Archived Marriage Records
Eugene "Gene" Thomas Silvers
Wasilla, Alaska resident Eugene Thomas Silvers, 72, passed away at Patsy's Assisted Living Care on March 19, 2001.
As per his wishes, he was cremated and no memorial services will be held. His ashes will be scattered over a large body of water in Alaska early this summer.
Mr. Silvers was born July 24, 1928, in Baker Oregon to Sadie (Craven) Silvers and Thomas Silvers. He moved to Alaska from Idaho in 1975 and resided in Wasilla until his death.
He enjoyed a varied career from logging, ranching, industrial construction, carpentry and general contracting and retired in 1997. Throughout his years, Gene taught his sons the value of hard work.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Sadie I. Silvers and Thomas M. Silvers, of Grants Pass, Oregon.
Surviving are his former wife and friend, Irene Silvers, Wasilla, Alaska; his sons, Michael G. Silvers of Lacey, Washington, Patrick T. Silvers of Challis, and Clifford Silvers of Wasilla, Alaska; his brother and his wife, Donald and Patricia Silvers of Hauser Lake, Idaho; nieces, Becky McGill and family of Oak Harbor, Washington, Peggy Magnuson and family of Vancouver, Washington, Jeanette Tingstrom of Wasilla, Alaska; and nephew, Robert Silvers of Guam. He is also survived by his caregiver, Patsy Long of Wasilla, Alaska.
Cards and letters may be sent to Pat Silvers P.O. Box 589 Challis, Idaho 83226.
Louie Maraffio
Louie Maraffio, 78, a longtime resident of Challis, died in Pocatello, Idaho of an extended illness on May 11.
Louie was born October 21, 1922. He was raised on his family's ranch near Clayton, later moving to Challis. Described by many as a "real cowboy," Louie loved the outdoors. He held many jobs, herding cattle and sheep and irrigating the land. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and rodeos. Louie told many stories of the good old days before so many people moved to Challis. He liked the simple life.
He married Mary Catherine and later divorced.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Mary Maraffio and a brother, Jimmy.
He is survived by his sister, Nellie (Jim) Moldenhauer of Pocatello, long-time friend Erma Benson of Blackfoot and many cousins, nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces.
Services were held in Challis at the St. Louise Catholic Church Wednesday, May 16. Graveside services at Challis Cemetery
followed. Arrangements were by Salmon River Funeral Chapel.
Francis Lewis Smith
Francis Lewis Smith, 91, of Mackay, passed away May 14, 2001 at his home.
He was born in Stromsburg, Nebraska, January 13, 1910 to Lewis Franklin and Irene Jane Emmons Smith. The family moved to the Lost River Valley in 1913. Francis was the oldest of 13 children. He attended school in Darlington.
He spent his life herding sheep, farming and ranching in the Lost River Valley, Little Lost Valley, Arco desert, Dickey and Inkom.
He married Ines Bunnie Pearson on June 6, 1937 in Arco and they lived at Inkom, Jerome and then settled at the ranch at Dickey for 38 years. They retired to Mackay in December of 1976 and son Wiley and grandson Leon took over the operation of the ranch. He continued to help at the ranch, grew a large garden in Mackay and helped with building the new Mackay Community Church.
He enjoyed his family, church, ranching, music, fishing and hunting. He served a number of years on the REA board, county zoning and planning board, Mackay Community Church Board and the school board.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, brothers Earl and Orville Smith, sisters Elsie Sayer, Dorothy Ivie, Carol Pritchett and Mary Christensen.
Surviving are his wife, Bunnie Smith of Mackay; sons Wiley (Carolyn) Smith of Dickey, John (Sue) Smith of Idhao Falls; daughters Katherine (Ralph) Allen of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Arlene (Gerald) Stoor of Boise, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; brothers Harold (Hilda) Smith of Wendell, Lloyd (Rulla) Smith of Mackay; sisters Lillian Bell of Arco, Claribel Prince, Lucille (Wayne) Carlton and Goldie Pettit, all of Jerome.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at the Mackay Community Church. Friends and family will meet one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Mt. McCaleb Cemetery
in Mackay. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations to be made to the Mackay EMTs for their dedication to the people of the valley. Arrangements are under the direction of the Simpson-Marvel Chapel in Arco.
