Archived Marriage Records
Grant Dee Hamilton
Grant Dee Hamilton, 70, passed away February 16, 2001, at his residence in May following an illness.
Grant was born on April 1, 1930 at Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho, the second son and fourth child of Vern and Geneva (Spillman) Hamilton.
Grant attended schools in Rigby, graduating in 1948. During his young life he worked in the family enterprises of shearing, fishing, trapping, raising rabbits and pack and guide service.
In 1951 he enlisted in the reserves and went into active duty in January 1952, receiving an honorable discharge in 1955.
In 1956 the family purchased a ranch in the Pahsimeroi Valley.
He married Lola Ann Staggs of Rigby on August 26, 1966. Having no children of their own they adopted three children, Jay David Hamilton, Troy Grant Hamilton and Chrystell Ann Hamilton.
Grant enjoyed hunting, rock hounding, working on his ranch and helping others. He loved the outdoors and loved his hunting trips with his family in Island Park. He enjoyed spending time with his family, teaching them about ranching and hunting. He spent most of his life on his ranch until it was sold in 1994. After selling the ranch, he spent many summers helping others in the Pahsimeroi Valley, doing odd jobs and helping them on their ranches. He was always willing to help others.
Two sisters preceded him in death and his mother and father.
He is survived by his wife, Lola, of May; two sons, Jay Hamilton and Troy Hamilton, both of Layton, Utah; one daughter, Chrystell Hamilton of May; four grandsons, Jay, Kevin, Chance and Cheyton; two brothers, Ken Hamilton of Idaho Falls, DeWayne Hamilton of Salmon; one sister, Cloe Orr of Payson, Utah; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and relatives.
Memorial services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are pending through Jones and Casey Funeral Chapel of Salmon and Challis.
He will be greatly missed.
Leslie Steele
Leslie Ray Steele, 79, passed away February 10, 2001 at his residence in Salmon following a year and a half illness with lung cancer.
Les was born March 28, 1921 in Carmen, the son of John and Janet Steele. Les lived and attended schools in Challis. He attended the University of Idaho in Moscow and graduated from ISU in Pocatello. During WWII he served on the USS President Adams.
He married Eva J. Millick of Challis on December 23, 1949. They raised two daughters, Terrie Lee Cope and Mary Sanchez Summers while living in Northern California from 1955 until he and Eva retired and came back home to Idaho where both daughters lived in 1984.
Les spent a number of years helping daughter Mary at the Quick Clean Center in Salmon. At the laundry is where he made many friends who will remember him with great fondness for his cheerfulness and willingness to go out of his way to help folks with their laundry.
Les was blessed to spend his retirement years with his wife and close to his daughters and families and grandchildren Tony and Michelle Sanchez.
He enjoyed fishing "vacations" at Clark Canyon Dam with his friends, relatives, always just missing catching "the big one."
Les spent many joyous weekends following his passion for discovering treasures at local garage sales. Teaching was in his blood and lessons he learned in his life he shared and taught up to his very last moments. Humility, compassion, love of life and fellow man are legacies all who knew him will forever carry with them in their hearts to share with others in his memory.
Les is survived by his wife, Eva of Salmon, two daughters, Terrie Cope and Mary Sanchez Summers, both of Salmon; two grandchildren, Tony Sanchez and Michelle Sanchez Lewis and their soon to be born great-grandchild; one sister, LaVerne Rand of Challis; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and relatives.
Les was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, John C. Steele and one sister, Leah O'Keefe.
Memorial services will be held at a later date by the family. Arrangements for cremation were handled under the direction of the Salmon River Funeral Chapel of Salmon and Challis.
Mary A. Kimball
Mary A. Kimball, 94, passed away on February 8, 2001, at Gooding Memorial Hospital in Gooding.
Mary was born to John and Mimmie Keeley on July 3,1906, at Hazen, North Dakota, where she was raised on a farm with her six brothers and two sisters.
Mary enjoyed working outdoors on the farm with the animals and enjoyed going with her father in the buggy to the different Indians and Gypsy camps along the river where they doctored their animals and traded with the Indians. She enjoyed the many stories they told and often told the stories to friends and family. The story she most enjoyed telling was of an Indian chief who told them that one day the white man would be known by a number and not a name.
Her family moved to Hazelton and later her parents were in an accident. Mary quit school in order to care for her parents and her brothers and sisters. She also worked in the fields to help out. After her parents regained their health she returned to school and graduated. After graduation she married Harold Kimball on November 24, 1924.
Harold had five children and they had five more children together. Mary spent time with her husband raising their children and working on ranches in Idaho. They moved to California where her husband worked in a plant for a while. They moved back to Carey where later in 1946 they homesteaded land on the Fishcreek track, east of Carey.
Mary enjoyed driving the team of horses on the hay equipment and caring for the animals and her family.
