Dee Macey Keirnes, age 89, passed away Oct. 18, 2020, at the Discovery Care Center in Salmon, Idaho. He was born in Elko, Nevada, in 1931, a son to the late Reginald (Rex) Keirnes and the late Elsie Marie Cruse Keirnes. Dee was also preceded in death by two brothers, Lawrence Gilbertson (1954) and Forrest R. Keirnes (1997). Dee’s sister, DeVon Tanton resides in Eugene, Oregon.
Dee learned to work hard at a young age. He washed dishes at his mother’s cafe in Elko. He was hired by a rancher to hitch a team of work horses and work on a hay crew the summer he turned 12. He finished his job at this ranch by herding 30 horses 90 miles by horseback across the Nevada desert with one other boy who was only a year older. He tended animals at the County Fair and then worked at a radiator shop all through high school. He was resourceful and built his own bicycles from salvaged parts and eventually built his own car. Dee excelled in track and loved playing basketball. He saved his money and bought his first horse by the age of 14. Soon he traded this old horse for a Nevada Mustang mare. He had a deep love for horses throughout his life and was a master horseman. His children and grandchildren learned to ride on horses that were trained by him and were descended from this mare.
In 1949, Dee married his high school sweetheart, Donna VanSickle. In 1950 a daughter, Lana Dee, was born and the couple moved their young family to Salmon, Idaho, where they shared in the purchase of a ranch on the Big Flat with Dee’s mother, Elsie, and his brother, Forrest (Colleen). Together they milked 21 cows (by hand), raised pigs, chickens and a large garden. Dee worked for the Ford garage in Salmon. In 1952, a son, Pace (Gale) joined the family and Dee and Donna moved into Salmon. Dee worked at the Brog’s Creamery. In 1953 Dee went to work at the Mill in Colbalt. He continued working in mine/milling in Oregon and Utah until 1961 when he entered Barber School. Upon finishing this training the family moved back to Salmon in 1962. Dee worked for Intermountain Lumber at the sawmill and the beam plant.
In 1964, when his father retired from barbering, he purchased the shop and spent the next 47 years in Dee’s Barber Shop on Main Street in Salmon. He considered every customer his friend. He questioned, listened and learned from his friends. They came from far and wide to “hold court” on the state of the world, our Nation and the town. Dee retired and closed Dee’s Barber Shop in 2011 at the age of 80.
Dee could fix most anything and was known to rebuild engines, repair clocks and crafted his own saddle in the back room of the barber shop when business was light. He was skilled at tooling leather and made many beautiful gifts for his family, including purses, belts, gun scabbards and album covers. Many of these gifts were laced with rawhide he processed and made from deer and elk he had harvested. He opened his Shop promptly at 7:30 every morning. After closing at 6 p.m. he would pack his little gray bag of equipment and go to Casabello Estates to cut the hair (free) of residents there. Many had been his friends for years. Dee was never idle. He was generous, kind and shared his wisdom and his time in giving service to others. He was a master story teller. He was always teaching and mentoring others, especially young people. He loved the Salmon River Valley and felt deeply connected to the mountains, the river and the people.
He loved to dance and he and Donna often attended dances at the Elk’s hall where their skills were admired. They also enjoyed fly fishing and steelhead fishing and spent many weekends down the river with their grandchildren camping and fishing together. He built his own steelhead rods. Over the years they completely remodeled the house they bought on the Lemhi Road. In 1986 Dee and Donna divorced.
Dee met and married Violet Jean Taylor in 1992. They enjoyed traveling together. They went on several cruises and to Hawaii. They especially enjoyed camping, drives down the River, and traveling to visit family, or shopping excursions to Missoula and Idaho Falls. Their happiness together was very fulfilling for Dee and they were inseparable for nearly 29 years. Over the last few years of ill health, Violet took care of and was devoted to his every need. He considered her two sons Dan and Joseph Davis Jr., like his own.
Dee is survived by his loving wife Violet, his daughter Lana Dee Messinger, son Pace (Gale) Keirnes, stepsons Dan Davis Jr. (Chris) and Joseph Davis (Rebecca), also 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. This giant of a man will be greatly missed by them all.
A celebration of life will be held on June 3, 2021, in Salmon, Idaho.
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