{"id":10509,"date":"2016-08-10T15:47:11","date_gmt":"2016-08-10T22:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spiken.wpengine.com\/news\/at-90-fence-builder-defies-age-stays-on-the-job\/"},"modified":"2016-10-22T08:10:36","modified_gmt":"2016-10-22T15:10:36","slug":"at-90-fence-builder-defies-age-stays-on-the-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/at-90-fence-builder-defies-age-stays-on-the-job\/","title":{"rendered":"At 90, fence builder defies age, stays on the job"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like<\/span> a<\/span> stout<\/span> fence<\/span> he<\/span> put<\/span> up<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> bare,<\/span> weathered<\/span> hands,<\/span> Walt<\/span> Easter<\/span> stands<\/span> tall<\/span> with<\/span> time.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Having<\/span> overcome<\/span> personal<\/span> problems<\/span> and<\/span> serious<\/span> health<\/span> problems,<\/span> the<\/span> 90-year-old<\/span> Kent<\/span> man<\/span> stays<\/span> active<\/span> today<\/span> running<\/span> a<\/span> fence<\/span> company<\/span> out<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> West<\/span> Hill<\/span> home.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Need<\/span> to<\/span> replace<\/span> a<\/span> cedar<\/span> or<\/span> add<\/span> a<\/span> chain-link<\/span> fence?<\/span> Call<\/span> on<\/span> Easter,<\/span> someone<\/span> who\u2019s<\/span> been<\/span> at<\/span> it<\/span> since<\/span> 1958.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> just<\/span> love<\/span> the<\/span> business,\u201d<\/span> said<\/span> Easter,<\/span> who<\/span> works<\/span> between<\/span> 25<\/span> and<\/span> 30<\/span> hours<\/span> a<\/span> week<\/span> putting<\/span> up<\/span> commercial<\/span> and<\/span> residential<\/span> fences<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> help<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> carpenter.<\/span> \u201cThe<\/span> main<\/span> part<\/span> is<\/span> you\u2019re<\/span> meeting<\/span> different<\/span> people<\/span> all<\/span> the<\/span> time.<\/span> \u2026<\/span> I<\/span> like<\/span> people<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> hard<\/span> work.<\/span> Still<\/span> do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Easter<\/span> learned<\/span> the<\/span> value<\/span> of<\/span> hard<\/span> work<\/span> growing<\/span> up<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> family\u2019s<\/span> 320-acre<\/span> farm<\/span> in<\/span> Arkansas<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> Great<\/span> Depression.<\/span> One<\/span> of<\/span> 10<\/span> children,<\/span> he<\/span> did<\/span> his<\/span> share<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> chores<\/span> and<\/span> worked<\/span> long<\/span> days<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> farm,<\/span> using<\/span> horses<\/span> to<\/span> help<\/span> harvest<\/span> hay,<\/span> corn<\/span> and<\/span> wheat.<\/span> The<\/span> family<\/span> never<\/span> went<\/span> hungry,<\/span> he<\/span> said,<\/span> and<\/span> appreciated<\/span> what<\/span> little<\/span> it<\/span> had.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

After<\/span> serving<\/span> honorably<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Army,<\/span> Easter<\/span> returned<\/span> home<\/span> in<\/span> 1947<\/span> and<\/span> followed<\/span> his<\/span> sister<\/span> and<\/span> her<\/span> family<\/span> to<\/span> Yakima<\/span> Valley,<\/span> where<\/span> he<\/span> picked<\/span> fruit<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> produce<\/span> for<\/span> 10<\/span> years.<\/span> He<\/span> wound<\/span> up<\/span> in<\/span> Kent<\/span> and<\/span> began<\/span> working<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> fencing<\/span> company<\/span> in<\/span> 1958.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Good<\/span> fortune<\/span> helped<\/span> Easter<\/span> launch<\/span> a<\/span> fence<\/span> firm<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> own.<\/span> His<\/span> wife,<\/span> Marie,<\/span> won<\/span> a<\/span> Seattle<\/span> Times<\/span> crossword<\/span> puzzle<\/span> contest.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt<\/span> paid<\/span> off<\/span> in<\/span> cash,<\/span> if<\/span> you<\/span> hit<\/span> it,\u201d<\/span> Easter<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cMy<\/span> wife<\/span> hit<\/span> it<\/span> for<\/span> $1,600,<\/span> we<\/span> bought<\/span> a<\/span> truck<\/span> and<\/span> I<\/span> went<\/span> to<\/span> work.<\/span> Been<\/span> at<\/span> it<\/span> ever<\/span> since<\/span> \u2026<\/span> and<\/span> I<\/span> still<\/span> love<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Easter\u2019s<\/span> company,<\/span> American<\/span> Fence,<\/span> began<\/span> in<\/span> 1960<\/span> and<\/span> grew<\/span> from<\/span> its<\/span> South<\/span> King<\/span> County<\/span> roots,<\/span> employing<\/span> as<\/span> many<\/span> as<\/span> seven<\/span> men<\/span> at<\/span> one<\/span> time.<\/span> Business<\/span> was<\/span> good.<\/span> Easter\u2019s<\/span> biggest<\/span> contract<\/span> required<\/span> his<\/span> crew<\/span> to<\/span> build<\/span> a<\/span> fence<\/span> 11<\/span> miles<\/span> long,<\/span> but<\/span> mostly<\/span> routine<\/span> jobs<\/span> involved<\/span> fence<\/span> yards,<\/span> 3oo<\/span> or<\/span> 400<\/span> feet<\/span> in<\/span> length.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

