Franklin Verner Briscoe

Franklin Verner Briscoe Jr., 95, passed away peacefully at his home in Chubbuck, ID on April 12, 2010.

He was born in Preston Id. the 1st of 10 children to Franklin Verner Briscoe Sr. and Eldora Jane Hansen on January 5, 1915. His family moved from Lava Hot Springs to the Tyhee Flats in 1923 where he and his family were among the first to homestead in what is now the City of Chubbuck. He remembered when Yellowstone Highway was just a dirt road used by horse drawn wagons.

As a younger man, Franklin and his brothers would swim and play around in the canals surrounding Chubbuck/Tyhee. Franklin remembered the barrels of trout left in the ditches after the water had been shut off in the fall. He told of a time when the Briscoe brothers water-skied down the Hawthorne canal pulled by a team of horses.

Franklin graduated from Pocatello High School in 1933 and from the University of Utah in 1949 with a degree in Agronomy. He also attended what is now Idaho State University and the University of Idaho. He was 3 credit hours shy of a degree in Logging Engineering at Idaho and received certificates of education from Idaho State University. Franklin taught chemistry, math and physics at junior and senior high schools in Pocatello and Blackfoot for many years. Franklin also worked as a welder and a car man for the Union Pacific Railroad. He joined the United States Army in January of 1944.

Franklin has farmed his whole life and in 1946 Franklin and his father purchased the land just north of Chubbuck road. They farmed with a Ford-Fergueson tractor that Franklin acquired by trading a dairy cow for the down-payment. He was incredibly inventive and became one of the first farmers to develop and operate a potato combine before the machines were commercially available. Franklin also was one of the first farmers in Southeastern Idaho to use the newer sprinkler irrigation systems, an unusual trend at that time. Franklin was known to always have good quality produce including sugar beets, potatoes, wheat and hay.

On January 23, 1947, Franklin married Margaret Jean Murdock in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. Together, they raised three children, Vern, Ruth and Jean. Later, they served a mission together for the LDS Church in Russellville, Alabama. Margaret passed away on March 14, 1993. He then Married Mary Melissa Peters in the Idaho Falls Temple on May 3, 1996. She passed away on June 2, 2007.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Franklin will be remembered for a lifetime of diligent service. Franklin served in many different callings; however, his favorite positions were those that involved the Boy Scout Program. He served as Scoutmaster for over 30 years and was the District Chairman for the Eagle Scout Board of Review for 14 years. During his time of service, Franklin helped thousands of young men achieve their Eagle Scout Award including his son and all of his grandsons. He earned The Silver Beaver Award, the District Award of Merit, and he was inducted into the Scouters Hall of Fame. At the 2010 Tendoy District Awards Banquet, he was honored with the Chief Tendoy Award and his 75 year Scout Service Pin. Franklin also received the President Spencer W. Kimball Lamanite Memorial Award for service toward the Native American people of Arizona.

Franklin is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Margaret, his brothers George (Thelma), Gavin, Keith (Ruth), Paul, Perry (Vera), his sister Belva Merzlock-Adolphson-Tubbs (Jack Merzlock, Paul Adolphson, Marvin Tubbs), and Mary Melissa Peters Briscoe.

He is survived by: his children; A. Vern Briscoe (Sandra), and daughters Ruth Briscoe, and Jean Briscoe, his grandchildren; Angela Wilks (Jared), Robert (Lori), Benjamin (Allie), Cory (Leslie), Douglas (Candace), Adam (Staci), and Andrew (Randi), 21 great grandchildren, and brothers; Glen Briscoe (Elsie) of Rigby, Idaho, Ray (Ann) of Bountiful, Utah, and Ralph (Lola) of Providence, Utah.

Franklin came from a large family all of whom he loved very much. He taught his children and grandchildren the value of hard work and the joy of believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He always tried to help people and was the best example of enduring to the end with faith, honor and love.

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