Neil Kay Birch

Neil Kay Birch, 55, of Shelley passed away July 28, 2009 from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.

Neil was born to Kay Clark and Edna Bauer Birch on December 14, 1953.  He was raised on the family farm in the Osgood area where he learned to work.  He graduated from Skyline High School and attended Ricks College and Utah State University.  He served an LDS mission in Wisconsin.

When he returned from the mission field, he married his sweetheart, Sandra McCracken in the Idaho Falls LDS temple.  Together they lovingly raised four children.  Their greatest source of joy and greatest accomplishment are these children.

He earned a living working with and selling wood.  At the time of his death, he was employed by Cannon Structures.  He left his mark everywhere he went by sharing his wood working and furniture building talents.

Neil loved people: friends, neighbors, customers, kids, and strangers.  Neil enjoyed fishing, hiking, horses, biking, but enjoyed taking friends and family fishing, hiking, horseback riding and floating rivers even more.  He raised a large garden and loved to share his produce.  He was an expert water-fighter and was proficient in teasing and tickling.

He will be greatly missed by many including his wife, Sandi; his children, Spencer (Michelle) of Bakersfield, California; Lisal (Trevor) Drollinger of Shelley; Taylor (Ericka) of Rigby; and Jacob (Sara) of Dubois; his mother, Edna Bauer Birch of Shelley; and his siblings, Lynette Birch, Joe (Cathy) Birch, and Jeanette (Robert) Johnson; his eleven grandchildren, Paytin, Dakota, MaKay, Austin, Madison, Karsten, Jocelynn, Kaidence, Dillon, Ruby, and Emersyn.  He was preceded in death by his father, Kay Clark Birch, and his brother, Myron Birch.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 1, 2009 at the Shelley First Ward Chapel (183 North Park Ave.). The family will receive friends Friday evening from 7:00 till 8:30 P.M. at Nalder Funeral Home (110 West Oak) in Shelley and Saturday morning 9:30 till 10:40 at the church.  Burial will be in the Shelley Hillcrest Cemetery.