Jan. 12, 1935 - Jan. 18, 2016
Date of Service: Jan. 22, 2016
Walter Fred Quast, Jr.
January 12, 1935 – January 18, 2016
BURLEY – Walter Fred Quast, Jr., of Burley, Idaho, died unexpectedly on Jan. 18, 2016, at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah, of congestive heart failure. He was 81.
Junior, as he was known to his family and friends, was born Jan. 12, 1935, to Walter Fred Quast and Grace Cleone Larsen, in Burley. He was the third of six children born to this union and was reared along with his loving three half-brothers and sisters. He grew up in the View area south of Burley and loved working on the family farm with his father where he learned the value of hard work. Dad often shared stories of horse-drawn plows and the family milk route where they picked up milk cans from local dairies and hauled them to the creamery.
After graduating from Burley High School in 1953, he married the love of his life, Juneal Marie Kowitz, in 1957. He adored his wife and cherished the many memories they created together. They celebrated 58 years of marriage this past November. After farming for a few short years and spending one year in the big city of Portland, Ore., they returned to Burley where Junior began working for the J.R. Simplot Company. He retired in 1999 after 38 years and was very proud of his dedicated service to the company.
In 1964 they moved south of Burley to the Farmer’s Corner neighborhood where they reared their four children, Tamara, Todd, Tricia and Travis. He loved this home and more importantly his garden, always well-manicured and full of flowers and vegetables. As the children grew and left home, the size of the garden never decreased as Dad loved to provide the neighborhood with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis and anything else that was ripe and ready to share.
Junior was an active and faithful member of the LDS church and served in many callings. His favorite was that of librarian as it gave him a chance to visit with everyone who came into the library. Junior could strike up a conversation with just about anyone. Dad believed in working hard and always giving an honest day’s work – something he instilled into his children from a very young age. Junior was the first to volunteer to hoe beets on the church farm or to help a family in need.
Junior is survived by wife Juneal, his four children Tamara (Jim) Janak and Todd (Teresa) Quast of Burley, Trish (Rick) Stansell and Travis (LaNae) Quast of Twin Falls. He was most proud of his 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers Howard Mitchell, Harold (Sharon) Quast and sisters Maxine (Ray) Connelly and Marion (Joe) Rudman. He was preceded in death by his parents and five siblings.
Funeral services will be held Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, at 11 a.m. at the Unity LDS Church, 275 S. 250 E., Burley, with Bishop Brent Greener of the Unity 2nd Ward presiding. A viewing will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th Street in Burley and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to the funeral service. Burial will be in the View Cemetery.
