Bert Landon

Bert Arnold Landon, 74, of Mountain Home, died Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008, at his home following an illness.

A viewing will be held, Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 5-7 p.m. at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. Funeral Services will be held Thursday, Sept. 25, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mountain Home Idaho Stake Center. Burial with military honors by American Legion Post #26, will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to a potluck lunch after the graveside services at Stephanie and Dave Bergh's home, 10542 on Old Highway 30.

Bert was born on April 23, 1934, in Idaho Falls. Bert was raised on a homestead in Hamer, Idaho, surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins from both his father's (Abb Landon) and his mother's (Ruby Sanders) side of the family on their homesteads. He lived in Hamer and went to school there through his freshman year in high school.

During his sophomore year in high school the family moved to the Lost River Valley and he attended school at Mackay High School.

The family then moved to Arco and Bert graduated from Arco High School on May 21, 1952.

In high school he dated one of the older 'Hanks' girls and ended up falling in love with her younger sister, Sheryle. After high school he attended college at Utah State in Logan, Utah. After completing one semester, in 1953 he enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Fork Lewis, Wash., for basic training. In 1955 he was honorably discharged from the Army and returned to Idaho because that was where Sheryle Hanks lived.

Bert and Sheryle were married Sept. 3, 1955, in the LDS Church in Leslie, Idaho.

In 1962 Bert and Sheryle moved to Mountain Home with two daughters, Janice Polly and Pamela Sue, and subsequently three additional daughters came to the family, Stephanie Lyn, Allison Elizabeth and Victoria Jo.

After moving to Mountain Home, Bert worked as a gas station manager and for the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier. During that time he started shoeing horses because he couldn't find anyone to shoe his horses and that eventually turned into a full-time profession for him.

In 1969 he left the post office to become a full-time student at Boise State University and graduated four years later with a degree in Elementary Education.

After graduation he taught third grade at the Mountain Home Air Force Base Elementary School.

During that time Bert was called to be a counselor in the Mountain Home Second Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and later he served as a High Councilman in the newly formed Mountain Home, Idaho, Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In 1992 a horse fell on him while he was doing some "recreational" riding, crushing his hip and ending his days as a horseshoer. He entered a vocational rehab program and starting a custodial service.

During that time Bert and Sheryle expanded a "lay-up and retirement" for horses business they had started in response to some of Bert's shoeing customers wanting a nice place for their horses to go and "live out their final years."

In 1993 they moved to Fairfield to accommodate the growing business and at one time they boarded over 80 head of geriatric horses, brood mare and foals, and younger horses rehabilitating from injuries.

While in Fairfield Bert worked as a custodian at Camas High School and served as branch president for the Fairfield, Idaho, branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bert and Sheryle returned to Mountain Home in 1997 and continued to look after horses until their last boarder died of old age.

After returning to Mountain Home Bert worked for United Oil, United Metal and Sherman Brothers.

At the time of his death he was a custodian for the Mountain Home School District at Hacker Middle School.

"He loved his job, the people he worked with, the teachers and kids at the school," his family said.

"Grandpa Bert loved his grandsons and granddaughters and made sure they will have many memories to remember him by," his family added, noting that "Bert lived the standards and was an example of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Bert is survived by: his wife, Sheryle; his daughter, Jan; his daughter Pam and her husband, David Krahn; his daughter Stephanie and her husband, David Bergh; his daughter Ally and her husband, Chuck Cooley; his daughter Vicky Russell and friend Courtney Harding; his mother, Ruby Landon; step-mother Jean Landon, 16 grandchildren and an extended family of aunts, uncles, sister and brother in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and acquaintances.

He was preceded in death by his father, Abb, his sister, Lawana, his brother, Lee Dell "and other extended family and friends."

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Optimist Agricultural Youth Group or Mountain Home Museum.