Obituary of Bruce Vanatta

Biography Bruce (Van) Clyde Vanatta of Vona, Colorado, passed away September 15, 2012 due to heart problems. He was born September 28, 1946, at Ottawa, Kansas, to Claude and Elsie (Tanner) Vanatta, and was the first of four children. They lived on the family farm outside Mont Ida, Kansas, until his father passed away in 1957. Then, his mother moved Bruce and his siblings back to Vona. Two years later, his mother was married to his stepfather, George Rasmussen. Bruce spent two summers during his high school years with his Uncle Ralph Tanner’s family on their Idaho dairy farm, helping run the irrigation and the other farm tasks. The memories of this time stayed with Bruce, who could provide numerous interesting stories of that time. Bruce graduated from Vona high school in 1964 and started his college education at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, before he enlisted into service with the United States Army. He trained as a Combat Engineer at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and then attended Engineer Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After receiving his commission, he served as a Bridge Platoon Leader at Fort Hood, Texas, and then served as a Combat Engineer Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer during his 15-month tour in Viet Nam. After getting out of the military, he went to Ohio to a meat cutting school on the G.I. bill, thinking this would give him a trade he could use to finance his continued education. He worked this trade part-time during his later education, until he decided he’d sharpened and worn out too many knives! He then wound up back in Idaho, where he started school at Boise State. While taking all the courses required for a degree in education, and quite a few other courses that just interested him, Bruce spent his summers working for the BLM on a fire crew, and had many stories of putting out grass fires and forest fires. During this time, he met Lynne Cameron, and they were married before their graduation from their respective schools. After graduation, they moved to Australia for a three year contract, where he started his teaching career. In 1977, they welcomed a baby boy named Joshua to their family. They moved back to Idaho and eventually followed Lynne’s parents’ path up the Alcan trail to Alaska. Bruce worked on construction jobs and thought of changing his career path to carpentry. Before long, he was pulled back into teaching and started teaching 5th grade at Chugiak elementary. After Bruce and Lynn divorced, Bruce continued at Chugiak Elementary, but Josh and Bruce bought a home and moved to Wasilla, Alaska. Later, he taught 6th grade language arts and social studies at Mirror Lake Middle School. His declining health caused him to retire after 25 years as an educator in Alaska, but he sorely missed his fellow educators, his students, and the Mirror Lake Middle School environment. Bruce then moved back to Vona in 2010, buying a home right next to his Uncle Leslie and Aunt Dorothy Tanner. His health improved somewhat in Colorado, and he was able to enjoy working on home improvements and his yard. He continued to attempt to make Eastern Colorado more green, planting and tending grass, flowers, and trees. For 30 years, he enjoyed the hobby of model railroading and had recently purchased the little house next door, which he planned on renovating to house a model train layout. He enjoyed writing, as evidenced by some of the epistles he called e-mail messages! He also would occasionally work on more writing and revising of a novel that he has started ten years past. Bruce will certainly be remembered for his ready smile and laughter as he went through life, for his friendly and compassionate treatment of others, for his willingness to help those who needed it, and for his involvement with his church and his faith. He will also be remembered for his knowledge of, and loyalty to, the sports teams of Boise State, the Seattle Mariners, and the Seattle Seahawks! He was preceded in death by his father Claude; his mother Elsie; and his stepfather George; his half-sister Arlee Camp; his brother in law Dale Camp; his uncles Leslie Tanner, Ralph Tanner, and Forest Tanner; his aunts Ruth Tanner, Vivian Tanner, and Rose Pickard. He is survived by his son Josh Vanatta of Tempe, AZ; his stepsisters Mildred Davis (Maurice) of Riverton, WY and Carrol Schoening (Jenner) of Riverton, WY; brother MyronVanatta (JoEllen) of Lakewood, WA; sister Ellen Einspahr (Loren) of Castle Rock, CO; brother Claude Rasmussen (Jane) of Elizabeth, CO; uncle Harold Pickard (Nola) of Burlington, CO; aunt Margaret Tanner of La Junta, CO; aunt Dorothy Tanner of Burlington, CO; and many cousins and friends.