Stephen Robert Heilmann, 73

Stephen Robert Heilmann went to be with our precious Lord on Sept. 15, 2024. He was born in Marysville, Calif., on Jan. 31, 1951, to Robert and Jean Heilmann. 

He spent much of his childhood in Live Oak, Calif., riding bicycles, swimming in the irrigation canals, playing baseball, and hunting with his father and friends. He especially loved dove hunting, which he did with his father, starting maybe at about the age of 6. At the age of 8 he began carrying his own shotgun and at the age of 10, took the required Hunter’s Safety Course. He tells the story of being out on a pheasant hunt at the intersection of a slow-paced back highway in Live Oak with a friend. A new station wagon with four men packed inside stopped and the driver rolled down the window and congratulated them on their birds. Who could believe that Roy Rogers would be hunting in the same fields as they were?

In 1964, the family moved to a beautiful 350-acre horse ranch in Grass Valley. New friends were made, and old ones fondly remembered. Steve attended junior high in Grass Valley and took a first-year metal shop class. He took a great interest in welding, forging and machining metal and won an award at the State Industrial Arts Fair for his metal sculpturing skills. He then attended Nevada Union High School and took second-year metal shop as a sophomore. He also enjoyed auto shop because of his interest in metal and mechanical devices.

In 1968, Steve was injured in an auto accident and became a complete paraplegic. With the help of family and friends at the start of his career and his wife, Cheri, later, he was able to achieve many things that most able-bodied people could not. With Jesus looking over you great things can happen.

In 1970-71 Steve attended the Colorado School of Trades. This was a start-to-finish gunsmithing and custom gun-building training school. It turns out that Steve also had a natural-born skill for working on firearms. This trade school inspired Steve. In 1973 he opened a business in Grass Valley, called The Gunworks. He set up his gunsmith shop at the back of the store and had a retail space up front with no merchandise and no customers. Within a few years, he was known to be a fine gunsmith and with the help of a couple of good friends, Chip Gauthier and Bob Presley, and his brother, Matt, the business grew so large that it was time to move to a larger store or sell. He sold the business in 1980 at the age of 29.

In 1981, a custom gun work shop was completed on property Steve owned. It was here he focused on building fine custom firearms. Still hunting a little and also trap shooting, most of his time was spent alone in his shop creating, and he loved it! In 1985, he was accepted into the American Custom Gunmakers Guild as a metalsmith and stockmaker. This is a prestigious organization whose purpose is to teach and preserve the art of high-end custom gun making. 

In 1989, Steve married Cheri Barnhart and with her help was able to expand gun stock sales, with Steve band sawing and planing and Cheri, many times after a day’s work, would rout the edges, sand, and apply a light coat of oil to bring out the beauty of the California English Walnut. The business thrived.

In 2018, Steve decided to make the move to North Idaho, a place very friendly to a professional gun builder. He sold his property in California and moved to beautiful North Idaho. 

It was in this beautiful place with mostly Christians or like-minded folks that Steve found Jesus Christ. Cheri prompted Steve at first, but discussions with new friends helped lead him there. He was baptized at a young age and his mother made certain all the kids went to church on Sundays, but somewhere he had drifted away from the Lord, even with considerable proselytizing from his best friend, Chip.

This kind, loving, generous, man of integrity will be forever in our hearts. Steve is survived by his wife, Cheri Heilmann; sisters Robin Pinney, Cathleen Connors (Carl Andersen), and Christine Keil (Jeff); brother Matthew Heilmann; cousins, numerous nieces and nephews; and furkids Parfait, Ranger, and Tyler.

Family and Friends are invited to sign Stephen's online guestbook at coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.