Son of William "Bob" and Annie Alley Schwyhart, husband of Betty Ann Madsen Schwyhart, and father of Dale and Bob Schwyhart.
Isaac "Ike" William Schwyhart, 81, of Cedarville loved living the majority of his life in Surprise Valley and his community appreciated all he did over the years.
The Modoc County Fairgrounds' superb appearance for 32 years can be credited to Mr. Schwyhart, who will be greatly missed by his community and family.
Mr. Schwyhart died August 7, 2003 in a single vehicle accident not far from his Cedarville, California home, at the end of a day of traveling.
Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at graveside on August 13 at 11 a.m. at the Cedarville Cemetery.
Mr. Schwyhart was born in Cedar Creek, Missouri on December 17, 1921. In an interview several years ago, he told the Modoc Record, his greatest ambition was to amass a $50 fortune. At age 17, he worked most of the year cutting cedar posts, for which he earned two cents a post.
"I think I cut enough posts to fence the state of Missouri, but eventually I saved $50 and headed west," he said. After hearing from friends there was a fortune to be made as a lumberjack, he joined friends on a trip that ended up in Klamath Falls, OR and found even experienced loggers were out of work. When the group split up, he hitchhiked to Marysville to pick fruit and by the summer of 1940, he'd saved $80, even while sending money home each month. Hearing of a rodeo in Alturas, he hitched a ride north to Modoc County, where he worked in the hay fields at the Spicer Ranch for $35 a month and ended up working for Jack Conlan in Fort Bidwell.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1942, during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1947, happy to return to Surprise Valley and the Conlan Ranch.
Not long after, he met Betty Madsen in Lakeview, OR. The two were married on New Year's Eve in Ashland, OR in 1948. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Washington to help Betty's parents run their dairy ranch.
It didn't take him long to realize that the move was one of the greatest mistakes of his life. He and Betty moved back to Surprise Valley and he vowed never to move again.
He was soon hired as the maintenance person at the Modoc County Fairgrounds. It wasn't long before the 67 acres of lawns and 100,000 square feet of building were sparkling clean, with flowers blooming everywhere. He raised more than 5,000 flowers a year, specially nurtured to bloom during fair time.
Known as a very congenial man, Schwyhart helped the roping club by announcing and timing their events. "He was always ready to lend a helping hand to neighbors and friends, even up to the day he died. He was such a loving person," described his daughter-in-law Daisy.
Schwyhart retired in 1984, after 32 years with the fair. His son, Bob carries on the tradition of flower displays, as the maintenance person for the Red Bluff Fairgrounds.
Ike was honored as having the best safety record among all employees of the state fair system. He never missed a day of work for an on-the-job injury. He was also an avid squirrel hunter and loved fishing.
He was preceded in death by his wife Betty on March 20, 1994, a son Dale and two brothers Jim and John. He is survived by his son Bob and wife, a grandson and a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, three sisters, and two brothers.
Isaac "Ike" William Schwyhart, 81, of Cedarville loved living the majority of his life in Surprise Valley and his community appreciated all he did over the years.
The Modoc County Fairgrounds' superb appearance for 32 years can be credited to Mr. Schwyhart, who will be greatly missed by his community and family.
Mr. Schwyhart died August 7, 2003 in a single vehicle accident not far from his Cedarville, California home, at the end of a day of traveling.
Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at graveside on August 13 at 11 a.m. at the Cedarville Cemetery.
Mr. Schwyhart was born in Cedar Creek, Missouri on December 17, 1921. In an interview several years ago, he told the Modoc Record, his greatest ambition was to amass a $50 fortune. At age 17, he worked most of the year cutting cedar posts, for which he earned two cents a post.
"I think I cut enough posts to fence the state of Missouri, but eventually I saved $50 and headed west," he said. After hearing from friends there was a fortune to be made as a lumberjack, he joined friends on a trip that ended up in Klamath Falls, OR and found even experienced loggers were out of work. When the group split up, he hitchhiked to Marysville to pick fruit and by the summer of 1940, he'd saved $80, even while sending money home each month. Hearing of a rodeo in Alturas, he hitched a ride north to Modoc County, where he worked in the hay fields at the Spicer Ranch for $35 a month and ended up working for Jack Conlan in Fort Bidwell.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1942, during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1947, happy to return to Surprise Valley and the Conlan Ranch.
Not long after, he met Betty Madsen in Lakeview, OR. The two were married on New Year's Eve in Ashland, OR in 1948. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Washington to help Betty's parents run their dairy ranch.
It didn't take him long to realize that the move was one of the greatest mistakes of his life. He and Betty moved back to Surprise Valley and he vowed never to move again.
He was soon hired as the maintenance person at the Modoc County Fairgrounds. It wasn't long before the 67 acres of lawns and 100,000 square feet of building were sparkling clean, with flowers blooming everywhere. He raised more than 5,000 flowers a year, specially nurtured to bloom during fair time.
Known as a very congenial man, Schwyhart helped the roping club by announcing and timing their events. "He was always ready to lend a helping hand to neighbors and friends, even up to the day he died. He was such a loving person," described his daughter-in-law Daisy.
Schwyhart retired in 1984, after 32 years with the fair. His son, Bob carries on the tradition of flower displays, as the maintenance person for the Red Bluff Fairgrounds.
Ike was honored as having the best safety record among all employees of the state fair system. He never missed a day of work for an on-the-job injury. He was also an avid squirrel hunter and loved fishing.
He was preceded in death by his wife Betty on March 20, 1994, a son Dale and two brothers Jim and John. He is survived by his son Bob and wife, a grandson and a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, three sisters, and two brothers.
