Charles Oliver Jenicek

Charles Oliver Jenicek passed away peacefully in Kellogg, Idaho two weeks shy of his 97th birthday on Friday, January 10, 2025. 

Born January 20, 1928 to Frank and Maude Jenicek (née Nederhood) in Springston, Idaho, he was the oldest son of six children. He was preceded in passing by his youngest sister, Margie White, and is survived by his remaining siblings Darrell Jenicek, Eileen Weeks, Joe Jenicek, and Larry Jenicek. 

He was preceded in death by his loving wife Nola Jenicek (née Smith) by a year and 10 months after 69 years of marriage. He is survived by his daughters Rebecca Jenicek and Heidi Davis and their husbands (Geoffrey Flolo, Matt Davis); his grandchildren Amanda McCuaig, Stephanie George (née Davis), and Logan Davis; his grand-children-in-laws Neal Peacocke, Gregory George, and Tierney Davis; and his great grandson Sullivan Davis. He was graced through marriage with a large, loving extended family and is survived by Zella & LeRoy Burt, Terry & Donna Smith, and Larry & Carlett Smith and was preceded by Jim & Lowan Smith, Maxine & Corky (Clarence) Alloway, and Vick & Jeanie Bachmeier, as well as dozens of loving nieces and nephews. 

Charles moved to the Silver Valley during high school, where while still in high school he ordered books on how to wire a house from the Sears and Roebuck catalogue and helped to build his mother's house in Kelly Gulch. He served in the Korean War as a lineman from 1951-1952. He returned to the Silver Valley, where he married Nola in 1954. Despite losing his thumb and index and middle fingers on his right hand in an incident while working as a lead burner at Bunker Hill not long after his marriage, he went on to became a highly skilled carpenter and cabinet maker, and ran Charles' Custom Cabinets for decades. Later in his career, he worked at the Kingston-Cataldo Sewer District until he retired at age 86.

He applied his significant talents to designing and building his family home in Kingston, Idaho in 1958 and a unique cabin on Coeur d’Alene Lake not far from his birthplace. In addition to his talents at building, he had a natural ear for music and played the harmonica beautifully, which was a joy for all the family. 

Throughout his life he volunteered in the community including serving as president of the Silver Valley Veterans of Foreign War, president of the Pinehurst Chamber of Commerce, founding charter member of the Pinehurst Kingston Lions Club, and long time active member at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Pinehurst.

 A joyful, kind, and hard-working man, Charles dedicated his life to the service of his family and his community. In his final days he was cared for at Mountain Valley of Cascadia, where he could be found playing his harmonica for family and fellow patients or seen checking his good hand to make sure he was ready to get to work in the morning. 

 Funeral services will be held at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Pinehurst at 2pm, Saturday, January 18, 2025. 

 Memories of Charles and messages of condolence may be shared online with his family at www.shoshonefuneralsevice.com. Shoshone Funeral Services, Kellogg, considers it a privilege to care for the Jenicek family.