Sam Spencer

Sam J. Spencer, 85, of Hansen, Idaho passed peacefully in his home surrounded by his loved ones on March 11th, 2018. Sam was born on May 4th in 1932 in Spencer Valley, New Mexico to his parents Rachel Begay and Sam Spencer. Sam is preceded in death by parents Sam, Rachel, and siblings; Tommy, Keso, Jim, Dorris, and Sally. Sam is survived by his siblings, Elizabeth, Woody, and Leonard; and his seven children, Sandra Muniz of Hansen, Sheron Spencer of Hansen, Casey Spencer (Lenora) of Hansen, Eddie (Dorothy) Spencer of Spencer Valley, N.M., Dolores Lisa Spencer of Hansen, Marlinda (Porfirio) Arroyo of Buhl, Sam (Roberta) Spencer Jr. of Manderson, S.D. ;12 grandchildren, Tina (Nico), Lisa (Brandon) , Albert Jr., Patrick, Mason, Lance (Harli), Colleen, Traci (Zach), Jennifer, Jodie, Cash, and Carla; and 8 great grandchildren, Brandi, Tuff, Cruz, Whitney (Ethan), Amaya, Lily, Karson Sanchez, Zayden and Samuel; and one great-great granddaughter Adyson, arriving in July.

Sam began life herding sheep for his family through the New Mexico desert but it was short-lived.  At 12 years of age he began working on the railroad for several years in the states of California, Texas and Chicago and finally, Wyoming where he worked in an ice house for an additional year and met his soon to be wife Dolores Walkingbull.

Sam kept himself busy by traveling to where ever the work was. Sam spent several seasons working in construction down in New Mexico operating everything from road graders, scrapers, bulldozers, and yoke dumps. When construction slowed down he would invest his time in the coal mines. Not only was Sam a great equipment operator, but he also found a love for riding horses when he migrated to Nebraska where he worked on feedlots and went on horse-back cattle drives as well as sorting cows.

It wasn’t until the 1970’s that Sam acquired a taste for Idaho when he came to work with his brother, Tommy, in Oakley where farmed and fabricated manure spreaders for 5 years with Richard Blinko. In 1978, Sam moved to Idaho Falls to begin working for the Walker family where he invested a couple more years on the farm.

In the late 1980s Sam traveled back to his roots in New Mexico where he continued working in road construction and the mines. There was just something about staying put that Sam didn’t care to experience in his early years. He cycled through these different types of work to not only keep himself busy but to keep his family well fed. Sam would go without if it meant to keep his children fed.

In 1989, Sam picked up where he left off in Idaho. He began his final term of employment for Brent Funk in Murtaugh, where he began working with potatoes. Sam proved his loyalty over 22 years where he did everything from planting to harvesting various types of crops such as potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, and corn. When Brent expanded by starting his dairy operation, Sam was there to help build corrals. Sam worked and watched as the dairy farm grew from hundreds of head to thousands, well off into retirement.

Sam spent his final years of retirement going camping and fishing with his beloved family.  He loved to sit on his rocking chair on his front porch where he could be seen watching and oftentimes teasing his grandchildren.  He lived to see his kids come together for special occasions such as birthdays or holidays and loved to hear the roar of laughter from his living room where he could be seen sitting in silence, smiling, knowing that everything was “okay”.

A viewing will be held for Sam on Thursday March 15, 2018 at the Kimberly Church of Latter-Day Saints from 11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. at 222 Birch St. S. Kimberly, Idaho with a Funeral Service following.