James Noel Francis

James Noel Francis died the early morning of Sept. 26, 2012, at his home on Highway 20 about 8 miles North of Newport, Pend Oreille County, Wash.

Cause of death was lung cancer.

James was born April 29, 1937, at Whitehall, to Donald and Clara (Sausman) Francis.

From age 5 he spent his summers on the horse ranch owned by his Uncle Fred Shoemaker in the Larb Hills of the Missouri River Breaks, south of Malta. He learned to train and care for horses at an early age. He joined the Navy at the age of 15, often serving on submarines, and was discharged in 1955. As a young man he rode bareback and cl...