Clayton Rumsey

1938 - 2023

CLAYTON MILLER RUMSEY (NOV 25, 1938 - MAR 29, 2023)

Clayton Rumsey was born at home on the Egin Bench, a few miles west of St. Anthony, Idaho in the Upper Snake River Valley. He is the first son and second child of Layne Noel Rumsey and Claudia Miller Rumsey. With 16 aunts and uncles on his father's side, and numerous Millers from the Mormon Pioneers on his mother's side, Clay was raised in a rich multicultural heritage. He started his formal education in a one-room school house in rural Heman, Idaho, often walking the mile plus to school and back. When the family built a small house in St. Anthony, he finished his primary education in town.

Clay graduated from South Fremont High School in 1957, and continued his education at Ricks College in nearby Rexburg. With his college education just begun, he and friends took Clay's car on a ride to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the 4th of July holiday in 1958. A collision in the dead of night left Clay in a coma and body badly broken.

A year later at home, he was finally out of his cast and struggling to learn to walk again, his life forever changed by a summer celebration. Finally back on his feet he continued his rehabilitation and completed his Associate of Science from Ricks. With characteristic persistence he finished his B.S. in geology at the University of Idaho in the late 1960's. His first job as a Geologist was with Idaho State Water Department, measuring and managing river flows throughout Idaho.

In 1972, cousin Faye Miller introduced Clay to a southern belle from Kentucky at Brigham Young University. In August, Clay and Avalene (Abbey) Haney were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Abbey started counseling in the area and he worked in the Forest Service labs at the University of Utah. In 1980 Clay found his dream job in the Bureau of Mines in Spokane, Washington. As a field geologist, Clay spent springs, summers, and falls trekking over mining claims and resources all over the west. He explored and sampled while hiking, driving, dropping in from helicopters, and small planes. His long road to education had finally paid off. The Bureau of Mines was abolished in 1996, and Clay retired in 1997.

Clay and Abbey loved to travel, visiting the Caribbean, South America, Mexico, the Panama Canal, New Zealand, Fiji, and all 50 states. Clay also loved his pets, gathering a menagerie of gifts and rescues. Clay loved his many visits with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by mother and father, his brother and sister-in-law (Phil and Cheryl), and nephew Chris Gallagher. He is survived by his wife Abbey, brother Hal, sister Vera Gallagher (Bill), and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Memorial services will be held at the LDS chapel, 2721 E 63rd Avenue in Spokane, on Apr 22nd at 2 pm, greeting Abbey and family starting at 1:30. Flowers will be gratefully accepted at the chapel.

Please sign the register and leave good wishes and memories on the Advantage Funeral and Cremation Services website at www.AdvantageSouthHill.com.

A memorial service will also be held near his graveside in Parker, Idaho on 22 July at 10 a.m.