· Edward J. Laverty, 84, a talented musician from Detroit who performed with Hap Miller in the Sun Valley Lodge Duchin Room for over 20 years, died peacefully at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise Jan. 16. Laverty started playing professionally at 17 and even served as a sax player in the Tiger Division 18-piece orchestra while he was in the 10th Armored "Tiger" Division during World War II. Ed first arrived in Ketchum in 1958 and fell in love with the mountains and his future wife, Betty Jean Clark. A master at tenor sax, clarinet and flute, Laverty had an opportunity to play with Lawrence Welk in Los Angeles, but decided to stay in the valley and raise his family. He loved golf and the notion of "striking it rich," in mining and at the craps tables in Jackpot, Nev. His musical secret? "Practice, practice, practice."
· Few men remain who helped build Sun Valley Lodge, but Carey's John Lindsey Ramsey was one of them. Ramsey, 94, died Feb. 10 at Blaine Manor. Born in a log cabin at Muldoon at the site of the post office, Ramsey herded sheep during his youth. He served with the Army Air Corps during World War II and spent most of his life building things, like cement irrigation structures for The Minidoka Project, interstate highways and condos at Sun Valley.
· Bill A. Brooks, 92, a lifelong Wood River Valley resident and former operator of the Liberty Theater in Hailey, died Feb. 27 at his home in Gannett. Born in 1912 in Hailey, Bill attended schools in Gannett and Hailey and became a barber after college. In 1956, he took over the Liberty Theater from his uncle Sam Brooks. The operation involved everyone in the Brooks family. He sold the theater in 1972. Brooks also worked as a prospector and ran the Liberty Rock Shop in Hailey. He started the local rock collecting club and was known for his rock jewelry.
· James "Captain Jim" Harris, 77, a schooner captain, restaurant operator, avid reader, teller of tales, pilot, hiker and well-traveled man of eclectic interests, died of cancer Feb. 28 in his Ketchum home, his daughter and son by his side. Born in Pittsburgh, Harris earned a college degree in journalism from Lewis and Clark College at Portland, Ore. and was a Purple Heart-winning Marine sergeant during World War II and the Korean War. Always active, Jim served on the Mount Hood ski patrol and also captained yachts—delivering or retrieving them for their owners from exotic ports. A wonderful conversationalist, Harris worked for Scott USA, in The Christiania Restaurant and at one time operated his own gourmet restaurant called "The 319."
· Boe Balis, 28, of Bellevue, died April 1 after being caught in an avalanche while snowmobiling in the Baker Creek area north of Ketchum. The proprietor of Paradise Paint in Bellevue and an avid outdoorsman, Boe was a 1994 Wood River High School graduate. Survivors include his wife of seven years, Toni Marie, and his daughter Sarah,
· Kim Nanette Byington, 51, of Gannett, a homemaker who was very involved with the Boy Scouts of America and her church, died March 31 after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer—her husband of 33 years David Byington at her side. Raised in Murtaugh, Kim moved with her family to Cove Ranch in 1968 and graduated from Wood River High School in 1972. Her family, friends and grandchildren were the joy of her life.
· Max Kimball, 79, a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II who loved horses, passed away peacefully April 4 at his home in Carey. A Wyoming native, Max moved with his family to Idaho in 1927. He worked in the area mines and farmed and ranched in Carey and Bellevue. A longtime U.S. Forest Service employee, Max started working in 1977 on the Fish Creek Ranch near Carey. He built miles of fence and changed hand lines and worked there until his death. His greatest love was working with his horses.
