Joan Buckland

Inez Joan Buckland, 91, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of October 2, 2025 surrounded by loved ones.

Joan was the oldest of six children born to Joseph and Inez Tolley Youngstrom, on 29 June 1934 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She was raised on the family farm in Menan, Idaho. She attended schools in Menan and Rigby, graduating from Rigby High School in 1952.

Joan married Albert L. Jones on 11 July 1952 and raised their family of six children in the Rigby and Menan areas. They were later divorced. Joan then married Laurence R. Buckland on October 16, 1970, making their home in Sunnydell, Idaho. She lived there for fifty years until it was necessary to move to Sage Grove Assisted Living in Rigby, Idaho.

As a child, Joan enjoyed life on the farm helping with planting and harvesting potatoes. She and her cousin, Ellen, were so fast at cutting the potatoes that they had to be separated, with a slower partner in the middle because their dads could not keep up with shoveling potatoes into their section fast enough. She didn't like to be around the horses much, they were too big or any other animal for that matter. She was, instead, an avid reader and continued that love all her life, reading a stack of books before they were to be returned to the library.

Her other love was FUDGE!! She made delicious batches for, not only self-divulging, but for gifts every Christmas. Mom's favorite was making a small batch of fudge, popping popcorn and grabbing the latest book AFTER she had sent her brood to bed. Joan's other hobbies were crocheting afghans (which many of us have one of her creations), making Levi and baby quilts, gardening, playing her organ and attending family functions supporting children and grandchildren.

Joan started working for Idahoan Foods in 1966, working there until retirement in 2001....she was never so happy!

She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She served as secretary in the Primary and Relief Society presidencies, and as visiting teacher coordinator.

She is survived by her children: Cyndy McGraw of Menan, Val Jones of Meridian, Kerry (Melanie) Jones of Rigby, Teresa Nielsen of Blackfoot, and Tammy (Jeff) Finn of Rigby. Stepchildren: Nancy (Doug) Hopwood of Twin Falls and Pam Reese of Boise. Twenty-seven original grandchildren, nineteen bonus grandchildren, plus countless great and great-great grandchildren with more on the way. Brother Ron (Sharon) Youngstrom of Santa Maria, CA; sisters Connie Windmiller of Ammon, Linda Olson of Meridian, and Marva Hicks of Ammon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Albert Jones and Laurence Buckland; grandsons, Richard Jones and Christopher Luce-Harris; son, Kevin Jones; sister, Ranae Jones, brothers-in-law Walter Jones, Monte Windmiller, Jim Olson, and Fred Hicks. Son-in-law, Jake McGraw; daughter-in-law, Susanne Jones. Stepsons; Larry Buckland and Danny Buckland and his infant daughter, Jillian.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Thursday October 9, 2025, at the Menan 2nd Ward Building (3547 East Menan Lorenzo Hwy, Menan, ID 83434) Please join us in celebrating Joans life at a visitation on Wednesday evening, October 8, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Eckersell Funeral Home (101 West Main Street Rigby, Idaho 83442) and from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. preceding the funeral services at the Church. Interment will be in the Annis Little Butte Cemetery.