Son of William "Bob" and Annie Alley Schwyhart, husband of Betty Ann Madsen Schwyhart, and father of Dale and Bob Schwyhart.
Isaac "Ike" William Schwyhart, 81, of Cedarville loved living the majority of his life in Surprise Valley and his community appreciated all he did over the years.
The Modoc County Fairgrounds' superb appearance for 32 years can be credited to Mr. Schwyhart, who will be greatly missed by his community and family.
Mr. Schwyhart died August 7, 2003 in a single vehicle accident not far from his Cedarville, California home, at the end of a day of traveling.
Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at graveside on August 13 at 11 a.m. at the Cedarville Cemetery.
Mr. Schwyhart was born in Cedar Creek, Missouri on December 17, 1921. In an interview several years ago, he told the Modoc Record, his greatest ambition was to amass a $50 fortune. At age 17, he worked most of the year cutting cedar posts, for which he earned two cents a post.
"I think I cut enough posts to fence the state of Missouri, but eventually I saved $50 and headed west," he said. After hearing from friends there was a fortune to be made as a lumberjack, he joined friends on a trip that ended up in Klamath Falls, OR and found even experienced loggers were out of work. When the group split up, he hitchhiked to Marysville to pick fruit and by the summer of 1940, he'd saved $80, even while sending money home each month. Hearing of a rodeo in Alturas, he hitched a ride north to Modoc County, where he worked in the hay fields at the Spicer Ranch for $35 a month and ended up working for Jack Conlan in Fort Bidwell.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1942, during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1947, happy to return to Surprise Valley and the Conlan Ranch.
Not long after, he met Betty Madsen in Lakeview, OR. The two were married on New Year's Eve in Ashland, OR in 1948. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Washington to help Betty's parents run their dairy ranch.
It didn't take him long to realize that the move was one of the greatest mistakes of his life. He and Betty moved back to Surprise Valley and he vowed never to move again.
He was soon hired as the maintenance person at the Modoc County Fairgrounds. It wasn't long before the 67 acres of lawns and 100,000 square feet of building were sparkling clean, with flowers blooming everywhere. He raised more than 5,000 flowers a year, specially nurtured to bloom during fair time.
Known as a very congenial man, Schwyhart helped the roping club by announcing and timing their events. "He was always ready to lend a helping hand to neighbors and friends, even up to the day he died. He was such a loving person," described his daughter-in-law Daisy.
Schwyhart retired in 1984, after 32 years with the fair. His son, Bob carries on the tradition of flower displays, as the maintenance person for the Red Bluff Fairgrounds.
Ike was honored as having the best safety record among all employees of the state fair system. He never missed a day of work for an on-the-job injury. He was also an avid squirrel hunter and loved fishing.
He was preceded in death by his wife Betty on March 20, 1994, a son Dale and two brothers Jim and John. He is survived by his son Bob and wife, a grandson and a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, three sisters, and two brothers.
Isaac "Ike" William Schwyhart, 81, of Cedarville loved living the majority of his life in Surprise Valley and his community appreciated all he did over the years.
The Modoc County Fairgrounds' superb appearance for 32 years can be credited to Mr. Schwyhart, who will be greatly missed by his community and family.
Mr. Schwyhart died August 7, 2003 in a single vehicle accident not far from his Cedarville, California home, at the end of a day of traveling.
Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at graveside on August 13 at 11 a.m. at the Cedarville Cemetery.
Mr. Schwyhart was born in Cedar Creek, Missouri on December 17, 1921. In an interview several years ago, he told the Modoc Record, his greatest ambition was to amass a $50 fortune. At age 17, he worked most of the year cutting cedar posts, for which he earned two cents a post.
"I think I cut enough posts to fence the state of Missouri, but eventually I saved $50 and headed west," he said. After hearing from friends there was a fortune to be made as a lumberjack, he joined friends on a trip that ended up in Klamath Falls, OR and found even experienced loggers were out of work. When the group split up, he hitchhiked to Marysville to pick fruit and by the summer of 1940, he'd saved $80, even while sending money home each month. Hearing of a rodeo in Alturas, he hitched a ride north to Modoc County, where he worked in the hay fields at the Spicer Ranch for $35 a month and ended up working for Jack Conlan in Fort Bidwell.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1942, during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1947, happy to return to Surprise Valley and the Conlan Ranch.
Not long after, he met Betty Madsen in Lakeview, OR. The two were married on New Year's Eve in Ashland, OR in 1948. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Washington to help Betty's parents run their dairy ranch.
It didn't take him long to realize that the move was one of the greatest mistakes of his life. He and Betty moved back to Surprise Valley and he vowed never to move again.
He was soon hired as the maintenance person at the Modoc County Fairgrounds. It wasn't long before the 67 acres of lawns and 100,000 square feet of building were sparkling clean, with flowers blooming everywhere. He raised more than 5,000 flowers a year, specially nurtured to bloom during fair time.
Known as a very congenial man, Schwyhart helped the roping club by announcing and timing their events. "He was always ready to lend a helping hand to neighbors and friends, even up to the day he died. He was such a loving person," described his daughter-in-law Daisy.
Schwyhart retired in 1984, after 32 years with the fair. His son, Bob carries on the tradition of flower displays, as the maintenance person for the Red Bluff Fairgrounds.
Ike was honored as having the best safety record among all employees of the state fair system. He never missed a day of work for an on-the-job injury. He was also an avid squirrel hunter and loved fishing.
He was preceded in death by his wife Betty on March 20, 1994, a son Dale and two brothers Jim and John. He is survived by his son Bob and wife, a grandson and a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, three sisters, and two brothers.
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