Burt H. “Ernie” Earnest, 88, formerly of Oak Harbor, died August 29, 2005 in Clarkston, Wash.

Burt was born Feb. 20, 1917 near LaCrosse, Wash. He was baptized in the Methodist Faith, the son of Earl and Allena Earnest. Earl was a farm and construction worker moving around in both the U.S. and Canada where one of Burt’s sisters, Elsie, was born.

Burt started school in a one- room school house near Kendrick, Idaho, then on to Pullman, Wash. for two years. In 1925, he moved to East Lewiston, Idaho for a year and finally to Clarkston to finish grade and high school in 1935.

Burt worked in construction and in 1936 worked out of Headquarters, Idaho in the woods. For a short time he lived in the lumber camps and worked in the woods before chainsaws and tractors. After that he tended bar in several places in the Lewiston valley.

Burt joined the Navy on Dec. 19, 1940. He went through boot camp and Class A School in San Diego. His first deployment was to Hawaii just in time for the Pearl Harbor attack. During the war he was stationed at Kaneohe, Oahu, T.H., and did several tours including the Philippines, China and Japan during the occupation. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor and was on several special deployments including the first atomic test at Bikini Atoll and operation Hi-Jump in the Antarctic. After these tours he was sent to Alameda, Calif., and eventually was attached to a Heavy Attack Squadron Two stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor. He joined the squadron at sea near Japan on the aircraft carrier Coral Sea several times.  After his last deployment, he was discharged at Treasure Island, Calif., on Dec. 29, 1961.

Taking a second career, Burt went to Barber School in Bellingham and had a barber shop in Oak Harbor for 10 years. He moved back to Clarkston around 1971 where he continued to barber for another 11 years. He closed the shop in May of 1983.

Burt belonged to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the Fleet Reserve Association, United States Navy Memorial Foundation, the Clarkston Moose Lodge 751, and the Kanohe Klippers. He enjoyed gardening, flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Burt is survived by two sons, Steven Earnest and his wife Leigh, of Kansas City, Mo., and Ronald Earnest and his wife Jeanne of Brighton, MI, a sister, Betty Hogan of Clarkston, and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Karl Earnest and a sister, Elsie Purviance. He was buried near his parents in Lewiston at the Normal Hill Cemetery.