A cross-Canada train excursion is marking the centenary of a migration that saw some 21,000 Mennonites from the Soviet Union emigrate to Canada but is also striving to address reconciliation while fulfilling a deathbed promise.
Nate passed away Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, of glioblastoma brain cancer at his home in Greenacres, Wash.
Born Dec. 6, 1981, to Daleah Lawson and Richard Thiessen, Nate grew up in Pullman where he attended Franklin Elementary, Lincoln Middle School and Pullman High School. While there, he swam, played clarinet, oboe and piano, graduating in 2000.
As a youth, Nate was active in Boy Scout Troop 442, which had a deep and positive impact on his life.
Nate worked at Pullman Ford-Mercury, later Jess Ford, initially detailing vehicles as a self-titled âDirt Relocation Specialist.â He worked his way up into the Parts Department, then eventually working for Chipman-Taylor as Parts Manager.