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Cleo Mae Hicks |
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November 29, 1922 ~ July 4, 2016 |
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July 9, 2016 |
 Cleo
Mae Hicks, age 93, a longtime resident of
Bonners Ferry, Idaho, passed away at the
Community Restorium on July 4th, 2016. She was
born to Bryan and Trudy Elston on November 29,
1922 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1930,
when Cleo Mae was a young girl, her family moved
to Boundary County from Kansas and settled in
the Meadow Creek area where they farmed, fished,
and picked huckleberries.
Cleo Mae started her education at Meadow Creek
School and then graduated from Bonners Ferry
High School in 1942. Later that fall, she
attended college at Lewiston Normal where she
received her two year provisional teaching
certificate. In 1945, she had her first teaching
position in Bonners Ferry at the McKinley School
and later that year married Wayne Pruitt. They
operated a dairy farm—milking as many as fifty
cows, raised chickens and pigs, and put up hay
and silage. Cleo Mae continued to teach and
Wayne drove school bus and worked nights at the
Moyie Lumber Mill. During these years, they had
four children, Ellen, Larry, Donna, and Marla.
Cleo Mae taught at various schools in Boundary
County for 33 years and loved teaching. She
always said she would choose the same profession
if she had to start all over again. Wayne passed
away in 1966 and two years later Cleo Mae
married Ted Moline. Larry Pruitt, Cleo Mae’s son
and his wife Marilyn bought the home place, and
Ted and Cleo Mae moved north to Ted’s farm on
Turner Hill and built a new home.
In 1984, Cleo Mae retired so she and Ted could
enjoy traveling to Alaska and the southwest
United States. They hosted at Robinson Lake
Campground for several years and bought property
on the Moyie River enjoying many years of family
fun, floating the river, fishing, and
picnicking.
Ted passed away in 1996 and Cleo Mae, living in
Moyie Springs, filled up her time with her
children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren, and many activities. She
kept busy with the Order of the Eastern Star,
Daughters of the Nile, Delta Kappa Gamma,
Retired Teachers, Pinochle Ladies Club, church,
gardening, yard work, chickens, sewing, crafts,
and volunteer work.
In 2003, Cleo Mae married John Hicks and they
lived in Moyie until their health declined and
then moved to the Restorium, where they were
cared for very well.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bryan
and Trudy Elston, her brothers, Dean and Leo
Elston, three husbands, Wayne Pruitt, Ted
Moline, and John Hicks, her only son, Larry
Pruitt, and her son-in-law, David Hammons.
Cleo Mae is survived by her sister, Wanda
Croucher (Al); her three daughters, Ellen Ashmun
(Cort), Donna Nystrom (Ken), Marla Carey (Sam),
and daughter-in-law, Marilyn Lofthus (Dale);
twelve grandchildren, Wayne Hammons (Heather),
Lance Hammons (Jennifer), Carisa Burchak
(Tyson), Lori Sabin (Chris), Mike Pruitt
(Penny), Dan Pruitt (Renee), Ben Nystrom
(Tanya), Mandy Kiefer (Tim), Ken Carey (Missy),
Jenny Helms (Seth), Sara Petersen (Jeff), and
James Carey; 41 great-grandchildren, nieces,
nephews, and other extended family.
Cleo Mae had a long, fulfilling life, touched
many people through her years of teaching and
service, is much loved, and will be missed by
her family and friends.
Memorials in Cleo Mae’s name can be sent to
Friends of the Restorium in care of Donna
Nystrom (753 Lookout View, Naples, ID, 83847). A
family gathering will be held on July 22nd at
the fairgrounds. |
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