Rachel Rosenberger, 91

Rachel Rosenberger passed away on Oct. 16, 2010, at Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living in Hayden. She was born Aug. 15, 1919, on the family farm near Windham, Mont., to Claude and Sarah (Collins) Miller. She was raised on the family farm and graduated from Hobson High School. She attended secretarial school in Vancouver, Wash.

Rachel came to Idaho in 1938 and worked at the Hayden Lake Country Club where she met her husband, Bill Rosenberger. She was a waitress and he was a bartender. They were married in Coeur d'Alene on Jan. 8, 1940.

Bill and Rachel owned and operated a grocery store, Bill's Tavern and Restaurant, as well as the Hayden Lake Stables. They later operated a dairy, milking up to 30 head of cattle. Rachel also spent several years cooking for the hot lunch program at the Hayden Lake School.

Rachel helped start many of the horse activities in Kootenai County. Bing Crosby gave out the trophies and ribbons at her first horse show. She started the first 4-H Horse Club, had the first horse boarding stables in Hayden Lake, was president of the Kootenai Saddle Club for several years and was very active in the Hayden Lake PTA.

Rachel loved riding her horse and camping with family and friends which she continued to do until she turned 80. She loved to take pictures of her many adventures and left her family with many photo albums. She also enjoyed spending winters in Arizona.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 69 years, Bill; two brothers Charles and John; son-in-law Tom Pehl; as well as a grandson, Ty Rosenberger.

She is survived by a son, Ron Rosenberger and wife Shelley of Hayden; daughters, Donna Boekel and husband William of Rathdrum and Pat Pehl of Chino Valley, Ariz. She has eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, 2010, at Forest Cemetery on Government Way in Coeur d'Alene. Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel, is in care of the arrangements.

The family prefers memorial contributions to the Panhandle Equine Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 2832, Hayden Lake, ID 83835.

Please visit Rachel's memorial and sign her online guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.