David A. Wittman

Birth: Feb. 17, 1951 Nez Perce County Idaho, USA

Death: Aug. 23, 1995 Clarkson Bingham County Idaho, USA

David A. Wittman, a Lapwai livestock manager, died Wednesday of asphyxiation at his Clarkston home after suffering with multiple sclerosis for nearly seven years. He was 44.

He was born Feb. 17, 1951, at Lewiston to Marvin J. and Helen L. Herndon Wittman. He grew up on the family farm near Lapwai. He attended grade school at St. Joseph's Children's Home on Mission Creek. He graduated in 1969 from Lapwai High School, where he played football and baseball and participated in track.

He studied agricultural economics at the University of Idaho at Moscow and graduated in 1973.

He was a member of the Farmhouse fraternity and was a member of the market animal and carcass evaluation judging team.

He was the livestock manager for Wittman Farms until illness forced him to retire in June 1987. He continued to provide computer expertise to the business.

He married Barbara Miller Aug. 17, 1974, at Lewiston.

They moved to Lewiston in 1987 and divorced Nov. 16, 1989.

He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minn., in January 1989.

He married Ellen Simmet at Lewiston Nov. 18, 1993, and they moved to Clarkston.

A former president of the Nez Perce County Cattlemen's Association and former director of the Idaho Cattlemen's Association, he served as director of the Lewiston Roundup Association from 1984 to 1988.

Before his illness, he enjoyed snow and water skiing and leather tooling. After he became ill he enjoyed learning about personal computers.

Survivors include his wife of Clarkston; one son, Peter Wittman of Lewiston; one daughter, Johanna Wittman of Lewiston; his parents of Lewiston; three step-daughters, Carrie Jones, Kelly Sisson and Francie Nordin, all of Clarkston; four brothers, Dick of Culdesac, Mark of Lewiston, Kurt of Salem, Ore., and John of Kent, Wash.; three sisters, Rebecca L'Esperance and Kristine Marvich, both of Seattle, and Kelly Schaeffer of Kennewick, Wash.; and seven step-grandchildren.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at St. James Catholic Church at Lewiston. The Revs. Andrew J. Schumacher of St. Mary's Catholic Church at Boise and Raymond D. Tucker of Faith Tabernacle Church at Lewiston will officiate.

Burial will follow at Lewis-Clark Memorial Gardens at Lewiston.

Visitation will be from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home at Lewiston.

Memorials may be made to the Valley Boys and Girls Club, P.O. Box 1627, Lewiston, Idaho 83501 or St. Joseph Family Hospice, P.O. Box 816, Lewiston, Idaho 83501.

Lewiston Tribune August 25, 1995