Leland Jay Harper

Leland Jay Harper, of Shelley Idaho, died May 22nd 2007 at his home of natural causes.

He was born on January 7th 1926 to John Mayo and Mary Ella Harper in the Basin area of Oakley Idaho, the fourth of nine children. He grew up working on the family farm while attending schools in the Oakley area, graduating from Oakley High in 1943.

After graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving during the last years of World War II, returning to marry his first wife, Rua Alice Swafford, on April 10th 1947. They made their home in Shelley, Idaho where he worked for the RT French Company. They were later divorced but from this union two beautiful girls were born, Stephanie Gail and Deborah Kaye.  

On December 12th 1966 he married his second wife, Darlene Ruth Kelsey and from this union two more beautiful girls were born, Jaylene Catherine and Dana Marie. They continued living in the Shelley area where both of them worked and retired from the RT French/ Pillsbury Company.  

After 43 years of loyal service, in 1990, he finally retired from the Shelley plant ending his final years of service in the Pillsbury R&D department. During his retirement years he enjoyed several exciting hunting, fishing, and site seeing trips with his friends and family. Jay loved to travel and he loved his grandchildren more than anything. He always said that grandchildren were the best gift God could ever give.

Survivors include his wife of 41years Darlene Harper, his children Stephanie (Vince) Vincijanovic of Mesa, Arizona, Debbie Eaton of Clearfield, Utah, Jaylene (Troy) Barth of Idaho Falls, and Dana (Cory) Gneiting of Idaho Falls, his grandchildren Scott, Cheri, Keri, Lisa, Landry, Amanda, Paige, and Landon, and his great grandchildren Derek, Blake, Alice Rose, Justine, Bailey, and two on the way. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and one sister.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 A.M. Friday May 25th at Nalder Funeral Home (110 West Oak) in Shelley.  The family will receive friends Thursday evening from 7:00 till 8:30 P.M. and Friday morning 9:30 till 10:45 at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Shelley Hillcrest Cemetery with military rites by the American Legion Stewart Hoover Post 23.