Bob Craft
| Residing In: | Eagle, ID USA |
|---|
| Spouse/Partner: |  The love of my life, Sue |
|---|
| Homepage: |
View Website View Website http://westescalante.com/hg1.htm |
|---|
| Occupation: | Unemployed, between jobs, and not looking for work |
|---|
| Military Service: | US Army  |
|---|
LIFE
After graduating from OHS, I went to Oregon Tech 
in Klamath Falls, Oregon. In 1963, I got married and by 1965, we had 2 children, Angie and Steve. However, by this time she had decided she didn't want to be married to me (she had someone else she wanted to marry) so she divorced me in December 1965. In February 1966, she remarried and I was drafted into the US Army. I spent almost 2 years in the Army and was discharged in December 1967. In 1968, I got married again. 
She had 2 children, Doug and Cara, whom I adopted and we had a set of twins, David and Allana. Allana passed away at the age of 1 day. In 1978, the marriage wasn't working and we divorced. In 1980, I married the love of my life and my best friend, Sue. 
We celebrated 34 years of marriage in February 2014. Sue and I have 3 children. Andy is 33 and graduated from the University of Idaho in May 2003 with a degree in Computer Science and is currently working as a programer for Boise Company in Boise, Idaho. He married Amber Upchurch 
on August 16, 2008. Andy and Amber had their first child (our first grand-daughter), Lillian Maureen Craft, on September 3, 2011. Andy and Amber had their second daughter, Charlotte Susan Craft on October 19, 2014. Matt 
is 31 and graduated in May 2008 from the University of Idaho with a degree in Virtual Technology and Design and minors in computer science and architecture. Matt is currently working as a multimedia developer for HDR Engineering in Boise, Idaho. Lindsay is 30 and graduated from the University of Idaho in December 2006 with a degree in Accounting and a degree in Finance. She married Joe Santoro
on July 15, 2006 and is a Manager, Finance with ConAgra/Lamb Weston in Eagle, Idaho. Lindsay and Joe had their first child (our first grand-son) on June 6, 2011. Brody Joseph Santoro was a big boy weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces. Lindsay and Joe had their second son, Liam Joseph Santoro, on August 23, 2013. I retired from Qwest Communications (formerly US West) in September, 2000 after 36 1/2 years. Sue left Qwest in July, 2001 and officially retired in July, 2003 with 31 1/2 years. I went back to work part time with the Idaho Transportation Department in August, 2002. I retired from the Idaho Transportation Department on August 24, 2007. No more working for me.
In 1974, I started flying hang gliders. I was a part owner of The Hang Glider Shop in Boise for several years. We sold a few gliders and gave a lot of lessons. 
I posted some hang gliding pictures at http://westescalante.com/hg1.htm. I flew hang gliders until 1982 when we were transferred to Utah for 3 years and I found that I just didn't have the time for flying plus working and family. In my flying career, I was lucky enough to have survived several unscheduled landings (crashes usually the result of an aborted takeoff) and only spent one night in a hospital.
MILITARY
I was drafted into the .jpg)
in February 1966. I went through basic at Ft Ord, California. After basic, I was sent to Ft Lewis, Washington. In November 1966, I was on temporary duty for 60 days at Edgewood Army Arsenal, Maryland. While I was there, I was a medical volunteer (human guinea pig). My first job there was to dress in cold weather gear and ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes in a freezer at 20 below zero while wearing a gas mask. They were testing different compounds to reduce condensation on the lenses of the gas mask. I did this daily for several weeks. Later I was hospitalized and injected with a drug that made my blood stop clotting. I was in the hospital for several days until the drug's effect wore off. I always thought it was an exotic drug but in 2008, I found out it was only heparin. In 1967, I volunteered for an all expenses paid vacation trip in beautiful Southeast Asia. I arrived in Vietnam in April 1967 at Cam Rahn Bay and was sent to Di An 
and assigned to the 595th Signal Company which supported the 1st Infantry Division. Since my unit supported the 1st Division 
, we also had the honor of participating with them on night ambush patrols. I was the one who carried the M60 machine gun. There is nothing like going out into the jungle at night and laying down and realizing that you are lying on an ant hill. We did have some fun, though. We did a little water skiing on the Saigon river.
