Ronald A Tietjen of Rexburg, Idaho passed away on Friday, March 17, 2023, at the age of 77.

His family invites friends and loved ones to attend the funeral services. An evening viewing will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2023, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Flamm Funeral Home, 61 North 1st East, Rexburg, ID.

A morning viewing will be held on Friday, March 31, 2023, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Rexburg Center Stake Chapel, 590 Summerwood Drive, Rexburg, ID, followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. at the same location. For those who are unable to attend in person, services will be live streamed at: https://my.gather.app/remember/ron-tietjen

A luncheon will be provided at 1:00 p.m. for family relatives.

The burial will take place at Ucon Cemetery, 3960 105th North, Idaho Falls, ID at 3:00 p.m.

We appreciate the overwhelming love and support we have received during this challenging time. For those who have kindly inquire about contributing towards the funeral expenses, we have set up a fund for donations. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/21844cf9

Venmo: @Diane-Tietjen-1

Ron's Biography

Ronald was born April 14, 1945 in New Bern, North Carolina to Amos Junior Tietjen and Beth Davenport Tietjen.

He grew up in Bluewater, New Mexico fixing cars with his cousins and milking the family cow.  This instilled in him a love of mechanics and electronics but not a desire to own his own cow.

At the age of 19, he began his lifelong mission of service, starting with a mission for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in the Northwestern States mission.

After returning from his first mission, he attended Ricks College, where he completed an associate degree and found a lovely young lady named Mary Diane Wilson, from Boise, Idaho.

Ron and Diane married on August 8, 1969, in the Idaho Falls, Idaho, LDS Temple. They made their home in Rexburg, Idaho. There, he followed his father's legacy as a television, radio, and satellite TV technician for El-Gene's in Rexburg and Merlin's TV in Idaho Falls. Later in life, after raising seven sons and three daughters, he took a nine-year sabbatical with his children's software venture as an accountant and trusted fatherly advisor. After that, he returned to work with his brother, Bill Tietjen, at Merlin's TV.

While his own children were still young, Ron followed the tradition of his father as a Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, during which time he continued his mission to raise young men (including his own) through the years by way of the Scouting programs.  After hundreds of scout campouts, he inadvertently led his own children to believe he loved camping.  Later on, he admitted that he didn't actually enjoy sleeping on the hard ground or in the cold snow while camping. However, he believed that his greater mission was to build young men, and he continued to serve as a Scoutmaster and Vanguard Trainer for his entire life. He was awarded the coveted Silver Beaver Award for his many years of service.

Many lives were made better because of his patient service, whether by taking time to teach his children's friends to repair 'his' vehicles or by spending time with his scouts, past and present, neighbors close and far.  Ron spent his life in the service of all.

Since his younger days in New Mexico watching the cargo trains pull their endless line of cars across the desert prairies, Ron has had an endless fascination with trains.  He passed it on to his children and grandchildren with his model train sets and Diane's paintings of trains and tracks.  He created children-sized train cars to pull behind the tractor mower and transported them to many family, church, and Cub Scout events. His trains never ceased to bring joy to the children.

Later in life after the children were grown, Ron fulfilled his lifelong dream of serving another mission, this time to Australia, together with his precious wife Diane, where many more lives were touched by their service. While there, he finally got to ride a train for the first time at age 67 - and loved it!

Ron has served in various positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Elders Quorum President, Scoutmaster, Bishopric, Sunday School Teacher, Ward Missionary, and Branch Presidency.  He was most recently serving the branch of the Homestead Assisted Living Center in Rexburg.

Ron was married to Diane for over 53 years.  Their 10 children are Robert A (Susan) Tietjen, Lynn (Rebecca) Tietjen, Wayne (Anna) Tietjen, Douglas (Christy) Tietjen, Valerie Tietjen, Natalie (Robert) Ziegler, Anthony (Alisha) Tietjen, Ashley (Michelle) Tietjen, Tiffanie (John) Mattson, Charles (Nancy) Tietjen. His siblings are Kathy (Allen) Payne, Bill (Cindy) Tietjen, Relda (Lonnie) Jacobson, Bruce (Jill) Tietjen.  They also have 52 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bruce, and his brother-in-law, Allen Payne.

Services will be live streamed at: https://my.gather.app/remember/ron-tietjen