Idaho

by

Jim & Ko Tateoka

Jim & Ko Tateoka

Scanning photos for a friend, I stumbled upon this photo in a set of pictures that seem to be an Emerson Ward party likely in the early 1980s.  Since I recognized these two, I thought I would share.  Rather than write a history of them, I will share their detailed obituaries.  Jim & Ko lived not too far from me when growing up.  I remember meeting Ko on several occasions at Brucia Crane’s home as a young kid.  Jim sometimes would help move water for the Werners who lived near us.  A couple of times while we swam in canals, he would pull up and visit with us and tell us to be careful.  Later, I come to know their children, and Ted has become a very good friend of mine.  Interesting who comes in and out of our lives.

“Jim Suyetaka Tateoka Hazelton, Idaho

“Jim Suyetaka Tateoka of Hazelton, Idaho was called back to his heavenly home on November 1, 2006, at the age of 83. He died of complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. Jim was born on February 20, 1923, in Garfield, Utah to Tokizo and Natsuko Tateoka. When he was a young child, the family moved to Ogden, Utah. He was fourth in a family of five children. Jim grew up and acquired his love of farming on the small truck farming operation the family ran. Jim graduated from Ogden High School in 1941. He excelled in his studies maintaining excellent marks throughout his formal school years. Jim served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He saw action in Italy. Jim was a member of the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Many of his army buddies were Japanese Americans from Hawaii. They taught him to speak “Pigeon English” and to play the ukulele. He would sing Hawaiian songs to his family. Some of the songs included, “Don’t Say Aloha When I Go,” “Sweet Leilani” and “Hula Oni Oni E.” This provided many hours of enjoyment to his children. Jim was a quiet person and yet he had a quick wit and a “fun” side. After he was discharged from the Army, he and his brother Matt purchased a farm in South Jordan, Utah. On Febrary 11, 1956, Jim married Ko Takeuchi in Salt Lake City, Utah. They recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with all their family in attendance. He continued to farm in South Jordon and with Ko began to raise a family of four sons and one daughter. In 1969, Jim took a “leap of faith” and moved his family to farm in Hazelton, Idaho. The family has received many blessings from this move. He was a member of the LDS Church and served as a home teacher and membership clerk to four bishoprics. Jim and his family were sealed and his marriage solemnized in the Ogden Temple May 25, 1976. He is survived by his wife Ko, and children, Mark (Itsuko), Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, Paul (Nadine), Hazelton, ID, Penny, Portland, OR, Ted (Rebecca), Hazelton, Idaho, Tom (Jami), Waukesha, Wis.; grandchildren, Luke, Charlotte, Joseph, Elise, Benjamin, Claire, Olivia, Sophia, Amelia, Julia, Grace, Mae and Tak; his brother; Tom of Riverton; and sister, Momoko of Salt Lake City. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Sam and Matt. The funeral will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, at the Emerson LDS 1st Ward Church, 127 S. 950 W. in Paul, ID, with Bishop Ted Tateoka officiating. A viewing will be held Friday, November 3, 2006 from 7-9 p.m. at the Hansen Mortuary Burley Chapel, 321 E. Main St. and one hour prior to the service from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the church. Interment will be at the Paul Cemetery with military rites. The family would like to express their gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Dr. Richard Sandison for his faithful and tireless service, and to the staff of the Cassia Regional Medical Center and Hospice for the loving care that was extended to Jim and his family during his stay. The family would especially like to thank Barbara West his attending nurse for her kindness and excellent care she gave to Jim.

