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Alta Lavenia Haines, 101

Alta Lavenia Haines lived to 101 and passed away in December of 2018, in Hospice of North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She married Paul Haines, and during her 31 years of marriage was able to see almost every state in the U.S. When their three daughters were married, Alta made their wedding dresses.

Alta was an active member of the First Christian Church in Colorado. For many years she was an active and enthusiastic volunteer for the Vista Center Memorial Hospital and for the Chamber of Commerce Information Center. Every year Alta would volunteer at the Post Office on Valentine’s Day to help stamp hundreds of Valentines to be sent to loved ones throughout the U.S. with a special valentine stamp.

Her husband Paul died early at age 60, and Alta then worked at Hewlett Packard for 13 years. She enjoyed the many friendships she made during this time and loved traveling to see her children and grandchildren.

Alta moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1996 to be near two of her three daughters and became an active volunteer at the Lake City Senior Center in Coeur d’Alene. Alta was awarded a Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award on July 10, 2014. These awards are given out as part of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program through the Area Agency of North Idaho. Alta volunteered 4,861 hours of service representing an economic impact to the community exceeding $78,500 worth of service. The figure was based on the hours of service worked, multiplied by the state’s current minimum wage. The hours were volunteered at the Lake City Senior Center and the Food Bank. Alta received a beautiful framed award, along with a letter from President Barack Obama with his congratulations. She was well liked and remembered for her friendliness, her passion for life and its many adventures, and for her great sense of humor.

She is survived by her three daughters, Barbara, Stella and Vickie; four grandchildren, Gwendolyn, David, Bryan and Leah and five great grandchildren, Lloyd, Nash, Quinn, Emily and Sam. She has one surviving brother, Bobby Riggs of Jacksboro, Texas.

She is preceded in death by a sister, Louise Stutt and five brothers, Cecil Riggs, Lewis Riggs, Walter Riggs, Tommy Riggs and Don Riggs.

To see Alta’s online memorial, please visit www.englishfuneralchapel.com