Claude Stanley Bradbury
Claude Stanley Bradbury was born June 19, 1932 in Challis Idaho, to Claude Stanley Bradbury and Dora Violet Magnuson Bradbury. He returned to his Lord on May 22, 2001 in Grangeville, Idaho while on vacation.
A memorial service was held Saturday, June 2, 2001 at the Hornet Creek Cemetery
outside Council, Idaho, in the family plot.
He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Alta, and his sister and brother-in-law, Dee and Lee Cole of Council. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Lillian V. Keyser
Lillian V. Keyser, 89, of Arvada, Colorado died November 15, 2001.
She was born Lillian V. Nichols on June 23, 1912, in Omaha, Nebraska. Her parents, Henry and Lillie, moved to a ranch in May, where Lillian learned to love animals. Lillian graduated from Challis High School and took a job as a telephone operator. She met Marion Keyser, who owned the Texaco station, and they married on January 15, 1931. Their daughter, Jeanette, was born in 1933. They sold the gas station, bought a ranch and sold it three years later. Both of them took jobs at the Ramshorn mine, Marion as a miner and Lillian as a cook. They relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, then years later moved to the Chicago, Illinois area.
Lillian was an avid gardener and belonged to the Garden Club for many years. She retired from Bekins Moving and Storage Company where she was a bookkeeper for 28 years. They spent many years in Fort Meyers, Florida and traveled to almost every state. Lillian moved to Colorado in 1998 to live closer to her daughter and son-in-law and her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marion, her brothers, Al and Dan and her parents, Henry and Lillie.
She is survived by her daughter, Jan (Keyser) Crown of Arvada, CO; her brother, Don Nichols of Kelso, WA; her sister, Thelma (Nichols) Howard of Boise; grandchildren Patsy (Crown) Meise of Brighton, CO, Mary (Crown) Phillips of Montrose, CO and Mark Crown of Yorkville, IL; four great-grandchildren; and one great-great- grandchild.
Services were November 19 at First United Methodist Church of Golden. There was cremation.
William "Bill" Osborn
William "Bill" Osborn, Challis, passed away at his home on December 29, 2001.
William Benjamin Osborn, son of Earl Jesse and Alice Steward Osborn was born at Benkelman, Nebraska on April 10, 1918.
At the young age of 17, Bill and his family moved from Nebraska to Emmett, Idaho where he was employed by the Andy Little Sheep Company. They later moved to Challis where Bill worked as a buckaroo for Floyd Bradbury.
Bill was married to Vivian Berglund in July of 1939. They had two sons, Richard Grant and Lynn Albert. Bill and Vivian were later divorced.
In 1943, Bill joined the Army and fought in World War II in the Pacific Theater. Bill's company was involved in three separate campaigns. Bill was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
After the war, Bill returned to Salmon where he worked for the Stermer Trucking Company. In 1946, he married Mary Rising and they had four daughters, Suzanne, Karen, Belinda and Lisa. Bill worked for the Ima Mine in Patterson until the mine closed, then the family moved to Challis where he worked for the Forest Service for 20 years. During this time, Bill and his family enjoyed years of picnicking, hunting, fishing, rock hunting and generally enjoying the outdoors. Most of these fun times included their extended family, the Skeens. These were wonderful times and will never be forgotten.
After retirement Bill and Mary spent many winters in the warmth of Arizona and summers in Challis or at Clark Canyon Dam in Montana. They enjoyed traveling, fishing, and especially Bill's well-known love of photography.
Bill was a generous and wonderful person who gave freely of his time. For years he was a Boy Scout Leader, a member of the Patterson PTA, a Red Cross swimming instructor, an active member of the Custer County Search and Rescue and a member of the American Legion. Whenever there was a fundraiser, Bill always gave his beautiful pictures for donation.
He was preceded in death by his son Grant, his mother Alice Osborn, his father Earl Osborn, his step-mother Ellen Osborn, family friend Michael Shannon, and his life long friends and brothers-in-law, Al Skeen and Harry Hice.
