Teton Valley News

Bonnie Jo Godfrey Woolstenhulme was born to Reese and Dona Godfrey in Rexburg, Idaho on 15 June 1956. She suffered a cardiac incident at her home on April 17, 2024 and died at the hospital on April 22, 2024 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Bonnie grew up on a potato farm in Newdale, Idaho where the "smiley-face barn" used to stand. As the youngest, she escaped many of the indoor household chores, preferring to be outside working in the fields or on her horse. Bonnie learned guitar and the saxophone, was an avid skier, and a proud graduate of Sugar-Salem High School. Bonnie attended Ricks College where she sang in their choir with a beautiful contra-alto voice. In 1975, she rented an apartment in...

Gisela Gertrud Inge Hundt Kunz Orton, aged 88, passed away in her sleep on Friday, April 12, 2024. Gisela was born in the city of Neubrandenburg, in what would become East Germany, the oldest of seven children. By necessity, Gisela learned resilience at an early age. When she was just nine years old, Gisela's family fled their hometown in a telephone truck just ahead of the advancing Russian army. Theirs was the last vehicle to leave before the occupiers closed in. For the next two years, food was scarce and personal space was nonexistent. The family spent three weeks huddled together in the corner of a freight car. From there they moved to a school, which was so packed with refugees that...

Martha Peabody Dayton, 90, passed away on April 5th, 2024, at EIRMC due to a sudden illness. She was a wonderful inspiration to her family and friends. She was born August 27, 1933, to Joseph Steven Peabody and Amy Kent Peabody in Malad, Idaho. Martha was the youngest of four children. Her family moved from Malad, Idaho when she was three years old to Riverside, Idaho. At the age of six, the family moved to Kilgore, Idaho where Martha attended school, grades one through seven. She then moved to Taylor, Idaho where she attended eighth grade. She then attended high school in Shelley, Idaho. Martha's family then moved to Ashton, Idaho just before her senior year. Martha decided not to join her...

While there are many, this particular spawn of Satan was brought into the world on January 12, 1943 to Joseph Wesley and Louisa Amelia Alley (Gonsalves), and was finally wrangled back to the realms from which she came on April 4, 2024. Flora was a long time resident of both Wyoming and Idaho and married Russell Dean Bourne in 1980. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Teton Valley, Victor, Idaho, where they lived for nearly two decades. There the couple joined the LDS church and used many manipulative tactics to gain the control and custody of Russ' three young children, completely stripping their birth mother and her family of all rights, stability, protection and love and...

Kathleen C. Rodriguez, 75, of Victor, ID, passed away peacefully at her home on March 29, 2024. She was born in Austin, TX on April 4, 1948 to Hayden ("Larry") and Dorine ("Dorry") Clevenger, and moved to Lakeland, Florida in 1951. Kathleen attended Lees-McRae College and Old Dominion University then returned to Lakeland for a long career in Records Management for the City of Lakeland. Upon her retirement, she relocated to Victor Idaho in 2002. She loved her community, tending her vegetable and flower gardens, baking, and entertaining her friends and family. We are grateful for the wonderful support of her neighbors in Victor, and the superb Hospice caregivers who helped Charlie care for...

Sheree Miller, aged 68, of Parker, Idaho, passed away on March 8, 2024 from a presumed heart attack. She was born on December 6, 1955 in St. Anthony, Idaho. She is survived by her brother Mike Miller (Julie), sister JoAnn Simmons (Brad), children Russ Little (Margo), Jamie Robison (Michael), Jed Little (Andrea), and grandchildren Eden, Lacie, Sadie, Cody, Alyssa, Gavin, Carter, Haylei, Jaron, Gabren, and Riggins. Sheree was preceded in death by her mother LaDell, and father Victor, brothers Eddie, Mark, Ralph, and sister Betty Jean. Sheree was the middle child of seven, born to LaDell and Victor Miller. As a child she loved playing sports, especially softball. She enjoyed riding...

A pillar of goodness, David Lewis Hartshorn returned to his heavenly home on February 16, 2024 exactly one month shy of his 90th birthday. He lived an exemplary life of faith and was loved and respected by all who crossed his path. Dave was born in Moorcraft Wyoming on March 16, 1934 to Sherman Horatio Hartshorn and Elizabeth Mae Grund. He came in as number 5 of 6 children in their family. Dave spent his early childhood growing up in Sandpoint, Idaho fishing and exploring in the nearby streams and beautiful country. At the age of 10, his family moved to Driggs Idaho. He loved to tell of his experiences growing up in Driggs and could still remember the details all his days. He was an...

