Ernest Leonard Perry Jr. left this life peacefully on January 19, 2021, one week after his 95th birthday.
Ernie was born on January 11, 1926, on a farm in Irasburg, VT, to Ernest Leonard Perry Sr. and Eola Rachel Smith. His father died when he was a month old, and he and his 3-year-old sister Effie and their mother moved to Coventry to live by his maternal grandparents. He grew up playing with cousins and trapping muskrats in the nearby river and doing other boy things. He attended grading school in Coventry and high school in Orleans, VT, graduating in 1945. That summer he and his mother came to Boise on a train to visit his sister and her husband who were stationed at Gowen Field Airbase. When the war ended in August, they all decided to stay in Idaho.
In 1950, he met Jerrie Howell, and a year later, they were married. That year he went to work at Olson Manufacturing Co., which later became Gate City Steel. He worked there as an overhead crane operator until he retired in 1988. In 1955, he and Jerrie purchased a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath home on a large lot
where they lived the rest of his life.
During those years, he dug a basement under his house with a shovel, moved a trailer house into his backyard for his mother to live in, and self-built a large family room on the back of their house and a large shop and garage in the backyard. Today, the house has 3 bedrooms, 2 family rooms and 3 bathrooms. He raised a large garden each summer. He also took his family on vacation somewhere each year.
After their children were raised, Ernie and Jerrie and 6 other friends (called “the gang”) had a wonderful time traveling, cruising, and spending many fun times together.
Ernie joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1955, and the church became a very important part of his life. He served in many positions in the church through the years, but his favorite calling was the 20+ years he and Jerrie served each Wednesday morning in the Boise Temple.
Ernie is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Jerrie, his daughter Renee Leonard (Ken, deceased) of Meridian, and his daughter Elayne Sotto (Richard) of Boise. He has 8 grandchildren: Dereck Leonard (Tiffany) of Nampa, Bryce Leonard (Jen) of Boise, Stacy Warthen of Meridian, Jessica Leonard of Meridian, Collette Elton (Brian) of Idaho Falls, Kellie Luke (Matt) of Springfield, VA, Jill Roberts (Matthew) of Rugby, ND, and Mitchell Sotto (Sheri) of Orem, UT. He also has 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, 2 granddaughters, and 1 great-granddaughter.
We want to thank Laurie, Emily, Christine, and Amie of Encompass Hospice for the wonderful care they gave Ernie these last 6 months. He loved each of you.
Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, the service will be streamed online on Wedneday, January 27, at 10:30am. Find link below in service information. Interment will be held at Dry Creek Cemetery.