Clarence Ray Kesler Jr.

Clarence Ray “CR” Kesler, Jr.

August 27, 1932 to March 24, 2026

CR Kesler, 93, of Nyssa Oregon died of natural causes on the 24th of March.  Services will be held on April 3, 2026, at the Nyssa Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  A viewing will be held on the 3rd from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.  Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m.  Burial will follow at Nyssa’s Hilltop Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Lienkaemper Chapel.

CR was born August 27, 1932, in Burley, Idaho, to Clarence Ray Kesler and Emma Alice Goodfellow.  CR had two older sisters, Ruth and Nancy, and two younger sisters, Karma and Sally.  CR’s brother, Karl, is his only living sibling.

CR’s family moved to Nyssa in 1946 and he graduated from Nyssa High School in 1950.  He joined the National Guard in February of 1952.  He was drafted in December of that year and went to Camp Roberts in California for six weeks of basic training.  CR shipped out to Korea in early 1953.  While in Korea he served in the Military Police and he also drove for a colonel.  He returned to the United States and was discharged from active duty in October of 1954.  He remained in the Army reserves until January 1961.

CR met Colleen Moore while he was on a date with his fiancée and Colleen was on a date with one of CR’s best friends, Jerry Williams.  CR and Colleen had a whirl-wind romance and they were sealed on November 15, 1956, in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple.  They settled in Nyssa where CR milked dairy cows and farmed with his father.  In 1957 they had their first child and Colleen chose to be a full-time mother, helping CR on the farm by doing the bookkeeping, driving corn truck, and keeping CR fed!!  Over the years their farming operation produced hay, wheat, field corn, mint, sugar beets, potatoes, and onions. CR helped take a large portion of their original farm out of sagebrush, some by horse and plow and some with one of the newest tractors in the valley. CR loved farming with his father, and with his children and grandchildren.

CR was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He served in many callings in the church over the years including in the scouting program, in the young men’s organization, as Elder’s Quorum President (twice), and on the high council.  He served as the Bishop of the Nyssa II Ward from June of 1992 through October of 1998.  CR and Colleen also served together as temple workers in the Boise Idaho Temple for approximately 8 years.

CR loved driving fast cars, camping, elk hunting, and traveling with family and friends.  He loved Nyssa and the Treasure Valley and felt blessed to be able to call this area home.  CR’s greatest joy was found in his faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in his family.  He loved having large family gatherings, eating lots of good food, and watching his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow.  He always wanted to know that everyone was safe and happy.

CR and Colleen’s union was blessed with six children, and they were able to celebrate 66 years of marriage before she passed away in 2023.  CR is also proceeded in death by his parents, five of his siblings, and two granddaughters:  Meranda and Michelle.  CR is survived by his children and their spouses: Paul (Rene’), Lynn (Shelly), Scott (Brenda), Kathy (Nathan), Karla (Brian), and Corey (Jerri), 26 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren.

A service will be held Friday, April 3, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1309 Park Avenue, Nyssa, Oregon. A burial will follow at Hilltop Cemetery in Nyssa. Arrangements are under the direction of Lienkaemper Funeral Chapel.