We lost our precious Mom, grandmother and friend on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.
Mom was born Oct. 10, 1937, to Edward and Nola Anderson in Fernwood, Idaho, the next to the youngest of five children, Sonny, Donnie, Karen and Gary. She had a rough start in life when her mother and grandmother passed away on the same day when she was 3 years old. At that point she and her siblings lived in Catholic foster homes and boarding schools. Her life was rarely easy. Eventually Mom gained a new family through Roscoe and Wilma Norton and their six children, whom she loved as her own.
She married Eldon Loe in August 1953. They had five children. Nola (Juni) Streeter, Cathy (Dan) Maxwell, Vicki (Gary) Frost, Eldon (Bub) Loe and Gary, who died in infancy. She is survived by four of her children; her brother, Ted Norton; sisters, Holly Fields, Martha Johnson, Vinnie Jorgenson and Sandy Loesier; 12 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and "adopted" daughter, Sheila Wetzel.
She married the love of her life, Douglas Rueppel, on June 13, 1985, at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and the couple made their home at Potlatch, Idaho. Mr. Rueppel worked for the Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway. Mr. Rueppel died in 2002.
Mom was preceded in death by her son, Gary; sisters, Karen and Kathy; and brothers, Sonny, Donnie and Gary. Mom spent many years giving to her communities and children and spent 17 years volunteering with the Potlatch Ambulance and Fire department, 14 of those years as an EMT. Only God could out give Mom.
Things were always exciting when Mom was around whether it was practical jokes or smart remarks. She was the queen of quick wit. No one could best her. Mom touched numerous lives. You always knew where you stood with her. Mom taught us to never quit and how much God loved us. She was the most giving, selfless person on earth, and we are all richer for having her and grateful to be called hers. She will be greatly missed. Mom died doing what she loved, heckling her friends at the clothing bank, Sharon, Porgie and Jeannie.
A celebration of Mom's life will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Nazarene Church in Princeton. Burial will follow at the Mendenhall Cemetery at Potlatch. A dinner will follow the services provided by Mom's dear friends and colleagues, the Potlatch Fire and Ambulance crew. We request that memorials be sent to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, ID, 83855 as even at the very end they did everything they could do for Mom and we will be forever grateful. Kramer Funeral Home of Palouse is handling the arrangements.
We love you Mom.
