Burley

Jeane D. Mangum, age 84, of Burley, passed away on Tuesday, March 23, 2010, at the Countryside Care & Rehab in Rupert.

She was born May 3, 1925, in Burley, Idaho, the daughter of Peter Adelbert “Del” and Bertha Angeline “Angie” Platt Nelson.  She received and completed her education in Burley.  She married Keith V. Korb in 1941, and they were later divorced.  On July 7, 1948, she married Drue L. Mangum in Idaho Falls.

Jeane was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend.  She was a wonderful homemaker and taught a strong work ethic to her children.  She worked for many years at IPPI in Burley, and for various restaurants until her retirement.  She enjoyed poetry, sewing, and camping.  Most important to Jeane, was her family! She loved being with her children and grandchildren.

Jeane was an active member of the LDS Church and served faithfully in various musical callings.

She is survived by her children, K. Jeane (Ross) Hawker of Heyburn, Joyce Miller, and Lonnie K. (Lovenia) Korb all of Burley, Sandra (Allen) Peterson of Spokane, Washington, and Judy (Jim) Elder of Burley; her stepchildren, Shirley Cruz of Tenino, Washington, Beverly Jo (Cecil) Vela of Lacey, Washington, Conrad Marion (Judy) Mangum of Yakima, Washington, Wyona (Raul) Vela of Lacey, Washington, and Frankie (Gordon) Jorgensen of Mesa, Arizona; a stepson-in-law, Ladell Glacier of Spanish Fork, Utah; a sister-in-law, Vera Nelson of Burley; 42 grandchildren; 93 great-grandchildren; and numerous great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Drue; an infant son, Keith Korb; a stepdaughter, Laurel Ann Glacier; her brother, Vern Nelson; and three grandchildren.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 27, at the Burley LDS Stake Center, 2050 Normal Ave., with Bishop Larry Kloepfer officiating.  Burial will be in Gem Memorial Gardens.

Friends may call from 6 until 7 p.m. Friday at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the church.

The family suggests memorials be directed to the Disabled American Veterans in care of Rasmussen Funeral Home.

Yes, it must be Spring.  Spring is a time for intrusions, and I am not psychologically ready for it – the winter doldrums have barely begun to fade into the sunset, which is coming much later than it did last month, a good indication that our contrived time warp, Daylight Savings Time, has intruded again upon our extra hour of sleep. And to add to this dilemma, the first day of spring arrived just a few days ago. There is no recourse in sight!

And, there are unmistakable harbingers of spring making their intrusion into Burley’s environs. Weeds, along with the ritual gang “tags” on freshly painted property, have already reared their ugly heads in the alleys and byways of our fair city. One ponders the possibility of using extra-strength Round-up on both of these blights, but upon further reflection, realizes that practicing such an extreme extermination measure would doubtlessly receive extreme responses from our law enforcement personnel. Just a fleeting thought, albeit a creative one!

Creativity is indeed a mantra which occurs in a significant portion of Burley’s spring scene. In some instances, it is hard to discern – the gray trappings of winter do not yield readily to the intrusion of spring’s greenery. Green grass has already sneaked its way into the dead cover of yellowed lawns, and green is stealthily creeping up the stems on the rose bushes, a furtive activity hidden by the rusty leaves left by the last freeze of autumn. The specter of unending yard maintenance looms its intrusive head – heralding an end to the freedom imposed by winter’s kill. The early-bird yard fanatics are already out there attacking the above-mentioned yellow lawns and rusty rose bushes, leaving those of us who don’t feel an early compulsion to indulge in this rite of spring dealing with an intrusive sense of guilt.

And, of course, the ever-present squirrels are frantically running around in their squirrelly little circles – their own ritual of springtime procreation. At this point, I would do well to stick with the squirrels – observations of springtime procreational behavior in humans might indeed prove to be risky business for this writer.

