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06/20/2023 - Mountain Home, ID, USA

John Louis Cristobal 86, of Mountain Home, Idaho passed away at his home on June 20,2023.

Dad was born December 16, 1936 in Mountain Home in a little house located where U.S. Bank is now. He had four older sisters who spoiled him rotten. When he was six years old his Mom and Dad divorced. This left his uncle Domingo Mendiola to step in as a father figure and encourage his Basque Heritage.

Dad attended all his school years in Mountain Home graduating from Mountain Home High School in 1955.

He met Barbara “Barb” Strickland from Bruneau at a basketball game. They were married December 3, 1955 in Elko, NV. In 1959, their daughter Chris was born and son John was born in 1963.

He worked for Johnson Brothers, MHAFB Civil Service Carpenter Shop and at one point he owned a Service Station which he found out pretty quickly that he was not a mechanic.

In 1980 Dad and Mom decided to start their own construction company. With the help of their family and friends working weekends as cheap labor, he established Cristobal Construction. He believed his success in the construction business was because of his dedicated employees and the trust his customers had in him.

After 52 years of marriage, Mom passed away on January 20, 2007.

In 2010 he met Mary Holm who enjoyed accompanying him to the hills where they took pictures of all the wildlife. The passion he had in the past for hunting with a gun, became hunting with a camera. Mary passed away in 2019.

Dad was avid golfer and hunter. He always said it was just for fun, but he loved the competition and everyone that knew him knew it too. He would give you a smile and keep chipping in amazing golf shots or shooting geese before you could get your gun raised.

Dad is preceded in death by: His father John Cristobal, mother Louisa Uriona Cristobal Juantorena Meabe Sisters: Evelyn Gisler, Lola Moore, Amelia Lothrop and Joanna Tate, and his wife Barbara which he still had his wedding ring on until the day he passed away.

Dad is survived by his children: Chris “Mark” Alzola, John M. “Julie” Cristobal and Grandchildren: John Tyler “JT” and his wife Jessica Cristobal, Jacci Cristobal, Jett Cristobal, and Jazzi Cristobal, step sister Penny Stubbs and friend Patty McFarland.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Mountain Home Elks Lodge on Friday July 7th at 5:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: Mtn. Home Basque Association, 4th of July Streetwalkers c/o MHFD or your favorite charity.

Everyone that is reading this knows Dad treasured his family and friends and a good B.S. session as long as it didn’t get in the way of hunting.

Dad go get your limit and maybe one extra for the pot!!!

(Published in Mountain Home News)

Gugan Bego (GB) - May he Rest in Peace