Dear Family and Friends,
It is October 11, 2010 and my wonderful journey with you , on this earth, has come to an end.

My Adventure began August 20, 1936 in the Shanklin home in Bancroft, Idaho. I was born to Don Johnson and Marie Stevens Johnson. We were a family for a short while and then it was just Mom and me.

I spent a lot of my early years with my Grandfather Mark and Grandmother Rae Stevens.

Soon there was a new special friend in our lives and I had a Dad and a new name, Gary Stoddard.

We moved out to Hatch, I went to school in Bancroft and then I had a baby sister, Peggy Ann. Dad, Mom and baby moved to a ranch east of Lava Hot Springs. I stayed with Grandpa and Grandma and rode the bus to Pebble on Fridays until the sixth grade.

Now I had a brother, Robert and a horse, cows to help feed and take out to summer-range and then in the fall, the fall round-up, then bring them home for the winter.

I attended Lava Elementary my sixth, seventh and eighth years. I went to North Gem to finish my school years. They were busy and fun filled years. I discovered sports and I was good enough to excel in football, basketball and bull-dogging at the Rodeos that me and dad competed in.

While I was in High School, I got two new girls in my life, Jackie, my baby sister and Marilyn Walker, the new girl in school. My senior year, I competed and won the first Idaho State High School Championship bull-dogging title. Then I was off to Texas to the first National Rodeo.

My best friend and sweetheart Marilyn Walker, and I married May 13, 1955 in Bancroft, Idaho. In November of 1955 I started my lifetime occupation with Mountain Bell Telephone that lasted forty four years.

In those forty four years we moved around in Southern Idaho many times as our family increased, and it did two at a time a couple of times, our moves were fewer. I hung up my Lineman hooks and belt for my splicer snips, tent and all kinds of cables.

We moved to Blazer in 1971 when my brother moved we moved across the road to the "Old" house and the boys, Todd, Jack and Mark fed the cattle, worked in the hay and did all things that go along with ranching.

In a few years I was working in Soda Springs as a installer-repairman.

Our family grew up and some moved away to start their own families. I looked forward to our yearly July 24th reunion at the "Lot" in Bancroft. I cooked burgers for anyone and everyone who stopped in to visit. This last 24th was the first year in many years I was not the cook. Some years we counted as many as 80. I hope whoever takes my spatula enjoys the job as much as I did.

You all know of my love and enjoyment I got from my animals. Some I could get closer to than others. My Brahmas were just that, my animals. They were a one-person animal. Then came the buffalo. Uno, our first is as tame as buffalo become. We can pet her from across the fence. I made sure everyone knows, this home is hers', like it is mine, until the last day.

I know there are sad faces, tears and a part of Marilyn broken for now. Take your time to grieve, keep our memories near; we will all meet again. Love each other and stay close.


Love, Gary

Gary is survived by his loving wife, Marilyn, three sons, Todd and Sherrie Stoddard of Wayan, ID; Jack and Jolene of Grace, ID; Mark and Kada of Green River, WY; and six daughters, Tonda and Mickey Potter of Lava Hot Springs, ID; Tracey and Byron Steed of Arimo, ID; Jill Stoddard of Salt Lake City, UT; Sandra and Billy Leyba of Placerville, CA; Susan and John Sullivan, of Placerville, CA; Tamra Stoddard of Renton, WA; and a brother, Robert and Jodie of Prosser, WA; two sisters, Peggy and Rex Stewart of Salem UT; Jackie and Kevin Peterson of Grace, ID; a step-mother, Sheryl Stoddard of Idaho Falls, ID; and twenty three grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Marie Stoddard, Grandparents, Mark and Rae Stevens, mother-in-law Mable Walker and a great-granddaughter, Nevaeh Howard.

Services were held on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at Noon at the Bancroft LDS Ward Chapel. Burial was in the Bancroft Cemetery.