'The House that Jeremy Built' aims to revamp Washoe Park's stadium (corrected)

The Wayne Estes Basketball Tournament is underway this weekend, held annually in honor of the late great Anaconda and Utah State star athlete. But back in 1972, just seven years after Estes had died tragically while attempting to assist motorists at the scene of an accident, his parents awarded the first Anaconda Little League MVP trophy in their son's name to a then-youth baseball player named Gary Funston. 

"When they handed it to me I promised them and my parents that I would go play pro baseball, and when I came back I would renovate the Washoe Park baseball field in Wayne Estes' name," said Funston in an interview with the Anaconda Leader on Monday. 

Funston progressed his way up through the levels of American Legion Baseball and as he was aging out of the program he was introduced to the northwest scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Johnny Russell, which eventually led to tryouts with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodges and Milwaukee Brewers, but over time he got burned out with baseball. 

"I ended up going to college in Billings," he said. "Then I got a job on the railroad as a locomotive engineer – a switchman first and worked my way up." 

Funston continued working on the railroad, but then tragedy struck again: on Nov. 7, 2010 his son Jeremy was killed in an automobile accident in Billings. 

"The night before I was to bury my son, my nephews Chris and Sean and I walked down the No. 1 fairway at Larchmont Golf Course in Missoula where my son and I played golf together. They read this poem," Funston said. The poem reads: "We each loved someone, and someone loved us. Find those memories and cherish them. Remember first that they lived, not that they died. I want to remember the life not just the death. Live through the hurt so that joy can return to warm your heart. No matter which holiday it is for you, and no matter the season of your grief, say thank you for a life well lived and loved. It wasn't long enough – it never would have been. But it was a little while. They lived. We loved them. We still do. Thanks for the little while."

"At that time I told them I would open up a foundation in Jeremy's name, and the promise I made to Joe and Helen Estes, I would do the project through my son's foundation." Funston said. "And here we are. A promise made is a promise kept after 54 years." 

That foundation, The House That Jeremy Built, is in its infancy but the intent is "to mobilize community generosity to honor Jeremy's memory by funding programs that help children thrive and by enriching and strengthening the broader community," its mission statement reads. "Our first priority is to raise funds to rebuild, revamp and improve the Washoe Park baseball stadium and field. We also aim to support youth athletics, education and after-school enrichment, food security, holiday gifts and community-building initiatives, ensuring every child and family has access to opportunity, support and belonging." 

"My son was one of these kids who was well known and respected and he had a lot of respect for other people. He was big hearted. He was the first grandchild out of 22, in both families," Funston said. "He was always giving. One of the things he wanted to do, he wanted to take care of needy people. He always thought of them. He loved kids. He loved coaching them and teaching them, bettering the kids. I think the mission statement fits him perfectly. That’s him in a nutshell."

Fundraising is just getting started and eventually the hope is to be able to support various youth causes locally and throughout the state, but right now the baseball field is the main area of focus, Funston said. 

"It'll be a whole new atmosphere," he said. 

Asked what he thought his son would say about the project, Funston said "there was a time when we were getting this all set up that I wanted to call him and tell him what we’re doing."

"I think he'd say 'thank you and well done dad. It's just what I wanted to do,'" he said. 

Funston said donations to The House That Jeremy Built can be sent to P.O. Box 78, Anaconda, MT 59711 and they are in the process of setting up a Venmo account. A website has been set up as well, thehousethatjeremybuilt.com.

Editor's note: The print edition of this article had the wrong P.O. Box listed. It has been corrected above, and a correction will appear in the Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Anaconda Leader. We sincerely regret the error.