12 Oct 1910 – 23 Jun 1980
Husband of Katherine Cardon
My father was born Wednesday, October 12, 1910 in Canton, Lewis County, Missouri, son of Fread G. Heither and Frances M. Heither. In the early 1930’s Dad join the CCC’s and was working in the Yellowstone Park area driving trucks. He also chauffeured a ranking CCC official that made occasional trips to the Salmon River area. These trips thru Salmon and down the Salmon River was why Dad eventually moved to Salmon. During his time in the Wyoming area he met Katherine Cardon. A marriage license was issued on a Thursday to Clifton A. Heither, 26, of Alpine, Wyoming, and Katherine Cardon, 24 of Logan, Utah and they were married on the following Wednesday, New Years Day,1937.
My parents moved to Chubbuck, Idaho which is located immediately north of Pocatello, purchased a small acreage, and a small herd of dairy cows. Dad built a new house, the exterior was cinder block, as a little boy I thought is was fairly large, but in my later years discovered is was actually quite small. Dad also worked during the early 40’s at Pocatello Army Air Base as a mechanic. I was born in Pocatello, Idaho on May 20th, 1940.
In the summer of 1945, we moved to Salmon, Idaho, purchased the Erwin Baker ranch south of Salmon and across the Salmon River from 10-Mile Creek. The ranch came with a 3-room log house, dirt roof, which required cutting the grass a few times a year, indoor plumbing consisted of a hand pump in the kitchen area. The toilet was an outhouse located about 300 feet away, which required a big decision when it was 20-below. There was no electricity until about 1955, so wood stoves and Coleman gas lanterns were the norm. There was a large orchard that folks from as far away as Montana came to pick fruit. Later Dad leased the ranch to the north from Roy Stintson. In the later 40’s Dad partnered with William Baker in a small logging operation. This lasted until Bill became the Lemhi County Sheriff. On the ranch dad had about every ranch animal, from chickens, turkeys, geese, rabbits, pigs, Hereford cattle, sheep, horses and always had to have one mule. At one time we had a goat that loved to sneak up behind and flatten you. Highway 93 South was across the river from the ranch, so Dad and Bill Baker fabricated a Cable-Car to transport me across the river to catch the school bus.
In 1956, the ranches were sold and we moved to town, where Dad owned and operated a trucking business and was also a Deputy Sheriff under William Bakers term for a few years.
On September 19, 1964 Mom passed away from a heart attack at the age of 53 and buried in the Salmon City Cemetery. A couple of years later Dad met Winifred Hayes and they moved to Baker, Idaho, purchasing 5 acres of land where they made their home.
The fall of 1979, Dad and Winifred spent the winter in Arizona visiting me, returning home the day after my birthday in May of 1980. On Sunday June 22nd, 1980, Dad spent the day helping some neighbors collecting firewood, returning home feeling tired, passed away during the night from heart failure at the age of 69.
Dad was preceded in death by his father, Fread Heither, Canton Missouri; wife Katherine Heither. Survived by his mother, Francis Heither, sisters, Louise C Blackburn and Thelma Blackburn of Canton Missouri; son, David Heither, Fountain Hills, Arizona; Granddaughters, Karla and Karin Heither, Boise, Idaho.
Dad was buried in Salmon City Cemetery on June 27 in Plot: R-030-02. Winifred passed away on March 1, 1984 and is also buried in the Salmon City Cemetery.
-Contributor: Karl D Heither
Salmon City Cemetery, Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho, Plot: O-71-01 – Katherine’s Grave Marker
