Nathan Blood, 21

Nathan Blood, 21, passed away April 29, 2004, the result of a motorcycle accident.

Memorial services were held May 2, 2004, at the Four Winds Christian Academy in Cheney, Wash.

Nathan was born May 30, 1982, the same year as his motorcycle. He was born in Sandpoint on the living room rug of the log cabin his father grew up in west of Carr Creek Road.

Shortly after he was born, his dad carried him out to pick wildflowers for his grandma each Sabbath morning before going to church. They did this as long as there were flowers to pick each year until they moved to Pinetop, Ariz. Is is any wonder that he loved flowers and plants so much?

In Arizona, he went with his parents and little brother to have a story hour each Sabbath morning for the Apache children. Nathan and Joshua sat up front in the 1962 Ford wagon (in one seatbelt) when his dad picked up the kids at their homes to bring them to story hour. The Apache children would step on the seatbelt from behind just to hear the boys squeal.

His dad found a job at Eastern State Hospital because the boy's grandpa was gravely ill and the family felt a need for the boys to be able to remember him.

Nathan and Joshua grew up near Fish Lake in Cheney, Wash., on 16 acres of land on which to roam.

From birth, Nathan wouldn't let us see him do something unless he could do it perfectly.

His mother home schooled them until they were about 9 yeas old. Nathan started school at Four Winds Christian Academy and graduated from the eighth grade there. He then went to the Cheney Alternative School. He was in the first group of young people to go there — and the first to start at the beginning and then graduate there, too. He also did step in and step out classes at Cheney High School and took the Automotive YES program.

Nathan was accepted at Camp Subaru as an intern mechanic. He took all of the training and became a Subaru technician. He was always under the hood when his dad was working on his Subarus and it wasn't long before he was telling his dad how to fix things on his cars.

When his mom's car was rear-eneded, his dad made a homemade Brat out of it. Nathan and his dad had fun making it go faster — and if the modification worked on the Brat, then Nathan would do the same modification on his 1985 XT. He later went on to modify his 92 SVX — they only came up with automatics. He modified his with a WRX stick shift transmission (a very rare car).

He was digging a big pond for his goldfish — so they would not have to live in a horse tank. As you know, he was never able to finish it.

Nathan loved to hike, especially to Steven's Lake. Even his dad hike there with him two times.

He went fishing a lot with his best friend, Karl George. He wasn't much into fishing but it was a way to be with his friend. The things he would endure for a friend.

Nathan would go bicycle riding and snowmobile riding with his uncle Edwin near College Place.

He was really into flying airplanes, especially hover craft. His friend, Ed Peavey, spent a lot of time with him talking and dreaming about aircraft.

Nathan was a member of Pathfinders since he was 9 years old. He became a junior counselor and progressed up to his present rank. It will be difficult for anyone to try to fill his post there. The kids meant so much to him he could not quit.

He was really looking forward to riding with his friend, Vaughn Wilson, on the newer and bigger road bike they were working to repair. It would replace his Honda 250 twin. Vaughn and Mary Belsby were two of his special friends in Pathfinders.

As his family, we really appreciate all of his friends and know he was praying for us all. And we know, he wants each of us to be with him on that trip through the stars to Heaven on Resurrection Day when King Jesus comes again to take us home.

Nathan is survived by his parents, David and Freida Blood, and brother, Joshua, of Medical Lake, Wash.; his grandparents, Cloyde and Dorothy Oxley of Trout Creek, Mont; his grandmother, Barbara Blood of Sandpoint; and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.