. Wanda May Bailey Stimpson, long-time resident of Heyburn, died peacefully in Nampa, ID on March 25, 2023. She was born almost 93 years ago in the family home near Rupert, ID, the 4th daughter of Parley Bailey and Mary Roderick Bailey. She was the youngest of nine children and delighted in being doted on by her older siblings and her parents. Wanda remembered her childhood fondly, although like farm kids everywhere, she had various jobs to do on the family farm. Wanda was an excellent student and enjoyed school. During high school she was the editor of the yearbook and the school paper, played saxophone in the pep band, was the drum majorette of the marching band, and participated in speech festivals and school plays. She was the Valedictorian of her graduating class, and she represented Minidoka County at the first annual Idaho Girls State event in Lewiston, ID. At the end of World War II, she started dating Louis Stimpson when he returned from overseas service with the Army. After a two-and-a-half-year courtship, they were married in 1949 in the Logan Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They built a home in Heyburn on the farm they purchased from Louis' parents, and moved into it in September of 1950. It was on an unpaved road and had electricity but no phone. It got better from there as they made improvements, and they never moved again. Soon they were also busy raising a son, with three more to come before they were done. In addition to the family farm, Louis operated a heavy equipment contracting business, Stimpson Construction Company, and Wanda was his bookkeeper. She also worked as the bookkeeper for a local car dealership and a tractor company. In 1970, Wanda became the Audio Visual director at Minico High School. Two years later, she returned to school, determined to earn a degree while still working at Minico. It took a tremendous amount of effort and willpower to reach her goals. She graduated with a BA from Idaho State University in 1975, and earned a Masters of Instructional Technology degree from Utah State University in 1985. She worked as a school librarian first at West Minico Junior High and, from 1980 until her retirement, at Minico High School. She liked her job so much she said she would have worked for free. After retirement, Louis and Wanda traveled the world, enjoying many cruises to exotic locations. They served faithfully in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout their lives, including a mission in San Antonio, Texas and as ordinance workers in the Boise Idaho Temple. She gave up housekeeping a year after Louis' death, and moved into an extended care facility in Nampa to be closer to her sons. Family was most important to her. She chronicled family life in numerous journals and was an avid genealogist tracing the Stimpson/Bailey ancestry back hundreds of years. It was a lucky recipient who was given one of her beautiful knitted afghans. Her baking was legendary - everyone delighted in her fruit and cream pies and the generous slices she cut. She was a great mother, wife, friend, sister, and daughter during her life, and we will miss her tremendously. Wanda was preceded in death by her husband Louis, and survived by their four sons: Ted, Bruce, Thom, and Scott; nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. A viewing for family and friends will be held from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm on Friday, April 7, at the Heyburn Ward building located at 500 W 300 S in Heyburn. A graveside service will follow at the Riverside Cemetery in Heyburn at 1 pm. The family expresses sincere appreciation to the staffs of Streamside Assisted Living and Doctor's Hospice for their tender care of our mother.
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