Mar. 21, 1929 - Aug. 1, 2026
Date of Service: Aug. 15, 2026
PAUL – George Harold Toner, 97, passed away Saturday, August 1, 2026 at his home in Paul, Idaho.
George was born March 21, 1929, in Burley, Idaho, to Harold Joseph Toner and Lydia P. Jackson Toner. He was the youngest of seven children, one brother and five sisters. His farming family weathered the depression with a huge garden and milking cows. Well water was carried from the neighbors, desert tumbleweeds were gathered for the cook stove, and the children did their school work by the light of kerosene lanterns.
Born in a time when children and teens were relied on for farm labor, he always found some kind of work – thinning sugar beets, driving truck, picking potatoes, and selling newspaper subscriptions. After school he could be found at a local service station repairing cars, pumping gas, fixing flats, and cleaning restrooms.
He recalled saving his money and buying his first car at age 12, a 1933 Chevrolet for $175. Back then you didn’t need a license to drive – you just needed a car. The service station was next door to Payne Mortuary, so occasionally he was hired to transport bodies.
In 1947, he married Rozella (Rosie) Winter and at age 18 started building their first of many homes. It took a year to finish this “after work” project, but when completed it was fully paid for. When he built his second family home on Grandview Drive, he gave his first home to his parents.
He worked for Baker Motor from 1948 –1954 and leased the first Richfield station in Burley from 1954-1959, then opened Toner Automotive. After building his third family home, he accepted a job to manage the shop for Bonanza Motor in 1966 and worked there until 1972. He then switched careers and started Toner Construction. He built two more family homes in Paul over the years and moved from home building, renovation and tile roofs to truck stops and car washes in Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, and Idaho, building convenience stores for oil companies and 39 airplane hangars at the Burley Airport.
He obtained his pilot’s license in 1967 and eventually owned four planes. He used his planes for business and pleasure trips transporting employees to construction sites for Alaska and Mexico fishing trips, and pleasure rides for friends and family.
In 1982 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Rural Electric Co-Op and was President when it consolidated with Unity Light and Power in 1997. He served on the Board for 40 years.
In 1994 he bought property in Paul and built town homes on the street that is now named Toner Drive.
He will always be known for his work ethic and attention to detail, willing to lend a helping hand as a devoted husband and father.
He is survived by his three children, Sandra (Charles) Biermann, Micheal (Tressa) Toner and Daniel (Pat) Toner; 13 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosie of 74 years in 2022; his parents; a brother, Earl Toner; and five sisters, Ethel Toner, Lois Toner, Ada Peterson, Ruth Cane and Grace Jones.
The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 15, at Payne Mortuary, located at 321 E. Main Street, in Burley. Burial will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery in Burley.
