Aletha M. Dunn, 91

Aletha M. Dunn, 91, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, passed away July 23, 2014, in Coeur d'Alene.

Aletha was born Sept. 24, 1922, in Coeur d'Alene to Fred and Idella Young. She was quiet, persistent, kind, polite - and heroic.

When Aletha and her husband, Don, were in their mid-20s, they built and lived in a log cabin on Hayden Lake, Idaho. One winter morning, sparks from the fire stove reached the roof and caused the cabin to be engulfed in flames. Aletha rescued her two babies and was praised in the Coeur d'Alene newspaper as a hero. She easily lived up to that title her whole life.

Aletha was an active member of the Assembly of God church where she taught Sunday school for years. Whenever people wanted God to hear their prayer request they would ask Aletha to add them to her prayer list. She seemed to have a direct line to God's ear. One time, Sue had a student who said she needed prayer. The student's mother needed money to pay a bill, and this student was thinking about holding up a gas station over the weekend. I told the student I would have Aletha remember her in prayer. On Monday the student reported back to me that she did not pull off the heist. Aletha was given credit for her prayers, along with a request to be added to her list permanently.

On another occasion a teacher friend, Sheryl, had spinal meningitis and was not expected to live. Sheryl was on Aletha's prayer list. When I asked her how the list worked, she said she starts at the top and works her way to the bottom. Three years later Aletha asked me how Sheryl was doing health-wise, and I asked her to keep Sheryl on her list. Sheryl is now working with me at the school.

Aletha was a caregiver, the original CAN. For more than 35 years she assisted in improving the quality of life her mom and her mother-in-law experienced. She set them up on a schedule of every other day, and on their scheduled day she would take them shopping, cook, and have their hair permed and styled. The doctor appointments were all taken care of by their daughter, Aletha. Both of the moms would spend many days canning, with Aletha as the worker and them as the audience.

A strong sense of humor played a big part in Aletha's life. Legally blind in her 70s, Aletha was forced to stop driving. But, this did not stop her from giving directions on where to turn or what the best route would be. It was no surprise when Don announced he could not hear her directions because he was deaf.

A testimony to Aletha's strong will for life was her surviving breast cancer in her mid-80s.

Mom was an angel on earth. Over and over again I heard her described as the sweetest person the nursing staff had ever cared for. She was thankful for life and for every part of it. In fact, she owned the phrase, "Thank you." I need to draw your blood Aletha, "thank you." And the ending phrase for anyone who helped, assisted, or visited her was always, "Thank you for all you do."

Services honoring Aletha will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, August 1, at English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d'Alene. Visitation will start at noon. Please sign Aletha's guest registry and view her on-line memorial at englishfuneralchapel.com