Well-known Fruitland teacher passes
Dwaine Tesnohlidek was a fixture at school district

By Larry Hurrle
Argus Observer
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 11:00 AM PDT

FRUITLAND — The community of Fruitland has lost an icon.

Dwaine Tesnohlidek, a fixture in Fruitland for the past 50 years, died Thursday in a local assisted living facility. Tesnohlidek, known more commonly as “Tess” taught agricultural science and was an FFA adviser for more than 35 years.

Tesnohlidek originally took a job with the Wilder School District after he and his wife, Carolyn, graduated from the University of Idaho. Shortly after starting in Wilder, he accepted a job with the Fruitland School District. The district offered jobs for both his and his wife.

“Our intentions were to teach and save money,” Tesnohlidek said in a 2003 interview.

He said the plan was to save enough money to return to southeastern Idaho, where both he and Carolyn were raised. “After three years, we forgot about Twin Falls County.”

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Tesnohlidek’s career included seeing six State FFA presidents come from the Fruitland FFA Chapter and two National FFA vice presidents. Tesnohlidek also spawned the careers of 17 ag teachers who attended his classes at Fruitland.

He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fruitland Chamber of Commerce in 2003 and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Payette County this year.

Some of his former students include Tom Limbaugh, mayor of Fruitland; Larry Church, now a Payette County Commissioner. and Troy Wright, a current FFA adviser at Fruitland High School.

“He set a pretty high standard,” Wright said about Tesnohlidek. “He worked very hard to keep those standards. Some of the things we do are because of him.”

Wright said he could never fill the shoes of Tesnohlidek, who still maintains an iconic symbol in the state and national FFA realm. Wright said while at the National FFA Convention last year in Indianapolis, he was approached by a person who saw “Fruitland” on a student’s FFA jacket.

“They wanted to know if I knew ‘Tes,’” Wright said “He’s well known at the state and even national levels.”

Wright said Tesnohlidek was a fair teacher and pushed student to achieve their full potential.

“He had an idea what your potential was,” Wright said. “He pushed you very hard to reach that potential. I admire than and I try to do the same.

“I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for him.”