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Jeanne Marie Spellman Loomer, 91

Jeanne Marie Spellman Loomer has finished her adventure on earth. She passed on Sept. 12, 2019, surrounded by family and in the loving care of the wonderful people of Living Springs, in Post Falls, and Hospice of North Idaho.

Jeanne was born to John Spellman and Hattie Werges Spellman on Jan. 13, 1928, in Isabel, S.D. — the youngest of seven children. The family moved to Coeur d’Alene, in 1936, where Jeanne attended and graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School.

She married Jack “Shorty” McArthur in 1946. They lived for periods of time in Sandpoint, Spokane and California, before moving back to Coeur d’Alene with their three sons.

Jeanne later married Walter Samuel Loomer in 1961. They purchased a home in Coeur d’Alene, where Jeanne raised her children: Steven, Carnie, Jeffrey, Chuck, Mike and Peggy.

Jeanne would spend the last 46 years of her life without a spouse, while being a devoted daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She enjoyed traveling with her sisters, children and grandchildren. She enjoyed camping, bowling, Gonzaga basketball with pizza and beer, and peeking around the corner as she nervously checked in on the Mariners games.

There wasn’t a mystery novel she wouldn’t read and if you were her neighbor, she definitely kept an eye on you and was suspicious of your large black garbage bags of trash.

Her home was the central location for all family gatherings: birthdays with angel food cake, jigsaw and crossword puzzles, learning to ride bikes, wiffle-ball games in the backyard and quiet nights on the patio with ice cream and Coke (not Pepsi).

She was a longtime employee of the Kootenai County Courthouse, until she retired in 1990. She served on the loan committee of the Public Employees Credit Union, was a volunteer organizer for the Coeur d’Alene High School class of ‘45 reunion and gathered often with her “old bowlers league.”

She loved to go out for breakfast (... those lovely scones) and never said no to a ‘Huddy’ burger.

Coeur d’Alene was her home and because she was there, it was home to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, even when they no longer lived there.

Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Shorty McArthur and Sam Loomer; brothers, Marvin “Doc” Spellman, John “Dutch” Spellman, Clifford Spellman and Robert Spellman; sister, Doris Spellman Raymond; sons, Steven McArthur and Carnie McArthur and daughter, Janice Loomer. She is survived by her sister, Betty Spellman Davis of Coulee Dam Wash.; daughters, Peggy (Dan) Miller of Bovill, Idaho and Deva Dorman of Austin, Texas; sons, Jeffrey McArthur of Seattle, Chuck (Niki) Loomer of Hamilton, Victoria, Australia, Mike (Cindy) Wimmer of Coeur d’Alene; daughter-in-law, Donna McArthur of Coeur d’Alene; step-children, David (Laura) Loomer and Sheri Loomer of Mead, Wash. and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration and lasagna potluck at 11 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2019, at the Eagles Club ballroom, 209 Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Hospice of North Idaho and that you take your family out bowling, buy pizza and have a glass of beer.

“It’s not the thing you fling, it’s the fling itself.”

Finally- “it’s buried under a big double yuh.”