Prairie Day Pioneers of the Year
Ernie & Kathy Fuchs have been chosen as the 2025 Prairie Day Pioneers of the Year.
Ernie & Kathy (Crea) have been married for 57 years (1967) and have three children, Shannon, Sean and Sonya and 12 grandchildren.
They have been long-time residence of the Nezperce area with Ernie saying his favorite thing about the area is the friendliness of the people and Kathy said the Nezperce School system, pool, community library and the local businesses and manufacturing.
Ernie was born in 1946 to Anthony and Rosa Fuchs and was named after his Godfather, Ernest Lauby. He grew up on the family farm homesteaded in 1895 in the house built by his Grandfather John Fuchs.
His siblings include brothers, John, Paul, Arnold and David and sister, Marietta.
He lived his whole life there except for the year’s he was in Coeur d’Alene for college.
He remembers his mother cooking and baking on a wood stove and his older brothers carrying water.
Family gatherings included pinochle with uncles, aunts and cousins. Most family lived close by except for an uncle who was a priest and two aunts that were nuns.
He attended St. Anthony/Holy Trinity grade school and Nezperce High School. He was involved in sports at school playing basketball and track all four years. After graduation he attended North Idaho Junior College in Coeur d’Alene.
He worked on the farm with his father, raised cattle and hogs stating Don Baldus helped him start his hog production, and was a serviceman for CHS in Nezperce.
He enjoyed working on cars and his first car was a 1957 Chevy.
He said his childhood taught him the value of a good work ethic.
One memorable experience was getting to ride on a St. Bernard at St. Martin’s in Lacey, Wash.
Kathy was born in 1947 to Ralph & Florence Crea in Greencreek. Siblings include brothers, Pat, John, Kevin, Terry, Brendan, Colin and Loren and sisters, Connie, Mary Geralynn.
Family gatherings included Sunday Dinners, playing with cousins and Christmas as both maternal and paternal grandparents.
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church was a big part of her life. She attended St. Anthony’s grade school, Greencreek High School, St. Gertrude’s Academy in Cottonwood and St. Alphonsus School of Nursing in Boise.
She remembers having a crank phone then a dial phone growing up. Sadie Hawkins dance, Saturday night dances in Cottonwood, and enjoying going to both the drive-in and indoor theater for movies with Sound of Music and Dr. Zhivago two of her favorites.
Kathy’s first job was babysitting and after college was a registered nurse, working in Grangeville for 35 years.
She enjoys reading and feels life is a continuous learning experience.
Both are proud of their children and grandchildren and have traveled to Canada several times and to Germany.
They both enjoy outdoor activities.
**They will be honored during the Friday Night Dinner (July 11) and featured in the Prairie Day Parade on Saturday (July 12).