“Ko Takeuchi Tateoka died peacefully in her home on April 14, 2013. Her loving family surrounded her, as did the soft light of the late afternoon sun, fresh flowers in colorful bunches, and Luna, the new family cat. Ko was 80 years old.
The Tateoka family will receive friends on Friday, April 19, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the viewing room at the Morrison Payne Funeral Home on 321 E Main St. Burley, Idaho. Funeral services for Ko will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Emerson 1st Ward LDS Church located at 127 South 950 West, Paul, Idaho. (Bishop Burt Belliston officiating). Prior to the funeral, a viewing will take place in the Relief Society room of the Emerson LDS Church from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Burial services will be held immediately following the funeral at the Paul Cemetery on 550 W 100 N Paul, Idaho.
Ko was born in the Sugar House area of Salt Lake City, Utah on May 25, 1932. Her parents, Seiichi and Tsune Takeuchi had immigrated to the U.S. from the coastal city of Mikawa, Ishikawa, Japan 14 years earlier in 1918. Ko was the third and last of three daughters born to the Takeuchis. Older sisters, Kimi and Fumi were ages 12 and seven at the time of Ko’s birth.
“In 1935, Ko’s family moved from the Sugar House area to a home and small truck farm on 2213 South 4th East in Salt Lake City. Ko entered first grade at Madison School on State Street and 24th South and continued attending the school through the ninth grade. She then attended Granite High School on 3303 South 500 East and graduated in 1949. Ko earned her teaching degree in Business Education in 1954 from the University of Utah. She took a teaching position at Olympus High School where she taught typing and shorthand from 1954-1956. Throughout her life, Ko gave much credit to her father Seiichi who had always stressed the importance of education. Despite the many hardships and barriers of those times and as a result of his influence, Ko and her two sisters received their college educations.
“In February of 1956, Ko married Jim Tateoka, a farmer from Garfield, Utah and moved to South Jordan Utah. Jim and his brothers farmed ground on 10000 South 2700. It was there that four sons and a daughter where born to Ko and Jim. In 1969, they moved their young family to a farm in Southern Idaho’s Magic Valley off of Kasota Road in the Emerson area. Ko was a fulltime homemaker and mom until 1980 when she re entered the teaching ranks. She taught 3rd grade at Eden Elementary School in Eden, Idaho and later took a teaching position in the business department at Minidoka County High School in Rupert, Idaho. Ko retired from teaching in 1993. She found teaching to be a very rewarding and fun profession.
“Ko enjoyed membership in various community organizations including the Kasota Sagehens, the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, The Mini Cassia Retired Teachers Association and the area “Nisei” Club. She was a strong member of the LDS Church, serving in many positions in the Emerson 1st Ward and Paul Stake. Ko enjoyed gardening, traveling, movie going, watching football and visiting with her kids, grandkids, and many friends. She loved the holiday season and the cheer, lights, gifts and joy it always brings.
In her later years, Ko cared faithfully for husband Jim who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. He passed away in the fall of 2006. In October of 2010, Ko began her extended stay at Parke View Rehabilitation and Care Center in Burley, Idaho. She resided there until returning to her own home on Kasota Rd. in recent weeks.
“Ko is survived by her five children, 13 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. They are: son Mark and his wife Itsuko of Miliani Hawaii and their two children, Luke, also of Miliani, and Charlotte of Salt Lake City, son Paul and his wife Nadine of Hazelton, Idaho and their three children, Joseph of Chicago, Illinois (wife Alison, son, Parker), Elise Mongillo, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, (husband, Anthony, sons, Oliver, and Nikolas) and Benjamin of Provo, Utah (wife, Alexa), daughter Penny from Portland, Oregon, and her daughter, Claire from Brooklyn, New York, son Ted and his wife Becca from the Emerson Area, and their four daughters, Olivia Brown of Provo, Utah, (husband, Braeden Brown), Sister Sophia Tateoka ( currently serving in the Honolulu, Hawaii Mission) and Emi and Ju Ju (Emerson Area) and son Tom and his wife Jamie of Waukesha, Wisconsin and their three children, Grace, Mae and Takeuchi. (Ko’s parents and sisters, Kimi and Fumi are deceased.)
“Many many sincere thanks are due the following individuals and groups: The wonderful staff at Parke View Rehabilitation and Care Center, Dr. Glen Page, Deanna, Pam and Amanda of Horizon Hospice, Bishop Burt Belliston, Dustin McCurdy and family, Loa Maxwell and Margaret Merrill, The Emerson 1st Ward Relief Society, Jan Allen, Mildred Whitesides, and Ralph, Ben and Kristie. Thanks also to the many friends who called, stopped by, and brought in meals, sweet eats, cheer, and support during Ko’s time at home. We appreciate you!
“Services are under the direction of Morrison Payne Funeral Home, in Burley.

