Donald Wayne Reneau

Donald Wayne Reneau, 80, of Rigby, died Friday, July 10, 2009, in Roseburg, Oregon, of natural causes. Wayne was born in Hugginsville, Idaho to Thomas N. Reneau and Elva Juanita Davis Reneau. He grew up, attended school in Ashton and graduated from Ashton High School. He also spent 2 years at Alan Hancock Junior College in California studying electronics and business management. He joined the 116th Engineer Bn of the Rigby National Guard in 1955 and was honorably discharged in 1957. On November 2, 1948 he married Lyle Mikesell, the love of his life and in 1959 their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple. In his 31 one year career at the INEL, Wayne had the kind of job that took him all over the site. He began work at the INEL for the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion facility, where he helped build and successfully test the world's only atomic aircraft engines. When that project was canceled, he moved his family to Santa Maria, CA where he worked for Convair Astronautics, while there he was on the launch crew for the manned flights of the Atlas missile and Spy in the Sky satellites. When he left CA. he moved back to Rigby, where he bought a farm and raised his family. He returned to work at the INEL and finished his career at the Chem Plant. He counted as a career highlight consulting with General Mills on the design for a special manipulator and designed the unique tool power plug still in use. Wayne also farmed and cut corral posts and poles in Island Park to support his family. In his spare time and on vacations he and several of his friends operated an open pit gold mine in Phillipsburg, MT. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held numerous church callings, from Elders Quorum President to serving in the Stake Presidency in CA. He was on the 'Quick Response' team at the INEL and also a "desert rat" with responsibility for taking care of remote monitoring equipment in a 70-mile circle around the facility. He loved all kinds of animals and enjoyed farming, where he instilled in his children responsibility and a good work ethic. Wayne enjoyed spending time with his family, fishing and hunting, and was always ready to take a trip to somewhere that he'd never been before. He is survived by, an older sister, Bonnie Hill of Idaho Falls, ID - his six children, Blake (Jolene) Reneau of Ogden, UT, Don (Debbie) Reneau of Roseburg, OR, LuAnne (Valery) Glava of Henderson, NV, Linda (Clint) Tinker of Lewisville, ID, David (Valerie) Reneau of Myrtle Creek, OR, and Yalon (Mark) Yandle of Pocatello, ID, 43 grandchildren and 60 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Elva Reneau, his wife, Lyle Mikesell Reneau, his younger sister, Janice Reneau, and two grandaughters. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 18, 2009, at the Rigby 1st and 4th ward LDS chapel 401 W. 1st South, Rigby. The family will visit with friends from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, July 17, 2009 at Eckersell Memorial Chapel, 101 W. Main St. Rigby, and from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., prior to services at the church.