Duane Z Youngberg, age 77, passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife and all nine children on February 5, 2020. Duane was born the second son of Evern Olend and Roxie May Zaugg Youngberg on December 11, 1942 in Murray, Utah.
He attended school at Weiser High School where he was the Sophomore Class President and played trombone in the dance band and Ford Smith’s famous marching band. He also played football for the Wolverines and fast pitch church baseball.
He met his bride, Bonnie Rhea Briggs, while attending BYU. They were married on May 27, 1966 and together they raised five sons and four daughters. They resided in Payette, Idaho for 37 years until recently moving to Star to be closer to their children.
Duane obtained a five year Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from BYU then moved his family to Illinois for his dream job working at John Deere Plow and Planter Works. He loved his time there as he traveled the states, combining his engineering with what he learned as a boy on his father’s farm. His unique ability to discover root issues proved to be invaluable to the company and farmers around the country.
The next chapter began with Duane and Bonnie’s deep desire to own their own business and to be close to extended family. This took them to the family farm in Weiser and later on to Meridian to be part owner of Idaho Business Consultants. In 1981 he founded SunTec Solar, moving his family to Payette, Idaho. The solar business was yet ahead of its time, so he transitioned to a more traditional business founding Youngberg Heating and Cooling. As a business owner he served on the Payette County Economic Development Committee. He retired in 2012 passing his business to his son.
Duane loved the Lord and spent many hours in His service. He served as a Bishop of the Payette 2nd Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in many other positions including Stake Young Men‘s President where he worked with the youth of the greater Weiser area. He served a proselytizing mission in his youth to the Central States Mission, and later with his wife on a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands where they created a community learning garden on the island of Kiribati.
Flying became a passion for Duane in the retired years of his life. This passion led him to help promote and restore the Payette Airport. He loved taking his family for rides around valley and being able to point out area landmarks. He also loved traveling with his wife to places such as Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Europe.
In retirement he continued working with his hands; in the garden, in the wood shop, remodeling investment properties, and with his children. He and his project buddies affectionately became known as “Three Buzzard Construction.”
Duane was preceded in death by his parents, Evern and Roxie Youngberg, his in-laws Robert and Cloketta Brough Briggs, and a nephew, Brent Youngberg.
He has left a great legacy in his children, Gary Duane (Lisa Jepperson), Danette (Tim Wahe), Peggy Sue (E. Brody Craney), Douglas Evern, Robert Bruce (Dawnessa Cole), David John (Maridyth Lindquist), Debbie Ann (Jacob Thompson), Curtis James (Shauna Guest), and Juleen (Matthew Frandsen), as well as 23 grandsons, 11 granddaughters, four step grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Lynn Zaugg (Valerie Paulin), Connie May (Reed Moser), Joanne (Dave Walton), Vaughn Evern (Janet Atkinson), Mary Jean (Clark Limb), Michael John (Lana Woodward), along with many nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services for Duane will be held Monday, February 10, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the LDS Chapel at 501 South Iowa Avenue, Payette, Idaho. A viewing will be precede the service and will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. There will be a celebration of his life Sunday evening February 9 at 6 p.m. at the LDS Chapel at 9400 West Floating Feather in Star, Idaho.
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