Archived Marriage Records
Richard "Stitch" Nelson
Richard "Stitch" Nelson, age 67, of West Yellowstone passed away May 12, 2007.
Cremation has taken place, and at his request there will be no services.
K&L Mortuaries & Crematory of Ennis is in charge of arrangements.
Ortella Clark
Melva Ortella Clark, 102, passed away peacefully, on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, at the Ashton Living Center. She was born on August 8, 1904 in Lyman, Madison County, Idaho to William Elmer and Marintha "Dot" Morris Atkinson.
She graduated from Ricks Normal College in 1923. She married Jess Clark on February 17, 1925, in Rexburg, Idaho. They lived from then on in Ashton, where he was employed as a barber. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They had one son, Richard J. Clark. Jess died on December 10, 1967.
A week after she was married, she arrived in Ashton for the first time during the celebration of the American Dog Derby. She was amazed at the tremendous crowds who came on the train for the Derby. She recalled that they fell in love with the area, the farms, school and view of the Tetons. Sh has always said, "There’s no place like Ashton."
She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many positions, including ward and stake Relief Societies and in the Young Women’s organization. She loved knitting and various crafts, and created many beautiful things to grace her home. She loved gardening, flowers and reading.
She worked for a period of time as the Ashton agent for Rexburg Floral and also in the Ashton school’s hot lunch program in later years. She has been a resident at the Ashton Living Center since October 2003.
She is survived by her son, Richard (LaVonne) J. Clark of Ashton; four grandchildren, Bruce (Glenys) Clark of South Jordan, Utah, Carolyn (Robert) Christesen of Riverton, Utah, Janice Walker of Boise, LuAnne (Monty) Fowler of Shelley; 15 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Lila Moore of Rexburg.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, at the Ashton LDS Stake Center with Bishop Michael J. Davidson officiating. The family will meet with friends Friday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Baxter Funeral Home, 717 Main Street, in Ashton, and Saturday from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at the Stake Center. Burial will be in the Ashton Pineview Cemetery.
Lloyd T. Ralphs
Lloyd Thorpe Ralphs, 87, of Blackfoot, died May 29, 2007.
He was born Dec. 21, 1919, to Leonard Ralphs and Marie Thorpe in Superior, Wyo. The family moved to Rockland, Idaho, when he was 5 years old, and he grew up and graduated as valedictorian from Rockland High School.
He received a degree from Utah State University in accounting. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945 during World War II. On July 21, 1942, he married Thelma Darling in Logan, Utah. She died May 7, 2007. He owned an accounting business in Blackfoot.
He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in several church callings.
He enjoyed spending time in Island Park fishing. Lloyd especially enjoyed the wild life; he always fed the squirrels and raccoons, and they will miss his kind giving spirit as much as we will.
Survivors include his children, John Ralphs of Cedar City, Utah, Lenny Ralphs of Salt Lake City and Elizabeth Stout of Blackfoot; 19 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and siblings, Roger Ralphs of Idaho Falls and Norma Nielsen of Lemington, Utah. He was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma; daughter, Kay Layton of Blackfoot; brother, Dewayne Ralphs of Aberdeen; and three grandchildren.
Funeral services were Saturday, June 2, at the Blackfoot 3rd Ward, 845 Grant St. in Blackfoot. Burial was in Grove City Cemetery
under the direction of Hawker Funeral Home in Blackfoot.
Leona Vik
Memorial services for Leona Hossner Vik, who died Oct. 8, 2006, in Riverton, Wyo., will be held at 11 a.m. June 9 at the Methodist Church on South Fifth in Ashton.
Jean Young
Jean Alice Peterson Young, 80, of West Yellowstone passed away of natural causes on Monday, May 28, 2007, at her home. She was born Feb. 21, 1927, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, the daughter of Conrad S. and Elizabeth (Morgan) Peterson.
Jean was raised in West Yellowstone. She attended high school in Bozeman; Stephens College in Missouri; and UCLA where she earned her bachelor's degree in business. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
Jean's family started a grocery store in West Yellowstone in 1926 that later became the Food Roundup with her partner, Cal Dunbar.
Jean lived most of her life in West Yellowstone where she was very active in the community. She was on the school board that established the high school, and was a member of the first ambulance corps. She was active in the Community Protestant Church and an avid supporter of the West Yellowstone High School Booster Club.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Stewart.
Survivors include her husband, Vincent "Tom" Young of West Yellowstone; daughter Jeanie Cardon, son-in-law Richard Clayton and grandson Scott of Poulsbo, Wash.; son Stewart Cardon, daughter-in-law Kerrie, and grandsons Lucas and Dylan of Whitefish.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service was held Friday, June 1, at the Community Protestant Church in West Yellowstone.
Travis William Atkins
Army Staff Sgt. Travis William Atkins, 31, was killed June 1, 2007, near Yusufiyah, Iraq, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device as Travis was apprehending him.
