Charles Alan 'Manny' Finney, 82

Charles Alan “Manny” Finney was born at home in Jay Em, Wyoming, on March 16, 1935. He passed away on April 23, 2017, at the age of 82, at his home with his wife, Sharon, at his side.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 6, 2017 in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel with Dale Coffelt and Pastor Chad Wilks officiating. Interment will be in Pinecrest Memorial Park.

Manny was the youngest of six children, born to Frank Alvan Finney and Amelia Victoria Carlson Finney. A daughter, Thelma May, passed before Manny was born. After battling the elements and heartache in Wyoming, the Frank A. Finney family loaded all they had into a 1926 Ford truck and headed north to Idaho “to seek a better life.” They found their paradise in Sandpoint and settled in 1936.

Frank and Amelia purchased 40 acres north of Sandpoint. Manny helped his parents raise strawberries, Christ-mas trees, sheep and cattle. After graduating from high school, Manny began working for John Oliver Logging in Thompson Falls, Montana. With his earnings, he was able to purchase 240 acres, “The Timber Place,” in Elmira, Idaho.

In June 1957, at the age of 22, Manny met his sweetheart, Sharon Kirkham, a car hop at Don’s Drive In. They married Sept. 8, 1957, in a double ceremony with his boss and best friend, Glen “Sonny” Oliver and his sweetie, Virginia Aaberg. Sharon and Manny began their family with their first born, Cindy, on July 3, 1958. Their family grew with Nancy, Tammy, Scott and Bunny within the next five years.

Manny was severely injured in a logging accident in 1960, forcing him to change careers to building construction. He and Sharon purchased 16 acres on Bronx Cutoff Road in Sandpoint and built their home in 1964. Manny added an additional 400 acres throughout his lifetime; 234 acres of which was mountain property. “Shadow Mountain” was a place of refuge for Manny. He spent many hours on “God’s Mountain,” selectively logging the hillsides and making roads, some said impossible, through steep-rocked hillsides.

One of Manny’s many accomplishments was the reclaiming of 12 acres of inaccessible swamp land behind his home. He started his top soil business “Super Soil” from the rich deposits of organic peat moss. The family also raised and sold Christmas trees.

Manny, Sharon and their five children traveled, camped, hunted, fished, skied, hunted for mushrooms, picked huckleberries, motor biked, rode horses, participated in 4-H and horse shows and had award-winning entries in the annual Sandpoint Lions Fourth of July parade.

The Manny Finney family attended church together, always giving glory to God for their many life’s blessings.

Manny is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Sharon; five children, Cindy (Brian) Dockins, Nancy (George) Andrews, Tammy Finney Wood, Scott (Tracie) Finney, and Bunny (Kelly) Ryan; 17 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The family has asked that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org, in honor of Samantha Kay Smith.

Family and friends are invited to sign Manny’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.