By Zane Davis
The Weiser Valley Round Up committee has been working tirelessly through the past 12 months to prepare for the 80th anniversary of the Weiser Valley Round Up Rodeo. There have been grounds improvements and the addition of a Buckaroo Breakfast and concerts on both Friday and Saturday nights after the rodeo performances. It only seemed fitting to find a true Weiserite and lover of all things rural and rodeo to serve as the Grand Marshal for the 80th anniversary. Therefore, the committee has proudly selected Marilyn Kelley as the 2025 Grand Marshal of the Weiser Valley Round Up.
Ms. Kelley was born in 1935 as Marilyn Barton in Ketchum, Idaho, but Marilyn states, “I’ve been a Weiser girl for 89 ¾ years”, having relocated here as an infant. Marilyn grew up as the only child on the Big A Ranch. She wasn’t expected to do much hard labor on the ranch, being a girl in the 1940’s, but she did raise orphan calves, care for the milk cows, and she was responsible for driving the derrick team of horses during haying season. Marilyn was a typical country girl, and had an unwavering love of horses, and spent every moment she could with or on a horse.
Marilyn Barton attended the Hale School on the Weiser Flat through 8th grade and graduated in 1953 from Hooker Hall at the Institute. Marilyn married Bill Keeney in August 1953 and they had 3 sons. The only time Marilyn has lived away from Weiser, was when Bill was enlisted in the Navy for 7-years, and they were stationed in San Diego, California, Millington, Tennessee, New Condon, Connecticut, and North Carolina. For the other 83-years of Marilyn’s illustrious life, she has resided in Weiser, Idaho.
Marilyn’s love for horses was on display for the Weiser community in 1953 when she served as the 2nd Princess on the Weiser Valley Round Up Court. Marilyn served with Shirley Hemenway, the 1st Princess, and Queen, Maxine Kelley, her future sister-in-law. Yes, you read that right, her fellow court member, Maxine Kelley, became her sister-in-law in November 1960 with her marriage to Vernon Kelley.
Vernon and Marilyn had 2 daughters; Karen and Kim, who both served as Weiser Valley Round-Up Royalty. Karen was the WVR queen in 1979, while Kim served as Princess in 1973, 1977, and 1982 and as WVR Queen in 1983 and 1984. There’s definitely royalty blood in the Kelley women.
Marilyn thinks back to her childhood and states that as a youngster, it was a tradition to ride in the rodeo parade on Thursday, and with the participation in the parade, she got free admission into the rodeo. She added, “You should bring back the parade.”
Marilyn Kelley has worn many hats in the community of Weiser, working harder than most men, including jobs as a back pen rider at the Weiser Livestock Sale and the Ontario Livestock Sale for 17-years. She worked with Sheriff Jim Johnston at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for 9-years and is best known for her tenure at the Weiser beet dump for 51-years, retiring at the young age of 81-years old.
In her retirement, Marilyn has enjoyed toll painting beautiful cartoon art, sewing, and crocheting afghans. She also enjoys spending time with her 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
At the young age of 90, Marilyn Kelley is the kind of person that makes Weiser a great place to live. She is a country girl through and through. She is smart and humble and worked hard her whole life. She loves family and the rural lifestyle, and the Weiser Valley Round Up is honored to have her represent our rodeo again, not as a buzzing princess, but as the coveted 2025 Grand Marshal. Thank you, Marilyn, for your lifetime of commitment to the Weiser Valley Round Up and the Weiser, Idaho community.