by

Brigham Young College 1915 Crimson Yearbook

I am a member of a Cache Valley Group on Facebook.  After some people posted a number of old photos, I asked if anyone knew if Brigham Young College had yearbooks and if someone had one for roughly 1915.  Within a day, Jennifer Johnson, a cousin of mine had found a copy of the Brigham Young College Crimson yearbook and made it available to me.  Here is a copy of the full 1915 Brigham Young College Crimson Annual if you are interested.

Sure enough, there on page 31 is my great-grandfather, Joseph Nelson Jonas (1893 – 1932).

Joseph Nelson Jonas’ Brigham Young College yearbook picture

Here is the full-page.  This is page 31 of the pdf.  The front of the yearbook says Crimson Annual 1915.  Page 4 shows that it includes the classes of 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918.

Brigham Young College Crimson yearbook, page 31

Here are two copies of his diploma.

Joseph Jonas graduation diploma from Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah

 

I also found Joseph’s 1st cousin, once removed, Paul Ernest Nelson (1888-1970), was one of the teachers at BYC.  An interesting side note is that the page below states he, “Likes his Ensign.”  He and Martha Eunice Ensign were married 19 August 1914 in the Salt Lake Temple.  It also states he “[e]xpects to be a professor in psychology.”  Their first son, Paul Ensign Nelson, was born 26 June 1916 in Berkeley, California while he was attending school.

Brigham Young College yearbook, page 26

Here is a dedication to the Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Charles Winder Nibley (1849-1931).

Dedication in 1915 Brigham Young College Crimson Annual to Charles Winder Nibley

Charles W Nibley was the Presiding Bishop from 1907 to 1925.  He was a kind benefactor to Brigham Young College and as Presiding Bishop was involved with the school.  Bishop Nibley was released in 1925 and became a counselor to Heber Jeddy Grant until his death in 1931.  He is one of the few people to serve in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was not an Apostle.

Charles Winder Nibley (1849-1931)

Brigham Young College was located in Logan, Utah.  It was founded by Brigham Young shortly before his death.  The college was meant for individuals from Northern Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.  When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed all its academy’s in 1926, except Brigham Young University, it suffered the same fate.  The buildings were sold and became Logan High School.

As records become more and more available, who knows what else we may find of our ancestors.

 

 

by

Headed West on Main Street in Burley, Idaho

On Main Street at Overland Avenue in Burley, Idaho late 1950’s.

I stumbled upon this photo on a postcard.  Fascinating picture likely from the late 1950’s.  None of the cars are from the 1960’s.  All the more interesting are the buildings in the photo.

On the left, the first is Boyd’s Cafe, then the Oregon Trail Cafe.  About where Shon Hing is now.  Thriftway Drug is on the corner, which is now a parking lot.  Idaho Bank & Trust is on the far left intersection corner, which is now where the Keystone Realty Group and Fletcher Law Offices building is located.  You can see the old sign for Nelson’s Cafe which is still there.

On the right corner, you can see Sprague’s Sport Shop with the Sportsman’s Cafe to their right.  This is the location of the current US Bank.

On the far right corner, the Burley National Bank building is still present.  This is where Zions Bank is located now.  You can also see the Burley Theater down the block with their marquee.  I cannot recognize the tall building beyond the theater, I don’t know what that building is.  You can also see the Simplot Factory Building that used to be much farther down Main Street and the Texaco between the two, about where B&K Auto is now.

