Sep. 9, 1928 - Sep. 1, 2026
Date of Service: Sep. 9, 2026
BURLEY – David was born on September 9, 1928, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and left this earthly home on September 1, 2026, in the early morning hours. Born Bobby Jo Simpson, he was abandoned as a five-year-old boy during the Great Depression and spent two weeks on his own with his three siblings before being sent to an orphan’s home. When he was seven, Granvel R. and Christine Ayers Hairston went to the orphanage looking for the strongest, hardest working young boy and took him home and gave him the name, David Bruce Hairston. He worked hard on their farm milking cows, breaking horses and plowing fields. He had to grow up fast and learn to work hard. When he had free time, he could be found hunting squirrels in the timber with his dogs. It was working on the farm where he developed a profound love of horses.
At the age of seventeen, he signed up for the Army. He was deployed to Germany for three years during the World War II Occupation and then spent another year stateside serving his country before being honorably discharged in 1949. A true patriot, David never lost his American pride and always insisted a flag fly over his home even during his last days.
Shortly after returning home to Oklahoma, he “went to town” in Wann and ran into Betty Jo June Folk at a small get together. They had known of each other for years, but once they started dating, they quickly married on April 15, 1950. They welcomed their first daughter, Marsha, in 1951 and a son, David Hairston Jr., in 1952. While in Oklahoma, David competed in several rodeos, many times with famous members of the Rodeo Cowboys Association, RCA, which later became the PRCA. He rode bulls and calf roped before a back injury sidelined his rodeo career.
In November of 1960, the family packed up and moved to Murtaugh, Idaho, in search of better job opportunities. In the years that followed, David spent many years working as a ranch hand and foreman on feedlots and ranches in Idaho, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. David was a talented horseman and cattleman. He would often take horses that no one wanted to ride and turn them into a working ranch horse. If Dave couldn’t break them, they weren’t worth keeping! He would often tell stories about “riding the rough string.” He could spot a sick cow in a feedlot when it was showing the very first signs of illness which made for small death rates. He was also very good at guessing cattle weights and could pick out a truckload of cattle without weighing them and after the truck was loaded the weight was right on target.
After retiring he and Betty went back to Oklahoma in 1995 and stayed there until 2005, when the great-grandchildren started coming. They returned to Idaho and settled in Burley closer to their family. Until the last month when his health deteriorated, he was still mowing his lawn, watering the cows and taking great care of their small acreage. His mind was sharp until his very last days and we enjoyed the stories he could recall of his youth. When asked the secret to a long, healthy life he replied, “Drink buttermilk to keep your bones strong and read something every day to keep your mind sharp.”
David is survived by his loving wife of 76 years, Betty; his daughter, Marsha (Milt) Oman; and son, Davy (Mickie) Hairston; six grandchildren; twenty great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild due in January 2027.
David was predeceased by his parents, his siblings; three grandsons, Rowdy, Rusty and Ryan Hairston; and one great-granddaughter, Mackley Oman.
A lifelong Baptist, David knew his Lord and Savior and had accepted His free gift of eternal life. Therefore, we have great comfort in the knowledge that he is with the Lord, pain free and waiting for his family to join him.
David will be laid to rest on his 98th birthday. The funeral will be held at 11 am on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at Rasmussen Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E, 16th Street, in Burley. Burial will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery in Burley. Military rites will be provided by the Idaho Army National Guard and the Mini-Cassia Veterans Group.
Family and friends will be received from 5 until 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, and one hour prior to the funeral on Wednesday, at the funeral home.
