Anthony N Wassmuth

Anthony Nicholas Wassmuth, 97, was born Sept. 9, 1925, in Greencreek, Idaho, to Clemens and Elizabeth Schmidt Wassmuth.

Tony was the last surviving sibling, one of 12 children growing up in a large family. Tony passed from this world on Sept. 11, 2022, at the Lewiston Veterans Home, Idaho, surrounded by his family.

Tony was born on the family farm and continued to live there until he graduated from Greencreek High School in 1943. Tony had an active youth pulling shenanigans with his older brother, Lawrence, and younger brother, Vince, and working on his father’s farm. In 1944, Tony was drafted into the U.S. Army; he joined three brothers who were also serving. He was stationed in Korea where he drove a water truck and helped build roads and barracks. When he returned from Korea, he went to work at Haener Sawmill in Grangeville, Idaho. He then went to work for Standard Oil Company. He worked there until he took early retirement due to health issues. He boasted he was retired longer than he worked.

On Nov. 25, 1948, Tony and Mary Alice Fuchs were married at Nezperce, Idaho. Tony and Mary were the parents of four sons: Douglas was born Dec. 12, 1949, and passed on Dec. 29, 1949; followed by Bradley, born in 1951; Timothy, born in 1953; and Donald, born in 1954. Tony and Mary later divorced. Tony met the love of his life, Eileen Sherman Remington, they married on April 5, 1961. Their blended family included Eileen’s three children: Christina, Janet and George. In 1963, they added their daughter, Tracy.

Each summer, the family vacationed for a week at Wild Horse Lake in the Buffalo Hump Wilderness and a week at Soldier’s Meadow where they caught fish, watched the moose and enjoyed some of Idaho’s beautiful country.

Tony and Eileen enjoyed their retirement years with several trips to California, where they visited their son, Tim, and Eileen’s sister, Velma. They traveled to Florida to visit Tony’s brother, Vince, and trips to Seattle to visit their son, Tim, and trips to Hawaii and Nashville. They both enjoyed steelhead fishing on the Salmon River every spring and fall and hunting for elk and deer in the fall. Tony also enjoyed repairing and selling lawnmowers; he sold 56.

Eileen passed away on Feb. 8, 2013. Tony continued to live at his Grangeville home until August 2019 when he moved to the Lewiston Veterans Home. He made several new friends at the VA and was active in every activity provided by the staff. He was always busy visiting, playing games or sitting outside in the sun. Even during the COVID pandemic, he stayed busy with his laptop, keeping up with emails, YouTube and Facebook. If anyone wanted to know what was going on at the VA, they asked Tony. That is how he got the honor of being the “Mayor” of the VA.

Tony is survived by his children: Christina (Herb) Johnson, Janet (Fred) Nunziato, Brad (Cathy), Don (Sally), Tracy (Ken) Cox; daughter-in-law, Carolyn Remington; as well as 17 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and 19 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen; sons: Douglas, George and Tim; and great-granddaughter, Skarlytte Wassmuth. Also preceding him are his brothers, Joe, Nick, Clarence, Lawrence, Clemens, Vince and Leonard; and sisters, Bernadine Bruegerman, Christine Winkler, Hilda, Elizabeth and Cecelia Wassmuth.

The family would like to thank the nurses, support staff and “the gents” at the Veterans Home for their kind and attentive care of our dad.

A rosary will be recited on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church with Memorial Mass to start at noon. Inurnment will follow at Prairie View Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Blackmer Funeral Home, Grangeville.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Anthony N Wassmuth, please visit our floral store.