At the time of his death, Travis was leading a dismounted patrol as a squad leader of Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).
Travis was born in Great Falls, the son of John (Jack) and Elaine (Frankel) Atkins. Travis spent his first five years in Helena and then moved with his parents to Bozeman in 1981.
Travis attended Bozeman schools and also one year at Kemper Military School in Booneville, Mo.
Prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army, Travis worked for concrete contractors, painting contractors and as a small engine mechanic in Missoula, Belgrade, Bozeman and West Yellowstone.
Travis enlisted in the U.S. Army on Nov. 16, 2000. After completing infantry basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., Travis was assigned to Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Travis deployed with the 101st to Kuwait in early March 2003 and participated in the invasion of Iraq later that month as an infantry fire team leader.
During his 2003 tour in Iraq, Travis was tasked out to the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-DELTA for a period of time.
Travis was honorably discharged as a sergeant, E-5, from the U.S. Army in December 2003, whereupon he again worked for concrete and painting contractors and also attended the University of Montana in Missoula.
Travis reenlisted in the U.S. Army in December 2005 and was assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, l0th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), at Fort Drum, N.Y.
Travis was subsequently reassigned to Delta Company in the same battalion and deployed to Iraq again in August 2006. Travis was promoted to staff sergeant, E-6, effective May 1, 2007.
Travis was all Army, all Infantry. One of his recommendations for an award describes Travis' enthusiasm for his profession. It reads:
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, CPL Atkins skillfully led his fire team on a raid in Southern Baghdad. During the raid his team was tasked with clearing a mosque reported to house up to thirty armed Iraqi suicide fighters. Leading from the front, using speed and violence of action, CPL Atkins' team successfully seized and secured the Brigade Task Force objective, capturing all personnel inside by surprise. His team was able to find several weapons, uniforms and intel.
Travis received numerous awards and decorations during his relatively short military career, including the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge and Air Assault Badge.
Travis loved to hunt, fish, camp and snowmobile. He was a superb marksman, a crafty fisherman, a skillful camper and an extreme snowmobiler.
As much as he loved the outdoors, Travis' first love was for his 11-year-old, Trevor. He cherished the time he could spend with Trevor and included Trevor in all of his outdoor activities.
Travis was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents and his paternal grandfather.
He is survived by his son, Trevor Oliver of Coon Rapids, Minn.; his parents, John (Jack) and Elaine Atkins of Bozeman; his sister, Jennifer (David) Schultz of Vancouver, Wash.; his paternal grandmother, Virginia Atkins of Hartford, Conn.; his paternal uncle and aunt, Sumner and Carolyn Atkins, of Marco Island, Fla., and his maternal uncle and aunt, Ephriam and Marion Frankel of Milwaukee, Wis.
Visitation will be held at Dahl Funeral Chapel in Bozeman from noon until 7 p.m. on Monday, June 11, 2007.
The family will be present at the visitation to greet friends from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A Vigil Service will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Dahl Funeral Chapel.
A funeral mass will be held at Resurrection Parish in Bozeman beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, followed by interment and military honors at Sunset Hills Cemetery.
Memorials may be made in Travis' name to the Bozeman Public Library, 626 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715, for the benefit of the military history section and the landscaping fund.
Joseph Sherwood Jr.
RIGBY -- Joseph Sherwood Jr., 77, of Rigby, died June 17, 2007, at Pine Brook Assisted Living Center in Rigby.
Joseph was born Aug. 31, 1929, in Heman, Idaho, to Joseph Sherwood Sr. and Thelma Smith Sherwood.
He attended schools in the West Yellowstone and Idaho Falls areas.
In 1952, he married Carol Joy Cousin. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple in 1976.
She died in 1991. He married Darlene Taysom in 1992; they divorced. In 2000, he married Verda Thomas; she died in 2004.
He married Susanne Tippetts in 2004.
He worked for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in the 1960s as a flight inspector for the Apollo program.
In the late 1960s, he moved to Idaho Falls and opened the first Sizzler restaurant in Idaho Falls.
He worked as an insurance salesman and owned and operated a home insulation business.
He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph had a beautiful tenor voice; enjoyed singing; and often performed for church functions, weddings and funerals.
Survivors include his wife, Susanne; twin sons, Joe Sherwood Jr. and Jon Sherwood, both of Idaho Falls; a daughter, Janna Sherwood of Boise; sisters, Carol Wray of Boise and Shirley Kawamura of Chubbuck; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Brent Sherwood and his twin, Gerald Sherwood.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 23, at the Rigby East Stake Center, with Bishop Brett Olaveson officiating. The family will visit with friends from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Eckersell Memorial Chapel in Rigby, and for one hour Saturday before services at the church. Burial will be in Fielding Memorial Park Cemetery
in Idaho Falls.
