The Niemi family is saddened to announce the passing of Heino Jacob “Jack” Niemi. He died peacefully on January 27, 2023, at home in Tualatin, Oregon at the age of 88.
He is survived by his wife Freda Niemi; their daughter Selina Barnes; their son and daughter-in-law Allan and Danielle Niemi; his sister and brother-in-law Elma and Vester Neighbors; sister Aino Dougherty; sister Olga Powell; and three grandchildren Brandon Barnes, Olivia Niemi and Max Niemi. He was preceded in death by his parents Esther Sifritson and Jacob Niemi; brother John Niemi; and sisters Lempi Torkelson, Elsie Torkelson and Eileen Niemi.
Jack grew up on his family homestead farm in Shell Lake Township, Becker County near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and later at age 17 his dad sold the homestead and bought a larger farm near Manahga. At a young age, he and his siblings were responsible for many chores around the farm which included caring for the livestock, milking cows, tending to fields and crops, supplying firewood, and working the manual hand-pump to get water, lots of water needed from the well. He attended a one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade, and Frazee High School through tenth grade until he was needed more on the farm.
At the age of 23 he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served for two years, followed by four additional years in the Army Reserves. In 1959, Jack relocated to the Seattle, Washington area to be near family members, where he was hired by United Airlines and worked at SEA-TAC Airport. It was at the airport that Jack met Freda through mutual friends and were later married in 1961. They bought a home in Federal Way where they raised their children Selina and Allan. In 1966 Jack started a new job at Stanley Garage Doors, which led him in 1968 to working for his brother-in-law Bob Powell as a carpenter.
In 1971, Jack and Freda bought a one-acre piece of land next to an evergreen forest in Redland, Oregon, to build a home near their family friends Alice and Galen Green. Jack’s carpentry skills excelled as he worked for Lorentz Bruun Company for ten years, followed by carpenters’ union projects for a handful of years. He finished his career working for Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon starting in 1987 as a carpenter then lead cabinetmaker building many custom desks and furnishings needed around campus. His son Allan was already a student at Lewis & Clark where they enjoyed seeing each other around campus and catching up.
Jack retired in 1996 to spend more time on projects around the house and drive his grandkids around on his old tractor. He enjoyed offering his carpentry, mechanic, and all around handy-man skills to help family and friends whenever needed, which was often. He always seemed to discover imaginative ways to piece together tools and widgets into magnificently useful items to get the job done just as he had learned back on the farm during his youth.
Jack will be greatly missed by his loving family and friends now that he has continued onto his heavenly home to be with his Lord and Savior. May he rest in peace.
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