Zella Price

Zella Zane Whitney Price departed this life in the home of Stephen and Linda Price of Menan, Idaho on February 18, 2011. She was born the daughter of Charles L. Whitney and Thelma Reed Whitney in Kittitas, Washington, on February 20, 1926.

At the tender age of three, cuddled close to the breast of her mother she rode in a side-car of her father's Indian Motorcycle from Kittitas to Fallon, Nev., where Charles took up a chair in a barbershop. In just a few months, with all of their personal belongings tucked around them, they graved those dusty gravel roads more than 1000 miles on the same motorcycle to Jackson, Wyoming.

Times were good in Jackson until fall with the end of hunting season and the coming of winter. There were no paying visitors to the barbershop. In desperation, Charles managed to sell his precious Indian cycle for enough money to buy passé on the horse-drawn bobsled carrying the mail over Teton Pass to Swanlake, Idaho. He then found a ride to Manila Utah, where they spent the winter.

With the coming of spring (and a new baby boy) the little family moved to Kemmerer and a chair in a barbershop. When Charles learned of a barbershop to be sold in Cokeville, the summer of 1928, they quickly moved again. A little sister, Joyce, was born.

The family was raised in Cokeville. Zella finished high school with the class of 1945, after meeting and marrying Cal Price, August 19, 1944. She followed him to his various stations in the Air Force. They included, Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Miss.; Scott Air Base in Bellville, Ill.; and Stewart Air Base in West Point, NY. She found work in the Post Exchange or other offices on the bases.

Before flying home from New York in October 1946, she and Cal took a yacht trip down the Hudson River to New York City. The world was alive with brilliant fall color. They visited all the sights, Radio City, the Empire State building, Rockefeller center, Coney Island, the Statue of Liberty and shopped in Sacks Fifth Avenue.

To Zella and Cal, three children were born, Stephen (Linda); Judy (Larry) Allen; Charlyn (Robert) Skinner. And later, a little boy was added to their family, Sage (Mary). They have 16 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.

Zella attended classes at Utah State, Heneger Business in Salt Lake City, and Gabilan College in Gilroy, California. She worked several years as a receptionist in the health department of San Jose State University.

She taught oil painting in her own art studio. She traveled more than 80,000 miles in a semi-truck with Cal; and went with him to teach English in Red China, Chongquing University, Sponsored by BYU from 1995-1996.

They worked side by side in their store, California and in Preston, Idaho for more than 10 years. During their marriage of more than 66 years, they moved households more than 30 times.

Funeral Services will take place on Friday, February 25, 2011 at 11:00 a.m in the Cokeville LDS Church.