Gayle H Woolley, 74, of Driggs, Idaho, passed away on February 12, 2024, in Rexburg, Idaho, due to complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Gayle was born on May 31st, 1949, in Farmington, New Mexico, to Selmon and Lois Huffaker. She was the youngest of three children, joining her older brother Stan and sister Jeri. The family moved to Hawthorne, California, in 1951, where Gayle grew up. She attended Hawthorne High School. Upon graduation, Gayle attended Brigham Young University and Church School of Hawaii (later renamed BYU Hawaii). After graduating from BYU in 1972, she started teaching at Blackfoot High School in Blackfoot, Idaho. It was at Blackfoot High she met another teacher,...

Elva Jean Blackburn Durtschi was born on March 15, 1927, in Ogden, Utah and passed peacefully on January 31, 2024, in Bountiful, Utah surrounded by family. Jean was the eldest of George Alva Blackburn and Opal Irene Eames' twelve children. As such, her parents relied heavily on her to help with all her younger brothers and sisters. Jean loved caring for her siblings and that love and caring for children became the theme of her life. Jean spent most of her early years in Porterville, California. World War II changed her life and opened her world. First, at 18 she was called on an LDS mission, as most young men were in the service. While on her mission she met the love of her life, a...

Marian Heileson Durtschi Butler Life Long Teton Valley resident Marian Durtschi Butler, 98, passed away peacefully on Wednesday January 31st at her home in Alta Wyoming surrounded by her loving family and friends. Marian Edna Heileson was born 9 December, 1925, the second daughter of Ralph Ammon Heileson and Thora Ellen Ricks Heileson. She attended grade school in Felt, Idaho and high school at Madison High School in Rexburg, Idaho. After graduating, Marian fulfilled her dream and entered nurse's training at the L.D.S. School of Nursing in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She trained 3 years in the U.S. Army Nurse Cadet Corps, graduating in 1946. In October of 1946, she married Arnold Alfred...

Dix K. Waddell, 90, son of D. Keith and LaRena Waddell, died peacefully on January 24, 2024, at the Grove Creek Assisted Living Facility in Lindon, Utah. Mary Jean, his wife of 70 years, said, "When Dix heard Elder Rasband's plea for more senior missionaries in the October General Conference, he said, "I want to go." In November he began to feel severe pain in his lower back, which he learned was caused by swollen lymph glands and he gradually weakened until he received his new calling. Dix was born in Alta, Wyoming, on the Idaho side of the Teton Peaks on May 26, 1933, the oldest of nine children where they all learned to work hard on their farm but always had music provided by their...

Lyle Ray Schiess of Victor, ID, passed away peacefully at the Teton Valley Hospital on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Lyle was born on September 11, 1946 in Rexburg, ID to Edwin and Viona Schiess. He was born just a few minutes after his twin brother, Lynn, making him number 6 of 7 kids. Lyle grew up on the family farm in Cedron, Idaho. He attended elementary there and graduated from Teton High School. He attended Ricks College and wrestled there. He then attended Utah State. Then, Lyle went on to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northern California Mission. After returning from his mission, Lyle worked at Grand Targhee and fed Elk in...

Janice LaVon Krahn, 81, of Iona, passed away January 14, 2024, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Janice was born April 26, 1942, in Rexburg, Idaho, to Leland M. Tonks and Laura M. Peterson Tonks. She grew up and attended schools in Teton Valley and graduated from Teton High School. On March 10, 1961, she married Tom Kyte in Victor, Idaho. Tom passed away on June 28, 1965. On September 27, 1969, she married Kent Krahn. Janice and Kent made their home in Ogden, Utah, and Pocatello, Idaho, where Janice worked as a secretary for 37 years. Kent passed away on April 26, 1989. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Janice enjoyed crocheting, knitting,...

Sara Lee Ann Murdock Sorenson peacefully left this world on January 12, 2024. She was born in Logan, Utah on April 17, 1934 to Clarence Murdock and Sara McAlister Murdock. She was the second of six children. Lee Ann loved growing up in Driggs, Idaho. Her father was the band instructor there affectionately referred to as "Prof" Murdock. Lee Ann loved music and excelled in playing the piano, cello, viola, and trombone to name a few instruments. Piano was her favorite and she accompanied many a performer and choir throughout her life. She often told us about picking potatoes for pennies a bushel and credited her skills with managing money to her first boss, Mr. Harper, at the drug store....

Kathi Marie Jorgensen, 71, of Irwin, passed away January 3, 2024, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Kathi was born March 8, 1952, in Eugene, Oregon, to Allen Charles Caulkins and Lois Northey Caulkins. On December 13, 1974, she married the love of her life, Dale Jorgensen in Green River, Wyoming. Together they were blessed with four children, Suni, Jeannie, Ken and Nicholas. Kathi and Dale created a beautiful life together in Star Valley, Wyoming, for many years, having raised their children there as well as welcomed their grandchildren. In 2002, Kathi, Dale, their son and his family moved to Irwin Idaho. Kathi was of Christian faith, she enjoyed learning about all faiths, her...