Vern Coffelt. Photo courtesy of the Coffelt family.
Memorial Service on Sunday, September 29 at 1 p.m. at the Odd Fellows Hall in Eastsound
Vern Coffelt was born in Westsound on Orcas Island to Amos and Helen Smedberg Coffelt. He grew up on the Smedberg farm on Turtleback Mountain, the third of four brothers. The family worked the farm for a frugal and healthy livelihood, learning old world farming know how from his Grandfather John Gus “JG” Smedberg. Grandfather Smedberg was a pioneer Orcas farmer known for his prize-winning apples and pears.
Vern’s grandfather and father were instrumental in getting the electric co-op started on Orcas Island. Grandfather Smedberg helped connect the Orcas Power & Light boosters with the federal Rural Electric Administration in the 1930’s and Amos was one of the original twelve signers of OPALCO’s documents of formation and was on the first OPALCO Board. Vern and his brothers went with their father to visit folks around the island and try to get them to sign up for power to support the co-op.
Amos worked on the early freight boats and ferries and died in 1942. The family was very young. The Coffelt boys were known for being an active, lively bunch who worked long and hard to make ends meet. They had many childhood adventures in the Westsound area. Vern and his brothers Jack, Amos (Ed) and Russell all attended grade school and high school on Orcas Island. Each of Vern’s brothers went onto higher education and into successful engineering careers.
In 1950, the family moved from the Smedberg place on Turtleback to the fertile Crow Valley farm. Vern stayed with his mother to work the place now known as the Coffelt Farm. Helen Coffelt passed in 1955. Vern was left with an active farm and full-time operation with sheep, cattle, dairy, poultry and a hay crop to manage. Vern cherished the farm education he had with his Grandfather Smedberg on the Turtleback farm.
Family farms were struggling to survive in those years and Vern found it prudent to find other work for several years to support the farm. He worked in logging and construction and then, in 1960, went to work full-time for Orcas Power & Light Cooperative. In the early sixties, he married Florence “Tony” Howard.
In 1977, Vern and Sidney Reynolds were married and formed a life partnership and team that has carried the farm to the successful operation it is today.
In 1995, after 35 years of service as Line Foreman and later Operations Manager, Vern retired from OPALCO. Vern spent the rest of his life doing what he was meant and chosen to do. He seldom left the farm and put each day to his calling of working the farm. He loved his work and was committed to producing the best quality food he could for Orcas Island.
Vern’s vision was to keep the farm a productive and working farm forever. In 1995, Vern and Sidney began working with the Land Bank – first with a conservation easement and then in 2008 beginning the process of putting the farm into the ownership of the Lank Bank. The purchase was complete in 2011. The Coffelts retained a life tenancy on the farm and Vern remained a central part of the daily operations; he wanted to help guide the farm as long as he could.
August 20, 2013 was Vern’s last day on his beloved farm. He did the chores and daily work and then suffered a crippling stroke during the night. He was airlifted to the hospital in Bellingham and then to Whatcom Hospice House in Fairhaven where he rested, was tended to by Sidney and visited by family and friends.
Vern earned his final rest after two weeks in the constant care of Sidney in hospice. He passed on to his reward on September 5, 2013.
Vern is survived by his wife Sidney; sons Tim and John (Sarah); grandchildren Brandon, Kendra, Jordan and Rayna; brother Russell (Jan) and numerous nieces and nephews. Vern was famous for being a favorite uncle.
Vern will be remembered for his legendary integrity, wide and frequent smile and his wonderful, keen and sharp sense of humor. He had a remarkable ability to play with words and deliver a clear meaning – with a twinkle.
A memorial service for Vern will be held on Sunday, September 29th at 1:00 pm at the Odd Fellows Hall in Eastsound. Refreshments are being prepared by the Orcas 4H Fur and Feathers Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Whatcom Hospice House.
Thanks to Suzanne Olson
Vern was a great guy!! He will be missed.
With heavy heart my most sincere condolances to Sidney and the rest of Vern’s Family.
Vern and his brothers honestly earned the title his neighbors and other Islanders bestowed upon them. “The Turtleback Savages”
He chose to ramain on Orcas, and matured into one, if not the most, honest, straight arrow, hardworking, generous men one could ever imagine.
Orcas, the nation, and the world were enriched by his presence.
Vern was one of the first Orcas Port Commissioners, who ably took over and ran the airport in 1958 or 59. His ready smile and his erect carriage were respected by all.
A couple of years ago, Birch and I were visiting the farm and found ourselves in the middle of a conversation about composting slaughter waste. When I asked if they really did compost everything, Vern invited us to accompany him to their composting operation where he happily forked out a skull or two that required another round. A wonderful man to know indeed.
Cousin Vern always had an easygoing way and came to our place for mom to cut his hair. I can still see those hair cuts where the missing tooth in the clippers left a path of longer hair sticking up! They always brought along vegetables and a couple of dozen cracked eggs from the ranch…that was a different time. When aunt Helen was widowed we made many excursions to visit our cousins and tour the ranch, looking over the lambs, calves,pigs and chickens.
Best wishes to your family during this time. I enjoyed reading this account of Vern’s life.
We have lived on the Smedberg Farm for thirty five years. I think Vern has a presence there and will continue to ride on my shoulder as long as I mow the fields.