Donald A. Louder

Donald Arthur Louder was born in his grandparents’ home near Beloit, Kansas on September 20, 1920, the first of three sons of Edmund and Carolyn Redgwick Louder. He grew up on the prairie farm and was the only student in his class in a one room schoolhouse which was later moved to Knott’s Berry Farm and painted red. His first job was preparing iris rhizomes for sale at a neighbor’s farm where he earned 10 cents an hour. Later he had a job threshing wheat with a combine, relatively new technology for the time. Sunday dinner at his grandparents was usually followed by an afternoon of rabbit hunting. In 1937 the family moved to Idaho and in January 1938, they bought a farm on what is now Valley Road; Don graduated from Hazelton High School that spring. That summer, Don worked with Leonard Widrig to successfully harvest beans with a combine. In 1940, Don earned a certificate of Complete Air Conditioning Service Engineering from the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Chicago, Illinois and established a business in Burley, Idaho. World War II interfered and he trained with the US Army Air Forces in Texas, Illinois, Colorado and Oklahoma. On July 24, 1943 during a short leave from training, Don married his high school sweetheart, Dollie G. York, in Tulsa, OK. Shortly after, he shipped out from Los Angeles to serve for two years in India with a photo mapping squadron as an instrument specialist. In January 1946, Don and Dollie established Magic Valley Refrigeration beginning on an empty lot at 120 Blue Lakes Boulevard. In 1948 they built a house behind the shop they had moved onto the property and welcomed their first son, Kenneth. Two years later son Roger arrived followed three years later by son John and three years after that by son Leonard. In 1958, Don and Dollie built a new house and shop on Addison Avenue. Don was well-known for his expertise in refrigeration, heating and air conditioning and he took on jobs like replacing a 24,000 pound ice maker for the Magic Valley Steelhead Hatchery. Magic Valley Refrigeration sold more Hi/Re/Li heat pumps than any other business west of the Mississippi. Don loved hunting, fishing and sightseeing in the mountains of the West. He and Dollie enjoyed visiting relatives and they traveled throughout the United States including a cruise and motor home trip to Alaska with a niece and nephew. They cruised the Caribbean, visiting Nicaragua and the Panama Canal and visited Spain and Morocco, Ireland, Kenya and Australia. Don could spot and identify birds in his yard as well as from his truck as he drove from job to job in the Magic Valley. As members of the Audubon Society, Don and Dollie enjoyed hosting annual bird count dinners. Active in Boy Scouts, Don spent many springs getting equipment in order at the Boy Scout camp while Dollie helped clean cabins. Don and Dollie raised a large garden from which they fed their family. Even after being declared legally blind, Don raised starts from seeds each spring and kept an orchard with peaches, pears and apples. Raspberries and roses, gladiolas, iris and other blooming plants lovingly tended added to the beauty of their home. Endowed with a good memory and sharp observation skills, Don was a great storyteller. He was ready to regale friend or stranger with a story about his many travels, his hunting and fishing trips, and stories from his childhood. He was happiest when he could help people with their heating and air conditioning problems. Don is survived by his wife of 69 years, Dollie; sons Kenneth (Carol) of Salt Lake City, UT, Roger (Jan) of Twin Falls, ID, John (Annie) of Warrensburg, MO, and Leonard (Becky) of Vernonia, OR; ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren; brother Robert E. Louder of Hazelton, ID; many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Edmund Louder and Carolyn Redgwick Louder of Hazelton; brother David Lee (DL) Louder of Hazelton; sister-in-law Juanita Hissung Louder of Hazelton. p.2 In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be given to Idaho Public Radio and Television. Funeral services will be held at Rosenau Funeral Home in Twin Falls at 10:30 am on Thursday, January 3.