This is when there were more individuals living downtown with the apartments and restaurants emblematic of a more vibrant downtown.  Main Street was also the main highway through southern Idaho which means this was a thoroughfare.  The construction of the Interstate pulled all traffic just traveling through several miles to the north.  None of these restaurants moved north, it was just Connors moving from downtown Paul that moved to be near the Interstate exit.

by

Paul from water tower

Paul, Idaho from the water tower

Some of you may have seen this photo around.  There is a copy of this photo at Paul City Hall and in Les Schwab/Magic Valley Tire in Paul.  Even when I was a kid I remember seeing this photo.  This isn’t a great copy of the photo, but you take what I can get…

I previously wrote about the Paul Hotel, the first building with its name etched in the photo.  As I mentioned in that post, the second story is now missing from the Paul Hotel.  Notice all the cars parked along Idaho street and then the lone horseman in front of the Paul Hotel.

The next block down on the left side is the Paul State Bank.  Later known as Mikey’s bar, it sits empty.  I believe I mentioned earlier this is the building I wanted to buy and put my law practice, but I couldn’t even find the owners.  But, here is a check from the bank from my Great Grandmother’s confectionery that was drawn on the Paul State Bank.

The next block down on the left side corner is the Adams Block, which I have also previously written.  It was torn down in the 1990s, I found out by Garey McManus.

Then the next block down at the end of Idaho Street, you see the Paul School.  I haven’t written on the school yet, still organizing some of my photos for that post.  If I remember correctly, it burned down by an arson in 1977.

The Streeter Confectionery was the south half of Lot 2, Block 1, which puts it on the right side of Idaho street (the main street to the school from this vantage point) nearing Main Street, which is the intersection with the Adams Block building.  Most of the entire block is owned by Magic Valley Produce now.

by

Burley Aerial Photo

Burley, Idaho about

I stumbled upon this photo last weekend.  Thought I would make it available to more.

I tried to find what year this photo is from and make these observations after closely reviewing the photo.

The large field on the east of Overland is where Dworshak Elementary is now.  I believe Dworshak opened in 1962, and there isn’t any construction, so that probably makes this photo at the latest about 1960.

Burley Stake Center to the lower right of the photo has small trees.  I do not know when the building was built, but this photo is after it was built.  The building now has an addition on the south side, I don’t know when that addition was built.

A house is in this picture where First Federal is now on Overland Avenue.  I don’t know when the First Federal bank building was built, this photo predates it.

A church appears to be about where Mr. Gas is on Overland, just south of First Federal.  I don’t know when the old Mr. Gas was built on that place, but this photo predates it.

None of the homes on the south of 16th between Elba and Hiland are present, the photo predates that neighborhood.

Burley Junior High is in the photo across the grass to the east of the Cassia County Courthouse.  The Courthouse was built in 1937, so I know we are after that date!  Burley Junior High School burned down 29 October 1973.  The photo is obviously before that date.  Burley Junior High, which was Burley High School before that, was built in 1915.

The Burley Masonic Hall is present and it appears homes are on the northeast corner of 16th and Overland which were replaced by Safeways, now the Burley Judicial Center.  I don’t know when Safeways was built, but this predates it.

Amalgamated Sugar still has its chimney, I don’t know when it was removed.

Burley Flour Mill is still present.  I don’t know when it was torn down.

Idaho Bank & Trust Building on the southwest corner of Overland and Main is still there.  I seem to remember it coming down in the mid 1980s.

Thriftway Drug is still present and it came down in the 1990s.

Sprague Sports is still present along with the National Bank Building on the north-west and north-east corners of Main and Overland.  I believe they both came down in the early 1980s.

Most telling to me is what is across the Snake River.  NOTHING exists in Minidoka County from Burley.  The first Overland Bridge over the Snake was built in 1947.  Interstate 84 appears to have not been constructed just south of 300 South in Minidoka County.  Everything North of the Snake on Overland is post-interstate.  In fact, it seems you would still drive to 400 South, now called Alfresco, and drive to the east to 600 West to drive to Paul.  If you follow Overland straight, you can see the canal, which Overland now diagonally goes to the east to attach to 600 West, which none of which is clear in this photo.  I believe the Interstate 84 came through the Burley area in the late 1960s.

