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Frances Marie Colby
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January 21, 1930 ~ December 16, 2012 |
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December 16, 2012 |
 Frances
Marie Colby, 82 years old, passed away December
16, 2012, at Valley Vista Care in Sandpoint. A
Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, December 19, at Bonners Ferry Funeral
Home, Minister Ben Nystrom officiating.
Frances was born to Ole and Rosa Brown at Dunn
Center, North Dakota, January 21, 1930, the
fourth of their five children. She grew up on
the family farm in Dunn County. She was baptized
and confirmed at Vang Lutheran Church and spent
her early school years in Dunn County and in
Osage, Iowa.
When Frances was a teenager, her mother
developed cancer and Frances missed a year of
schooling to stay at home and care for her.
After her mother died, Frances, her father and
her younger sister moved west to St. Maries,
Idaho, where she continued her education and
graduated from St. Maries High School in 1949.
It was in St. Maries that Frances met her true
love, Lyle Colby. They met on a blind date
arranged by Frances’ aunt and uncle. She often
recounted how it was a wonder she ever went out
with him a second time because Lyle fell asleep
on their first date. They were married in Coeur
d’ Alene February 26, 1949, and made their home
in St. Maries, where Lyle was employed with
Safeway Stores.
Their marriage was blessed with three daughters,
Linda Marie, born June 14, 1951; Vicki Lynn,
born July 7, 1952; and Dianne Joyce, born June
5, 1956.
Lyle’s career with Safeway moved them to
Spokane, Omak, Washington, and Sandpoint.
She and Lyle operated a small dairy and raised
beef cattle. In 1970, they settled in Bonners
Ferry.
Frances cooked at Three Mile Restaurant for Jim
and Nadine Jackson, at Valley View School, and
at Cone’s Café and Grocery which she and Lyle
owned and operated from 1976 till 1981. She was
also a home health care provider for several of
the county’s elderly. She was a hard worker and
expected those who worked for her to do the
same.
Frances was a Master Food Preserver. She loved
to garden and can. She raised beautiful dahlias
and cannas and was an excellent seamstress,
always sewing clothes and quilts for her family.
She enjoyed her cows and regularly attended the
weekly livestock auctions where she was known to
haul baby calves home in the backseat of her
car. Her coffee pot was always on and her cookie
jar was never empty.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in
Bonners Ferry and taught Sunday School there for
many years. After Lyle retired, they travelled
across the United States with their camper and
spent many happy days camping at the local
lakes.
Lyle passed away in 2007 and Frances eventually
moved to Sandpoint, where she resided at Life
Care Center. Recently she moved to Valley Vista
Care, where she was living at the time of her
passing.
Preceding Frances in death were her husband
Lyle, her parents and her siblings: Adaline
Straub, Opal Boyd, Richard Brown and Joyce
Shippy.
She is survived by her daughters Linda (Mike)
Ashby of Bonners Ferry; Vicki (Troy) Blake of
Burbank, Washington; and Dianne (Joe) Cousins of
Sagle, Idaho. She leaves behind thirteen
grandchildren and their families: Tanya (Ben)
Nystrom, Audrey, Wallace, Clayton and Anders;
Brian (Susannah) Ashby, Hope and Alvin; Allen
(Jennifer) Ashby, Andrew and Eli; Amanda (Scott)
McGillivray, Levi and Ellie; Lisa (Jamy) Landis,
Joella, Aleyah, Dinah, Eva and Hannah; Thomas (Anika)
Blake and Brylee; Kristen (Greg) Ditty, Isaic,
Deven, Ethen and Averi; Travis (Kimberly) Blake,
Troy, Tanner and Madison; Stacey (Kevin)
Kennedy, Austin, Shaylynn and Cameron; Heather
Conard; Jeffery (Simi) Conard; Chris (Brianna)
Cousins, Chyah and Joseph; and Stephen (Kellye)
Cousins. She is also survived by three
sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is in charge of
arrangements. Frances will be laid to rest at
Grandview Cemetery. Please sign her guest book
at
www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com.
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