Legacy.com
Lillie Adele Slifka Hall
April 14,1930 - December 7, 2020
Lillie Slifka Hall (April 14, 1930 to December 7, 2020) was born in Torrington, Wyoming, the 3rd daughter of Roy and Elsie York. She was named Lillie Adele York but her family called her "Pete". She and her two older sisters, Lavonne and Lois spent their early years on a ranch near Lance Creek in Eastern Wyoming, 26 miles from town. The winters were tough, and the Depression conditions persuaded the family to move to Idaho. They bought a ranch 12 miles West of Cambridge, Idaho on Mill Creek at the end of a wagon road. This wagon road is now highway 71. Lillie started first grade at the Pine Grove School on Seid Creek. She and her sisters rode horses, walked, or rode the horse drawn "school bus" 4 miles to the one room school for 2 years.
In 1939 the family relocated to a ranch in Cow Valley, near Brogan in Eastern Oregon. It was 4 miles horseback to this school too. Lillie loved horses, so this mode of transportation was never a problem for her.
In 1943, during the war years, ranch help was hard to find, so Lillie, at age 13 helped work their farm with draft horses. She always prefered working outdoors. She mowed hay with a sickle bar, raked with a dump rake dodging rattlesnakes, and helped stack loose hay. She also worked on neighboring ranches where she stayed during summer harvest , working their horses. Her passion for horses started very young in her life, and embraced her to the end of her 90 years.
In 1944 the family relocated to Cascade, Idaho. Their farm was in the valley, and was eventually buried under the waters of Cascade Reservoir when the dam was built. At this time the family moved to town where the girls got to attend a "town school" for the first time. Lillie attended Cascade High School and formed some of her dearest memories there. She met Elden Slifka at school where she was a cheer leader and he was a football player. In 1948 they were married at the Methodist Church in Cascade. Elden called her "Dusty" all of his life. Lillie adored her in laws, Joe and Margaret Slifka.
When she was 18 Lillie cooked for a remote logging crew near Burgdorf, Idaho.
1n 1949 Lillie and Elden moved 28 miles from Hungry Horse, Montana where Elden worked construction on the new dam. They then moved to Boise where Elden attended Boise Junior College.
They later moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where Elden worked on a logging operation. When they moved back to Boise their first child, Mark Steven Slifka was born January, 1955. In April, 1956 Trudy Lois Slifka was born. The young family moved to Moscow, Idaho where Elden attended the University of Idaho and earned a degree as an Electrical Engineer. Lillie kept plenty busy caring for her babies.
The family moved to Bountiful, Utah where Elden worked for Utah Engineering Labs, but their roots in their beloved Idaho were calling. After 4 years in Utah, the family including horses and dogs moved to an acreage between Boise and Meridian where Lillie pursued her passion for horses and they began raising Arabian horses. It was not long before the horse operation needed room to expand, and the family moved to the end of South Cole road near Boise. They built a beautiful horse facility known as Desert Edge Arabians where they raised, trained, and marketed horses for several years. They were involved with the Des Arab Horse Club from it's first meeting. Elden was the charter president. Their stallion, Las Trad was Lillies pride and joy. He won numerous championships at horse shows from 3 states competing in halter, western, english, and driving. He was ridden in parades as well as back country mountain trails, and was the Boise State Bronco Mascot at the football games. He sired 167 colts and lived to be 33...
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