by Dave Crawford
August 18, 2026
One of my early fond memories of I Ho was riding the chairlift at Bridger Bowl. She was skiing with a young Japanese friend of hers attending Montana State University. Chatting with I Ho was more like a riot with lots of laughing and exaggeration. She wore a bright pink/orange one piece snow suit that you could see from space. The only thing brighter was her smile and the only thing louder was her contagious laugh. We took a couple of runs together on Pierre’s Knob and from that day on, we were life-long friends.
I Ho and I served in Bozeman Sunrise Rotary together from the time she joined in November 2005. We all owe Roger Barnes a big thank you for sponsoring her. She was passionate about projects like the book giveaway and she was always active on the International Committee.
One of my favorite Rotary experiences was our service trip to Nepal in 2019. A group of us, led by Mary Hubbard, went to five rural schools in and around Kathmandu to meet with teachers, administrators and community members to assess their needs and see how we could help improve education for their children. We were treated like royalty. Garlands of flowers were placed around our necks upon our arrival. Girls danced to traditional music and I Ho was moved at how beautiful the children were. And she asked good questions to understand their culture and the needs of the schools. She was also so curious about Kathmandu, the museums, sights, sounds and food. She loved the food. She went to several markets to admire the gorgeous fruits, vegetables, vibrant flowers and spices.
I Ho was a community leader. She became a Bozeman City Commissioner and held that position for nearly 10 years. In that time, she was passionate about helping small businesses and finding solutions to help the people struggling to work and live here. I Ho had an incredibly strong work ethic. Every time I went to I Ho’s Korean Grill, she was there working. She told me how her husband Derek had built her a cart that she pushed down Main Street in Bozeman selling her fresh, delicious Korean dishes with a side of her “Million Dollar” sauce. It became so popular; eventually she had to change the name to “Billion Dollar” sauce. She opened her restaurant near the MSU campus and more students, faculty and community members came to know and love her. She moved her restaurant two more times and the love grew.
Even though she worked tirelessly on the commission and preparing food, cooking, cleaning and hiring the very nicest people to help in her restaurant, she found time to do more. When there was a flood, an earthquake, a tsunami or other disaster, she would ask, “What can I do to help those people?” She would tell some folks she wanted to have a fundraiser at her restaurant and people would come. They would volunteer to serve, to bus tables or do dishes or would just show up and make a donation. I Ho donated all the food and all the proceeds went to the disaster relief, often through Rotary. Inevitably at these fundraisers, we would eat amazing food and have so much fun helping that we were inspired by her spirit. She always had a smile on her face and her enthusiasm said “We can do it together!” That is leadership.
I Ho Park Dedication
On Friday August 14, 2026 a dedication ceremony was held at the new I Ho Pomeroy Peace Park at the corner of East Mendenhall Street and North Black Avenue in downtown Bozeman. The park features Korean themed art work, beautiful landscaping including cherry trees, and I Ho's favorite color red accents such as entry arches and benches where people to sit and enjoy some peace and reflect on the good work I Ho did. She was a great advocate for walkable communities.
One art installation tells a Korean folk tale of two separated celestial lovers who can only express their love across the Milky Way once a year through a cosmic bridge of magpies.
The park project came to be through a partnership between the Downtown Bozeman Association, the City of Bozeman, Gallatin County, the state of Montana and local partners such as Rotary International. The peace park ceremony included an indigenous land acknowledgment song and prayer, acknowledgements and commemorative speeches and dedication of the new Rotary Peace Pole, which reminds visitors in many languages "May Peace Prevail on Earth." Of course, I Ho's Korean Grill provided delicious food for the event. I think I Ho would be very proud to be remembered in this way.
