Verna W. Dean

HEYBURN – Verna W. Dean, age 96, of Heyburn, passed away on Monday, June 23, 2014, at the Countryside Care and Rehabilitation in Rupert, Idaho

Verna was the daughter of Claude P. and Gladys M. Lasly Woodle. She was born on Jan. 14, 1918, at Troutdale, Ore. Verna married Roger E. Dean on May 19, 1937, in Portland, Ore., where both were students at the Baptist Theological College. Later that year they moved to Wilder, Idaho, where Roger farmed with his father and brother as G.L. Dean & Sons.

In March of 1951, the family moved to Rupert where G.L. Dean & Sons purchased one of the first deep-well irrigated farms north of Rupert. Every spring found Verna cultivating beets with one of her children on her lap and no cultivator blight in the beet fields.

Verna, along with her husband, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, learned to fly an airplane. It wasn’t uncommon to see her in the cockpit flying somewhere for business or pleasure. She also worked as a bookkeeper for Lloyd’s Floral in Rupert for several years.

Roger and Verna retired in 1975 and moved to Kula, Maui, Hawaii. Not content to be idle, they planted proteas on their small acreage where Verna developed a protea flower business, shipping proteas to the mainland USA and other countries. They lived in Kula for 13 years before returning to Heyburn, Idaho.

Verna served as secretary of the board of the Rupert First Christian Church and was on the committee that developed the plans for the Rupert First Christian Church building which was built in 1963. After their return from Hawaii, Verna and Roger became charter members of the Mini-Cassia Community Christian Church (M4C) in Heyburn. Their strong Christian faith supported them during both the good and bad times they encountered during their life.

Verna is survived by her daughters, Elise Heins of Rupert, and Ginger Macklin (Bill) of Tillamook, Ore.; and her son, Jerry Dean (Wanda) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger; her parents; and two sisters.

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley.