Local farmer killed in tragic farm accident was charismatic, devoted and kind

CHESTERFIELD, Caribou County — A local husband, father and farmer is being remembered for being a “family guy” and “a friend to everyone.”

Tracy Josephson of Caribou County died Sept. 7 in a farm accident. His sister-in-law, Rane Jensen, told EastIdahoNews.com he was at his family farm in Bancroft when the incident happened. Josephson was fixing the disc machine, which is a piece of equipment that is pulled behind a tractor, when the hydraulic hose snapped while he was underneath it.

“Normally Tracy blocks it. Blocking it means you put in a safety block under the equipment to hold it in place when you’re working on it. For some reason, this time he didn’t,” Rane explained. “(His wife said) the way he crawled in or crawled out wasn’t the normal way that he usually gets underneath the piece of equipment. It sounded like he was crawling back out when the hydraulic snapped and then the equipment fell on top of him and pinned him under the disc.”

He was pronounced dead at Caribou Medical Center in Soda Springs. Josephson, 48, leaves behind his wife, LaVonne, and their 16-year-old daughter, Gracie, who has special needs.

“He was devoted, kind, protective, fun, silly, affectionate, very present, always up for a good time and very engaged,” LaVonne Josephson said in a statement to EastIdahoNews.com.

Rane added, “Tracy was super charismatic and very personable. He had a really easygoing, made you feel at home, personality.”

Rane said Josephson would call LaVonne and the two would talk for hours, something LaVonne said she is going to miss. He’d also leave notes for her and Gracie around the house.

“He and LaVonne were really good friends. They were a good team,” Rane mentioned. “Not everyone has it figured out but they had it figured out.”

Along with his love for his family, Josephson had a passion for cooking since he was a little kid. He enjoyed adding his own touch to recipes and making banana chocolate chip cookies with his daughter.

“A talented chef, Tracy was always in the kitchen, crafting new recipes and making sure everyone around him was well-fed,” his obituary states. “He took great pride in perfecting dishes and enjoyed nothing more than gathering family and friends around the table to share in his culinary creations.”

Josephson enjoyed traveling and wanted to show his family what the world had to offer. The day before the accident, he was with his mom trying to finish the final touches on an upcoming family trip to Hawaii.

“Tracy’s love for travel stemmed from his desire to create meaningful and lasting experiences,” his obituary reads. “He took great joy in planning family trips, always finding the scenic route and savoring life’s small moments.”

While this has been a devastating time for LaVonne and Gracie, LaVonne expressed her gratitude for those who have helped them.

“I’m humbled and I’m overwhelmed and I feel so blessed for all of the love and support shown to me and Gracie,” LaVonne said. “The whole thing is so surreal but the love that has been shown to me and Gracie means everything.”

To read Tracy’s obituary click here.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family cover the unexpected funeral expenses and support LaVonne and Gracie “as they navigate this heartbreaking chapter.” Click here to donate.

Venmo donations can also be made directly to LaVonne by clicking here.