Minnie Lenora Howard Hamby, 89
Nov. 21, 1921 - Feb. 15, 2010
Born to William Benjamin Howard and Nancy Jane Swinson Howard in Holly Ridge, N.C., Minnie was the middle of seven children. Raised on a tobacco farm, she met the love of her life, Alford Hamby, while he was stationed at Fort Bragg Army Base. They were married Jan. 9, 1943, and two weeks later Al was deployed to the African and European theatres for nearly three years.
Minnie worked during the war years in Wilmington, N.C., and when Al came home they moved to Al’s hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where their two daughters, Linda and Paula, were born. Becoming homesick for her family, Al and Minnie moved their family back to North Carolina and Virginia where their son, James, was born.
After a few years they missed the mountains of North Idaho so they moved back to Coeur d’Alene where their youngest child, Phillip, was born. Minnie worked for a few years at Templin’s and the Forest Service tree farm but spent most of her life as a loving wife, mother and homemaker.
When Al became an independent logger the family would camp all summer on his logging sites. She enjoyed gardening and canning her produce. She bowled on the Early Bird bowling league and loved camping, reading, picking huckleberries and spending time with her grandchildren.
A devout Christian, she was a member of the Wesleyan Church for most of her life. After Al’s retirement they spent many of their winters in Arizona where they enjoyed participating in the farmer’s markets. After Al’s passing, Minnie went to live with her brother and sister-in-law in Missouri. She returned to North Idaho and lived with her daughter, Paula, and then moved to the Sylvan House Assisted Living where she enjoyed playing bingo and won more than she lost!
She was preceded in death by her husband, Al; daughter Linda and son Phillip.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Shaffer and son-in-law Bill of Spirit Lake, Idaho; son Jim Hamby and daughter-in-law Terry of Post Falls, Idaho; son-in-law Jim Bean of Rathdrum, Idaho; four grandchildren, Jeff Myers of Vancouver, Wash., Trisha Bean Miller of Coeur d’Alene, Michelle Hamby Salove of Boise, Idaho, and Jimmy Hamby of Post Falls; nine great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren and one brother, Edmond.
A memorial is planned for later and the family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice.