Jesse Genttry Walker
Saturday, February 6, 2010 10:15 PM PST
Jesse Gentry Walker
Aug.18, 1928 - Feb. 3, 2010
Weiser
Jesse Gentry Walker, 81, Weiser, peacefully passed away Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010, at home.
A viewing for family and friends will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Weiser, and from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., prior to the funeral service. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the LDS church. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery, Weiser. Services and arrangements are under the direction of Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.shaffer-jensenchapel.com. Jess was born Aug. 18, 1928, to Robert Walker and Grace (Noyes) Walker in Fruitland. He grew up and attended school in Fruitland, Ontario and Weiser. After graduating from Weiser High School in 1946, he took a job with the Idaho First National Bank in Weiser. Once securely employed, Jess asked Roma Hansen, his high school sweetheart, to marry him. They wed on Jan. 17, 1948, in Weiser; they were later sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple on May 27, 1966. As a young couple, Jess and Roma settled in Weiser and started their family. Together, they had seven children. Jess was well known and respected in the community. He worked 41 years for IFNB; all of those years were in Weiser with the exception of two years in Wendell, Idaho. He will be remembered as a practical man. He was a member of several civic organizations, a member of the National Guard, and he served on the Weiser Memorial Hospital Board for many years. Jess has had many interests during his life. Fishing and hunting with friends and family and bridge club to keep his mind keen and continue his love of numbers. Athletics played a big part in his entertainment. He liked playing sports as a young man and continued that enjoyment by being an avid fan, watching his children and grandchildren. Jess spent 42 years on the Weiser football “chain gang.” Many summers were spent vacationing in McCall. It was a place for fun and relaxation with his family and for creating memories. After Roma’s death in 1995, Jess married Jay Benningfield on June 19, 1997.
His many family members and loved ones respect the good man that he was and are so grateful for the life he lived. The many friends and acquaintances Jess made over the years played a very special part in his life, and he was touched by the recent acts of kindness and thoughts over the past few months. Jess was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Earl; his wife, Roma; and grandson, Lucas Walker. He is survived by his wife, Jay; sister, Orabelle Bruneau, of Astoria, Ore.; sisters-in-law, Lenora Walker, of Ontario, and Marjorie Cooper, of Nampa, Idaho; brother-in-law, Dale Dorman, of Lakeview, Wash.; children, Bob (Lori), of Clovis, Calif., Monte (Sandy), of Moscow, Idaho, Kevin, of Weiser, Brad (Donna), of Longview, Wash., Steve (Mary Ann), of Weiser, Jan (Leroy) Loomis, of Weiser, and Rod (Dee Dee), of Weiser; step-sons, Kelly (Paula) Benningfield, of Pocatello, Idaho, and Steve (Irene) Benningfield, of Yuba City, Calif. As you would imagine, with his many children there are many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and more on the way! He loved his family more than his words could say and was pleased with the legacy he has left behind. In lieu of flowers, you may make contributions to Weiser Memorial Hospital, Weiser High School athletics or Legacy Hospice, c/o Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, P.O. Box 730, Payette, ID 83661.
