Eldon Roy Down

Eldon Roy Down, age 82, of Eagle, Idaho and formerly of Wallowa, Union and Baker Counties, passed on December 5, 2004 of natural caused in a Boise Care Facility. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, December 9, 2004 at 2:00 p.m. at the Summerville Cemetery Chapel with Father Hank Albrecht of Our Lady of the Catholic Church officiating. Interment will be at the Summerville Cemetery. Viewing will be held on Wednesday from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. at Daniels Chapel of the Valley.

Mr. Down was born to Ethel (Stanford) and Roy "Ted" Down on April 20, 1922 in Milton, Oregon. He married Shirley Keener on November 25, 1945. He served in the United States Army during World War II where he was stationed in Italy. After the war Eldon and Shirley made their home in Wallowa County. He was a logger for a few years with his brother, Melvin, and later ran the Joseph Airport and in 1952 he moved his family to La Grande where he operated Blue Mtn. Air Service.

During this time he did the crop dusting in Union County, flew passengers anywhere they wanted to go. He was instrumental in developing the belly dump for the B-25, which was used for fighting fires and is still being used today. He taught many people how to fly, including the first woman in Union County. Eldon logged over 1 million accident free miles during his flying career.

In 1961 he gave up the airport operations and went to work flying for the U.S. Forest Service. This took him and his family to Montana and Idaho where in 1982 he retired to the mountains of Idaho. After losing his wife, Shirley, in 1991 he moved to Eagle, Idaho. He was an outdoorsman and in his younger years enjoyed hunting but his real love was flying.

Survivors include his daughters, Sharon Middleton of Union, Oregon, Kaye Jenkins of Eagle, Idaho and Barbara Woods of Boise, Idaho; grandsons, Michael Middleton of Union and Jim Middleton of La Grande; a great grandson and a great granddaughter and other relatives and friends.

We love you Dad. Fly with the eagles.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Eldon's name to the Boise Samaritan Village, 3115 Sycamore Drive, Boise, Idaho 83703.