· A truly independent inventor, Harold W. Hannebaum was a unique man who saw things nobody else could see and brought them to life. When he died May 3 in Kimberly at age 95, his family requested that donations in his name should be made to American Indian students at Idaho State University in Pocatello. A native of Indiana, Hannebaum moved to Idaho at the age of 10 and spent most of his married life in Gooding and Bellevue with his wife of 59 years, Tilda Mae. He kept a personal file with more than 400 inventions, but applied for and received only 14 patents—most of them having to do with fireplace design. Hannebaum revolutionized fireplace design in the 1970s by making it possible for glass to be used in fireplaces. His famous "Carousel Fireplace," first patented 35 years ago, is now used in ski lodges and private homes around the world. Hannebaum's unpatented inventions included the rotary lawnmower and others involving firearm safety, electric shavers and saving the endangered salmon.
· J. William "Bill" Hart, 64, an influential lawyer and judge deeply involved in Magic Valley civic organizations, passed away May 9 at his home in Buhl after a brief illness. A Buhl native and 1959 graduate of Buhl High School, Hart earned his bachelor and graduate degrees at the University of Idaho and served as a captain with the U.S. Army JAG Corps in Vietnam. He practiced civilian law in Germany then returned to Idaho and practiced law in Buhl and Jerome. Bill became magistrate judge in Lincoln County and district judge in Minidoka County. He retired to "Senior Judge" status in 2001. Bill's accommodating personality led him to a thriving mediation business in the last years of his productive life. He always had a sparkle in his eye. The notice for Bill's May 22 "Celebration of Life," at Buhl's Clear Lake Country Club included this admonition: "At Bill's request, please dress casual—suits and ties will be altered!"
· Nima Sherpa, 15, was the kind of enthusiastic, energetic, athletic and artistic person who found living in the U.S. the equivalent of living a dream. Born in Nepal in 1990, the youngest of four sisters, she came to the Wood River Valley and loved her new home. She made many friends and enjoyed making others laugh. In 2003 she received the Most Inspirational Prep Girl award from the Sun Valley Ski Team. She attended Hailey's Wood River High School where fellow students admired her fighting spirit. Unfortunately Nima didn't get to achieve all of her dreams because she suffered from colon cancer and then pancreatic cancer. She died June 18.
· Norman Propst, of Ketchum, a 25-year FBI agent and former police chief of Pocatello, died July 8 after a courageous battle with cancer, his wife Sherry by his side at their home. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, Propst became an FBI agent in 1954 and was assigned to some of the most important cases of the 1960s and 1970s. He became police chief of Pocatello after retiring from the FBI's Pocatello office. An avid mountain biker, skier and golfer, Propst met his future wife Sherry Barefield in the Sun Valley Lodge's Duchin Room and enjoyed a 14-year adventure with her that included much time outdoors.
· Regardless of the circumstances, Carl Straight would reply "Terrific!" whenever anyone asked how he was. Straight, who died June 15 at Lompoc, Ca., maintained that attitude for 92 full years. Born in Lewiston, Mont. in 1912, he graduated from Hailey High School in 1929 where he was a member of the school's state champion choir. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant Commander in 1945. Carl became a lumber broker and worked in that trade for nearly 50 years. He retired to his boyhood home of Hailey in 1992 and started a new career in real estate with Hailey Realty.
· At his friend's Gene Van Guilder funeral in Ketchum in 1939, writer Ernest Hemingway delivered a eulogy that referred to Tillie and Lloyd Arnold—two important members of Hemingway's circle of friends during his years in Idaho. Hemingway said, "Pappy (Lloyd) and Tillie...will be here in the winter and in the spring and in the summer and in the fall. In all the seasons there will ever be..." Hemingway's forecast came true on the 106th celebration of his own birth. In a special ceremony on July 20 the Arnolds were interred together at Ketchum Cemetery near where Hemingway is buried. Tillie died in January at age 99 while living with her sister Donna Kimbell in California, and Lloyd died in 1970 and had been buried in his hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa.