On a safer note, the proliferation of  walkers, both young and old, en route to city schools and on the walking paths along the river is an obvious harbinger of spring – an escape from the darkness of indoor habitation imposed upon Burley inhabitants by Idaho’s quirky winter weather. Dogs on leashes abound – eagerly dragging their hapless owners along with them as they pursue their springtime investigations into “marked” areas along the way. Cats prowl the neighborhoods, making their own territorial statements. All “creatures great and small” celebrate the intrusion of spring, a rite as old as time itself. All creatures, that is, except for me.

I must tear myself away from these bucolic observations. Our Christmas decorations are still standing on the basement floor and must be put away before next winter arrives.

Spring can wait. And so can the weeds.

Sarah M. Blasius

I am a very big fan of guessing games. So, I thought that this idea that a friend of mine came up with would be a very good idea to implement into GoBurley. The idea is quite simple. I will put a photo up each Wednesday. The first person to guess “where and what” the photo is wins.  All you have to do is leave a comment below with your answer. The comments are held for moderation but they are time-stamped so I know who is first. All of Mini Cassia is up for grabs when it comes to where the photo is taken.

Photo By Cindy Singleton of http://daydreamsgirl.com

Burley

Gerald Wayne Larson , age 86, of Burley, passed away Saturday, March 20. 2010, at Cassia Regional Medical Center surrounded by his wife and children.

Gerald was born Dec. 6, 1923, in Burley, Idaho, the son of Charles William and Bessie Mae Fisher Larson.  He received his education in Burley, graduating from Burley High School in 1942.  He was a veteran of World War II serving in the United States Marine Corps as a radioman and gunner being stationed in the Marshall Islands.  He married Rachel Matthews on Dec. 21, 1945, in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.

Gerald worked for a short time as a telegrapher for the railroad in Kimama.  He then farmed and operated a dairy in the Star and Unity areas.  He loved being outdoors and especially enjoyed hunting, motorcycle riding, and fishing at Little Wood and Blackfoot Reservoirs.

He was an active member of the LDS Church and served faithfully throughout his life.  He worked in the Young Men’s organization and was a leader for many years in the Boy Scouts of America.  He had served in a bishopric, as a stake missionary, a high councilor, and with his wife, Rachel, served a mission in Melbourne, Australia, and a temple mission in Boise.  Additionally, Gerald worked on and supervised the church welfare farm.

He loved his wife, children and grandchildren.  He instilled in his family the characteristics of being honest, trustworthy and living up to one’s name.  He often said, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy.” We are grateful for the example he has been to his family, church and community.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 65 years, Rachel Larson of Burley; his children, Judy Child, and Charles W. “Chuck” (Becky) Larson of Burley, Peggy (Quinn) Stirland of South Jordan, Utah, and Karen (Tracy) Cox of Paradise, Utah; a son-in-law, Boyd Palmer of Ogden, Utah; 25 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; a sister, Barbara Barrus of Logan, Utah; and one brother, Glen Eugene (Carol) Larson of Burley.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Patsy Palmer; and a son-in-law, Gary Child.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 26, at the Unity LDS Church, 275 S. 250 E., of Burley, with Bishop Mark Mabey officiating.  Burial will be in Pleasant View Cemetery with military rites provided by the Mini-Cassia Veterans & Auxiliary.

Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Thursday at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Friday at the church.

Burley

George Albert Holyoak, age 94, of Burley, passed away on Saturday, March 13, 2010, in Rexburg.