Mary was a member of the friendly neighbors club in Carey and was the president for a short time . They presented her with a handmade quilt.
Mary always enjoyed going hunting and fishing with her friends and family and she was always eager to go! Mary was always smiling and trying to make people happy. She was always there to lend a helping hand with a neighbor, a sick animal or a friend. When anyone came to her door she was always there to greet them with a friendly smile, food, coffee or whatever they might need.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents, John and Mimmie Keeley, her husband, Harold Kimball, five brothers, one sister, a son, Weaver Kimball and one great-grandson.
She is survived by one brother and one sister of California; nine children, seven in Idaho and two in California: Max, Eddy, Kenny, Lawrence, John Kimball, Bernice Hankin, Ramona Kimball, Pat Vaughn, Elda Sparks; 30 grandchildren, numerous great and great-great grandchildren.
Services were held at the Larkin Community Church in Carey February 12, 2001.
Mary was always smiling and happy and enjoyed everyone. She loved visiting with friends and family. She will be greatly missed.
Myra Jean Strickler
Myra Jean Strickler was born December 30, 1936 in Dillon, Montana, the only daughter of Charles Bert and Verna Mae Mecham. She passed on at the age of 64 on March 11, 2001.
As a young child she lived in Pocatello and attended school there. The family moved to Challis when she was 11.
During her high school years she was heavily involved in drill team, chorus and cheerleading.
At the age of 16 she eloped with Ted Strickler to Salmon, and they were married on March 20,1953. They settled in the Challis area and ranched at Myers Cove. Their first son and daughter, Kenneth and Nikki, were born during this time at Challis. They then moved to California in 1955 to work in the family trailer manufacturing business. Russell and Teddy were born in Pomona, California. The family returned to live in Challis in March of 1960.
After returning to Challis, Myra worked as a waitress, school bus driver and then worked for many years as a clerk at the Challis Drug Store.
Myra developed rheumatoid arthritis in 1970, after suffering a broken leg skiing. Even though this disease continued to progress and debilitate her body, she refused to let it slow her down or handicap her. In fact it was difficult to keep up with her. Myra loved the outdoors and her family.
She spent most of her time as a volunteer working at the HUB, where her window displays were enjoyed by the entire community. Myra was also heavily involved in the North Custer Historical Society where she helped get the museum up and running.
She was preceded in death by her parents Charles (Bert) and Verna Mecham.
Myra is survived by her loving husband and lifelong companion Ted, her brother Charles and wife Pat, her children Kenneth and wife Tonya, Nikki and husband Norman, Russell and wife JoGina and Teddy and wife Wendy, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, many nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
Funeral services were held Friday, March 16 at the Challis Middle School Gym on Main Street.
Pallbearers were her brother Charles Mecham, her sons Kenneth, Russell, and Teddy Strickler, son-in-law Norman Doll, and grandson Jason Strickler. Honorary pallbearers were Allen Getty, Jim Bennetts, Marion McDaniel, Gary Funck, Fred Strickler, Bob Surgeon and all of Ted's brothers and sisters.
Flower girls were the lady volunteers from the HUB.
The program was under the direction of Paul Stroud of the Challis Mission Church and Jones and Casey Funeral Home of Salmon.
Myra was laid to rest in the Challis Cemetery
on March 16, 2001.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the North Custer Museum at P.O. Box 776 or the Challis EMTs at P.O. Box 24, Challis.
Sophie Demick Weaver
Sophie Demick Weaver, age 84, passed away peacefully at the Odyssey Hospice in Mesa, Arizona on March 14, 2001.
Sophie was born in Salmon, the daughter of Vasil and Anna Demick on March 21, 1916. Sophie would have been 85 years old on March 21, the first day of spring.
Sophie and her husband Oriel owned many restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. They retired in Anacortes, Washington where her husand passed away in 1988.
Sophie moved to the Salmon area which she loved. She purchased a four-wheel-drive Jeep so she could enjoy the beautiful fall colors in the mountains, down the Salmon River and at her sister's home at Williams Lake.
She is survived by Helen Denny, Donna Godfrey and Joe Demick of Salmon, Liza Pendleton of Casper, Wyoming and Bill Demick of Yakima, Washington, cousins Duke, Dick, Louie, JoAnn, Eli and Caroline Demick, all of Salmon.
Funeral services were held March 20 at the St. Charles Catholic Church with Father Allan Cox officiating. Pallbearers were Gary Godfrey, Brent Godfrey, Mark Brown, Don Pendleton, Sam Thoen and Dick Demick. Two songs were performed by Herb and Gary Godfrey, "Red River Valley" and "Springtime in the Rockies."
We will miss you Sophie and know we will always love you.
Burial took place in the Salmon Cemetery. Arrangements were by the Salmon River Funeral Chapel of Salmon and Challis.
