Sandra Mary McClure

Sandy McClure, 86, of Spencer, Idaho, passed away on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at The Gables Assisted Living in Shelley, Idaho, under the care of Hands of Hope Hospice. Born February 12, 1938, in Ogden, Utah, to Herbert Walter Tarran and Mary Pauline Walker Tarran, she was the second of three siblings. She grew up in Ogden, Utah and later moved to Provo, Utah, where she attended Provo High School. 

In 1955, she married Elmer King and they made their home in Bremerton, Washington, where she raised her four sons. In 1977, she moved to Spencer, Idaho with her two youngest sons, making it her home until her passing.

In 1984, she married childhood sweetheart Leland McClure, and they lived together in Spencer, until his passing in 1992. They built their own furniture, barn, and garage and made Spencer home. Sandy worked many jobs during her lifetime. She drove potato trucks and worked in the spud sheds for several seasons, worked at the US Sheep Experiment Station, where her favorite job was caring for the bum lambs. She was a cook at the Legion Café in Dubois and she provided home health care for many of Clark County’s senior citizens.

Sandy made numerous impactful contributions that benefited the local communities. She volunteered on the Clark County ambulance crew and maintained the cemeteries at Spencer, Beaver and Humphrey. Sandy and three of her grandchildren organized the first Spencer July 4th parade in the early 1990s. She helped organize the first Senior Tea, an annual event for each graduating class of Clark County High School. Sandy was elected to the Spencer City Council and she served continuously on the council for over 45 years. She established the Spencer precinct voting station at her house and volunteered with the elections. 

A devout member of the Dubois Community Baptist Church, Sandy taught Sunday school and volunteered at the annual children’s summer bible camp. She took great pride in her family heritage, documenting and preserving stories of her ancestors, including her great-grandfather Hiram H. Spencer, for whom the town was named for. 

Sandy's adventurous spirit led her to travel extensively. She made trips to Italy, Holland, Hawaii, and took cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean. For the past 15 years, she spent part of the winter at her son’s home in La Paz, Mexico, and although she liked the warm Mexico weather, she missed the cold, snowy winters in Spencer.

Sandy was proceeded in death by her parents, Herbert and Mary Tarran, husband Leland McClure, brother Fred (Betty) Tarran of Provo, Utah, and grandson Jeremy (Shannon) King and great-grandson Gauge King. She is survived by her sons Richard (Karen) King of Sheridan, Montana, Herbert (Sherry) King of La Paz, Mexico, Scott (Laura) King of Idaho Falls and Kelly (Shirley) King of Bozeman, Montana, step-sons Delmer (Ann) King of Caldwell, Idaho, and Darrell (Sue) King of Nampa, Idaho, brother Robert (Barbara) Tarran of Salt Lake City, sister-in-law Betty Tarran, 16 grandchildren, countless great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held Friday, June 14, 2024 at the Dubois Community Baptist Church (220 South Oakley Ave, Dubois, ID, 83423) at 11:00 AM. The family will meet with friends on Thursday evening, June 13, 2024 from 6 -7:30 PM at Eckersell Funeral Home (101 West Main Street, Rigby, Idaho) and again Friday Prior to the service from 10 – 11:00 AM at the Dubois Community Baptist Church. Interment will be at the Spencer Cemetery.