He was born on Aug. 11, 1915, one-quarter mile from where he resided the remainder of his life.  He was the eighth child of George James Holyoak and Anne Mary Kerstine Jensen Holyoak and was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all his life. He graduated from Burley High School and attended Albion State Normal and received his bachelor’s degree from Idaho State University.  He married Laurece Davis Larsen on Oct. 1, 1942, in the Logan LDS Temple.
Albert was a kind and gentle husband and father. He engaged in farming and taught algebra at the Burley Junior High School. He enjoyed gardening with his wife and maintained a beautiful yard.  He was musically talented and sang at many weddings and funerals.  As a young man, he served as a missionary in the Northwestern States Mission.  He served in many callings including bishopric, high council, Sunday school and as a faithful home teacher. Later in life, he and Laurece served as missionaries in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission and as workers in the Boise LDS Temple.  He remained very active in temple attendance until the last few months of his life.
He is survived by his children, Carol (Lee) Workman of Rexburg, Janet (Hal) Stock of Orem, Utah, Marla (Cecil) Ricks of Rexburg, and David (Kathryn) Holyoak of Naperville, Illinois; 17 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife; twin sons, Gerald and Vernon; his parents; one sister; and six brothers.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 20, at the Star First and Second Ward Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 100 S. 200 W., of Burley, with Bishop Kirk N. Carpenter officiating. Burial will be in the Pleasant View Cemetery.
Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, March 19, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the church.
The family suggests that memorials be directed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Perpetual Education Fund in care of Rasmussen Funeral Home.

Burley

Gerald Frank Gordon, age 80, of Burley, passed away on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at the Cassia Regional Medical Center in Burley.

Gerald was born Jan. 22, 1930, in Portland, Oregon, the son of Willard Mickle and Alma Sisson Gordon. He graduated from Burley High School in 1948, and joined the U.S. Air Force. During his 22-year career with the Air Force, he served missions in both Korea and Vietnam and was stationed twice in Okinawa, Japan. His positions included aircraft mechanic, chief crew instructor and aircraft inspector.  Upon his military retirement in 1969, he was honorably discharged with the rank of Senior Master Sergeant.  He then spent the next 19 years working for the U.S. Postal Service as an E.M.T. and in management.  His remaining years have been spent in Burley, with this wife, Carol Poulton Gordon, whom he lost in 2006.

Gerald was a member of the LDS Church and enjoyed gardening, fishing, camping and computers.

He is survived by his children, Mary Gae Gordon of Burley, Jerrie Joy “Sis” Boyce of Pueblo, Colorado, Daniel Jay Gordon, and Diana Marie (Dennis) Rose all of Burley, and Joseph Mickel (Christina) Gordon of Bozeman, Montana; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Linda Gordon Gazaway of Alexandria, Virginia.

In addition to his wife, Carol, he was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, James Hollahan Gordon.

Dad and grandpa, we will deeply and surely miss you.

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at the Oakley Cemetery with military rites provided by the Hill Air Force Base Honor Guard.  Officiating will be President Lance A. Loveland.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley.

Burley

Faye Larene Strom, age 91, of Burley, formerly of Boise, passed away on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at Highland Estates in Burley.

Faye was born Aug. 18, 1918, in Alpine, Utah, the oldest child of Clyde M. and Harriet V. Smith Strong.  Her father passed away when she was 14-years-old.  She spent her childhood and grade school years in Alpine.  She graduated from American Fork High School and Seminary in 1937.  She then attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she met a star football player.  She and Clifford L. Strom were married on June 8, 1938, in Provo.  Their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on Aug. 19, 1941.  They were blessed with a daughter, Kaylene, and a son, Dean.

While at BYU, she helped organize and was the secretary and reporter of the LoHo Social Unit.  Faye was a lifelong active member of the LDS Church.  She loved and excelled in music and drama.  She and Cliff served a temple mission together.  She was an active member of the Daughter of Utah Pioneers, Syringa Idaho Camp, and a life member of the St. Alphonsus Hospital Volunteers Auxiliary.

Always at her husband’s side, she made a home wherever he was transferred with his work.  She worked as a secretary for the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau in Coos Bay, Oregon for seven years, was the secretary to the superintendent of schools in Cassia County for 8 ∏ years, and for the Idaho Bank and Trust for six years in Burley.  When Clifford was transferred to Boise, she then worked for Idaho First National Bank.

She was a loving wife and mother and her pride and joy were in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; stepfather; two sisters; one brother; and a great-grandson.

Survivors include her husband, Clifford of Burley; daughter, Kaylene Koyle of Burley; son, Dean (Linda) Strom of Burley; six grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Dallas (Jerri) Strong of Pleasant Grove, Utah, and Clyde (Connie) Strong of Orem, Utah; and one sister, Gwen Wilman of Federal Way, Washington.

A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Burley, with Bishop Larry Kloepfer officiating.

Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Monday and from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley.

I have just read Mike Ramsey’s informative article about recognition which he has received for his successful on-line marketing business, and I found myself reading about an issue which I had addressed in a letter to the editor of the Mini-Cassia edition of the Times News last September – a case of “déjà vu” so to speak. Mike felt there was bias in a decision by a local editor not to publicize the success of Nifty Marketing. My letter described a conflict of interest which existed then, and still does, as exhibited in the journalistic ethics (or lack of them) as demonstrated by a local newspaper publisher, Mr. Jay Lenkersdorfer. The conflict occurs between City Councilman Lenkersdorfer’s political stance and that of his ethical position as the publisher of The Weekly News Journal and of the Weekly Mailer which are widely circulated in our area.

This Councilman/Editor violates one of the most basic tenets of the American Society of Professional Journalists – to avoid associations which compromise journalistic integrity, especially those which would create a conflict of interest. A second and equally important tenet states that all published materials must have verifiable sources – one which is ignored in the publication of unsigned letters. Both of these ethical mandates have an intrinsic accountability written into them. When a publication becomes a political sounding board for the politician who publishes it, accountability has become a chimera – an illusion.

In a recent editorial, Mr. Lenkersdorfer questioned whether he was indeed a politician, by general definition, or by his own definition, a concerned advocate for the citizens of Burley. His conclusion stated that he is indeed both, and that would be commendable if he would eradicate the conflict of interest presented by this politician/citizen-advocate stance.

Mr. Lenkersdorfer can fill both roles, but he must do so ethically, or his protestations of advocacy fall on deaf ears. For example, one of the most adverse public reactions to the use of a news publication – and I am not referring to “op-ed” writing here – was the publication in the Journal (9/15/09) of the salaries earned by public employees in the Mini-Cassia area. Granted, these salaries are listed as “public record” but the listing of them must be accurate. This was not the case – the listing was described by many as not accurate, nor did it differentiate between “net” and “gross” income. These people all had the same deductions all honest wage earners relinquish – taxes, social security, health insurance, etc. None of these were accurately defined.

I’m sure that Mr. Lenkersdorfer felt justified in publishing this list, but the reason for that justification escapes most of us – so, what’s the point? A power play is not a tidy little capsule which most of us can swallow, and the community did not swallow this one very well. Lenkersdorfer has two choices, as I see it. He can either excuse himself from his position on the Burley City Council, or he can relinquish his position as editor of the news publication while occupying his political role. He can be effective as a citizen advocate in either position – but not in both. The conflict of interest issue is not resolved by filling both roles. Burley deserves better for the next 100 years.

Sarah M. Blasius

Burley High School did quite well at State Competitions this last weekend! BPA which stands for Business Professionals of America is a club at the high school with Jack Bagley and DeAnn Campbell as its advisers.  BPA is a club that is all about being professional. Students learn to be professional while participating in various business categories such as Keyboarding, Video Production, Parliamentary Pro and Website Design. Regionals was sponsored at Burley High School this year and we had several winners who qualified for State. Last Thursday through Saturday, the State competitions were held in Boise at the Grove Hotel and at the BSU campus. All of the students had an absolute blast and made new friends as well as learned valuable techniques for the future. Burley High School’s Lacy Morrison was elected as Idaho’s Business Professionals of America State President and did a wonderful job singing the National Anthem as well. The event sponsored each school to attend the Stampede game at BSU that Friday night and had many workshops during the course of each day in between competitions as well. We never seemed to have a boring moment and were able to work hard but have fun at the same time. By the time the award ceremony rolled around…Burley High School had at least 16 national qualifiers including the Video Production Team, Parli Pro Team, Scott Harris (Individual), Megan Graham (Individual) and several others. Nationals will be in held in Anaheim, California May 5-9 this year and all of the students are ecstatic about this opportunity. “We are all proud of our hard work and believe that we have really shown our state what Burley High School students are all about.” -Emily Silva