Only a vague outline of a much smaller Paul, Idaho is in the distance, although fuzzy.

Therefore, this image appears to be late 1950’s or early 1960’s.  If anyone has clarifications, I am happy to update this post.

 

 

 

by

South Park Trapper Cabin

A few weeks ago, Aliza, Ted Tateoka, and I made a visit to the Laidlaw Kipuka.  We made a stop at the South Park Well near the south central part of the Kipuka.

Here is a picture of the sign (in the middle of nowhere!)

Sign at South Park Well

The sign is titled, “South Park Well Trapper’s Cabin”

It reads, “This humble cabin was built in 1940’s to house coyote trappers hired by the U.S. Government to aid local sheep ranchers.  Coyotes were much more plentiful in those days and did serious damage to the many sheep herds that grazed in Laidlaw Park.  There were several trapper’s cabins built in various locations across the desert, but this is the only one remaining within Laidlaw Park.  Please help us preserve it by taking only photos and leaving only footprints.”

Here is a picture of Aliza on the west side of the cabin.

Aliza Ross at South Park Well Trapper Cabin

A little later I stood Lava Point and took this picture looking south to give some idea of the size of the Laidlaw Kipuka.  Lava Point juts down into the kipuka about 2/3 of the way down.  Which means, this is only about the bottom 1/3 of the Laidlaw Kipuka.

Laidlaw Kipuka to the south from Lava Point

A while later to the east of Lava Point I took this picture to the north.

Laidlaw Park with the jutting lava flow and the remaining portion of Laidlaw beyond

Last, here is a picture of Aliza playing in a small lava bubble.

Aliza Ross playing in a lava bubble

 

 

by

Written by Fred Nuffer for 1938 Cornerstone at USU

Old Main at Utah State Agricultural College (USU now), Logan, Utah, about 1900. The iconic front and tower were build in 1902.  Fred Nuffer provided 3,000 feet of cut stone for the construction of the south wing.

From Utah State’s Facility Planning.

“Old Main is the landmark of Utah State University and remains the oldest academic building still in use in the state of Utah.  In 1889, plans for “The College Building” by C. L. Thompson were selected by the Board of Trustees just two weeks after the land for the Logan campus was secured. The site was chosen the next day so that the main tower would be due east of the end of Logan’s Seventh Street —Today’s Fifth North.  Construction began immediately on the south wing of the three -part building and was completed in 1890.

“With more money appropriated in 1892 than anticipated, the Trustees hired [K]arl C. Schaub to redesign an enlarged structure and the construction began for the east part of the central section and the north wing.  It wasn’t until 1901 that the money was assured for the completion of the building. The front portion along with the tower was completed in 1902 with the design of H. H. Mahler.

Fred Nuffer provided his own contribution to the construction of the south wing of Utah State’s Old Main.  Another interesting side link, Karl Conrad Schaub’s widowed mother married Fred’s father, John Christoph Nuffer.  She was Anna Maria Alker who married him Conrad Schaub who left her widowed in 1894.  Fred Nuffer provided stone, Karl provided design.  Karl and Fred’s brother, John were friends and worked on buildings together.

Another entry from “We of Johann Christoph Nuffer, also known as: Neuffer, Nufer, Neufer,” The book was published in April 1990 by Dabco Printing and Binding Co in Roy, Utah. I will quote from the book itself.

The full title of this article from the book was named, “WRITTEN BY FRED NUFFER AT REQUEST OF OFFICIALS OF UTAH STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE TO BE ENCLOSED IN CORNER STONE LAID IN 1938, TO BE OPENED IN 1988, THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLEGE.”

Utah State was founded in 1888.  It appears that the cornerstone was opened at 50 years in 1938 and a new cornerstone was sealed to be opened in 1988.  As Fred Nuffer was involved with some of the construction of the campus, he was requested to write for the cornerstone.  This was the original part of Old Main, south wing, of what is now Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

“I will recount in detail, as I remember it, the work done by myself and others in supplying stone for the construction of the Utah State Agricultural College buildings in Logan, Utah.