But<\/span> the<\/span> hard<\/span> work<\/span> and<\/span> bad<\/span> habits<\/span> eventually<\/span> took<\/span> their<\/span> toll<\/span> on<\/span> Easter<\/span> and<\/span> his<\/span> family.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Easter<\/span> battled<\/span> alcoholism<\/span> throughout<\/span> the<\/span> \u201970s,<\/span> a<\/span> problem<\/span> that<\/span> cost<\/span> him<\/span> his<\/span> marriage.<\/span> Urged<\/span> by<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> daughters<\/span> to<\/span> find<\/span> help,<\/span> Easter<\/span> went<\/span> to<\/span> Alcohol<\/span> Anonymous<\/span> and<\/span> got<\/span> sober.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> haven\u2019t<\/span> had<\/span> a<\/span> drink<\/span> in<\/span> 37<\/span> years,\u201d<\/span> Easter<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cI<\/span> haven\u2019t<\/span> had<\/span> a<\/span> cigarette<\/span> in<\/span> 28<\/span> years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

When<\/span> Easter<\/span> remarried,<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> to<\/span> Shirley,<\/span> whom<\/span> he<\/span> met<\/span> at<\/span> AA<\/span> meetings.<\/span> They<\/span> were<\/span> married<\/span> for<\/span> 28<\/span> years<\/span> before<\/span> she<\/span> died<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> heart<\/span> attack<\/span> seven<\/span> years<\/span> ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Easter<\/span> has<\/span> battled<\/span> his<\/span> share<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> own<\/span> health<\/span> problems.<\/span> He<\/span> has<\/span> survived<\/span> three<\/span> heart<\/span> attacks,<\/span> prostrate<\/span> cancer,<\/span> major<\/span> shoulder<\/span> surgery<\/span> and<\/span> pneumonia.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

His<\/span> faith<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Lord<\/span> and<\/span> support<\/span> from<\/span> family<\/span> and<\/span> friends<\/span> keep<\/span> him<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> feet<\/span> today,<\/span> and<\/span> working.<\/span> An<\/span> outdoorsman<\/span> who<\/span> used<\/span> to<\/span> regularly<\/span> hunt<\/span> and<\/span> fish,<\/span> Easter<\/span> is<\/span> comfortable<\/span> at<\/span> his<\/span> own<\/span> home<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> shares<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> two<\/span> dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

When<\/span> the<\/span> phone<\/span> rings,<\/span> it<\/span> often<\/span> means<\/span> a<\/span> customer<\/span> is<\/span> calling,<\/span> and<\/span> Easter<\/span> and<\/span> his<\/span> truck<\/span> stand<\/span> ready.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Easter<\/span> still<\/span> builds<\/span> fences<\/span> the<\/span> old-fashioned<\/span> way<\/span> \u2013<\/span> using<\/span> muscle.<\/span> His<\/span> crooked<\/span> fingers<\/span> and<\/span> strong<\/span> hands<\/span> hammer<\/span> nails<\/span> without<\/span> the<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span> air<\/span> tools<\/span> and<\/span> dig<\/span> post<\/span> holes<\/span> without<\/span> the<\/span> punch<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> powerful<\/span> auger.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

There<\/span> is<\/span> no<\/span> shortcut<\/span> to<\/span> hard<\/span> work<\/span> or<\/span> building<\/span> a<\/span> solid<\/span> fence.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cTo<\/span> me,<\/span> the<\/span> important<\/span> part<\/span> is<\/span> when<\/span> I<\/span> put<\/span> that<\/span> fence<\/span> up,<\/span> I<\/span> like<\/span> to<\/span> look<\/span> back<\/span> and<\/span> say<\/span> I<\/span> did<\/span> it,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cYou<\/span> take<\/span> pride<\/span> in<\/span> your<\/span> work,<\/span> whether<\/span> it\u2019s<\/span> a<\/span> fence<\/span> or<\/span> whatever<\/span> it<\/span> is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

PHOTO BELOW:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Walt Easter\u2019s hands continue to build fences at the age of 90 and nearly 60 years in the business. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter<\/em>
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like a stout fence he put up with his bare, weathered hands, Walt Easter stands tall with time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":220,"featured_media":10510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-10509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10509"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/220"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10509"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=10509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}