BURLEY--<! > Hermon Edwin King, 87-year-old Burley resident, died Tuesday January 9, 2001, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He was born July 20, 1913, in Idaho Falls, ID the son of Milton Hermon and Edith Jane Doud King. He graduated from Burley High School in 1931, at-tended Idaho State University for two years, and trans-ferred to Stanford University where he graduated in 1935. He continued at Stan-ford for two more years completing a Masters in Business Administration in 1937. While there, he met his future wife, Jean Booth, of Portland, OR.
Hermon was introduced to the variety store business at an early age. His father, M.H. King, opened the first King's store in Burley in 1915. During the early years, the King family lived in the back of the store making it possible for his mother to supervise children and still be available to help customers as needed. As a youngster, Hermon loved being in the store and helping his parents. Freight, in those days, often arrived in large barrels and one of his jobs was to be lowered into those barrels to unpack merchandise from the bottom half. As he grew older, he spent summers and school holidays working in the stores filling in wherever he was needed. During college holidays he was sent out to manage stores for a week or two while the regular manager was on vacation. He also worked in the warehouse.
After college, his father had decided that Hermon should have experience with another company before continuing with Kings, so Hermon went to New York in the fall of 1937, and worked a year for the W.T. Grant Co. With the money he saved from that job, he bought a bicycle, had it shipped to England and bicycled through Europe. This was the fall of 1938, and he managed to get trapped, temporarily, in Czechoslovakia when the border was closed and war clouds were gathering.
In August of 1939, Hermon and Jean were married in Portland and moved to Burley. Hermon worked with his father until he went into the Navy in 1943. He was stationed at the Oakland Supply Depot and at the Demolition Base on Maui as a supply officer. In 1945, he became vice-president and treasurer of the company, which consisted of 10 stores at that time. It was about this time that the M. H. King Foundation was established to provide charitable contributions to worthy causes throughout the intermountain region. In 1948, he learned to fly, making it easier to travel between stores. In 1949, he took over leadership of the company. In 1951, his father died and Hermon became president. There were 15 stores established at that time. Currently there are more than 30 stores in a six state region.
Hermon was a member of Rotary International for over 60 years and served as President in 1949. He was President of the Chamber of Commerce and served as chairman of the school board for five years. He was a lifetime member of the Methodist Church and served on church building committees during two major campaigns. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the College of Idaho and served there for seven years. He was also active on the Snake River Boy Scout Council, flying supplies into remote locations and boating down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The Burley Chamber of Commerce honored him as Burley Businessman of the Year in 1980. He has also been a member of the Foundation Board of the College of Southern Idaho, served on the Advisory Board of Key Bank and served as Chairman of the Regional Association of Variety Stores. He was a long-standing member of the Burley Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite Masons and El Korah Shrine Temple. He was a major contributor to the Scottish Rite Learning Center in Twin Falls.
Hermon loved to travel with his wife and frequently joined with the Stanford University Alumni Studies programs. He loved music, history, photography, playing bridge and studying the world of investments. He and his wife began wintering in Arizona over 15 years ago and he enjoyed volunteering with the Golden K's in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
Survivors include two sons, Dr. Frazier King (Suzanne), Morgan, UT, Tom King (Angela), Burley; three daughters, Linda Brewer, San Francisco, Edi L. King, Denver, Liz King, Sebastopol, CA; six grandchildren; and two sisters, Dorothy K. Wilson, Santa Rosa, CA, Bertha Jean Moe, Olympia, WA. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean B. King; parents; sister, Ardith Thatcher; and one grandson.
The funeral will be held 1 p.m. Thurs. Jan 18, 2001, at the King Fine Arts Center, 2200 Parke Ave, Burley, with The Reverend Al Trachsel, of the Burley United Methodist Church, officiating. Interment will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery. Friends may call at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St, Burley, Wed. Jan 17, 2001, 6-8 p.m.
The family suggests donations be directed to the Mount Harrison Heritage Foundation, the Southern Idaho Learning Center, the College of Southern Idaho Foundation, the Idaho Youth Ranch, or the United Methodist Church Foundation, in care of Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St, Burley, ID 83318.