Doris Ella Groth, 89

Doris Ella Groth, 89, of Cataldo, Idaho, died of complications from a severe stroke on May 17, 2016. Doris was born in Dudley, Idaho, at the Whiteman family homestead on Jan. 19, 1927.

She attended Mission School in Cataldo from first through sixth grades. She skipped the fourth grade because she was the only fourth-grader. She attended Canyon School for the seventh grade and Kingston Grade School for the eighth grade. Doris graduated from Kingston High School in a class of four students. She excelled at basketball in high school and won the golden basketball for scoring the most points in a season.

Doris met her future husband, Allen (Bud) Groth, when they were in grade school. Bud was good friends with one of her brothers, so he spent a lot of time at their family house. For their first date, Doris boldly asked Bud to the Sweetheart’s Ball. They then dated until Bud left school to go work in the Seattle shipyards. He worked there until he enlisted in the Navy to fight in World War II. Doris in the meantime worked as a car-hop at the Miners Hat in Kellogg and was briefly employed with the Forest Service.

When Bud returned home from the war, he began working at the Whiteman Lumber Mill in Cataldo, which was owned by Doris’ father. Doris and Bud continued their romance and were married on May 14, 1948, at her parents’ house. Throughout their marriage, they lived on land in front of the lumber mill that they had purchased to build their home.

After raising her four children, Doris decided to try her hand at being a business owner. With her oldest daughter Sandy as a partner, they opened the Tee Time Shirt Shop in Kellogg in 1981. They managed their successful business for several years.

Doris loved her family, enjoyed camping and fishing. On a trip to the Kenai River in Alaska at the age of 83, she reeled in a 55-pound chrome king salmon after an hour struggle. She especially loved the ocean, which was one of her favorite places to visit. Her hobbies included doing crafts such as needlepoint and cross-stitch pictures for her family. She loved puzzles and keeping the family history records updated.

Doris was proud to be a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and breast cancer survivor. She was especially proud to have lived her entire life in Idaho.

Doris is survived by her husband of 68 years, Allen (Bud) Groth; daughter Sandy Groth of Hayden, Idaho; son Mike (Cheryl) Groth of Cataldo; daughter Sheree (Larry) Newby of Kingston and daughter Cindy (Kevin) Hathaway of Cataldo. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Terry, Tracy, Christa, Katie, Jennifer, Wendy, Chad, Cody, Brad and Angie; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, Ella Mae and Francis Henry Whiteman; her siblings, Wesley, Dorothy, Ethel, Beryl, Laddie, Muriel, Kieth and Sallie; and her granddaughter, Joni.

Donations in memory of Doris may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 27, 2016, at Mountain View Congregational Church, 525 W. Cameron, Kellogg.

Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d’Alene Chapel, is entrusted with the care of final arrangements. Please visit Doris’ online memorial and sign her guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.