Obituary: Verne W. House
August 3, 1937, began the beautiful life of Verne W. House, who brought joy, support, creativity, and plenty of good humor to the world for 87 years, including 64 years of marriage to his wife Nancy. No amount of time would have been enough, but so it is that we are suffering through Dad's loss of life, which ended on September 13, 2024. He didn't fade away toward the end. Instead, it was more of a crescendo of mental acuity; ask any of the wonderful staff at Bozeman Health. Always open to engaging with people in a caring and good-natured way, it's fitting that one of his last sentences uttered was, "I always believed in people." Dad's last gift to himself was to make a quick exit, having said his goodbyes and given his last big hugs.
Verne grew up the son of a Wyoming homesteader family in Ralston, just outside of Cody, the youngest of five children in a one-room house with a tin roof. It was tough times, and it was a life of long summers working in the fields, weeding peas, ditch irrigating sugar beets, and driving tractors once kids could see over the steering wheel. His dad ran a lumber yard/grocery store/taxidermy shop. His mom became the bookkeeper for the Hoodoo Ranch and also answered calls for the emergency dispatch. Community was everything, eventually including Japanese immigrants once the nearby Heart Mountain internment camp was closed after WWII. Verne made lifelong friends with many, including the new Japanese residents, as everyone tried to make a living off the land. He first attended what he jokingly referred to as PU, Powell University, and then the University of Wyoming in Laramie to study Ag Economics. All three of his kids were born there before moving to Pullman, WA to get his PhD, gathering more and more friends along the way. Always keen to notice those who may have been feeling homesick or lonely, he was truly an expert at bringing home new friends for dinner, unannounced, making a place for people at the table.
Verne picked up his dad's ingenuity and upcycling skills, and if a barn was needed at his family's near-Bozeman homestead, he built one, seemingly without challenge. Soon after, a patio was planned, and a semi-truck with bricks appeared at the end of the driveway. The carport project introduced us to a few architecture students he had befriended, leading to more collaborative projects with people he enjoyed. He spent many happy decades crafting beautiful pieces in his woodshop, taking on project after project for his brand, Sourdough Woodworks, and continuously upgrading his equipment to find new and better ways of doing things that his friends or family needed: doll furniture, plant stands, tables for indoors and outdoors, and most recently a mountain of fine wooden boxes and birdhouses made of wood he would find at garage sales, a fallen tree, or just an old fence post that wanted to become a birdhouse for tiny wrens. His works are adorned with beautiful details, used copper wire twisted into ingenious functional forms, and conical roofs carefully riveted into perfect placement. His gorgeous artistic pieces exhibit his patience and creative eye, with his commitment to building all manner of things to exact detail. His granddaughter spent many joyful years working with him in the shop. He allowed her to learn things for herself while putting her in a position poised to succeed. Verne truly loved the humble act of setting others up for success, while downplaying his part.
With his degree in agricultural economics, he delved into the MSU ag-extension department and worked with statewide programs to help farmers develop markets for their products. This involved a broad skillset of working with public officials and envisioning effective programs in education and outreach. He developed dozens of relationships across many sectors of society, working his magic to bring them together for success, publishing a book about his techniques after just ten years at MSU. His kids took turns going on road trips with him to the far reaches of Montana, farther afield to Mexico City, and annual trips to Seattle and Puget Sound. Once his kids were out of high school, Verne and Nancy took what was termed a "foreign assignment" in Clemson, South Carolina. He had worked in similar fields for nine years before retirement, including working with farmer cooperatives for a few winters in Poland. But retiring for Verne meant continuing his overseas career and focusing on more international work including a stint in Australia, the Ivory Coast, and a long run of extended assignments in Armenia, helping to develop a new university program, including teaching college courses to eager students who became close friends over and over and remained so until his last season of life.
The role played by Dr. House for the Agriculture University in Armenia was pivotal; he not only taught his classes but was a mentor to faculty, students, and students and to the Marketing Assistance Program in general. Many of the faculty were young Armenians who had just received graduate degrees and had no experience. As Dr. House, Verne guided and advised them on how to advance in their field. He was perfect for the job as he had a lifetime of experience. Then there are the students whose guidance and example will be remembered forever. The students were dedicated, hungry for knowledge, and wanted a better life. Dr. House worked tirelessly to help students enter foreign graduate schools and pass the GRE exams.
Verne is survived by his wife Nancy; children Amanda, Paul, and Aimee (Devlin); his granddaughter Wilhelmina (Devlin); and step granddaughter Gabby (LeQuesne).
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