Heber LaMont Barnard

Life Sketch of Heber LaMont Barnard by Nichols H. Barnard, oldest son.

Heber LaMont Barnard was born July 6, 1927, in Blackfoot, Idaho to John Nichols Barnard and Elizabeth Emma Allen Barnard.  He was the seventh of eight children. Three of the children died young from heart ailments.  John and Elizabeth’s firstborn daughter and first son had both passed away before Heber was born into the family. Heber had poor health when he was young, and the doctors indicated that it was heart related.  He matured and thereafter experienced a mostly healthy childhood. 

He was taught to work and be responsible at a young age by his father and mother. Heber was 16 years old when his father passed away on December 7, 1943, at age 50.  This was an unexpected event as John was a strong man accustomed to hard work. 

Heber loved horses and worked with them all his life, until his health removed him from that pleasure.  He broke many a young bronc to lead, and ride for his use as well as others.  Whatever spare time he had was spent working with his four-legged friends.  This love for animals was passed on to his family.

Because of his father’s early passing, Heber worked for others to help support himself and his mother’s family.  As a young man, he finished his junior year in high school and joined the armed services toward the latter part of World War II.  His older brother Dee was serving in the US Army in the Pacific Theater of the war.  Like his brother, Heber also received an honorable discharge from military service.

After his release from the United States Navy, Heber returned home to court and marry Eunice Rosella Speas.  They had met earlier and had some enjoyable times together in Blackfoot.  They were married on November 12, 1949, in Ammon, Idaho.  Heber was 22 years of age and Eunice was 20.

Heber and Eunice started out in very humble circumstances.  Their honeymoon consisted of taking care of cattle in the hill country on the Blackfoot river.  They enjoyed riding horses together in the foothills of that area.  Their first winter was spent living in a sheep camp trailer.  Mother would tell us of how father would get the fire going in the stove in the morning.  As the trailer warmed, the condensation of their breathing which had frozen to the canvas roof overnight began to warm and produce a little rainstorm in their living quarters. 

From this union, four children were brought into the world. Heber’s mother had passed away in August of 1952 and so she was not able to enjoy her grandchildren from this marriage.  Nichols (Nick) arrived in March of 1953, named after his paternal grandfather, John Nichols Barnard.  Terrie Rae arrived in February 1955.  Cydney arrived in June of 1959, and Monte Shayne arrived in February 1962.

Heber worked as a farm implement mechanic most all his life.  He also was a skilled craftsman and self-taught in many trades.  As a mechanic/fabricator, he was able to do many jobs for himself as well as others.  He had the talent to build things and was able to repair most things.  In this line of work, he started as a line mechanic for Detwiler Construction building a main electrical power line in Montana.  When this was done, he went to work for Baur Equipment in Blackfoot for 25 years.  Baur was bought by Case Power and father worked for many more years.  He served as a line mechanic, shop foreman, and appraiser. He also took the opportunity to teach diesel mechanics at Idaho State University for two years.

In the early 1960’s Heber became involved with the wintertime sport of Cutter Racing.  The term originally was associated with a horse-drawn sleigh with a team of two horses.  Due to the January thaw, which was often experienced in the area, the sleigh was replaced with the two-wheeled chariot and the sport’s name was changed to Chariot Racing. Father gave up the sport when his horse named Slim was injured by a runaway team.

Our family worked together on a small ranch taking care of Hereford cattle.  The larger property was located on Mill Creek near Bone, Idaho, which served as summer pasture.  It was 1,200 acres consisting of deeded ground and leased ground.  All total, we had about an average of two hundred head of cattle to take care of. 

Because we worked together as a family, projects did not seem like a big problem.  We just worked on the tasks with father and mother making it a joyful event.  We understood that there was work to be done and helped each other.  Working with cattle and horses was enjoyable and sometimes there was the occasional adventure that interrupted that joy.  Animals by nature are unpredictable and can get a little wild at times.  Through it all, father and mother accepted good times and bad with an attitude of “get it done” and provided a great example of working through life’s challenges to their family.  Heber taught his family that no matter the trouble, you can move on with life and choose to be happy. 

Father and mother worked to purchase a twenty-acre place on Sellars Creek in 1986.  It was a small part of what had been a neighbor’s property to the Mill Creek place.  It was next to a 4-acre corner which they also later acquired in 1992.  The property became a place for family reunions and other weekend activities. It turned out to be a family place of enjoyment. 

Father and mother made the place available for family reunions and activities.  They enjoyed their family and provided time whenever they could for them.  It was on this property that we celebrated the Speas reunion, the Barnard reunion, and an occasional extended family meeting was held there.  Located on Sellars creek, it provided the children with a great place to enjoy the water during the hot summer days.

Heber is survived by his sister, Violet Rich; his children, Nichols (Alayne) of Blackfoot, Idaho; Terrie (Jerry) Kunz of Cedron, Idaho; Cydney Ringel of Firth, Idaho; Shayne (Wendy) of Plain City, Utah; eighteen grandchildren, fifty great grandchildren, and one great, great grandson.

Heber was proceeded in death by his parents, John Nichols Barnard and Elizabeth Emma Allen Barnard; siblings, Emma Lavon, Phyllis Lavera Campbell, John Allen, Jesse Dee, Marjorie, Tecela Kay Price.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am, Saturday, June 3, 2023, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Wapello Ward building at 330 North, 200 East, Blackfoot. The family will meet with friends from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, Friday, June 2, at Nalder Funeral Home, 110 West Oak, Shelley, Idaho and for one hour prior to the service at the church.  The burial will be in the Grove City Cemetery in Blackfoot with military rites. 

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