Gene Pond Obituary

Gene Pond, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and lifelong resident of Stevens County, passed away peacefully at home into the presence of his Lord on March 7, 2025, at the age of 87.

Gene lived his entire life in the same house where he was born and raised. Gene graduated from Marcus High School as a 12-year senior in 1955. In 1960, the ranch in Pierre Lake valley was turned over to him by his parents. On October 15, 1960, Gene and Sharon McIrvin were united in marriage and have made that ranch their home for over 64 years. In 1965, Gene accepted Christ as his Savior (John 3:16, John 3:36). In 1970 he became affiliated with Berachah Church of Houston, Texas. For the rest of his life he remained a faithful student of the Word of God through recorded Bible lessons of Berachah Church.

Gene's life was defined by his deep connection to his land, family, faith and community. For over six decades, he worked the family ranch established by his father, raising cattle through harsh winters and bountiful summers with equal measures of grit and grace. Never one to shy away from hard work and long hours, Gene also drove logging truck for decades, purchasing the first of his own logging trucks in 1989.

Gene was a member of the Washington State Log Truckers Association, a longtime member of the Orient School Board, and, for many decades, a member of the John Birch Society.

Gene's greatest pride was his family. He is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Sharon, and their five children: Ken; Wayne and his wife Susie; Sheri and her husband Mike; Dave and his wife Stephanie; and Mark and his wife Maggie. As just one metric of his devotion to family, over the past half century, Gene and Sharon traveled tens of thousands of miles to attend their children's and grandchildren's sporting events, livestock shows, graduations, weddings and other life events that stitch a family together. Beyond his immediate family, Gene leaves behind eighteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren to carry on his legacy of hard work, integrity, faith, commitment to family, and community service.

Gene lived by the values of honesty, perseverance, and neighborly kindness. His steady presence will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.

A memorial service is planned for Friday, March 28th at 11:00 AM at the Kettle River (Barstow) Grange. 25262 US-395, Kettle Falls, WA 99141. All are welcome to attend.