Evelyn Ruth (Bachli) Holmes passed away on May 23, 2015. Evelyn was “91 years young." She really did not “look” her age. Evelyn was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming on December 3, 1923. She was the first born of four children of a German/Swiss immigrant father. Her mother was American.

She grew up in Denver, Colorado, and that is where she met her husband, Dawrence L. Holmes. These two decided to get hitched on November 30, 1941 just “short” of Evelyn’s eighteenth birthday. She had to get “permission,” he did not! It was a marriage that lasted sixty-four years.

They both worked hard and had lots of adventures, and also raised three children, two daughters and one son: Sandra, Ray, and Sharon. The oldest daughter passed away in 1969.

Things were going along pretty smooth, and then they decided they wanted a change. So they moved to Bonners Ferry, Idaho in August 1967. They almost had to turn back at Troy, Montana as they were told that the Sundance Fire was going to burn Bonners Ferry down! Undaunted, they forged ahead and settled in Paradise Valley for approximately 40 years. The relatives who “persuaded” them to move to Bonners Ferry had said, “if you move here, you’ll never get rich. But you’ll never go hungry.”

Evelyn used to laugh about how both of those predictions came true!

Evelyn, at one time, was a cashier at a Woolworth’s in Denver, so she carried on as a cashier at the Bargain Giant and Safeway in Bonners Ferry for a number of years as well as Fashion Crossroads. Evelyn was a knitter. She loved to knit. She made tons of sweaters for herself and others, and always made something for all the grand kids and great grand kids. She enjoyed different crafts like ceramics, and also was terrific at embroidering dish towels. She loved to play pinochle and was a member of various card clubs for years. After moving to the Boundary County Restorium she had her card club gatherings there.

Evelyn’s favorite word was “CRIMINENTLY”. Try as you might, you will not find this word in the dictionary. It is an expression of annoyance or surprise. When Evelyn said it...it meant mostly annoyance. “For crying in a bucket” was another favorite expression. Evelyn was a “talker” and loved to visit with people she knew or just met. She had a generous, helpful nature. She was just a “good soul.”

Evelyn became a widow when her husband passed away in 2005. That was hard for her as the only time spent apart from Dawrence was during World War II while he served in the Navy. But again, undaunted, she got through it and forged ahead to make the best of life. As stated before, things were going along pretty smooth when she fell and fractured her left hip. As the days progressed she would express time and time again that she really felt that she had had a good life and she really was ready to go. No question in her mind.

She was reminded by family members that she had been an exceptionally good woman, an exceptionally good wife, an exceptionally good mother, an exceptionally good aunt, and an exceptionally good grandmother and great grandmother. That she was loved and will be missed by a lot of people.

At the time of her death she was a resident of the Boundary Community Hospital in the Extended Care Facility. Just previous to that Evelyn had lived at the Boundary County Restorium for approximately six years. Evelyn absolutely loved living at the restorium and didn’t hesitate to tell you so if you asked her about it. In the living room at the restorium there is a piano. That is Evelyn’s piano. Evelyn played the piano most of her life and donated her piano to the restorium shortly after she started living there. She played every Tuesday and twice on Thursday. Evelyn wants it to be kept “tuned” and “dusted,” both on a regular basis!

To remember Evelyn Ruth Holmes and her “good life” there will be a gathering at the Boundary County Restorium on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 2 p.m. It would be great if you would write down some thoughts, memories, stories, and such so they can be read and shared by all. Evelyn loved getting flowers, that’s for sure. But flowers don’t last. Instead, the money that would be spent on flowers would last longer and have a greater benefit to the place that Evelyn called “home” these past few years. Please use that “flower” money and give it to the Restorium or the Friends Of The Restorium. Evelyn Ruth Holmes...everyone should have a life where they get applause just for being themselves.