Daniel H Walser

Daniel Herbert Walser has died. Known for his handlebar mustache and cowboy hat, he drove truck for the North Latah County Road District in Potlatch for more than 35 years.

His father, Sebastian ‘Bush’ Walser, was born in Wisconsin and immigrated with family by train to Palouse in 1906. The family moved onto Flannigan Creek outside of Potlatch and built a farm. Bush learned to shoe horses in the army during WWI. Upon returning, he started the first privately owned business in the company town of Potlatch in 1920. He shoed the Potlatch Forest Industries horses and provided blacksmithing to the company and community from his blacksmith shop.

Dan’s mother, Dorothy Traughber, traveled by train from Deaconess Nursing School to Potlatch in 1931 to work as a nurse at the company hospital and at PFI Lumber ‘Camp C’. She met Bush when a strong man was needed to help set a broken leg at the hospital.

Bush and Dorothy wed in 1934. ‘Danny’ was born on June 23, 1936, followed by ‘Nicky’ and Cathy. They bought land west of Potlatch in 1938, happily raising the family while farming, blacksmithing, and nursing. ‘Danny’ was the shy one of his boisterous bunch.

Dan graduated in 1954 and spent a few years working at PFI on the green chain and driving shuttle bug. He then moved on to field tiling with Ed Anderson and welding for R.A. Hanson, before establishing himself as a logger with Cone & Bennett, Vowels, and Keck’s, forming lifelong friendships with coworkers. In the late 50’s, he and a friend built a car to race at the local Riverside race track. In 1970, he started with the North Latah County Road District (then, the Potlatch Road Department), working there until his retirement. After a few subsequent odd jobs, he went back to work for the County as summer crew until past the age of 75. He loved the camaraderie and friendships there and they tolerated his fondness for a good practical joke.

In 1964, the love bug bit and he and Anita Woolverton wed, spending the next 62 years together. They brought four children into the world: Abigale, Eli, Edith, and Aaron. Teaching them good values while raising animals, farming, and working in their woods with them was important to Dan. They lived in the house his parents built, on the land he toiled over until his death on August 22, 2026.

When Dan’s grandchildren showed interest in trapshooting, he rekindled his hobby of reloading and shooting. Earlier in life, he was a founding member of the Potlatch Gun Club in the 1960’s. He made sure each of his grandchildren had a Winchester Model 12, shot with them regularly, and encouraged them to make it a lifelong hobby. Just this spring at the Troy-Deary Gun Club, he shot a ‘jackass’ 24, missing the last target with a shake of his head.

Dan’s grandchildren, Lane, Tom, Trinda, Shelby, and Chester, will remember his values, etiquette, and generosity. His constant curtness was passed on to his children (and grandchildren) and is endured by their spouses, Lavon, Wade, and Tami, along with generations to come.

A service to remember Dan will be held at 2pm on Saturday, August 29, at Freeze Church, north of Potlatch.