· Helga Elfriede Jones, 77, a native of East Germany who survived the bombing of Dresden during World War II and became a proud American citizen, died peacefully at her home in Hailey July 20. After the war, Jones escaped from East Germany and met her future husband, U.S. Army serviceman James Jeff Jones, in West Germany. They married at Wurzburg, Germany, moved to Fort Riley, Kansas and eventually came to Idaho, where Jeff worked as a geologist. They settled in Hailey in 1973 and raised three children. Helga worked at Scott USA in Ketchum manufacturing ski boots; at Sheepskin Coat Factory; and at Mad Hatters making ski hats. She enjoyed oil painting and writing poetry and exploring ghost towns, but her greatest joy was her family.
· Arthur M. Hurst, 84, of Bellevue, a World War II veteran who lived a life of toughness and courage, passed away at his home July 22 after a long and brave battle with cancer. Born in 1920 in Bellevue, Hurst was a "true cowboy" who worked for many of the local farmers and ranchers. Known for his horsemanship, Art was the main character used by author George Merrick in his book "Ranger Desert Mustang." Hurst served with Patton's famous Third Army on the front lines during the European campaign and participated in three major battles, including the Battle of the Bulge. He married his wife Rita at Elko, Nev. in 1954. They moved over Galena Summit where they worked the family's Beaver Creek Store and timber business. Art finished his working life with the city of Bellevue. Art is missed for his sense of humor and storytelling.
· Edwin D. Shipp, 90, former Hailey Times editor and print publications manager for Sun Valley Resort, died July 7 at his Lakewood residence in Boise. "Shippy" never expected to live to such a ripe old age, because he battled asthma throughout his life. Born in 1914 in Glendale, Shippy was a third-generation Wood River Valley native. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, and also worked at the Liberty Theater and Sun Valley Opera House. Shippy loved the outdoors. He founded the Sawtooth Ski Club in 1926, flew airplanes and was president of the Sawtooth Roamers four-wheel-drive club. He didn't like shoveling snow, so he moved to Boise in later years.
· Bob Shaffer, 72, a great fisherman and one of the best baseball pitchers that the Wood River Valley has produced, died July 28. A 1950 Hailey High School graduate, Shaffer was a gifted athlete in all sports. He landed a pitching spot on one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' minor-league farm teams—the Magic Valley Cowboys located in Twin Falls. Bob threw for the Cowboys until 1957. An avid fisherman and hunter, he later worked as the first manager of KSKI radio in the Wood River area.
· Marjorie A. Jensen, 88, a Gooding native who taught English, Spanish and French for over 30 years at Hailey High School, passed away Aug. 5 at Blaine Manor in Hailey. She attended the College of Idaho in Caldwell and started teaching in New Plymouth. In 1938, she met and married Art Jensen, a mining engineer, and they moved into a log cabin situated at the original Triumph Mine camp on the ridge between East Fork and Elkhorn. They moved into Hailey in 1946 and Marjorie lived there for the rest of her life. After her husband died in 1953, she returned to teaching to support herself and her son Art Jr. She taught many people—some who became rich and famous, some regular folk and some notorious. She loved the Wood River Valley, where she lived nearly 70 years.
· Margaret E. Davies, 84, the valedictorian of the Hailey High School Class of 1939 and a very civic-minded Hailey citizen, died peacefully Aug. 11 at her daughter's home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Born on the first day of spring in 1921, Margaret Ensign was raised in Hailey and married John "Jack" Davies in 1939. Jack was involved in the insurance, accounting and real estate business with his father-in-law and brother-in-law, and Margaret worked for the firm while raising three children. The historian of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Margaret also volunteered at the Blaine County Museum and was a 50-year member of P.E.O. Sisterhood. A fine musician and avid golfer, she lived her life with gusto—skydiving from 13,000 feet at age 78.
