Newt Bleak was born in Lincoln, Idaho, on Nov. 2, 1921, the second-oldest of nine children. He died at his home in the Wind River Canyon outside of Thermopolis, Wyoming, on Jan. 9, 2017, with his wife, oldest daughter and son-in-law by his side.
He graduated from the eighth grade and attended one year of high school before going to work on a large farm/ranch operation in southwestern Idaho. He boarded at the farm and sent his wages home to his family in order to help support his parents and siblings. He enlisted in the Armed Forces on March 8, 1941, and attended Boot Camp in Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he was assigned to work with the mule teams used to transport artillery and supplies to the troops. He was then transferred to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, as a Pack Master and Saddler. He was in the Asiatic Pacific Theater from January 1942 until August 1945. During his years in the Pacific Theater, the mule teams were disbanded, and he was assigned to the 6th Ranger Battalion for the rest of the war. As a member of a “Ranger Infantry” Battalion in the Pacific Theater of Operations, he served as First Sergeant of Company (D); supervised 65 men of the company in all scouting and patrolling and all combat tactics; worked through the mountains behind enemy lines supplying information for the army intelligence service; and was familiar with maps, compasses, and all types of mountain and jungle terrain. During his career, he was decorated with the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, the Philippines Liberation Medal, two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged on Aug. 22, 1945.
He met and married his wife of 68 years, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak, on May 15, 1948, in Dubois, Wyoming. He and Bonnie lived in the Dubois area where Newt worked on local ranches as a cowboy. They relocated to Bonnie’s home town of Thermopolis in 1952. He went to work as an electrical lineman for the Hot Springs County REA (Rural Electric Association) and retired in 1984. They raised their five children (Douglas, Bonnie, Donald, Dava, and LaVita) in the Wind River Canyon on the original homestead of J. Bob and Mary White, Bonnie’s parents.
Newt was preceded in death by his son, Donald J. (Laura) Bleak; two grandsons; one great-grandson; his parents; and his nine siblings.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak of Wind River Canyon; son Douglas (Margie) of Winchester, Wyoming; and daughters Bonnie (David) Murphree of Wind River Canyon, daughter-in-law Laura Bleak of Powell, Dava of Thermopolis, and LaVita (Roger) Kraushaar of Wind River Canyon; 24 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and 24 great-great-grandchildren.
Newt Bleak was a man of strong character and principles. He had a work ethic that would put most people to shame, and much of the canyon home’s current beauty is due to his hard work. He and Bonnie built their home in the canyon, and he crafted wooden furniture in the winter months after retirement, and tended his gardens during the spring and summer. While he expressed his opinions strongly, he also was a man who loved others deeply (and very practically), and he did not let past offenses stand in the way of his relationships, but was willing to forgive.
© Douglas Budget March 1, 2017
He graduated from the eighth grade and attended one year of high school before going to work on a large farm/ranch operation in southwestern Idaho. He boarded at the farm and sent his wages home to his family in order to help support his parents and siblings. He enlisted in the Armed Forces on March 8, 1941, and attended Boot Camp in Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he was assigned to work with the mule teams used to transport artillery and supplies to the troops. He was then transferred to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, as a Pack Master and Saddler. He was in the Asiatic Pacific Theater from January 1942 until August 1945. During his years in the Pacific Theater, the mule teams were disbanded, and he was assigned to the 6th Ranger Battalion for the rest of the war. As a member of a “Ranger Infantry” Battalion in the Pacific Theater of Operations, he served as First Sergeant of Company (D); supervised 65 men of the company in all scouting and patrolling and all combat tactics; worked through the mountains behind enemy lines supplying information for the army intelligence service; and was familiar with maps, compasses, and all types of mountain and jungle terrain. During his career, he was decorated with the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, the Philippines Liberation Medal, two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged on Aug. 22, 1945.
He met and married his wife of 68 years, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak, on May 15, 1948, in Dubois, Wyoming. He and Bonnie lived in the Dubois area where Newt worked on local ranches as a cowboy. They relocated to Bonnie’s home town of Thermopolis in 1952. He went to work as an electrical lineman for the Hot Springs County REA (Rural Electric Association) and retired in 1984. They raised their five children (Douglas, Bonnie, Donald, Dava, and LaVita) in the Wind River Canyon on the original homestead of J. Bob and Mary White, Bonnie’s parents.
Newt was preceded in death by his son, Donald J. (Laura) Bleak; two grandsons; one great-grandson; his parents; and his nine siblings.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak of Wind River Canyon; son Douglas (Margie) of Winchester, Wyoming; and daughters Bonnie (David) Murphree of Wind River Canyon, daughter-in-law Laura Bleak of Powell, Dava of Thermopolis, and LaVita (Roger) Kraushaar of Wind River Canyon; 24 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and 24 great-great-grandchildren.
Newt Bleak was a man of strong character and principles. He had a work ethic that would put most people to shame, and much of the canyon home’s current beauty is due to his hard work. He and Bonnie built their home in the canyon, and he crafted wooden furniture in the winter months after retirement, and tended his gardens during the spring and summer. While he expressed his opinions strongly, he also was a man who loved others deeply (and very practically), and he did not let past offenses stand in the way of his relationships, but was willing to forgive.
