Duane Higer Obituary Duane Richard Higer was born at home in the early morning of October 15, 1930 at Hill City, Kansas. Dr. Bundy was the doctor who delivered Duane. Duanes father Charles, and a neighbor lady assisted the doctor, to help bring Duane into the world. These were the "dust bowl," days of the late 1920s and 1930s. Duanes father worked for a hardware store and on the side, developed his own windmill pump business. His family had but one neighbor, the Hildebrants, who were also friends of Duanes grandpa William Henry, and grandma Eda Higer. Duanes father Charles served in the Army during W.W.I, in the U.S. Army. While active in the Service, Charles passed through Idaho by train at the age of 19. Charles was attracted to the lush greenness of Idaho and later moved his family to Emmett, Idaho where he purchased the only plumbing and sheet metal shop in town. Duanes family was moved by train from Kansas, briefly living in a boxcar with a kerosene stove, while renovating an old house on one acre, east of Emmett. Charles was proud to purchase and install a six foot long bath tub; a luxury at the time. On the premises was a small barn and shed with a bunkhouse, where visiting friends or relatives stayed. Charles worked seven days a week for five years to get the family business started. Duanes years from age five to ten, in Emmett, were happy years. His fondest memory was roller skating downtown close to the plumbing shop. Main Street, he recalled was the smoothest surface. His passion for playing marbles soon became his pastime of choice. What started with a set of five marbles, grew to a collection of over three thousand. With the onset of W.W.II, Duanes father sold the plumbing shop in Emmett and moved the family into a house on five acres. Duanes mother took on the role of both parents, as Charles went to work for four years, on the Naval shipyards in Astoria, Oregon. Duane, age 10, his brother Norman age 7 and brother Hiram 13, took on adult responsibilities to help their mother Verlinda run the farm and household. It was during these years that Duane met his lifelong friend, Ed Heath. In 1945 with the war won, Duanes father came home and his parents moved again, this time to a seven acre farm on the outskirts of Caldwell, Idaho. Duanes parents built C.R. Higer plumbing at 510 Main Street. Duane left Boises Franklin in the 7th grade and transferred to the 8th grade, at Washington Jr. High, in Caldwell. This was a prosperous move for his family as the entire family pitched in with the development of the family plumbing business. Caldwell High School gave Duane four memorable years with the 49ers, where he served as Student body treasurer, earned his four year lettermans stripes, and two time, Golden Glove boxing, Hall of Fame Status. Duane also enjoyed his high school Thespian Club. In December of 1950 he volunteered for active duty with the Air National Guard during the Korean War. He left Boise to begin serving in the Medical Corps in May of 1951 at the Moody Airforce Base in Valdosta Georgia. He received medical-surgical training at Fort Sam Houston, in Texas, then to George Airforce Base in California where he was assigned to Surgery and Obstetrics and he assisted in delivering more than seventy newborn babies.Helping bring those newborns into the world was a joyous time in his life. Upon Honorable Discharge from the service, Duane enrolled in Pre-Med courses at the College of Idaho, where he lived at Vorhees Hall with his childhood pal Ed Heath. Ed became Student Body President and Duane Student Body Treasurer. After Duane graduated from the College of Idaho, he enrolled at the University of Idaho to take business courses. He took a tellers position at the Idaho First National Bank where he met a co-worker, Carolyn Petersen. Little did he know she was an acquaintance of his future wife! Soon Carolyn arranged a blind date for him with music major, Carol Webster, from Walla Walla, Washington. One romantic year later on September First, 1957, the handsome couple were married at the Presbyterian Church in Moscow. After a year of residence in Moscow, the couple moved to Caldwell for three years, when Duane heard of a medically related position in Pocatello. He accepted the position as Assistant Administrator at the Bannock Memorial Hospital. A nursing home was soon built next door and the Board of Directors asked Duane to be the Administrator. Duane devotedly held this position for twenty-five years. During this time he was honored at the civic, state and regional levels for excellence in his field. Duane spearheaded the creation of the Idaho Health Facilities Association, serving two terms as President and fifteen years as Executive Director, organizing annual workshop conferences utilizing the experience of numerous persons of national renown. He wrote grants to the Region 10 Office on Aging, to bring educational speakers to Idaho, since there were none available in this state at the time. Formats were designed to reduce geriatric deficiencies and improve holistic quality of care for some 5,500 residents, implementing the benchmark for nursing home standards. The largest of the grants was a two-year program with the University of California, Berkley, Continuing Education. In 1967, as adjunct faculty, Duane assisted in the creation of the Health Care Administration Program at Idaho State University. In 1972, Duane was honored by the Western Center for Continuing Education in the Health Care Facilities, University of California, for "Outstanding Leadership and Contribution to the Development and Conduct of Educational Programs, Leading to Improvement in the Care of Patients in Idaho Nursing Homes." Duane is survived by his bride, Carol, of sixty-three years, their three grown children, Kristyn Truan of Colorado,(Van Truan, children: Krissie, Lee Christopher, Benjamin). Brian R. Higer of Kentucky, (DeeAnna Higer) and Scott D. Higer of Caldwell,(Silk Higer, children: Anika) Duane will always remain the most devoted Sweetheart, Dad and Papa and Friend. He will be adored and cherished forever by his family and large circle of dear friends. We rejoice that Duane is with our Savior in Paradise, along with loved ones who preceded him. Services Services are to be announced