Vernon C. 'Wheezer' Schnirring

Vernon C. Schnirring, formerly of Moses Lake, passed away Monday, Jan. 26, at the Othello Community Hospital.

Vern was born in Sac City, Iowa, to Oscar and Sarah Jane Schnirring on Oct. 4, 1927. He was the youngest of five children. Vern joined the Merchant Marines at the age of 16 and was discharged in May 1945. He joined the U.S. Army immediately following the Merchant Marines at age 18, when he was stationed in Japan for three years.

After the Army, Vern returned to Sac City and married Dorothy “Dottie” Howard. They had two children before moving to Moses Lake, where Vern took a job at Larson Air Force Base. He remained working at the Base until it closed in 1966. He then worked at Japan Airlines and then went on to work at various jobs, for his good friend Ed Penard in construction, and on many projects in Moses Lake including several docks.

Vern was a lifetime member of the Moses Lake Moose Lodge #1724. He was a past governor of the lodge and achieved the level of pilgrim in 1975 at Moose Heart, Chicago, Ill. He was also a member of the V.F.W. and the Eagles Lodge.

Vern loved to hunt and fish. He took up golf later in life and became quite good at it. He enjoyed playing in tournaments with his son Ken. In 2002, he suffered a stroke, which forced him to an adult group home.

Vern is preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Albert Schnirring, Earl Schnirring and George Schnirring, who died as an infant. He lost his beloved wife and fishing partner Dottie in 1995.

He is survived by one sister, Vera McCollum of Sac City, Iowa, his son Kenneth Schnirring (Lisa Bellomy) of Moses Lake, a daughter Margie Schnirring (Mike Dunson) of Boise, Idaho, grandchildren Christine Andrews (Tyson) of Lacey, Wash., Jessica Sweet (Mitchell) of Montesano, Wash., Ashlee Lund of Everett, Wash., four great-grandchildren, five nieces, and three nephews.

We wish to give special thanks to our dad’s “second” family, Lupe and her staff and their families at the Country Care at Othello, who made his last years happier than we could have ever expected.

We will miss our father so much, but we are happy he is at last reunited with our mother in heaven. Wheezer, Dottie, we love you!

A memorial service and gathering is planned for friends and family in May 2009.