Walter Edwin Mai

RUPERT – Walter Edwin Mai, an 89-year-old resident of Rupert, passed peacefully at home in the company of loved ones on Thursday evening, August 9, 2018.

He was born on February 17, 1929, to Pete and Katherine (Keller) Mai in the Rock Creek area south of Hansen, Idaho. He lived there until the family purchased the farm in Rupert in 1935. Walter, from a young age, helped the family build and establish a working farm, where he resided until his death.

Walter attended Pioneer School until the eighth grade when he quit school to work the farm and help support his family. He was drafted at the end of World War II serving from 1944-1951. He was stationed in Germany for two years in the anti-aircraft division.

When Walter returned home, he settled into life on the farm raising crops, cattle, and his numerous widely-recognized, working-stock border collie puppies. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and auction sales. He was always looking for a good deal and would travel around the state to find one. Walter was involved with amateur radio and enjoyed talking to people all over the world and helping with emergency communications.

Although, for his own reasons, Walter never married or had children. He was a family man and loved his brother, sisters, nieces and nephew. He was a caring and compassionate man, even raising the neighbor boy as his own. Walter would include Gary Fisk on his family gatherings and his auction sale trips; he also let him stay at the farm. They formed a friendship that would span more than 40 years and include Gary’s wife, Michelle, and their boys, Joe and Curtis.

Walter was noted by friends and family as a wonderful handy man and mechanic. He believed if it could be built, it could be taken apart and repaired. He rarely failed in an endeavor. If he knew a skill, he would gladly share his knowledge and his tools to help someone. Walter had a strong work ethic and encouraged it in others; proud and supportive when you showed you were trying.

Walter is survived by his brother, Norman (Ella) Mai; brothers-in-law, Harold (Ruth) Beddor and Paul (Lola) Crawford; five nieces; one nephew; and, his adopted neighbor family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Pete and Katherine Mai; sisters, Ruth (Harold) Beddor and Lola (Paul) Crawford; and a sister-in-law, Ella (Norman) Mai.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, August 13, at the Paul Cemetery.

We would like to thank Dr. Margo Saunders and her staff; nurse, Suzanne; the staff at Minidoka Home Health; and Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home of Burley, for their care and support of Walter and his loved ones.