Bradley Wayne Transtrum was born on September 20, 1951, in the Bear Lake Memorial Hospital to parents Wayne John Transtrum and Vermilla Eborn Transtrum. Brad passed away peacefully November 21st, 2025, at home in Logandale, NV where he and Marsha planned to spend the winter months.
Brad was raised in St. Charles, Idaho where from a young age was actively engaged in the ranch, fishing, hunting, and school. He spent as much time outdoors as possible and loved nature in its truest form. He also enjoyed school sports and participated in nearly all of them: football, basketball, wrestling, and track. He also participated in scouting and became an Eagle Scout.
Brad graduated from high school in 1969 and played fast pitch city-league softball and worked for the U.S. Forest Service for two summers. He attended Utah State University majoring in Big Game Management with emphasis on Range Management.
In November of 1970, he served a mission for Church of Jesus Christ in West Germany. When he returned home, he continued his education at Utah State University and started his career with the Forest Service as a Range Technician. He spent time in Nevada gaining field experience studying the sheep and cattle ranges there and helping on neighboring ranches on his days off. Brad was known to be a good team roper and heeled for various partners in many of the local open rodeos.
Brad married Marsha West on July 21, 1989, in Afton, Wyoming and became a stepdad to Shelly Nielson and Trinity Skinner and grandpa to two, Shanna and Thayne Nielson. His family continued to grow from there. Together, Brad and Marsha bought a ranch north of Montpelier where they raised cattle, sheep, and horses and worked hard to make it their dream place. In the early 2000's they spent many days up Skinner Canyon cutting and hauling logs to build a beautiful log home. Brad retired from the Forest Service in 2006 and they continued ranching. For a few years they sent their cows to winter pasture and went to a home they bought in Arizona. They would then return early to calve cows. Brad and Marsha had a passion for good cow horses. They have owned, bred, and raised many good ones over the years. They traveled to grass roots cow cuttings and were both very successful in team sorting and selling good all-around horses. Brad was well versed in cow horse pedigrees and their accolades.
In 2017 they decided to sell the ranch. Brad had many wonderful years of retirement spending winters in Arizona and Nevada and summers up north near Bear Lake. He was always up for whatever new adventure Marsha came up with and they had many. In 2023 they traveled to Costa Rica and even bought a home there. They recently had a beautiful home built on their property east of Montpelier.
Brad was an excellent storyteller and loved to tell many good tales of the friends, cowboys, and horsemen he had associated with over the years. He was incredibly quick witted and always kept his friends and family laughing.
He was a wonderful grandpa, and no one could tease quite like he could.
Brad was preceded in death by his parents Wayne and Vermilla Transtrum. He is survived by his wife Marsha and their daughters Shelly (Trent) Nielson, Trinity (Justin) Skinner, and grandchildren Shanna (Ike) Thomas, Thayne (Cathy) Nielson, Tanner (Stephanie) Nielson, Sidney (Garrett) Hutchison, Charly (Thayne) Christensen, McKay (Brinley) Skinner, Joshlyn (Lucas) Shewmaker, and great-grandchildren Mesa, Rio, Hayzen, Declan, Tao, Maverik, Teely, and Raela.
The family will hold a celebration of life in Montpelier, Idaho on August 1st, 2026. Location and time to be announced at a later time.