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- Bio: Howard Brent Egbert “Brent”, 81, of Ashton, passed away peacefully of natural causes in his home on Monday, November 18, 2019, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
- Brent Egbert was the fifth child born to Zera “Zeke” Egbert and Louise Howard Egbert. He was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, although at the time the family lived in Marysville, Idaho. His siblings were Zee J, LaRee, Zeralene, Dennis, and Trenna. His older sister, LaRee, died at age 2 before Brent was born.
- His early growing-up years were spent in Marysville. He fondly remembers the advent of indoor plumbing and no longer having to scrape the snow off the seat in the old outhouse, not to mention the scary things his young mind could imagine could happen on the “long treks” in pitch black darkness there and back. He still is good friends with several neighborhood playmates from those days and his wonderful friends from his first school at the old Marysville schoolhouse. All that remains are memories and a precious photograph of a tall, three-story red brick building with a full basement. His first classroom had three grades together.
- In 1948, after 3rd grade, his parents bought a home and a near-thousand acre farm about two miles north of Ashton and he and his siblings had to attend the “large” school in Ashton. He was so sad to leave his friends in Marysville, but it turned out the Marysville school soon was closed and all his friends came to Ashton to school!
- He discovered a wonderful creek on their land that was a great stream for rainbow, cutthroat, and spotted trout. His fishing gear was an old willow stick, some cotton string, and a bent safety pin. He proudly caught his first fish on this equipment.
- Chores came first on the farm, and he loved working long hours on the land with his father and brothers. He and his brother, Dennis, received State Vocational Future Farmers of America awards. He also found a great interest over the years in this “bigger school” to engage in basketball and football, and upon graduation he received a scholarship to Ricks College in football and made the traveling team. He was forced to quit, however, because of critical injuries received in high school to both knees, for which he had never sought appropriate medical attention.
- In 1958 he began a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to what was then called the North Central States. It comprised all of Manitoba and western Ontario, Canada, the eastern half of North and South Dakota, and all of Minnesota. These two years served as a wonderful anchor for his life and a constant reference for all decisions from then on.
- He knew that he wanted a higher education, and upon returning, immediately enrolled in Brigham Young University in Provo. He said he knew he would have to be far enough away from the magnetism of the family farm and Ashton, which he loved greatly, and could then easily concentrate on his studies and life goals.
- In 1960, while at BYU, he met Linda Lee Willardson, from California, on a blind date. Their love grew and they were married in the Los Angeles temple on December 16, 1961. She taught school and he finished his degree, graduating from BYU in 1963. Together, they began to build their family.
- With three small children, Brent worked full time as Assistant to the Division Head of Fiduciary and Investment department for Bank of America in downtown San Francisco and attended law school at night at the University of San Francisco. During this time, he also served as Young Men’s President for his ward—this is the sort of pace and experience he would carry on for the next 30 years, expertly juggling family, a demanding career, and church service with an insurmountable level of energy, zeal, and excellence.
- His work included serving three years in Washington, D.C. as Bank of America’s Legislative Counsel, where he advocated for the bank’s interest in Congress and interacted with regulatory agencies on the bank’s behalf. Despite a grueling daily commute and long intense hours, he loved his work and was rewarded with many leadership and advancement opportunities in both the bank’s legal and fiduciary and investment departments.
- While these work accomplishments are noteworthy, his greatest service was in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his own home. In addition to his two year full-time mission, he served in a number of positions as counselor and president in the Priesthood quorums and auxiliaries of the Church. From 1980 to 1985, he served as first counselor to Bishop Dick Stauffer in the newly-formed California Pleasant Hill III ward. From 1985 to 1991, he served as Bishop of this same ward. He also served on the High Council of the Oakland stake. He and Linda later served a two year mission together as members of the inner-city 9th Branch, of Oakland, which was predominately low-income and minority families. They regard that experience with such gratitude, as they learned so much from these dear brothers and sisters and their testimonies of Christ’s gospel.
- Through all this education, work, service, and growth, Linda and Brent were blessed with 6 children, which brought more joy and happiness into their lives than they ever thought possible. Rosalee Ann in 1963, Kristen Louise in 1967, Shannan LaRee in 1969, Correne Renee in 1973, Celeste Eileen in 1974 and Jared Brent in 1976.
- In his own words, “Of all our experiences, our children have been our greatest and most crowning achievement. They have graced us presently with 28 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all born or sealed under the eternal covenant of marriage. Their activity, strength, and service to the church and communities they live in is our combined legacy, of which we are not ashamed to be grateful and proud.”
- In 2005, Brent and Linda sold their home of 38 years in Pleasant Hill, CA and moved to Ashton, building a home that overlooks the Tetons and the beautiful Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. Their home has served as a happy family gathering place, where memories were made, relationships strengthened, and love sown and harvested on a continual basis.
- Brent is survived by his older brother, Dennis Egbert, and his younger sister, Trenna Egbert Hillam, as well as his wife Linda Lee Willardson Egbert, all six of his children, and all 34 of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
- Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 23, at the Ashton Stake Center, 512 N. 2nd Street. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., both times at the stake center.
- Interment will be in the Pineview Cemetery under the direction of Baxter Funeral Home.
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1938 - 2019 (81 år)