“In the year of 1891-1892, I made contract with Mr. Venables of Ogden to deliver about 3,000 cubic feet of cut stone.  Mr. Venables had previously tried to get the stone somewhere south of the valley, but found the stone unsuitable, and the party could not fill the order.  As I had furnished stone for several buildings in Logan, Mr. Venables came up to see me.  I lived near the quarry at that time.  He inspected the quarry and pronounced the stone suitable and gave me a contract to fill the order.  The quarry was located about ten miles up Cub River Canyon from Franklin, Idaho, on the left side slope going up the river, on a small tributary creek of Cub River called Sheep Creek.

“All work was done by hand.  The main ledge was about 20 feet above ground and about 20 feet wide and 400 to 500 feet long.  We used 12 foot churn drills and blasted large black loose from the main ledge.  We had to be careful how much powder we used so as not to shatter or cause seams in the stone.  We usually had to put a second charge in the opening made by the first charge to dislodge the block from the main ledge.  The block so dislodged was from 6 to 7 feet thick and about 20 feet long.  From then on, all tools used were hammers, axes, wedges, and squares.  Grooves were cut with axes wherever we desired to split the block, then wedges were set in the grooves about ten inches apart and driven in with hammers.  Then we dressed them down to the right measurement allowing one half inch for the stone cutters to take out all the tool marks we made.  Mr. Venables furnished bills for stone in dimension sizes as needed in the building.

“My brother, C[harles]. A[ugust]. Nuffer, worked on the job the whole time it lasted.  I also had a man by the name of Ed Hollingsworth of Preston, also Mr. A. Merrill and Mr. Abel Smart of Cub River, and Mr. Robert Weber of Providence.

“It took part of two years for the job, 1891-1892.  The hauling was all done with wagons and horses: 30 to 35 cubic feet was a good load for two horses.  The following names were the men doing the hauling: John McDonald of Smithfield, Jean Weber of Providence, and Jake Rinderknecht of Providence hauled more than any other.  He used to leave home at 3 a.m., load up the same day and get back to Logan by 3 p.m. the next day.  It was very hard on the horses.  I also hauled a good many loads with my own team.  All loading was done by hand on skids.

“I got 40¢ per cubic foot, of which 20¢ was paid for hauling.  We had a hard time handling the name stone to go on the front of the building.  When it was ordered it had 30 cubic feet in it and only one foot thick.  When the stonecutters got through with it they had found it too big to be hoisted in place so they made it smaller until there wasn’t much left.

“The most difficulty I had was in not getting my pay from Mr. Venables.  We overlooked a large 4-horse load at the final settlement.  A few minutes after I had signed the receipt for the final payment in full I discovered my mistake.  Mr. Venables refused to pay for it, although I produced the bill of lading signed by him.  He didn’t dispute the debt, but said he had a receipt paid in full.  He didn’t have anything, and the government property couldn’t be attached, so I was the loser of about $15, which seemed a lot of money to me at that time.

“by Fred Nuffer, Sr.

by

Camas County High School

Camas County High School, 27 March 2013.

I snapped this picture in 2013.  This was the second time I ever visited Fairfield, Camas, Idaho that I recall.  I drove around town and found a forgotten town in a forgotten part of Idaho.  The town was hauntingly charming and reminiscent of another time.  That made me want to spend more time there.  I might have even been tempted to consider moving there, but I knew I would be alone in such a venture.  I have not been through Fairfield since.  Even though Fairfield is the County Seat, I have not yet visited the County Court as an attorney, which I posted a picture of before.

This picture of the high school is deceptive.  I believe the school is K-12, and is a bit bigger than this picture might lead you to believe.  This appears to me as the oldest part of the building with all the more recent additions and annexes behind this view.  The school still fits within the city block though, so it is not huge.