Since childhood during the Depression, George Toner said he rarely turned down work–no matter what it was–even driving truck at age 7 during a harvest near Burley in southeastern Idaho, where he grew up.
“Whatever crop we were working on, they put the truck in a low, slow gear and had me stand on the seat, so I could see where I was going,” said Toner, 94, who lives north of Burley in Paul. “At the end of the row, someone would get in and turn the truck for me, then we’d go down another row.”
Toner was born March 21, 1929, at a time when children and teens were relied on for arm labor. “I always found some kind of work—thinning sugar beet fields, driving a truck, picking potatoes, selling newspaper subscriptions, and working at a service station. I’ve always just worked and did my best to do the job right the first time.”
He never outgrew his childhood work ethic. Relying on it, he prospered in his various careers as an auto mechanic, carpenter, building contractor, and pilot.
When he wasn’t helping with harvest, after school he worked at a service station repairing and lubricating cars, cleaning restrooms, pumping gas, and fixing tires.
“I saved my money and bought my first car when I was 12,” he said of a 1933 Chevrolet that cost $175. “Back then, you didn’t need a license to drive—you just needed a car. The service station was next to Payne Mortuary, so sometimes I was hired to transport bodies, too.”
At age 15, one unforgettable trip took him to Helena, Montana and back during a blizzard just before Christmas 1944. A couple was heading home to Helena, when the husband died suddenly at a hotel in Burley.
“The mortuary owner volunteered me to drive her home in their truck with the body in the back under the camper shell. They paid me $20 and gave me a bus ticket to get back to Idaho. The snow was deep, the roads were slick, and it was 44 below zero in Burley. I didn’t sleep for about 48 hours because we had such bad weather, a flat tire, and road closures on the way home. I finally got back on Christmas Eve in the afternoon.”
With what little spare time he had, he spent with his future wife, Rosie, who had moved to town in 1945.
“She was the one for me and always encouraged me with whatever job I had,” Toner said. “We were married on August 25, 1947, and were blessed to spend 74 years and five months together. We raised three wonderful children, Sandra, Michael, and Daniel.”
They built two homes for themselves after Toner got off work as an auto mechanic.
Restless to start a new career, he established Toner Construction in 1972. Homes and businesses he and employees built are still as sturdy as when they were constructed decades ago in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Oregon. He built truck stops, car washes, and 39 airplane hangars in Burley, homes, and townhouses.
His homes were innovative with water source heat pumps and a touch plate panel for electrical switches throughout a home.
“At the panel, I could turn lights on and off anywhere in the house or garage,” he said. “I used to tell electricians they would understand the panel if they had ever wired a car. It all made sense to me.”
To get to his construction jobs quickly, Toner earned his pilot license in 1967 and eventually owned four planes. His son Daniel now runs Toner Construction.
“I still go out with him on calls sometimes,” said Toner of a recent visit to a palatial 10,000-square-foot home near Twin Falls. “I started it in 2004 and finished it three years later.”
Toner Construction still does occasional projects for the residents. At the entry, Toner designed an impressive 20,000-pound freestanding stairway with customized wrought iron railing and travertine steps. The stairs alone required 6,000 pounds (2,721.55 kg) of steel. He also designed and built a spiral staircase.
“There was one heck of a lot of steel in that property,” he said.
Outside the home, he erected a 500-foot-long fence with 42 concrete pillars, customized wrought iron, and one rolling gate in front and two hinge gates in back.
“We poured 200 yards (0.18 km) of concrete for the fence, gates and posts,” Toner said. “That job was challenging, but it was appealing because it was so different. I felt privileged to work for such friendly people. Throughout all my careers, I’ve met great people.” ISI
