There will be a family memorial in Idaho for former residents Harold Horton (92), who died June 20th in Idaho Falls and wife Gwendolyn (Gwen), 88 who passed away there last year. The Hortons were well known in Haines in the 70s and 80s.
Son Shane Horton said his father was born in American Falls, ID., on a “hardscrabble” farm.
Gwen, who was born in Leadore, ID., cared for their four children and later helped run their enterprises in Haines.
Horton served in the Army during the Korean Conflict and then traveled the west with the family while working various jobs. The children never went to one school for more than two years. Harold labored in sawmills, construction and ranching. He also worked as a supervisor for Kiewit construction for many years.
They followed Harold’s brother, Jim Horton, to Haines, “and he knew everybody,” Shane said. Harold was able to buy Haines Sanitation which came with some heavy equipment. He picked up an “old, mostly junk loader” from a freight company, and started Horton and Horton Construction. He bought the old Glacier Café at one-mile and ran that while converting the property into the Eagle’s Nest Motel and apartments. Gwen managed them with her sister-in-law Vickie Horton, Harold cooked breakfast in the café, worked all day outside, then cleaned up at night.
The Hortons built the ED&D Building, now the Dandelion marijuana dispensary, and owned the Eagle’s Nest trailer park. They also rebuilt the Chilkat Lake airstrip and worked on soil stabilization at the former Army tank farm, Shane said, noting that “Dad worked all the time.”
Harold had a dry sense of humor, was stubborn and could be cantankerous. The years in Haines afforded the Hortons some free time. Harold enjoyed moose hunting and sport fishing, was active in the Bills and Elks clubs and served in local government. Gwen loved to dance, socialize, was active in the Emblem Club and volunteered for the old King salmon derby. They bowled at the Totem Bowl. (Now the Fort Seward Lodge. The bowling alley was removed to make more hotel rooms.)
After leaving Haines in 1988, they spent winters in Arizona and lived mostly in Idaho.
Harold and Gwen were preceded in death and by daughter Trillis Lynn. The Horton family includes Shane (Janis) Horton, Shawna Schnabel and Curtis Horton; grandkids Heather Roberts Nicole Holm, and Tyrell Horton; Amber Kalinski and Tony Schnabel and numerous other grandchildren and great-grandchildren.