Earle Stone, 82

Earle Raymond Stone, 82, of Mountain Home, died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at a Meridian care center.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Aug. 15, at the LDS Stake Center, 1150 N. 8th East St., in Mountain Home. A viewing will be held prior to the funeral service, from noon to 12:45 p.m., at the church.

Earle was born Jan. 11, 1924, to Robert Henderson and Annie Laurie Stone of Springfield, Idaho. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Sterling, Idaho, where he attended elementary school. He graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1942. Later that year he married his sweetheart, Mary Alice Van Orden, in the Salt Lake City Temple.

In December 1943, he joined the U.S. Army, serving in New Guinea and the Philippines. In January 1946, he returned home to his wife and a 2 1/2-year-old son.

Earle worked at a number of jobs until 1948, when he started his own business of coin-operated machines in Blackfoot, Idaho.

After selling his business and moving to Reno, Nev., in 1955, he went to work for Catermat Corp., a vending machine company that specialized in automatic food services for bases of the armed forces. While in Reno, he supervised operations at Fallon Naval Air Base and Stead Air Force Base.

In 1958, he moved to Riverside, Calif., where he served as regional manager for the Catermat Corp.

Feeling a desire to return to his home state he asked to be transferred to Mountain Home AFB, and moved to Mountain Home in 1959.

He and his wife, Mary, purchased the Desert Inn in 1961, which is still operated by Mary today.

In 1965, Earle started his own amusement company, Stoney's Coin Machines, presently operated by Brett Yagues, his son in-law.

Beginning in 1980, and continuing until 1995, Earle also owned Electric Coin, which operated out of the San Jose, Calif. His company provided videos machines and games for the Safeway stores in northern California.

"Earle was known for his quick wit and humor," his family said. "His ability to always make the best of any situation was also admired. His wife Mary was heard to say, 'One thing our marriage has never been, is boring!' "

Cars were a great interest of Earle. He collected old Packards and spent many hours riding around in his pickup talking to his son about the things he was going to do with them. Some of his best times were spent on vacation, driving around the Western U.S. with his wife and two daughters. Many trips were relived time and again through conversation with his family in the living room of his home.

"Earle had a deep love for his family and the love was returned," his family said. "He will be missed more than words can express. The world has lost a wonderful man."

Earle is survived by: his wife, Mary Alice Stone, of Mountain Home; a son, Ron E. and his wife, Sandy Stone, of Eagle; daughter Bonnie Lee, and her husband, Mike Rice, of Meridian; daughter Tracey Lynne and her husband, Brett Yagues, of Mountain Home; 12 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, sisters, and a grandson, Scott Yagues.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Scott Yagues Memorial Fund, C/O Idaho Independent Bank, 310 American Legion Blvd., Mtn Home, ID 83647.

Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home.