Frances ‘Shirley’ Foss Rudie

Shirley was born in Lewistown, Mont., to Esther Frost Foss and Oliver Foss. She raised her family in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and then moved to Kalispell, Mont. and later to Logan, Utah, to be closer to her family. In her elder years she moved to Richland, Wash., to be close to her daughter.

She married Charles L. Rudie on Aug. 1, 1952. They were sealed for all time and eternity in the Idaho Falls LDS temple on June 22, 1954. They had five children: Mike (Cris) Rudie of Logan, Marcee (TJ) Woffinden of Richland Wash., Matthew (Susan) of Wentzville, Mo., Donald Rudie of Kalispell and Ronald Rudie of Kennewick. She has three sisters: Alicemarie Schultz, Maralee Foss and Charleda Foss.

She and Charles had one of the first foster group homes in Idaho for children with significant disabilities. They cared for many special children during that time.

One child came to her when he was 2 years old and had been placed with her so he could die outside of a state institution. He had experienced traumatic brain injuries and had been abandoned at a hospital. Shirley was asked to “love him” until he died. She gathered him up, rocked and cuddled him for two weeks. Today, Ronnie is over 50 years old. He was her boy from then on and she and Charles adopted him.

She had a difficult childhood with extreme poverty. She quit school after the eighth grade so that she could help support her mom and her three younger sisters. She loved genealogy and searching for family connections. She left her family with volumes of research of generations gone by.

Shirley joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a young adult. Her conversion, her testimony and relationship with her Savior changed her life and her family’s for the better. She was given a prayer blessing, telling her that she would look for those who stand on the fringe, those who feel like they’re on the outside. She spent her life of service to children with disabilities and those that others would have passed by. She knew and lived for 80 years with the knowledge that all lives matter.

Shirley loved her family and has many grand and great-grandchildren. Her greatest wish for them was to know their divine potential as children of God and to always strive to live up to that potential.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles; her sister, Alicemarie, her mother and father and three great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank those who provided care for her over the last years of her life, to include Senior Life Resources Home Care, Prestige Assisted Living and this past year, Comfort Living Adult Family Home and Chaplaincy Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite non-profit serving those with disabilities or aging services.

Einan’s Sunset Gardens is handling the local arrangements. She will be interned at the Coeur d’Alene Memorial Cemetery.