This was a lot of fun if you didn't mind someone taking a shot at you once in a while. We also consumed a fair amount of alcohol. I have posted pictures of my time in Vietnam at http://1967vacation.westescalante.com. (If you visit my site, please sign the guest book so I will know you were there.) I returned to the US and was discharged from the Army in December 1967.
OTHER
Somebody suggested that I include this picture on my profile.
Keep this in mind: with photos as in life, all things are not necessarily true.
In May 2013, I started a new job. I drive a parking lot shuttle van at the Boise VA Hospital on Monday mornings from 8Am to 12Noon.
Brody Joseph Santoro - Born 6-6-11
Lillian Maureen Craft - Born 9-3-11
Liam Joseph Santoro - Born 8-23-13
Charlotte Susan Craft - Born 10-19-14
Two of the parties named in this story are deceased and therefore unable to dispute this story but I think they would remember it and have a laugh. I am not naming the third party because I don't want to incriminate him but if he reads this, he will remember.
In the Fall of '61, on a Friday night, Bill Bezates 
(OHS class of '63), another guy 
and I 
decided we needed to have some beer. We talked to Skip McCoshum 
who we knew had the means to procure some beer for us. We ended up with a couple of six packs. Bill, Unnamed Guy, and I headed to Weiser for some unknown reason. We were drinking our beer and Bill was driving his parent's green '59 Chevy. Bill came to a stop sign and saw a cop car. Bill panicked and ran the stop sign. With the fear of his parent's wrath and time in jail, Bill hit the gas. The cops turned on the red light on the top of their car and the chase was on.
Bill headed for the Oregon border with the cop car in pursuit. We were rapidly pulling away from the cop car but we knew he must have a radio and was radioing ahead to the Oregon State Police and the Ontario Police. As we went up the hill on the Oregon side of the border out of Weiser, we pitched the remaining beer out the window. We hit the highway towards Ontario and were going at least 100 - 110 mph. Time has faded that memory.
The highway to Ontario on the Oregon Slope has several 90 degree turns in it. When we hit the first one, Bill decided that, rather than taking it as fast as we were going, he would continue straight on a gravel road. In the distance behind us, we could see the red light on the top of the cop car flashing. We weren't sure where we were going but Bill knew the area. He decided to take a left turn at the next intersection. We were going so fast when he hit the turn that he slid the car off the road into the borrow pit. Since we were going so fast, he just kept kept the gas pedal down and we fishtailed back on to the road. When we got to the next intersection, Bill decided to turn right. Again, since we were going so fast, Bill slid the car off the side of the road when he made the turn and fishtailed it back on to the road. The cop car was far behind at this point (at least a mile or more).
Bill took several other turns onto gravel roads and we ended up parking and hiding somewhere in a field near the Bezates Ranch on Oregon Slope. We knew the cops had never been close enough to get the license number so all they had was a description of the car. We hid out for several hours and then took the back routes into Ontario. We were scared that we would somehow get caught but we never did.
I don't think we ever went back to Weiser in Bill's car again. We did go back several days later to where we had pitched the beer out but we were unable to find any of it.
Bob's Latest Interactions
R.I.P., Jim!
William Henry Stults was born on April 27, 1944 to Donald & Mary Anne (Schnider) Stults in Caldwell, ID. Bill & his brother Jim grew up on ranches in Jordan Valley, Bend & Prineville, OR, and Marsing, ID. Bill attended high school in Ontario, OR, while his father worked as an Oregon State Brand Inspector. Bill started saving money from early jobs like mowing lawns, delivering newspapers, gas station pump attendant, serving Catholic funerals as an altar boy, maintenance at Holy Rosary Hospital and working on Ontario’s garbage trucks with Stan Cousineau. Bill graduated from Ontario High School in 1962 and enjoyed many years of his OHS & Gerrie’s PHS reunions. After high school Bill & Dick McNutt drove their ’29 Model A Ford west to the Oregon Coast, north to Canada, east to Arizona and south to Mexico, camping out along the way.
