Gene H. Burch

Gene H. Burch passed away at his home in Idaho Falls on February 17, 2016, at the age of 88. He was born in Wallsburg, Utah on October 24, 1927 to Arthur Hilton and Lillie Deon Taylor Burch. He served as a medic in the US Army during WWII and graduated from Utah State University in 1950. He married Nina Gayle Nielsen in the Logan, Utah LDS Temple in 1951. They are the parents of seven children. He moved his family to Nampa, Idaho in 1953, and farmed there until 1966. In 1960 he received an “Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year” award from the Ada and Canyon Counties Junior Chamber of Commerce. It was in 1966 that he started to work for the Farmers Home Administration. Because of that work, the family moved within Idaho several times, eventually settling in Idaho Falls in 1970. Gene retired from that FmHA in the early 1990’s. Gene is preceded in death by his wife, Nina, daughter, Gayle (Bill) Svancara and two grandchildren, Rye Burch and Kayloni Burch. He is also preceded in death by his parents, four sisters, and a brother. He is survived by a sister, JoAnn Batty, brother, Steven A. Burch, and his children Reed, Paul (Pam), Kaye (Blaine) VanDenBerghe, Nielsen (Angela), Gina (Jay) Sneddon, and Joy (Kent) Stucki, 28 grandchildren and 44 great-grandchildren. He loved his family dearly and missed his wife very much. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many callings, including bishop of the Ucon 1st Ward from 1978-1983. He served as a temple worker and sealer in the Idaho Falls Temple for over 25 years, and he and his wife served a mission to the Toronto, Ontario Temple from 1996 to 1998. His interests included farming, especially raising sheep, cattle and horses. In later years he was an avid reader of biographies, history, and Church doctrine. A viewing will be held Friday, February 26 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at Eckersell Memorial Chapel, 101 W. Main Street Rigby. Graveside services will be held Saturday, February 27 at 11:00 am the Hyrum City Cemetery, 550 East Main Street, Hyrum, Utah. He will be buried next to his wife. Services are under the direction of Eckersell Memorial Chapel, condolences may be sent to the family online at www.eckersellfuneralhome.com