Ronald Wilburn Marlow

Ronald Wilbur Marlow, 88, of Payette, passed away Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 at The Cottages, Weiser. A viewing for family and friends will be from 5-7 pm, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette. Funeral services will be held at 10 am, Friday, Jan. 6th at the Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1712 W. Idaho Ave., Ontario. Burial with Military Honors will follow at Riverside Cemetery, Payette. Condolences may be made to the family at www.shaffer-jensenchapel.com.

Ron was born Feb. 9, 1923 at Wapello, ID, a small farming community four miles north of Blackfoot, to Madeline (Hancock) Marlow and Wilburn E. Marlow. Ron was born on his mother's birthday and was the oldest of all the grandchildren on either side. As a result, he knew most of his great grandparents who delighted in relating storeies of their early lives; associating with the early pioneers and Indians. Ron grew up with an appreciation of all historical events. On the Marlow side, it was the civil war and what they endured living in the south. They settled in North Carolina before 1700 and then came west just before 1890. On the Hancock side, it was the revolutionary war, as they were involved in battles in the Boston area and participated in the formation of the new US government. The Marlow and Hancock families lived within a mile of each other in Wapello and three generations of Marlow's attended the Wapello grade school.

When Ron was 12 years old, in 1935, his mother died. He had two sisters, Wilma and Marjorie, and a brother, Don. Several years later, his dad married Elna Call, who was a local resident.

He graduated from the LDS Seminary in 1939 and the Blackfoot High School in 1940. In Jan. of 1942, he attended radio school in Boise at Boise Junior college. He graduated from a government vocational program at Idaho State College in Pocatello and went to work at the air base in La Junta, CO from 1942-1943. In La Junta, Ron met Deloris Sells of Missouri City, MO who was also working at the air base and they were married in 1943. Later that same year, he joined the US Air Force and served with the 15th Air Service Squadron in Hawaii as a sergeant. Ron received an honorable discharge in 1946. Ron and Deloris had two children, Connie born Feb. 20, 1947 and Jeffrey born Feb. 29, 1956.

Ron graduated from Blackfoot flying school in 1948 and helped organize the Civil Air Patrol in Eastern Idaho. He joined the Air Force Reserve and flew humanitarian missions in southern Idaho during the winters of 1948-1949 and several search and rescue missions. From 1946 to 1950, he worked as a parts manager and mechanic in the Blackfoot garage and a garage in Arco, ID.

He was called to active duty in the US Air Force Reserve in July 1950 and served as staff sergeant with the 452nd Bomb Wing stationed in Japan and Korea. He received an honorable discharge in Aug. 1951 with two good conduct medals. He also received the American Defense Ribbon, Victory Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, Japan Occupation Ribbon, United Nations Ribbon, Korea Service Ribbon with two bronze stars, the Korean Presidential Ribbon and the 5th Air Force General's Citation for outstanding service. After his discharge, Ron went to work for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from 1952-1953. After leaving the INL, Ron went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1953 in Blackfoot and then later was assigned to Idaho Falls.

Ron served as a 4H leader for seven years on the 4H council of Bingham County. He was elected to the Blackfoot School Board District #55 and served from 1966-1969. He was also on the Idaho State PTA Board of managers from 1965-1968. Ron was an avid photographer and member of camera clubs in Hawaii and Pocatello. He often said that he should have quit working and spent more time on his hobbies. His love of photography started in high school and continued on thru WWII and on into the 1970's. His photos won numerous awards and ribbons at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. Several photos were also published in the Eastern Idaho newspapers. Ron also loved flying and went to many fly-in breakfasts around Idaho after he obtained his private pilot's license. Ron also loved looking for rocks and collecting artifacts, fossils, minerals and gem stones. He said that if he had his life to do over, he would have become a geologist.

He divorced Deloris in 1967 and married Janet Stewart of Weiser, ID. They had a still-born son, Riley, in July 1976. Ron and Janet divorced in 1979.

Ron married Charlee Robbins Pence of Liberty, MO in 1979. They lived in Blackfoot until 1984 when he retired from the Union Pacific Railroad with 301/2 years of service. Charlee was an avid antiques collector and when on a buying trip in western Idaho, spotted an old historic house in Payette that was for sale. They bought the N.A. Jacobsen's home in Payette on June 1, 1984. They sold their house in Blackfoot and moved to Payette. They made Payette their home and enjoyed restoring the home, collecting antiques and traveling in their travel trailer.

Ron attended the Presbyterian Church in Pocatello since 1967. When he and Charlee moved to Payette, they joined the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Ontario, OR in 1985. Ron served as a deacon and was ordained as an elder and served on the session for three years.

He was very active in the Payette County Historical Society for over 15 years and served on the Board of Managers for five years. He was also a member of the Idaho State Historical Society. Antiques were fascinating to Ron and he worked at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot with Charlee for more than 14 years. During this time, they exhibited their antiques and won several hundreds of ribbons and awards.

On Aug. 30, 1996 Charlee suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. Ron continued his love of history and wrote many articles on local history, which were published every week in the Independent Enterprise newspaper for one and a half years. The articles were titled "Looking Back". Ron also loved his old Victorian home in Payette, he was able to maintain it with most of the original architectural features intact. He would delight in welcoming any person who came by the house and asked about the house. He would give them a tour and describe the entire history of the house and the Jacobsen family who were some of the earliest settlers in the Payette area. Ron placed the house on the National Historical Register in 1998.

Ron moved to The Cottages in Weiser in Nov. of 2011 due to failing health.

He is survived by his sister, Wilma Lou Carlson of Downey, CA; brother, Don Marlow of Houston, TX; daughter, Connie Shaw of Kansas City, MO; son, Jeffrey Marlow (Vickie) of Oklahoma City, OK; granddaughter, Brenda Krout and two great grandchildren, Kylee and Braden of Liberty, MO; step-mother, Elna Marlow of Idaho Falls, ID; half-sister, Ruth Ann Gold (Kraig) of Idaho Falls, ID; three half-brothers, Forest Marlow and Dennis Marlow (Mary Jo) of Blackfoot and David Marlow (Nancy) of Idaho Falls, ID; two step-sons, Randy Pence of Albuquerque, NM and Rocky Pence (Jennie) of of Kearney, MO; and a step-daughter, Robin Rice of Independence, MO.

Ron was preceded in death by his mother and father; wife Charlee; sister Marjorie Kimbrell; and half-sister Gayleen Jensen.