· Guy Edwin "Bill" Butterfield, 79, who served 38 years as a highly-respected Sun Valley ski instructor and was Sun Valley head golf professional for 35 years, finished his tour of life Aug .17 in Ketchum. Born in 1926 at Manchester, Vt., Bill became the youngest certified ski teacher on the Eastern Seaboard at the age of 16. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he met Sun Valley Ski School director Otto Lang, who offered Bill a contract to teach skiing at Sun Valley. He came to Idaho in 1948 at the age of 22 and never left. Bill was the man behind the scenes during the tremendous growth of the Sun Valley Ski School during the 1950-1970 era of Sigi Engl and Sepp Froehlich. He earned the highest marks for his friendliness, attention to detail and pleasant personality in a pair of Sun Valley Company jobs that called for a strong public relations sense. After his retirement he made frequent tours of Ketchum watering holes to greet old friends and make new ones. About 475 people gathered at Trail Creek Cabin for his Aug. 20 memorial service. This year's Torchlight Parade at Sun Valley was dedicated to Butterfield, a man who led the Christmas Eve parade of ski instructors from 1976-90.
· Scott Kirk Brower, 44, a 1979 Wood River High School graduate who helped coach the Challis high school wrestling program to many successes in recent years, died Aug. 27 in a plane crash while scouting for bighorn sheep in Custer County. A son of Ilene Turner and stepson of Chuck Turner of Hailey, Scott worked for the Cypress Mine and lived with his wife Della in Clayton. In recent years he worked for the Custer Telephone Co-op. Besides hunting or fishing, Scott was passionate about youth athletics. He spent countless hours coaching youth baseball and wrestling and guiding his sons Logan and Dillon on the path to adulthood. Logan is now the first-year coach of the Wood River High School wrestling team.
· Katie Bryson, 19, a Boise State University student and proud member of the SV5B Swim Team, died in an auto accident Sept. 14 near Stanton's Crossing south of Bellevue. There was never a dull moment with Katie, who enjoyed photography and swimming but most of all her family and church. Friends gathered at the Hailey LDS Church to remember the 2004 Wood River High School grad, and they also volunteered at the family's Hailey home to accomplish home improvement projects in the days after her death.
· Christopher Terry, 57, born in the Sun Valley Lodge in 1948, died Oct. 5 at home in Ketchum after a courageous battle with cancer. Chris grew up skiing, hunting and fishing in Ketchum, and worked in the White Clouds as a powder monkey and cook at Redfish Lake Lodge. During the Union Pacific Days of Sun Valley Co., he worked as a cook and room service waiter, and eventually became a general contractor. A volunteer firefighter for 10 years and a devoted father, Chris was also known as a key member of "The Bellevue Boys Club" team in the notorious Shamrock Relays of 1980-83 that were staged in Sun Valley and Ketchum.
· Fred Swaner, 75, a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean conflict, busy self-taught man, Baldy snowmaker and 300 bowler who operated just about every kind of business you can think of in the Wood River Valley, died Oct. 24 at home in Shoshone. One of eight children, Fred graduated from Hailey High School in 1947 and married the love of his life, Adelia Cutler, in 1950 at Winnemuca. For 25 years he worked for Sun Valley Co.—driving buses, managing the bowling alley and directing the snowmaking on Baldy. Among his business "hats" were: The kids' game and pool hall Go-Karts in Ketchum, Hailey Laundromat, Mode-O-Day, Mountain Sun Lanes, Hailey Realty, Timberlake Properties and S&S Cedar Homes, and he also helped develop Sherwood Forest in Hailey. He always taught his children the value of a good day's work for a good day's pay.
· Thomas Kohler, 48, a true Bellevue ambassador and a fixture at Atkinsons' Market where he was a supervisor for the last 15 years, died Nov. 9 in Ketchum. A third-generation resident of Bellevue, Tom graduated from Wood River High School in 1975. As an Idaho-licensed therapist and counselor, he served as a counselor at Idaho Youth Ranch in Rupert. The ultimate sports fan, Tom enjoyed watching football and playing fantasy football. He enjoyed the hiking the hills of his beloved Wood River Valley with his good friend Jack Koonce.
