Louise "Skip" Leora Kubal

Louise Leora (LaCrone) Kubal passed away January 2, 2025 in Ontario, Oregon at the same hospital she was born in to Walker and Geneta (Lukehart) LaCrone. Her mother gave her the nickname “Skip” and was know as Skip then on.

She was raised on the family farm that her grandfather, James LaCrone, bought in 1924. It became a dairy farm after James purchased registered Guernsey Dairy Cows in 1927. Her father Walker was ceded the farm in 1934. She grew up helping with milking and feeding the cows, driving tractor, haying as well as other every day chores. 

Skip attended school in New Plymouth, with the exception of one or two years attending school in McCall, graduating from New Plymouth High School in 1956. She always said her Grandma Uptown (Estella Groves LaCrone) helped her get through school. Grandma Uptown would tutor and help her with her school work. Her Grandma Across the Road (Ida Bell Dee Lukehart) taught her how to sew.

She met Jess “Bub” Kubal in 1956 and they were married November 16, 1957 in Winnemucca, Nevada. They made their first home in Boise. Traveling back to New Plymouth as often as they could to attend the Sunday family dinners at the farm.

Even though they lived in Boise their children, Kim in 1958 and Jeff in 1959, were born in Ontario, Oregon. When Kim started school, Skip volunteered at the school and this meant that Jeff got to tag along. With Kim and Jeff in tow, Skip continued to drive back and forth to New Plymouth until the family moved there in 1967. Moving back to New Plymouth  and with her family’s help by watching Kim and Jeff, allowed Skip to attend beauty school in Payette. She became a Registered Cosmetician October 21, 1968. Skip and Bub bought their one and only home in New Plymouth from Milo and Ruth Bell in June of 1969. Having a working hair salon was an added bonus, allowing her to work and at the same time be a stay at home mom. They remained lifelong friends with Ruth and Milo. Ruth continued to work at the now “Skip’s Beauty Salon” for many years. Over time Skip’s clients became known as her “Ladies”. Kim and Jeff had a hard time getting away with anything in town because her “Ladies” would let her know when they didn’t behave or if they heard something when they came in for their hair appointment.

Skip led a busy life doing things and going places. She enjoyed going on scenic drives with Bub, Kim and Jeff as well as to the drive-in movies; camping and fishing; going shopping and eating afterwards with family members and/or friends; hosting and playing Pokeno; being active in the All Class Reunion Committee, planning many reunions with her good friend Myrna Gross and other alumni; taking pictures of anything and everything, leaving a bookcase full of photo albums to show for it; attending concerts at different venues with Neil Diamond being one of her favorites; watching The Antiques Roadshow and old western movies; and spending time with her great grandchildren with many sleep overs. Myrna kept her busy whenever she could talk her into doing something, going somewhere, or helping her with something. Skip and the kids would travel and stay with Bub at some of his out of town work locations, enjoying their extra time with him. She and Bub would take her mother and sometimes her father to Mexico with a stop at Disneyland durning one of the trips, then once stopping on their way back to see Jeff at college and before leaving, Jeff and his roommates were all given haircuts. Skip and the kids  continued to, as often as they could, attend the Sunday family dinners at the farm, with Bub coming as much as he could, until her mother passed away. Skip and Bub helped raise their grandsons, Robert and Josh and supported them at school events as they grew up. They were very avid supporters of Jeff during the years he raced his funny car. One time taking her sister, Ila, with her to a Beauty Convention being held over several days on a cruise and another time when she vacationed at Los Cabos with her sisters, Penny and Ila, sister-in-law, Karen and friend Jeri. There were a few fun gambling trips over the years made to Jackpot or Elko, Nevada. During the time Kim owned the Red Carpet Pizza Parlor in New Plymouth, she would schedule her “Ladies” at times that allowed her to go help at the pizza parlor, mostly during lunch time and on occasion all day when Kim and her family went on vacation. There were a few camping trips to the South Fork of the Salmon River with her family and her siblings and their families and in later years Skip, Jeff and his son Nick went camping at Cabin Creek. With many other memories made throughout the years.

During the holidays she would decorate her shop and home. At Halloween Skip would make a large pot of stew for family and friends to stop by and eat before heading out to trick or treat; she enjoyed seeing all the kids in their costumes come to her door. Skip hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners (with a scaled back Christmas dinner the next day) where no one ever left hungry. Everyone especially loved her homemade biscuits and homemade cinnamon rolls.

A very memorable time for Skip was when she hosted a foreign exchange student, Irina Dotsenko, from Kyrgyzstan in 1999. She made it her mission to see that Irina got to experience things and go places that Irina had on her list. They developed a lasting relationship, staying in contact throughout the years by mail, email and on rare occasion a phone call. Skip spoke of Irina with love, affection and pride.

Skip was deeply affected by the deaths of her husband Bub on April 3, 1991 and her daughter Kim December 26, 2013.

She finally retired in June of 2015 and was looking forward to being retired. In July of 2015, Skip was hospitalized for over a month due to complications from double pneumonia with a stay in a rehab facility before coming home. She struggled with short term memory loss and her health was a constant concern with many visits to the emergency room, some becoming 2 or more days stay in the hospital. The past year her health and memory started declining faster to the point her grandson, Nick, moved in with her to take care of her until she passed away.

Skip liked sharing and talking of how her family’s roots started in New Plymouth. She kept many records and notes pertaining to her parents and grandparents as well as pictures.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Walker and Geneta LaCrone; husband, Bub Kubal; daughter, Kim Zueger; infant sister, Shirley LaCrone; sister, Terry Frates; sister-in-law, Karen LaCrone; and two nephews.

Skip is survived by her son, Jeff Kubal (Tina Tropf and her sons, Derek and Aaron); sisters, Ila Schilling and Penny LaCrone; brother, Dale LaCrone; grandsons, Robert Presher, Josh Presher, and Nick Kubal; great grandchildren, Harley, Hailey Presher, Jordan Presher, and Justin Presher; and great-great grandchildren, Weslyne and Colton; several nieces and nephews; Cindy Blevins, who was Kim’s best friend and like a daughter to her; her good friend Myrna Gross; and Irina Volf, who came to her as an exchange student but left as a beloved friend.