I remember the time when, at age 72, JR was stuck on the chair lift at Brundage for about four hours, the temp was about 10F. He was none the worse for the experience and went back up on the mountain the next day. He went up a lot of mountains.

My Dad loved telling the story of Jack coming accros the fields with "a Rooster" in his arms, and wanting to trade him for a "bumb lamb". My father was a great sheepman, name of Jean P. Pons. We lived just east of where Jack grew up there in the Springdale-Declo area. They were very good friends of my parents. Jack sometimes would pick up my older sister, Madeleine Pons, and take to school with him. One day something happened and they nearly went in the canal. Jack told her to not tell her parents, as then they would not let her ride with him again!!!!
Just another Declo graduate,
Lily H. (Pons) Bell

I remember one bitter-cold night in McCall my dad slid off Warren Wagon Rd and got stuck in a snow bank. JR was the first car to come along so he stopped and helped my dad get back on the road. Tx JR, rest in peace.

Exerpts from my emails with family members in regards to JRS:

My brother:
"In addition to his big Payette Lake house which we've all seen, I remember being on a river trip in the late '70s with Evan. We're setting up dinner, and out of the woods strolls this old guy, looks like a prospector, yes, JR Simplot. Evan was chatting with him, they talked for quite a while, and we had plenty of chow so we gave the guy dinner. Had to be somewhere around Loon Creek, I think he owned the cabin there and was there for fishing or to check on his marijuana fields.(A joke, of course) I'd guess Evan remembers more details..."

My sister responds:
"Dave, Evan says you recall more of the Simplot encounter than he does. He does remember that it was at Lower Grouse Creek (not sure how the hell you guys remember the river like that). He says SImplot's cabin was nearby and they chatted about that. Can't remember feeding him or anything else. Holes in his memory banks like swiss cheese... He then waxed nostalgic about also meeting Bill Harrah, on horseback, as BH rode through camp one evening. Meeting celebs is better on the river than in LA, apparently."