· LaMar Heiner, 75, well known as the longtime bar manager at Ketchum's Warm Springs Restaurant, passed away Oct. 22 at Bothell, Wash. after a long illness. California native Heiner arrived in Ketchum in 1950 and worked at The Ram in Sun Valley. There he met his future wife Myrna. He worked as a maitre'd in the Duchin Room in the 1960s and moved to Warm Springs Restaurant, where he took great pride in his job and serving customers. LaMar and Myrna loved the outdoor life in the Wood River Valley. Only a debilitating stroke suffered by Myrna caused the Heiners to move to Seattle to be closer to their daughters four years ago. He spent the last four years of his life caring for Myrna—and dreaming of someday returning to the Wood River Valley.
· Arthur Richards, 80, a Minnesota native who became a 40-year local dentist and influential civic leader and Rotarian in his adopted home of Hailey, died Nov. 28 at Twin Falls Care Center. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, Richards honeymooned at Hayden Lake with his bride Theresa and then came to Hailey where he set up his dental practice in 1954. Blessed with a wonderful sense of humor and caring nature, Art raised eight children with Theresa and contributed much to local skiing and athletics in general. He was instrumental in developing Hailey's Rotarun Ski Area—undoubtedly motivated by the thought of buying Sun Valley ski passes for his eight children. Art was active in Cub and Boy Scouts and was trained as an Emergency Medical Technician. He loved the outdoors and his garden, and enjoyed traveling with Theresa during his retirement years. A faithful member of St. Charles of Borromeo Church in Hailey, Art also served on the Blaine County School Board and Blaine County Planning and Zoning Commission. In his final years he formed many new friendships while living at Blaine Manor in Hailey.
· Joanne Tsuneko Kawamura, 74, a Pocatello native who became recognizable as a friendly checker at several Wood River Valley grocery stores, passed away peacefully Nov. 28 in Bellevue surrounded by her family. Born in the Gate City in 1931, she graduated from Colorado State University and married the love of her life, William, in 1953. The couple moved to Hailey in 1970. Joanne worked at the Triple S Grocery store for Leo Stavros and Jack Holmes. When the Atkinson family purchased the store, she continued to work as a checker until her retirement in 1998. She loved the customers and the feeling was returned. Though small in stature, Joanne delighted them with her enormous heart and positive attitude. Joanne was a member of the Japanese American Citizen League of Pocatello and Blackfoot.
· Allan Isen, 79, personal optometrist for President Lyndon Johnson and a pioneer in the field of soft contact lens and cataract surgery, died Dec. 8 at his Elkhorn home after a three-year struggle with cancer. The grandson of Eastern European Jewish immigrants, Allan was raised in Buffalo, N.Y. and served as a gunnery sergeant in the World War II European theater. One of the few Jewish students admitted to Columbia University, he graduated as class president. Allan and his wife Renee relocated to Elkhorn in 1985 where he enjoyed his retirement years.
· Bill Borton, 77, a 1946 Pocatello High School graduate and engineering entrepreneur who skied at Sun Valley for nearly 60 years, died peacefully in his sleep Dec. 14. Borton founded Conveyor Engineering, which he built into an internationally-recognized designer of conveyor systems for industry, construction and mining. In the good old 1950s-era skiing days of his youth, Bill hopped Union Pacific freight trains from Pocatello to Sun Valley and slept for free on the floor of the Alpine Saloon in Ketchum. A man with a million stories and a heart of gold, he treasured his time on the Sun Valley Golf Course where he participated in many Governors Cup and Piss Pot Invitational events.
· David Sellgren, 76, former owner of Ketchum's Bigwood Golf Course, died Dec. 15 after a long illness. Raised in San Diego, Sellgren studied political science at Stanford University and served in the U.S. Navy. He began his career as a stockbroker in San Diego, where he and his wife Marian raised four children. The Sellgrens moved to Ketchum in 1978. Dave purchased Bigwood Golf Course and also owned Mulvaney's Saloon. He continued to enhance Bigwood with the goal of attracting locals and making it the best nine-hole golf course in the West.
