Leora Moses, 98

Leora Moses, a longtime resident of Hayden, Idaho, passed away Jan. 4, 2024, at Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living in Hayden. She was 98 years old. Leora was born to Elmer Joseph Ness and Florence Celestial Noffsinger on Sept. 27, 1925, in Missoula, Mont.

She married Charles Thomas Brackney in Center, Colo., in 1946. They welcomed daughters Kathleen Elaine in 1947; Peggy Ellen in 1950; and Charlene JoAnn in 1953. Raising the children in First Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint, Idaho, where they sang in the chancel choir and served as active members of the church for many years. 

At Christmastime, Leora painted delightful holiday scenes on storefront windows in Sandpoint, and she would often fill the picture windows of their home with depictions of the Christmas birth of baby Jesus. It was often well into the next year before her children could be persuaded to let the pictures be removed. As a family, they spent many enjoyable summers caretaking for Camp Stidwell Girl Scout Camp on Mirror Lake in Bonner County.

For most of her life, she was rarely seen without a pen or pencil in her hand, creating detailed images on sketch pads, restaurant napkins, envelopes, church bulletins or whatever “canvas" she had on hand at any given moment. The earliest record of this drive to create is detailed on the back of a photograph telling how she became a welder at the Vancouver, Wash., shipyards as a young woman during the war. She wrote about her joy in finding a new creative outlet, even with a welding iron! Her talents included making wedding cakes, oil painting, sculpture, gardening and growing beautiful flowers.

In 1966, Leora married Adrian “Smokey” Moses in Rush City, Minn. She became stepmother to his three children, Adrian Jr. (AJ), Jolene and Marilyn. Upon retirement, they moved to Hayden, where they were active members of Faith Presbyterian Church and they served the church tirelessly for many years. 

Leora was preceded in death by her parents; numerous brothers and sisters; and husband of 53 years, Adrian “Smokey” Moses. She is survived by her daughters, Kathy Hernandez and husband Mike “Sonny” Hernandez of Post Falls, Idaho; Peggy Mieren, Vancouver, Wash.; and Charlene Jones and husband Rick Jones of Rathdrum, Idaho; grandchildren Heidi Mead, Kristy Hegvet, Jenna Stephens, Emily Mieren, Brandon Wallis, Matthew Wallis, and 14 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service to remember Leora is pending and will be announced at a future date. Family members will gather for a celebration of life in her honor in Leavenworth, Wash., one of her favorite places, in the spring.

The family would like to thank the staff of Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living for all their love and care.

Please visit Leora’s memorial and sign her online guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.