Grandpa Tibbitts

Last weekend was a very tender and emotional one. After hearing that my grandfather had only a couple of days to live, my sister and I drove up to Idaho to see him and be with family. By the time we got there on Sunday, grandpa was responding little to the loved ones surrounding him. He passed away that afternoon.

Though it was hard to see him so declined in those last moments, I am glad I was able to be there. I was touched by the love and strength of my grandmother, as well as the respect and concern shown among my mom and her siblings.

This is the first time I have experienced the loss of a family member. It's hard to come to terms with feelings so mixed with saddness, gratitude, and hope.

The following is from the Post Register of Idaho Falls, ID. The obituary was written by my mother:

1921 - 2008 Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Cleve Marler Tibbitts, 86, of St. Anthony, Idaho, passed away Sunday, February 24, 2008, at Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho, after a sudden and brief illness. He was surrounded by his family and wife of 63 years.

Cleve was born on September 16, 1921, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Vera Bodily Galbraith and Byron Moody Tibbitts. The Tibbitts family moved to St. Anthony, Idaho, in 1930. Cleve graduated from South Fremont High School in 1940. He attended Idaho State University, where he was a member of the Pep Band, before serving in the United States Military during World War II. He married his high school sweetheart, Betty Lou Davis, on April 10, 1945, in the Salt Lake Temple. He graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Zoology and returned to St. Anthony to work in the family ranching and farming business with his brother Byron Jr. and father, Byron Sr. B.M. Tibbitts and Sons was a prominent potato operation in the Egin Bench area. After the death of his father and brother, Cleve ran the business with his brother-in-law, Lew Brainard, and then his son, Evan Cleve Tibbitts. The potato brokerage and farming business operated successfully for more than sixty years.

Cleve was a hard-working man, a modest and unpretentious man, who lived a life of integrity. He was respected by those who knew him, and he quietly and humbly provided many acts of kindness and generosity to others. He was a chairman of the St. Anthony Hospital board. He was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From 1992 to 1993, Cleve and Betty served a mission in Adelaide, Australia. He served in the Stake Mission Presidency and Young Men's Presidency, as well as Bishop, High Councilor and as Patriarch for 26 years. He loved the gospel and studied diligently until his eyesight was affected by macular degeneration.

Cleve is survived by his wife, Betty. Their love and tenderness for each other was evident until the end of this earthly life, and there is no doubt that they will greet each other joyfully in the next. He is also survived by his children, Camille ((Lynn) Bushman of Holiday, Utah; Lou Ann (Wade) Larsen of Holiday, Utah; Marsha (Rob) Tadje of Sandy, Utah; Joan (Frank) Siddoway of Terreton, Idaho; Evan Cleve (Linda) Tibbitts of St. Anthony, Idaho; and Myra (Bob) Lurker of Pahrump, Nevada. He is survived as well by 23 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; his twin sister, Doris Blake; and youngest sister, Darlene Brainard. Cleve was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Evan Guy and Byron Jr.; and sister, Janice Sullivan.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 1, in the St. Anthony, Idaho, 2nd Ward Chapel. Friends and family may visit from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, at Bert Flamm Mortuary, 581 E. 1st N. in St. Anthony, and from 10 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the church. Interment will be in the St. Anthony Riverview Cemetery. The family suggests that donations be made to the Perpetual Education Fund or the Ward Missionary Fund at any LDS Ward.

The gradchildren were asked to write a tribute to Grandpa Tibbitts, one from each family, to be read at the funeral this Saturday. Following is what my sisters and I have written:

Many of our cousins were blessed to see Grandpa Tibbitts often—living close enough to enjoy Sunday dinners, etc. For the Bushman girls, a visit with Grandpa usually corresponded with special occasions and life's significant events. Baptisms, high school graduations, many Thanksgiving dinners and Memorial Day picnics stand out as times Grandpa was both supportive and welcoming. Sweet were the special trips he made for Patriarchal blessings, mission farewells, temple endowments, and weddings. While we recall few specific moments or words of wisdom from these times, we see Grandpa’s being there as acts of love consistent with what he valued in family and the gospel.

We are also grateful for the more casual memories we have of Grandpa--his simple breakfasts of cornflakes and berries with half-and-half, the way he called Grandma "mom" even when none of his "kids" were around, his contentment to sit back and quietly listen in the company of family.

In recent years, as he took the time to get to know our spouses and kids, he also gave us opportunities to get to know him better. On several excursions—out to the sand dunes, to the potato farm, and even on short trips up the river to the tubing spot—Grandpa would share stories about his life, his work, some of his early memories of Grandma. It was easy to see that Grandpa valued his work and his relationships, and he expected the same from everyone. While he was more than happy to let his great-grandkids enjoy a ride in the back of his truck (even when their mom said "no") and to take time to share a popsicle with a great-granddaughter, he also didn’t shy away from giving the husband of a granddaughter the “opportunity” to mow the yard—front and back, or giving the young great-grandkids the chore of picking up nails outside the office at the farm so he could mow the lawn. Our mom, recalling all too vividly her own “opportunities” in the potato fields, often told us growing up that we didn’t really know the meaning of hard work.

Of course, we have few memories of Grandpa that don’t include Grandma, right by his side. Their marriage seemed, to us, a sweet and tender companionship. As Bushman girls, we never had the chance to meet our father’s parents; Grandma and Grandpa Tibbitts are the only grandparents we have known. We love them. We are grateful for the exemplary life of our grandfather and the strength that lives on in his legacy.