Ross Tarter

Richard “Ross” Tarter passed away Nov. 18, 2020, at his home on Mann Creek after a short battle with cancer.
 Ross was born Nov. 21, 1944 in Cambridge, Idaho to Elton and Louise Tarter.  
 The eldest of five children, he grew up on the family ranch on Mann Creek and worked on the family cow/calf operation until the age of 20.
 Ross married Joyce McIntosh and they were parents to three children.  They later divorced.  
 Ross married Jackie Gaston in 1983 and they resided in the original family home of his grandparents, J.A. “Brownie” and Anna Tarter on Mann Creek.
 Ross enjoyed driving fast cars as a young man and was also a natural from an early age when it came to operating large machinery. If it moved, he could figure out how to make it work.  
 He began working for MacGregor Triangle and other large northwest heavy construction companies after leaving the family ranch. He later owned and operated his own construction company, Tarter Excavation, until his retirement.
 He was a highly skilled backhoe operator and competed in Case Equipment’s Backhoe Rodeo, a prestigious competition that tested operators’ skills in a number of complex maneuvers. Ross placed third out of 125 contestants and was very proud of that accomplishment.
 After his retirement, he took up gardening, singing karaoke, reading, and trap shooting. He and Jackie  traveled to many trap-shooting events around the Northwest, where he won or placed in many of them.  It was an activity that they both excelled at and enjoyed doing together. He also loved singing at karaoke events and had a wonderful baritone voice.
 Retirement also allowed Ross to do historical research on the Mann Creek area and to pursue his enjoyment of cooking, particularly baking. He was rightfully proud of his fancy holiday breads.
 Ross was preceded in death by his parents, his three children, sons Layne and Devin, daughter Janna, and his step-son, Darren Tarter.
 He is survived by his wife of nearly 39 years, Jackie, sisters Sandra (Dennis) Cooper of Weiser, Carol Tarter (Lynn Coleman) of Weiser, brothers Allen Tarter, Boise, and Daniel (Marilyn) Tarter, Missoula, Mont., father-in-law Wayne Quigley, Weiser, sisters-in-law Luceile (Roly) Faerber, Issaquah, Wash., and Eva Maestas (Don Nelson), Weiser, and numerous nieces and nephews as well as many friends that he considered family.  
 He will be missed by many.  
 A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in his name to the Tarter Children Memorial Fund at Idaho Youth Ranch.