Those carrying on his loving memory include his wife Mary, sisters Georgia Skeen of Challis and Clearcie Hice of Beaumont, Texas; his children Lynn and Thelma Osborn from Bend, Oregon, Suzanne and Eddie Smith from Salt Lake City, Utah, Karen Whitworth from Challis, Belinda Anderson from Boise and Lisa and Dana Hurless from Clayton. Bill has 12 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews.
Frances Lillian Schultz Norris
Frances Lillian Schultz Norris, 66, of Idaho Falls, died May 13, 2002 at her home of natural causes.
She was born March 12, 1936 in Washington, Iowa to George Henry and Anna Lillian Boden Schultz. She grew up in KaLona, Iowa and Sierra Madre, California. She graduated from Pasadena High School in 1954.
On May 26, 1955, she married Richard Lawrence Norris in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were later divorced. Among the places she lived and worked were Duarte, Huntington Beach and Sierra Madre, all in California, and Challis, Orofino and Idaho Falls, Idaho. She worked at a bank, was a manager of a Bob's Big Boy Restaurant, and she was a secretary for Idaho Senator Steve Symms.
She was a member of the Bethany Church of Sierra Madre as a child and the First Baptist Church in Idaho. She was active in Brownies and Girl Scouts. As a young girl she enjoyed playing the piano and danced ballet. Frances enjoyed life, took the hardships as they came and cared dearly about her family.
She is survived by sons Don (Crystal) Norris of Big Piney, Wyoming, David (Janina Ficek) Norris of Evanston, Wyoming, Darrell (Beverly) Norris of Evanston, Wyoming; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; mother Anna Lillian Schultz of Sierra Madre, California; brothers Marvin Ray (Marti) Schultz of Arcadia, California and Dwight George (Janice) Schultz of Grand Junction, Colorado; sister Marjorie Alice (Buddy) Brennan of Sierra Madre, California.
She was preceded in death by her father, George, who passed away Oct. 11, 1990.
Funeral services were held Saturday, May 18, 2002, at Crandall Funeral Home in Evanston, Wyoming. Burial was in the Evanston Cemetery. Local arrangements were under the direction of Coltrin Mortuary, Idaho Falls.
Annie "Alyce" Polson
Annie "Alyce" Polson, 89, of Salmon, Idaho died May 17, 2002 at the hospital in Idaho Falls.
Alyce was born on December 11, 1912 in Menan, the daughter of Hans Emanuel Olaveson and Maude Christopherson Olaveson. Alyce was raised in Menan, attending Midway High School. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Alyce married Charles Arthur Polson on March 28, 1930 in Idaho Falls. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls L.D.S. Temple in January of 1981. Charles preceded her in death on December 12, 1979.
She worked in the Roberts school lunch program and at the Dutson Grocery Store in Roberts for 20 years. She moved to Salmon were she has lived for the last 29 years. Alyce enjoyed gardening, flowers, quilting and her grandchildren.
Survivors include daughters Patsy Jean Bryan of Bozeman, Montana; Dixie Lee (Milton) Harkness of Elko, Nevada; Elaine Alyce Bishop of Meridian; Sydney (Gary) Takacs of Escondido, California; sons Neil (Joyce) Polson of Labelle; Dee (Linda) Polson of Idaho Falls; sisters Edith Crook of Shelley and Ila (LaVerl) Crow of Ammon; half sisters Joyce Stallings of Lewisville; Neva (Carl) Jones of Firth; Nadine (Leo) High of Blackfoot; brother Clint (Florence) Olaveson of Camarillo, California; half brothers Dell (Janice) Olaveson of Annis; Gene Olaveson of Mountain View, California; 20 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren.
Alyce was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one boy and girl in infancy, one son Robert, three grandchildren, one great-grandchild, one brother Darrell, and one half brother Earl.
Funeral services were held on May 21 at the Eckersell Memorial Chapel with Mark Polson conducting. Burial followed the services at the Annis Little Butte Cemetery.
