James 'Jim' Muskrat, 82
James Crosby-Muskrat passed away the morning of May 21, 2025, at home in Sandpoint, Idaho, surrounded by family and dear friends.
Jim was born Sept. 11, 1942, to James and Lorraine Muskrat in San Diego, Calif.
From age 2 onward he grew up in San Francisco with his mother and stepfather, John Crosby, and four siblings. He had many fond memories there, mostly of fishing Lake Merced and various small lakes with his stepfather, whom he dearly loved and admired.
When he was 12, the family moved to Willow Glen, Calif., blocks away from his future wife, Kay Fowler, who caught his eye one school day and kept his heart for the remainder of his life. They married in July 1962 and went on to have four children.
In the 1970s Jim became involved with his Cherokee roots and the American Indian movement, working with Dennis Banks and others. He grew long hair, wore moccasins, a choker necklace and his red Cherokee ribbon shirt, all of which he made himself. He often times attended weekend pow wows with his young children. He also worked for Shippers Imperial Trucking in California during this time.
In 1979, he gave his heart to Christ, cut his long hair and drove his family to North Idaho to begin a new life. He raised his family in their “log home in the woods” and in their new church, the Sandpoint Christian Center. That same year Jim, Kay, and his father John Crosby opened a small mercantile business (Shadow Mountain Springs) just north of Sandpoint. He set up two teepees outside the shop while inside was a display of numerous Pendleton blankets, Blaze King wood stoves, and other goods for sale.
In the early 1980s, Jim began driving for Litehouse salad dressing company. Sometimes he took one of his kids with him on trips to Salt Lake City, Seattle or Spokane during this time. In 1985, he began driving for Consolidated Freightways with regular routes to Seattle and Portland. Jim retired from CF in 1998, and afterwards he had various jobs to fill his time. He ran his own small tractor business, was an antique vendor at Fosters Crossing for many years, and sometimes drove for Wes Olson Trucking.
Jim loved music, motorcycles, and collecting World War II memorabilia. He regularly set up a wonderful World War II display at Bonner County Library for Memorial Day. He took trips to the Oregon coast and often spent sunny days at the Sandpoint City Beach with his wife and family.
More than all that he loved his wife and family, and his Heavenly Father.
He is survived by his wife, Kay; his children, Jimmy (Leah) Crosby, Sean (Melissa) Muskrat, Shannon Crosby-Muskrat, Michelle (Nathan) Bailey; his brother, Gary (Trina) Crosby; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He will be missed as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend.
There will be a celebration of life ceremony June 14, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Regeneration Calvary Chapel, 130 McGhee Road, No. 209 (second floor), Sandpoint, Idaho.