Jon Leland Elsberry

1948 - 2023

Emmett - Jon Leland Elsberry was born on August 29, 1948, in Emmett, Idaho, to parents Paul and Evelyn (Boynton) Elsberry. They had three children- Ron, Don and Jon- who like their parents were all born in Gem County. Jon died on September 25, 2023. Don passed away in 1989, Evelyn in 2000, Ron in 2001 and Paul in 2014. He is survived by three nephews (Michael, Douglas and David) and one niece (Michelle).

In short, his father taught him how to work and his mother taught him everything else. Jon loved sports but was only allowed to play if his grades were all A's and B's. He won many individual and team trophies and was captain of the school baseball team his senior year and co-captain of the football team. Years later he played semi-pro rugby in the Outback of Australia for two years, coached the Gore High School basketball team in New Zealand, coached the junior varsity baseball team in Emmett, and with a fun group of teammates won a Co-Ed Softball championship in Boise.

After high school he went to the University of Idaho, graduating in 1970 with a BA in English and Spanish and a teaching certificate. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1971, receiving his MS in Technical Writing and Communication. While at RPI he saw the fall colors in upper state New York and visited New York City during Thanksgiving where he saw Macy's Parade, met the Radio City Rockettes and stood on the Carnegie Hall stage.

Jon's work history paralleled his schooling. He began working when he was 12 years old with his mother in the Frisbee Orchards strawberry fields on Frozen Dog Road. When he was 16, je began driving the sand truck and operating heavy equipment for his father. Other summer wok included working at the sand plant, pulling green chain at the local sawmill and logging.

After college Jon decided to travel around the world for four years. He lived and taught high school English for two years in the Outback of Australia, one year in the South Island of New Zealand and one year in England. To get to England he toured Japan and took the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia during winter. When he toured England and Scotland, he usually stayed in bed and breakfasts. Before he returned home to Emmett, he toured Europe. In Emmett he continued to teach English at the high school for 3 1/2 years until he was offered a technical writing position in 1979 with Morrison-Knudsen Company in Boise. He spent a 40-year career as a technical writer. Jon and his father started building his house on Frozen Dog Road in 1979, and he turned it into Frozen Dog Digs and Breakfast in 1995. We also welded wrought iron railings as a second business. He discovered life really is a journey and not a destination and that a collection of good friends is more valuable than a sack of gold.

A Memorial Graveside Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at the Emmett Cemetery, Emmett, Idaho.