Bill was among the first students to attend night classes in 1962 at Treasure Valley Community College where he met Gerrie Ahrens. He began working for First National Bank of Oregon about 1963. Bill & Gerrie married in 1964 and had daughters Lucy & Karen in Ontario. Bill’s banking career lasted thirty years in Ontario, Nyssa, Condon, Madras and Prairie City, OR. Bill was a member of Lions Club and served on HOA boards at Cuprum & Payette. Bill took early retirement at age 50 and moved to their cabin in Cuprum, ID as his major residence for about 30 years. When Gerrie got lung cancer (still in remission), Bill sold the cabin and moved to their Payette, ID townhouse.
Bill’s hobbies were hunting, riding horses, Pinochle, watching the stock market, watching retro TV, football and NASCAR races. Bill loved his family and especially enjoyed time spent with his 3 grandchildren, Derrick, Hannah & Rachel. Bill enjoyed entertaining family and friends at Cuprum. He was honest, kind, hard working, frugal and organized. Bill suffered a massive heart attack on Highway 95 near Payette. He was revived and flown to Boise St Luke’s Cardiac ICU where he lay for 5 days, until we honored his Living Will wishes and allowed him to pass quickly and peacefully, with dignity at age 81. Payette’s good Samaritans and first responders were WONDERFUL!
He is survived by his wife Gerrie after 61 years of marriage; daughter Lucy & David Lyle; grandchildren: Derrick, Bekah & Noah Lyle; Hannah & fiancée Ryan Bigelow; Rachel, Chris, Greyson & Denver Gonda; daughter Karen Stults & grand dog Reuben. Brothers Jim & Joanne Stults; Joe & Nelda Stults; Chuck & Kellie Stults; nieces & nephews: Mike Stults, Robert Stults, Patty Frasier; Donnie Stults, Annie Whinery; Dan Stults along with their families; his Stults & Schnider cousins and friends.
Visitation will be 1 pm and funeral will be 2 pm Saturday, September 6 at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel 112 N 9th St, Payette, Idaho, with burial following at Riverside Cemetery in Payette. Donations may be made to St Jude Childrens Hospital.
Welcome home and have another Happy Birthday Day !!
Happy birthday and thanks to your brother for all his work on the OHS stuff ....
I remember Eddie as being a very quiet person. Like every one else, I always wondered what had happened to him. Over the years, I have searched for him so I could add the information to his profile. I found an Eddie Dorris who had passed away in Arizona but wasn't sure it was the same Eddie until recently. A few days ago, I found him on a genealogy site that confirmed it was Eddie who had passed away in Arizona. There was a link to a woman who claimed to be his sister. I contacted her and she gave me some additional info. Then I found the newspaper artcle about his marriage and the picture of his headstone. Rest in peace, Eddie.
Not much I can add to all the comments about Bill. I do remember spending several days in Bill's room at the Mallard brewing and bottling a batch of home brew. After bottling it in some old Oly bottles, I stored a case of it under the coal in my parent's basement coal room. (What kid today even knows what a coal room was?). That home brew was some of the worst tasting stuff there was but we tried.
I was happy for Bill and Colleen when they reconnected after the class of 62's 40th reunion. Enjoyed spending a weekend in Galveston, Texas in the Fall of 2002 with Colleen, Bill, and several other classmates.
Rest In peace, Bill. See you again on the other side.
Man, you're old!!!
Posted on: Jul 19, 2020 at 2:33 AM
Posted on: Aug 26, 2017 at 11:57 AM
Bob,not going to make the reunion this year. Please let appropriate people know...
Posted on: Jul 19, 2017 at 2:33 AM
Diane was a neighbor of mine growing up in Ontario so I had known her most of our school years. The thing that I remember most about Diane was when we graduated from OHS. I don't know if it was a tradition or what but for some reason girls asked boys to walk down the aisle with them at the graduation ceremony. To my surprise, Diane asked me to walk with her. I was thinking, 'Wow, Diane Sargent asked me!". Any way, the night of graduation, I was almost late to the ceremony because I some kind of car trouble. Diane told me she was so worried that I was not going to show up. After that night, I saw Diane a few times, mostly at class reunions.
Rest in Peace, Diane! We will all be thinking of you at our 55th class reunion in September.
Bob's Photo Gallery
Bob's Video Gallery