Henry (Hank) P. Zurfluh Sep. 23rd, 1932- Oct. 19th, 2018 Hank Zurfluh was born “on the mountain” at the family home to the Swiss immigrant couple, Anton & Margaret Zurfluh.
He was second oldest of 5 children. Hank followed his older brother, Carl, to a one room school house on Roger’s Mountain. They walked 3 miles through timber, carrying a lantern in the winter months, and up over the mountain every day to get there.
He then went to Scio High School for 2 years before dropping out and going to work at the Stayton Cannery and then the Lulay Saw Mill until it closed. He worked for many years at N. Santiam Sand and Gravel, N. Santiam Paving and at the Stuckart’s Saw Mill. Hank was known to be one of the hardest workers.
Though he wasn’t a large man, he was mighty. Hank would joke that he had to join the Army to wait for Evelyn to grow up (she was 14, he was 20) but he was actually drafted. Hank came home and married his sweetheart, Evelyn Johnston in 1956.
They were blessed with 6 children: Linda, (who passed away at 3 days of age) Anton, Lawrence, Daniel, Thomas (who died in a car wreck in 1984) and Angela. He was also blessed with 8 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Hank, along with his family and friends, spent many weekends camping, jeeping, hunting and boating.
They were always out doing something adventurous and fun. Packing the jeep with 2 adults, 5 kids, a cooler and a dog was just the beginning of a really good day. Other than his years in the Army, where he was deployed to Korea for the Korean War, Hank had never lived anywhere but where he was born, on the mountain on Zurfluh Road.
In 1986, Hank and Evelyn joined in a family adventure and purchased a ranch in Crane, Oregon. Hank was over 50 years old when they packed up their lives and moved across the state to start what we refer to as “life, part 2”. Hank spent the next 30 years working hard to grow their dream into a successful working ranch.
Hank became an accomplished horseman. He rode hard and fast, keeping up with much younger men. He truly had no fear, of anything, ever.
In 2012, Hank was diagnosed with cancer. He went through surgery and spent the winter going through chemo. He then was told that had 1 year to live if he didn’t do further treatments.
Hank said that he did the first treatments for his family and was choosing to just live his life. Hank and Evelyn then “retired” from full time ranching. From 2013 until recently, Hank and Evelyn enjoyed life together.
They traveled to Ireland and Scotland, continued their yearly trips to Mexico, took a 6-week road trip through Alaska, and took a cruise through the Panama Canal. Those who gave him “one year to live” didn’t know the man that we all knew. Hank was a life time member of the Catholic Order of Foresters.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 60 years. He was an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Scio (Jordan), Oregon. He was instrumental in the building of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Mission in Crane, Oregon.
He was kind, funny, hardworking and dependable. He raised his children with firm rules and a kind heart. Hank is survived by his wife, Evelyn; sons Anton of Eagle, ID; Lawrence of Kalispell, Mt.
; and Daniel of Crane, OR; Daughter Angela Campbell (Todd) of Nampa, ID. Brother Joseph of Scio, OR; sister Dorothy Brown (Lewis) and Rose Mary Voltin (Richard) of Lyons, OR. ; Eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Hank was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret and Anton; brother, Carl; daughter, Linda; son, Thomas; and niece, Susan. Recitation of the rosary is planned for 7pm on Thursday, Oct 25th Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1pm on Friday, Oct. 26th at St. Thomas Aquinas Crane, Oregon.
Burial will be at 2pm Saturday, Oct. 27th at Our Lady of Lourdes cemetery, Scio, Oregon.
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