10 Apr 1907 – 2 Nov 1990
Husband of Thelma Ricks
Mark was born on the 19th of April 1907 in Etna, Wyoming, the son of Samuel James and Eva Hardman Stones. He had 13 siblings. As a young boy he would go with his father by horse and wagon, usually in the fall to get staples like flour, sugar and fruit in Brigham City, Utah. This usually took several days.
He moved to Ogden, Utah and worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. He helped build the railroad tracks across the Great Salt Lake. He met Thelma Ricks while living in Ogden. They were married December 8, 1927.
Later they moved to the Burley, Idaho area, while there he farmed potatoes, sugar beets and hay for Jim Bronson and Jack Painter. Mark was a very hard worker and liked his farm to be as weed free as possible. During harvest he would get help from the Hunt Camp, which housed German Prisoners of War. Mark and Thelma provided a hot meal and made sure they had plenty to eat. Also during harvest there were 10 Mexican workers that were provided three meals a day.
His girls remember that while they were living in Springdale, Idaho, Mark would leave from Bronson’s house, where they lived, in the morning with his gun and his dog and walk to his sister Mary’s house hunting pheasants as he went. Thelma would wait a while then start out in the car with the family and stop at predetermined hay stacks and pick up the pheasants Mark left there. When they got to Mary’s house they had a big pheasant fry.
Later Mark and his family moved to Pocatello, Idaho where he was employed with Garrett Freight Lines for 25 years, as a mechanic. Mark built a nice home for his family there. Maureen remembers that when she and her dad were coming home from fishing, the brakes went out on the car right at the intersection at Ross Park. Mark couldn’t stop at the intersection. A police officer saw the incident and pulled them over and issued a ticket. Mark gave the officer his drivers license. He walked to work from then on and never drove again.
He loved to fish and hunt. Mark and Thelma would bottle deer and elk so they would have meat for the winter. He enjoyed a good game of horseshoes also. He really didn’t like to travel and was content to stay home.
Mark and Thelma had four sons, Boyd, Ray, Carl and Kent. One son Keith died at birth. To this union was also four daughters, Lavon, Donna, Maureen and Shanna. They have 25 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren and 15 great great grandchildren. And of course, some of these figures continue to grow.
Every new little baby always received a bolt of outing flannel for diapers and the mom usually got a nightgown.
When someone was ill or maybe, there was a death in the family, Mark would always see they received a big ham, turkey, or roast to help out. He was quiet but always there when needed. He was very charitable and always provided for his family. After Ed Stephens died, he was there to help his sister, Mary repair needed items in her house.
Mountain View Cemetery, Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho