William "Bill" Charles Borneman, 62, a resident of Gooding, Idaho, died from a farm accident at the family farm in rural Gooding County.
Bill was born on May 5, 1957, in Quincy, California, the son of Frank and Dorothy (Garms) Borneman. He was raised and educated in Quincy until 1972 when the family moved to Gooding, Idaho. The first grain crop on the Gooding farm needed to be harvested, so asking the locals “who is the best combiner around?” they were referred to Jim Bright and his Gleaner A’s. Bill was thoroughly impressed! During his time attending Gooding High School he became active in FFA, and the budding love and fascination of Gleaner combines fueled his FFA project of starting a custom harvesting business, his first combine, a Gleaner C, was purchased.
He graduated from Gooding High School in 1975 and that summer answered a “help wanted” ad in the recently discovered High Plains Journal and joined a custom harvesting crew from Oklahoma that ran 2 brand new Gleaner M combines. Following that experience he joked that before he died he wanted to be a Texan, Okie, or a Kansan. He attended and graduated from Eastern Idaho Vo-Tech with a diesel mechanics certificate in 1977. He later went on and worked for various implement dealers in Idaho and Colorado before returning to the family farm to pursue custom harvesting and equipment repair and salvage.
In 1983, Bill met Donna Huber and they were married on June 23, 1984 in Gooding. A year later they began farming and since then they have worked side by side the duration of their marriage. In June of 1989, their daughter Sarah was born and son Robert was born in August 1990. In 1993, they purchased a homestead and grassland in Ransom, Kansas and moved in 1994. This is when Bill began the business of used farm equipment sales, and was rather pleased to then get the High Plains Journal even earlier so he wouldn’t miss out on all the bargains. They resided there until 1999 when they bought their Edson, Kansas farm. Bill continued with the equipment sales and did small-time custom harvesting, and later took over farming the Edson farm. In 2018, following the passing of his mother, Bill and Donna returned to Gooding to manage the family farm.
Bill is survived by his wife of 35 years, Donna of Gooding and his daughter, Sarah of Hays, KS and son, Robert of Edson, KS, his sister Kathy Spooner of Moss Bluff, Louisiana, his cousins Herb, Gary and Gayle Garms, and Tom and Jim Borneman, his many brother and sister-in-laws and many more nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Dorothy.
Bill will be remembered for his vast collection of Gleaner combines, Oliver tractors, his thrill of a good auction (and running to get the next bargain at the other auction ring), his willingness to help a fellow man, his story telling, and not knowing a stranger.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a Hospice organization of your choice or to plant a tree in remembrance, or to spend on that pile of junk wagon goodies or a Gleaner combine at an auction so Bill doesn’t have to take it home.
Cremation arrangements are under the care and direction of Demaray Funeral Service – Gooding Chapel.