Steve Eric Hempen

On April 23, 1961 in Bermuda, Rachel (Palacio) and Robert Hempen welcomed their second son, Steve Eric Hempen. Steve's father was in the Air Force so they moved like most military families. They left Bermuda and moved to Colorado, where the family welcomed a little sister Brenda.

Steve family moved around the United States and Steve has many fond memories of each place. After retirement (on his bucket list), he said that he wanted to go back to visit the places he had lived as a child. A couple stood out for him: California (where he went to high school with cousins of his future wife) and Massachusetts. Steve's family ended up moving to Athol/Rathdrum, ID. They built their own log home, and Steve enjoyed telling his kids of the adventures that they had doing this. During our family vacations to Idaho, Steve always revisited that log home.

In the early 80's Steve set off for Oregon, where he made his home. Steve married and divorced, but not before having his beautiful daughter Amber Hempen. The fall of 1986 is when life began for Steve and Jeanie. Steve worked as a manager at a restaurant, where he met Jeanie Cardin (Hempen) who was in the Oregon Army National Guard. Jeanie's kids left a mess for him to clean up and she left her Military ID Card. Steve got her number and called her. She came to the restaurant and after some flirting, Steve always let the women ask him out, so she did. On their first date, they got thrown out of a movie because Steve was narrating the movie (she still liked him). They moved in together, and Steve was surprised by a visit from her parents, to "check up on this guy." They fell in love with Steve after the first visit. After a couple of years, Steve and Jeanie were married on 17 March 1994 (the same year they bought their first home, only days after they wed). This combined both families forever; now Steve was father to two daughters, Melissa and Amber, and a son, Terry. If you were to meet Steve and Jeanie you would think that they had just gotten married, because they always acted like newlyweds, holding hands and giggling at things after 20 years. They had a special kind of love.

With Jeanie working in the military, she would always use acronyms and military lingo. Steve decided that to hold a conversation with her he needed to join the Oregon National Guard as well, and he did at the age of 32. Steve was the oldest trainee at basic training at Fort Lenordwood, Missouri. Steve came back to Oregon after training and was assigned to the HQ 1249th Engineer Battalion, as a 12B, a combat engineer. Jeanie said he was the only guy she had ever seen that liked to go to drill, and enjoyed his time on field duty. He loved blowing things up and loved to see is if could outshoot Jeanie, which he did a couple of times. Steve deployed with the Engineers to Fort Lewis and McChord AFB. Steve loved all of his fellow Soldiers, and had stories that he loved telling. There was really not a person he did not like. Steve retired from the Oregon Army National guard in 2012, with many fond memories and great friends.

Living with Steve was an adventure. He wanted to do everything, from chase Tornadoes one day to spending a couple months in the Artic (both of which Jeanie was not thrilled about but would go with him). Steve had envelope system (a lot like the honor system) he would place something in the envelope to predict something, and his children would be astonished that his predictions would be correct, such as the birth of his first grandchild Kylie being a girl and the envelope that they opened after his death, predicting his next grandchild due in April, a boy Gaige Eric (who will be sharing Steve's middle name). And he liked being right. The kids said he knew what they were thinking before they knew it.

Steve loved his job. He liked the challenges that came with it. And Steve took great pride in his job, and the people he worked with and for. He loved the pot lucks at work, many cultures and trying new things was a thing he enjoyed. Steve always said that he worked for one of the finest companies he had ever worked for. Steve had many friends at Welch Allyn, and they made an impact on Steve as to the person he is today.

Steve had a zest for life; he felt that there was nothing he could not do. Steve loved movies - Star Trek, Star Wars, thrillers, suffice to say he loved all movies. He loved to golf, which he was just getting back into after back surgery. Steve and Jeanie spent Friday nights league bowling. He enjoyed spending time doing things with his wife, his best friend. Steve started teaching his granddaughter all about the TV remote so she can get to her Mickey Mouse Club. Steve's greatest thing to do was spend time with his only granddaughter. They became best friends. When the kids came over for Sunday breakfast, Steve would hold Kylie while cooking eggs, and they both loved this. Steve enjoyed cooking himself and Kylie got a play kitchen sitting where she can cook on hers while he cooks on his.

Steve was a man that no one will forget. If you met him he made an impact on you. Steve will be missed by all who knew him.

Steve leaves behind his wife Jeanie, daughters Melissa Hempen and Amber Hempen, son Terry Hempen and daughter-in- law Amanda, one granddaughter Kylie Jean Hempen and soon-to-be grandson Gaige Eric, his mother Rachel Palacio, step- mother Rita Hempen brother Robert Hempen, sister-in-law Lorna, sisters Brenda Camp and brother-in-law Mike, sister Billie Sue Coble and husband Darrell, niece Robin Hempen, and nephew Mike Hempen.