Brooke Kinnard

On the beautiful afternoon of April 29, 2006, Billings and the world became a quieter, less entertained place, when Brooke Kinnard peacefully joined his maker from St. Vincent Healthcare, surrounded by his family.

The youngest of three children, Brooke was born on November 23, 1917, in Cashmere, Washington to Edna E. Metcalfe and Owen E. Kinnard. He spent his early years helping out and growing up on the family apple ranch in the Cashmere Valley and to the great relief of his teachers (who bore the brunt of his practical jokes), graduated from Cashmere High School. Brooke was active in football and Boy Scouts and rose to the rank of Eagle with the mentoring of his father and family friends. He was proud to have been selected to attend the World Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington, D.C. which was unfortunately cancelled due to a worldwide polio epidemic.

Following the lead of their father, Brooke and his brother were active outdoorsmen in the Cascade Mountains, backpacking, camping, fishing, and even stocking high mountain lakes with fish fingerlings carried in on their backs. While in high school, Brooke, his brother and their father constructed by hand what was to become the treasured family cabin on Lake Wenatchee, to the grudging sacrifice of their teenage social life every weekend and during the summer.

Brooke left home upon graduation in the middle of the Depression, moving to Minneapolis to start off his life as an adult. Working first in the hardware business, he was quickly excited by the stories of the dapper young salesmen he met who bragged of their commissions and company cars. He seized an opportunity to sell Philco radios to stores in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. A natural at sales with a gift for gab, he progressed into selling many other products over the years including meat locker plants and Wincharger windmills to the farmers.

It was during one of his sales trips across the prairies of South Dakota, he first spotted a gorgeous young teacher working for the summer in a drugstore in Tripp. As with so many others, World War II intervened, Brooke was drafted and ended up in the Army Air Corp. After his initial training at Lincoln, Nebraska, he became an engineering instructor at Chanute Field, Illinois until he began a tour of duty as a flight engineer for a combat cargo squadron of B-24's and C-54's that took him to first to North Africa and then to the China-Burma-India Theatre, where he experienced many flights transporting cargo for Allied operations over the Himalaya Mountains commonly known as "The Hump". The many stories that resulted from those war years were enjoyed by many and were told by him to the end.

Following the war Brooke and "the girl that waited", Gertrude J. Dobler, were married in Tripp, South Dakota on February 10, 1946 and began a wonderful walk together that lasted over 60 years. Not liking her given name, Brooke renamed his bride "Trudie". They first lived in Bonesteel and Mitchell, South Dakota and then in Sioux City, Iowa. In 1951 they made the decision to adopt and practically overnight became the proud parents of a 3 month old infant who they named David Brooke Kinnard.

Brooke continued his sales career in freezers and insurance as they also lived in Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah and Idaho before moving the family to Billings in 1964. It was in Billings that he began his long career in vending machine sales and service. Following their son's high school graduation, Brooke and Trudie moved first to Reno, Nevada in 1969 and then to the Bay Area of California, where they lived for almost 23 years as Brooke built and supported vending routes for a number of young men who were lucky to have his knowledge and expertise by their side.

In 1994, Brooke and Trudie retired and "came home" to a new patio home in Billings to be close to their son and family. He quickly found a new gig as a chauffeur for Trudie to and from her many activities and their other ventures together, including two month trips to the cabin. He also volunteered soliciting program ads and auction donations for Billings Studio Theatre - just couldn't resist the chance to sell again. While he had a number of health challenges the past several years following a stroke, he truly lived life to the fullest, and could always be recognized by the dapper clothes he wore, the Greek fisherman's hat on his head and the stylish canes he used to remain mobile - and almost always, talking with someone or enjoying a cup of tea.

He is survived by the "love of his life", Trudie, of Billings, his sister, Fern Sim of Columbia, Maryland, his brother Walter (Phyllis) Kinnard of Zionsville, Indiana, his son, Dave (Elaine) Kinnard of Billings, his beloved step grandchildren, Chad (Shelly) Watterud of Hastings, Minnesota; Derek (Lai) Watterud of Las Vegas, Nevada, Lisa Watterud of St. Paul, Minnesota, his great grandchildren Tyler and Jared Watterud of Hastings, nieces, nephews and many friends.

The family would like to thank the wonderful doctors and nursing staff of Yellowstone Medical Center and St. Vincent Healthcare who have taken such wonderful care of Brooke the past few years.

Cremation has taken place. A celebration of Brooke's life will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at American Lutheran Church, 5 Lewis Avenue, in Billings. Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Billings Studio Theatre, American Lutheran Church or charities of choice.

My Middle name is Owen -

My mom was Dallas Katherine Barber - I have great memories of Lake Wenatchee and the Master Cabin Owen built - I met Brooke on a couple of occasions . . . Some great history in that family Regards, Mike Jagla Duvall WA