Stanley Wistisen
March 27, 1946 – February 17, 2025

With hearts full of love we announce the passing of Stanley Wistisen, 78, of Bancroft Idaho, who finished his mortal journey on February 17, 2025, returning to his Father in Heaven.

Stan was born on March 27, 1946, in Soda Springs, Idaho to Raoul and Cora J. Wistisen and the fourth of six children. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle. Growing up on the family farm he had a passion for riding horses, operating farm equipment, working with cattle and fixing things. He played the saxophone, was on the football team and wrestled. People came not only to watch him wrestle but to watch his mother watch him wrestle, she was very entertaining. He graduated from North Gem High School class of 1964.

After graduating high school, he attended Ricks College for a year before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Northern California. He loved his mission and the people he was able to serve. He spent his life constantly serving and helping everyone around him. If you needed help with anything, you could call on Stan.

While continuing his education at Rick’s College he showed his love and commitment to the family farm by hitchhiking the 125 miles home every Friday to work for a couple of days and then hitchhiking back to college on Sunday so he could attend Monday classes. He was always the happiest when farming and ranching, working from sunup to sundown, day in and day out, singing or whistling as he went.

He married his sweetheart, Kathleen Tolman in the spring of 1968 in the Logan L.D.S. Temple. He finished his degree in agronomy, and they moved back to Bancroft to help run the family farm with his father and brothers. Stan passed on his love of farming to both his children and his grandchildren.

Stan loved serving in the church and community. Some of the church callings he held include primary worker, young men’s leader, Elder’s Quorum President, Bishop, High Priest Group Leader, Stake Young Men’s Presidency, High Councilman and Stake Clerk. His favorite was working in the scouting program where he served as District Scout Chairman and then Ward Scout Advancement Chairman. In 1998 he was given the highest honor a Boys Scout council can bestow on its volunteers, the Silver Beaver. For more than 50 yrs he served on the Farm Bureau County Board, many of those years as president. He also served as President of the North Gem Education Foundation and for a time he was the West Branch Canal Company President. His kids remember him rushing home from farming, taking a fast shower, and running off to a meeting most days of the week. During the Caribou County Fair, you could find him supporting his kids in 4-H and serving up hamburgers for the North Gem Foundation food stand.

In 1970 he joined the National Guard and was given the sharp shooting award and became a leader of his unit because of the integrity and trust he exhibited.

Stan loved to laugh, tease, tell jokes and listen to cowboy poetry. He loved and appreciated a birthday card that would make him chuckle. He was an honorable husband, supportive dad, wonderful grandfather, a great friend and an honest, loyal and hard-working employee and businessman. He had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. He loved serving in the temple and reading his scriptures. Even while struggling with dementia, he could still give the sweetest heartfelt prayers.

Together with his faith, Stan’s greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Kathleen Tolman Wistisen; his 5 children Tamara Rodriguez, Jason (Danelle) Wistisen,

Pamela (Scott) Mills, Kimberly (Mike) Neville, and Brandon (Heather) Wistisen; his 24 cherished grandchildren Ashley, Dustin (Monique) and Travis (Emily) Steele, Gabriel (Matteo), Jayden, Jensen, Carson, Nathan, Matthew and Luke Wistisen, Kade (Bri) Stoker, Mason (Anniken), Charlie and Levi Blettenburg, Mcky (Logan) Averett, Brookel (Caleb) Norwood, Kaleb, Kyle (Kendall) and Trevor Mills, Logan, Kyler, Gavin, Hunter, and Cora Neville; and his 4 adorable great-grandchildren Sloane and Sakora Steele and Logan and Blaiyr Stoker.

Stan’s life was full of love, service and faith. He taught by example to be charitable towards others, to work for what you have, to find joy and laughter in the mundane, to be honest and always give more than you take. He is leaving a legacy that will bless his family for generations to come and his memory will live on in the lives of all who knew him.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building in Bancroft Idaho. A viewing will be held, at the same location, on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and March 1, 2025, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. The family invites all who knew Stan to join in celebrating his life.