with three children: Annie, Alice and John William. Later Agnes, George, Gertrude, Nora ,James and Margaret were born into the family in Coeur d’Alene.
John William Kelly, as a young man, married Jeanette Fortin. John had inherited the family homestead and together he and Jeanette started what became known as the K-Bar Ranch. They had five children, Robert, Dorothy, June, Ruby and Maxine. The five children grew up on the K-Bar Ranch in what is now known as Fernan. Dorothy married Ed Rheams in 1939 as did Earl and June. Ruby married Robert Montandan in 1943 and Maxine, the youngest ,died in a horse riding accident at the age of 12.
Earl Lunceford started a cabinet making business in his shop on North 10th Street. As the years past both he and June worked for many years for the U.S. Forest Service. In 1940 Earl George Lunceford Jr. was born ,and in 1945 his sister Linda Louise was born.
Charles Lunceford married Anne Upchurch in 1951 and had two children: Anne Marie born in 1954 and Rob born in 1957.
As the years passed, Linda married Jack Poole in 1962 and had three sons, Mark, Mike and Brent. They have resided in Coeur d’Alene all their lives and now have six grandchildren to add to their heritage.
Earl George Lunceford Jr., known as EG, married Joanne Bowles and had five children: Susan, Frank, David, Patti and Gary. EG later married Judy Dowd, his wife of 25 years ,and they reside here in Coeur d’Alene with five of their ten grandchildren. To date the sixth generation , EG and Jacob Lunceford of Hayden and Samantha, Lucy and Mallory Lunceford of Coeur d’Alene, will now be able to enjoy this beautiful new library.