© Douglas Budget March 1, 2017
Newt Bleak was born in Lincoln, Idaho, on Nov. 2, 1921, the second-oldest of nine children. He died at his home in the Wind River Canyon outside of Thermopolis, Wyoming, on Jan. 9, 2017, with his wife, oldest daughter and son-in-law by his side.
He graduated from the eighth grade and attended one year of high school before going to work on a large farm/ranch operation in southwestern Idaho. He boarded at the farm and sent his wages home to his family in order to help support his parents and siblings. He enlisted in the Armed Forces on March 8, 1941, and attended Boot Camp in Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he was assigned to work with the mule teams used to transport artillery and supplies to the troops. He was then transferred to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, as a Pack Master and Saddler. He was in the Asiatic Pacific Theater from January 1942 until August 1945. During his years in the Pacific Theater, the mule teams were disbanded, and he was assigned to the 6th Ranger Battalion for the rest of the war. As a member of a “Ranger Infantry” Battalion in the Pacific Theater of Operations, he served as First Sergeant of Company (D); supervised 65 men of the company in all scouting and patrolling and all combat tactics; worked through the mountains behind enemy lines supplying information for the army intelligence service; and was familiar with maps, compasses, and all types of mountain and jungle terrain. During his career, he was decorated with the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, the Philippines Liberation Medal, two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged on Aug. 22, 1945.
He met and married his wife of 68 years, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak, on May 15, 1948, in Dubois, Wyoming. He and Bonnie lived in the Dubois area where Newt worked on local ranches as a cowboy. They relocated to Bonnie’s home town of Thermopolis in 1952. He went to work as an electrical lineman for the Hot Springs County REA (Rural Electric Association) and retired in 1984. They raised their five children (Douglas, Bonnie, Donald, Dava, and LaVita) in the Wind River Canyon on the original homestead of J. Bob and Mary White, Bonnie’s parents.
Newt was preceded in death by his son, Donald J. (Laura) Bleak; two grandsons; one great-grandson; his parents; and his nine siblings.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak of Wind River Canyon; son Douglas (Margie) of Winchester, Wyoming; and daughters Bonnie (David) Murphree of Wind River Canyon, daughter-in-law Laura Bleak of Powell, Dava of Thermopolis, and LaVita (Roger) Kraushaar of Wind River Canyon; 24 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and 24 great-great-grandchildren.
Newt Bleak was a man of strong character and principles. He had a work ethic that would put most people to shame, and much of the canyon home’s current beauty is due to his hard work. He and Bonnie built their home in the canyon, and he crafted wooden furniture in the winter months after retirement, and tended his gardens during the spring and summer. While he expressed his opinions strongly, he also was a man who loved others deeply (and very practically), and he did not let past offenses stand in the way of his relationships, but was willing to forgive.
© Douglas Budget March 1, 2017
He graduated from the eighth grade and attended one year of high school before going to work on a large farm/ranch operation in southwestern Idaho. He boarded at the farm and sent his wages home to his family in order to help support his parents and siblings. He enlisted in the Armed Forces on March 8, 1941, and attended Boot Camp in Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he was assigned to work with the mule teams used to transport artillery and supplies to the troops. He was then transferred to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, as a Pack Master and Saddler. He was in the Asiatic Pacific Theater from January 1942 until August 1945. During his years in the Pacific Theater, the mule teams were disbanded, and he was assigned to the 6th Ranger Battalion for the rest of the war. As a member of a “Ranger Infantry” Battalion in the Pacific Theater of Operations, he served as First Sergeant of Company (D); supervised 65 men of the company in all scouting and patrolling and all combat tactics; worked through the mountains behind enemy lines supplying information for the army intelligence service; and was familiar with maps, compasses, and all types of mountain and jungle terrain. During his career, he was decorated with the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, the Philippines Liberation Medal, two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged on Aug. 22, 1945.
He met and married his wife of 68 years, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak, on May 15, 1948, in Dubois, Wyoming. He and Bonnie lived in the Dubois area where Newt worked on local ranches as a cowboy. They relocated to Bonnie’s home town of Thermopolis in 1952. He went to work as an electrical lineman for the Hot Springs County REA (Rural Electric Association) and retired in 1984. They raised their five children (Douglas, Bonnie, Donald, Dava, and LaVita) in the Wind River Canyon on the original homestead of J. Bob and Mary White, Bonnie’s parents.
Newt was preceded in death by his son, Donald J. (Laura) Bleak; two grandsons; one great-grandson; his parents; and his nine siblings.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie M. (White) Bleak of Wind River Canyon; son Douglas (Margie) of Winchester, Wyoming; and daughters Bonnie (David) Murphree of Wind River Canyon, daughter-in-law Laura Bleak of Powell, Dava of Thermopolis, and LaVita (Roger) Kraushaar of Wind River Canyon; 24 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and 24 great-great-grandchildren.
Newt Bleak was a man of strong character and principles. He had a work ethic that would put most people to shame, and much of the canyon home’s current beauty is due to his hard work. He and Bonnie built their home in the canyon, and he crafted wooden furniture in the winter months after retirement, and tended his gardens during the spring and summer. While he expressed his opinions strongly, he also was a man who loved others deeply (and very practically), and he did not let past offenses stand in the way of his relationships, but was willing to forgive.
© Douglas Budget March 1, 2017
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