Delmar L. “Burley” Poe, of Genesee, passed away peacefully Thursday, May 2, 2024, at age 91 at Valley Vista Care Center in Sandpoint.
Burley was born June 8, 1932, at Auburn, Wash., to Claude F. and Cora L. (Qualey) Poe. They ranched near Joseph, Idaho. As his birth approached, Cora and toddler Marv took the mail boat to Lewiston to stay with her sister, Ing, at Auburn. There was no hospital or doctor near Joseph. When it was time for Marv and Burley to start school, the family moved to Slate Creek. They owned and operated the Slate Creek store until they moved to Lewiston so the two sons could go to high school. Poe Creek on the Salmon River is where his paternal grandparents, George and Katherine Poe, ranched. His maternal grandparents, Knut and Mary Qualey, farmed on Thorn Creek at Genesee before moving to Joseph to ranch.
Burley joined the U.S. Army in 1952, serving 13 months in a tent in Korea 1952-53. Sgt. Poe returned to marry his sweetheart, Patricia A. Parks, and go to Fort Sill, Okla., where he served as a drill sergeant until his discharge in March 1955. For fun, they chased buffalo with other soldiers on their Harleys. They moved to Grangeville, where they had three children, Anna, Mark and Robert. They divorced in 1966.
Burley married Loretta Nutterville Haynes in 1968 at Lewiston. They moved from Pullman to Genesee in 1969, when they bought Aurora School House on Cow Creek. Together they raised their blended family, Anna Poe and Gregory and Bruce Haynes. They spent most of the rest of their days at Genesee until moving to long-term care in 2021.
Burley’s dream was to go to Alaska. In 1982, he loaded all his tools, hooked the camper on his pickup and headed north with his favorite nephew, Ed Poe. He worked in Alaska as a heavy equipment mechanic until he retired in 1994 from the Operators and Teamsters unions. Burley was joined by Loretta and they lived at Fairbanks or Wasilla, Alaska. The last summer he worked, 1993, he camped at the job site at Nabesna Cutoff. They explored Alaska and spoiled their grandchildren with her fresh cookies and his great sense of humor.
In retirement, they adventured with both Lewis-Clark and Idaho Pathfinders ATV clubs. He was proud to be the marshal for one Salmon River ride. He taught Anna and Alden how to be safe and have fun on those trails. Oz Zodrow remembers Burley kept people’s ATVs going, that he could fix anything. Oz, Dick Hill and Burley had some amazing times with ATV rides, shooting and solving the problems of the world.
He was a fine gunsmith and custom loader, and trading guns was a passion. A great marksman, he got his first deer up Slate Creek when he was 12. Some may be familiar with his maternal uncles, the Qualey Brothers, and their silver work, particularly spurs and bits.
Burley is predeceased by his beloved Loretta; sons Mark Poe and Bruce Haynes; his parents; and his brother, Marvin Poe. He is survived by his children Anna (Alden) Weiss, Robert (Vicki Jacobs) Poe and Gregory (Robyn) Haynes; grandchildren Darin and Terra Ramoth, Daniel, Nicole and Sarah Poe and Brandon and Jesse Ferrier; 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. It pleased him so to be GG-GPa. He was always fond of his niece, Marlene Hicks, and family, his sister-in-law, Norma Poe, and kids Edward, Kris and Colleen, and his sister-in-law Joann Ailor and family. Dear family friends include Terriel Bieker and Betty Irby and their families and so many others.
The family is so thankful for each of you who stopped by their home at Genesee to visit, to shovel snow, to lend a hand. And a big thanks to you who went to visit him at Moscow and Sandpoint. He told Anna that you each meant much to him. In turn, he helped his neighbors when he could.
Interment will be at White Bird Cemetery, next to his father and his son, Mark, later in the Fall when it cools off on the Salmon River.
