Jess Junior Nebeker

BURLEY – Jess Junior Nebeker went home to his Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at Highland Estates Assisted Living in Burley, Idaho, at the tender age of 96.

Jess (Koke), to whom his family lovingly called from the “Kokomo Kid,” was born July 25, 1928, in Deer Park, Washington, the oldest child of Jesses F. and Anna Marjorie Tucker Nebeker. The family moved to Shoshone, Idaho, to the Old Simms Ranch, where he was raised with his six siblings. When he was 18 years old, he took flying lessons, which fueled his lifelong love of all airplanes – especially yellow Piper Cubs.

He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California Santa Barbara Mission where he met and later married the love of his life, Viola “Vi” Farr.

Following his mission he served in the United States Army Signal Corps earning his Sharp Shooter award. After his service, he was pursuing getting his pilot license when he went to visit Viola in Ventura, California, which led him to propose to our mother. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Logan Utah Temple, thus ending his flying career.

Family became his love. Dad and Mom were blessed with six children, but in reality, we kids were the ones that were truly blessed to have them as our parents.

After Dad and Mom were married he worked as a farm hand for family in Idaho. They moved to Oxnard, California, where they lived for several years. He worked for the Union Ice Company for 15 years and later moved the family back to Idaho, where he became a dairy farmer. He later worked for J R Simplot Company, Amalgamated Sugar Company, and later drove a fuel truck for United Co-op until his retirement.

Dad is survived by his children, Cheryl (Bruce) Barzee, Denise Bennett, Alisa (Greg) Stout, Eric (Joni) Nebeker, Todd (Kristine) Nebeker, and Kelly (Todd) Williams; his youngest sister, Brenda (Terry) McCandless; 26 grandchildren; 63 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Viola “Vi”; brothers, Ronald Nebeker and Rex Nebeker; sisters, Cheryl Nebeker, Barbara Heinz, and Renae Stastny; sons-in-law, Robert Young and David Bennett; and grandchildren, Jamie Bennett and Bailey Loy.

Dad wanted it to be known that he had a sense of humor and liked to joke around with the staff at Highland Estates Assisted Living. He really enjoyed and loved the people during his residency there.

He had a testimony of his Savior Jesus Christ and loved to share his testimony. He was looking forward to attending the Burley Idaho Temple and going to its open house. He will now have the best seat in the house when the temple opens.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 23, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th Street, in Burley, where family and friends will be received from 9:30 until 10:45 a.m. Officiating will be Bishop Matthew L. Monroe. Military rites will be provided by the Mini-Cassia Veterans Group. Burial will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery in Burley.

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available and maintained at the following link: https://youtu.be/MOhanh9eGYI.