MOST FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM IDAHO

LILLIAN DISNEY

Photo: wikipedia.org

Lillian was the wife of the famous Walt Disney. She was known to be the sounding board for all of his ideas and she, herself came up with many ideas Walt used to power up his Disney empire.

It was Lillian that named Mickey Mouse. The original name Walt came up with was Mortimer.

Lillian grew up in Idaho’s, Spalding community within the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. She was the tenth and youngest child in a family that faced financial struggles. She completed her graduation from Lapwai High School, Idaho and studied in the Business College at the University of Idaho for one year, before moving to Los Angeles in December 1923 to live with her sister Hazel. Lillian was hired by Walt and his brother Roy to do some artwork for a project they were working on and the rest is history. Walt and Lillian fell in love

ERNEST HEMMINGWAY

Photo: wikipedia.org

Ernest Hemmingway didn’t technically come from Idaho but Idaho became his home. Our beautiful state became Hemmingway’s oasis. His escape from the fame and the craziness that comes with money, attention, and jealousy. Maybe that’s why we all feel so blessed living here in the Treasure Valley. We’ve had the blessing of living here for a long, long time.

The above picture is Ernest Hemmingway at Silver Creek near Picabo, Idaho. He loved the outdoors and he loved to fish. These are the happy moments we want to remember. The truth is, Mr. Hemmingway had demons like most of us do. He struggled internally and those struggles ultimately led to his death right here in Idaho.

Towards the end of his life, Hemmingway became disoriented and struggled with his sight. He was on the verge of a breakdown and took to his bed for several days and retreated into silence even though his latest book was getting great reviews and his professional life seemed to be flourishing.

Hemmingway showed lots of signs of dementia and ultimately took his own life in the early morning hours on July 2, 1961.

LANA TURNER

Photo: wikipedia.org

Lana Turner was her screen name. Her real name was Julia Jean Turner and she was born at Providence Hospital in Wallace, Idaho.

In the 1940’s Lana was a pinup model and actress making A LOT of money. Her movies were bringing in so much money she was personally responsible for making MGM more than $50 million during her career which was HUGE at that time in history. Lana was THE highest paid actress in the world in the 1940’s.

Lana’s successes came with her critics as well. She was scrutinized in the media after her teenage daughter stabbed her lover, Johnny Stompanato to death in their home during a domestic dispute.

Turner was a drinker and a smoker most of her life. Eventually she came down with cancer which ultimately took her life at the age of 74 on June 29, 1995.