Lee Edlefsen

Lee Edlefsen was born in Lyman, Idaho, on December 28, 1937. He died April 10, 2020, at his home of natural causes.

Lee lived a full life. He grew up on a farm in the Lyman area south of Rexburg, the youngest son of Edlef Clark and Mildred Bybee Edlefsen. It was a fine childhood spent riding horses, fishing, and hunting around the neighborhood when he wasn't taking care of his chores. He learned many skills from his parents that he used throughout his life, such as horsemanship, carpentry, cooking, and canning everything from pickles to chokecherry syrup.

He attended a three-room elementary school in Lyman and graduated in 1956 from Madison High School in Rexburg, serving as student body president and playing on the football team. He then went on to graduate from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He worked as a social studies and industrial arts teacher and had a long career as a social worker, retiring in 2003. He married Carolee Rudd in 1960; they later divorced. He married Joyce Driggs in 1987.

Lee had many talents and interests. His bread-making was famous in the family, as was his woodworking. He made toy boxes and other projects for family and friends and furniture for his home. He dabbled in painting, wood burning, and leather working. He was known for his tolerance of his wife's frequent advice.

He loved hunting, especially for elk, and especially with his son, Alan, who remembers his dad looking forward to an elk hunting adventure as the biggest event of the year. At camp, he loved nature and whatever lay around the next corner. He loved the anticipation that accompanied the breaking of the dawn, from the Selway to the high desert. A game of cards, a retold, retold, retold hunting story and a good laugh brought him pure joy. For years, his freezer was full of venison and elk meat. He always loved to fish, and he always found some time to take a kid fishing.

He enjoyed the cornucopia of television, and his daughter Erin remembers watching late night old time shows like "Ma and Pa Kettle" on the weekends together. He spent many summers working for Teton Trail Rides at Jenny Lake guiding tourists on horseback trips into the Tetons. He told lots of stories about his experiences there and made lifelong friendships with co-workers.

He was a prolific reader and devoured dozens of novels each winter. In the summer, he enjoyed golfing on a men's league. He loved traveling, and he and his wife visited the Oregon Coast and ventured afar to Paris, Nova Scotia, Canada, Alaska and the Great Smoky Mountains. He loved Yellowstone Park. He enjoyed gardening and grew beautiful roses and tasty tomatoes.

He's survived by his wife, Joyce; children, Alan (Sherry) Edlefsen of Victor, ID, Erin (Khris) Edlefsen of Puyallup, Washington; stepchildren, Sally (Aaron) Myler of Driggs, ID, and Suzanna (Pratap) Murali of Meridian, ID; 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, and a sister.

A celebration of the life of Lee Edlefsen is in the works.

Lee B. Edlefsen

By Alan Edlefsen, his son

I sat down and tried to figure out how to sum up Lee B. Edlefsen in a few paragraphs.

How is one supposed to quantify a person in so many words when who they are to us is a kaleidoscope of feelings and emotions. Moments shared, laughs till it hurt. How do I write those words?

Who was Lee B. Edlefsen. Throughout  his life I know he was many things…..

A Son, A Husband, a Father, and a Companion.

A Student, a Teacher, a Mentor and a Guide.

A Team Member, a Coach, a Driver and a Fan.

A Gardener, a Golfer, a Carpenter and a Baker.

An Excellent Partner in Crime.

He always loved to fish, and bless him, no matter what needed done, he also always found some time to take a kid fishing.

But the thing about dad that strikes me the most was how much he looked forward to an elk hunting adventure as the biggest event of the year. He would go for a couple of weeks every year. Once I turned 12 I was lucky enough to attend more of these adventures than not. Later in life the trips turned into weekends or days, but the adventure never waned. He loved nature and whatever lay around the next corner. He loved the anticipation that accompanied the breaking of the dawn, from the Selway to the High Desert. He was just as at home in a wall tent with a good fire, as he was anyplace. A game of cards, a retold, retold, retold hunting story and a good laugh brought him pure joy.

So, I would add Explorer, Adventurer and Naturalist to the list.

I wish I could describe him better. I wish I knew the words that would tell everyone who he was.

Who was Lee B. Edlefsen? Throughout his life that I knew him he was just always my best friend.