Paul Lloyd Jesenko

Paul Lloyd Jesenko was born September 30, 1938, to Antone Paul Jesenko and Carmen Marie Corta Jesenko. He was his mother’s birthday gift, being born on her 20th birthday. He was raised on the family farm in Homedale, ID, along with his younger sisters, Joan and Marianne. Paul enjoyed spending his summers at the Corta Family Ranch in Jordan Valley working with his uncles, tending to sheep. He attended school in Homedale, participating in various sports in high school.

During this time, Paul’s cousin, Margaret, introduced Paul to Wanda Brumfield in 1954 after she caught his eye passing by the barber shop window where Paul was getting his hair cut. Though his friends teased that it was puppy love, Paul knew he and Wanda shared something special. Paul and Wanda were married in 1955. Paul farmed with his father in the Homedale area for 11 years. While farming in Homedale, Paul and Wanda welcomed 6 daughters.

In 1968 Paul and his young family moved to the Melba-Kuna area where he was able to acquire farm ground to support his growing family. He enjoyed raising specialty crops including potatoes, sugar beets, alfalfa seed and clover seed, sweetcorn seed, along with hay and grain crops. It was during this time that Paul and Wanda welcomed their 7th daughter.

Paul also continued to expand his cattle operation while farming in both the Homedale and Melba-Kuna areas for himself and did a lot of custom farming on the side, to include custom potato seed cutting. It was common to see Paul and Wanda out working on the farm alongside their 7 daughters, quite the sight to see. Paul involved the whole family in the farm operations, often telling them, “The family that works together, plays together, and prays together, stays together.”

Paul was a special part of the Melba-Kuna and Homedale communities, known by many, he never met a stranger. If you earned a nickname from him, consider yourself lucky. He handed out special nicknames to everyone he loved.

When he was not farming you could find him in the stands cheering on his grandchildren in their numerous sports.

In his retirement, Paul and Wanda moved to South Nampa. Paul enjoyed his morning coffee dates with the guys at the River Store, golfing, poker nights with good friends and watching various sporting events, bonus points if he had a grandchild on the team. He also looked forward to and enjoyed his once-a-month lunches at Golden Corral with his Homedale classmates, put on by his lifelong friend, Keith Stansell. He was so proud of his Basque heritage and loved to attend Basque dances and events where some of his great grandchildren participated in Basque dancing.

Paul loved nothing more than his big, beautiful family and beamed with pride at all of their life’s successes and accomplishments. He always looked forward to a visit from loved ones where he could catch up with the men of the family on their life’s latest happenings and of course, visit with his “fancy women” (a term of endearment for his granddaughters) all while loving on the little ones. Paul’s children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great-great grandchildren brought him the most joy in life.

Paul leaves behind a legacy and a family who loved him so very dearly. The impact he made on their lives will live on in their hearts forever.

In the famous parting words of Paul Jesenko, “have a good one”.

 “A son is a son until he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life.”

Love, Your 7 Daughters: Vicky, Diana, Theresa, Yvonne, Tina (In Loving Memory), Susan (Suzy), Paulette

Paul is survived by his loving wife of 71 years Wanda, Daughters Vicky (Kelly) Kramer, Diana (Gerry) Nutt, Theresa (Jeff) Keeney, Yvonne (Blaine) Hulet, Mike Huttash, Susan aka Suzy (Jay) VanSchoiack, Paulette (Bob) Bozeman. Younger sister Joan (Lloyd) Noe, Brother-in-law Riley Grimes, and 22 grandchildren, as well as numerous great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents Carmen and Tony Jesenko, In-laws, Levi and Naomi Brumfield, Brother-in-laws, Jack and Gary Brumfield, Younger sister Marianne (Jesenko) Grimes, Daughter Christina Huttash, and grandsons Kole Keeney and Brandon Bozeman.

A Rosary will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday March 10th at Nampa Funeral Home-Yraguen Chapel.

Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday March 11th at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Nampa, ID with a lunch to immediately follow. Graveside service (Melba) to follow lunch. Donations may be made in Paul’s name to Txoko Ona Basque Center at PO Box 1163 Homedale, ID 83628 or St. Jude’s Hospital at 501 St. Jude’s Place Memphis, TN 38105.