Eugene Hess

FREMONT COUNTY, ID. — Horace Eugene Hess Jr., a loving father and friend, passed into the next life early in the morning of the 14th of November, 2009. Eugene was born in the St. Anthony Hospital on Dec. 18, 1935 to parents Horace Eugene Hess Sr. and Erma Porter Hess.

Eugene was a graduate of North Fremont High School, Class of 1954. He later graduated from Ricks College and then from Brigham Young University in 1963 with a degree in Agriculture Economics.

Eugene was called to serve for 30 months as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Samoa mission. He served the bulk of his time in the Raratonga Cook Islands. He always spoke fondly of his service in the Cook Islands. Later in life, Eugene served again as a full time missionary with his wife in the Auckland, New Zealand mission. There he found himself laboring with the children of those he brought the gospel to during his mission in the Cook Islands.

During the Berlin Wall crises in 1961, Eugene was serving in the National Guard. He was quickly mobilized into the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis where he attained the rank of Specialist Grade 5.

A farmer all his life, Eugene returned to the family farm in 1963 where he worked the land with his father and his brothers John and Ray. On October 28, 1963, he left 40 acres of potatoes in the ground in order to marry Ann Todd in the Salt Lake City Temple.

Eugene served in a variety of callings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He served as first counselor in three bishoprics: Bishop Allen in Logan, Utah, and Bishops Gerald Egbert and James Stoddard in Ashton. He also served as a high priest group leader and as a member of the High Council in the Ashton Stake.

Eugene worked on the Marysville Canal Board for several years, ensuring reliable water was distributed to all the farmers in the community. The potato packing warehouse in Ashton was a place that Eugene also spent a lot of time. He was always able to tell a good joke and bring a smile to one’s face.

Eugene was a husband, father, brother, uncle and teacher first and a farmer second. He is survived by his wife, Ann Todd Hess, and five children; Doug (Marie) Hess, Ashton, Edward (Robyn) Hess, Malad, Von (Nicole) Hess, Ogden, UT, Elizabeth (Shane) Roos, West Yellowstone, MT, and Annette (Jeff) Lynn, Medford, OR. He also had the joy of being a proud grandfather to 15 grandchildren. He was also survived by two brothers and two sisters: John (Shirley) Hess, Ashton, Ray (Marcia) Hess, Ashton, Dorothy (Larry) Hill, St. George, UT/Island Park, and Diane (Wayne) Shurtliff, Ammon.

He was preceded in death by his parents and grandson Colton Hess.

Funeral services wereheld on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at the Ashton Tri-Ward LDS Chapel, east of Ashton. Interment was in the Pineview Cemetery under the direction of Baxter Funeral Home. Military rites were conducted by the American Legion Post 89.

This is part of the November 19, 2009 online edition of The Island Park News.