Lynada Rae Crezee

Our mother, Lynada Rae Mecham Crezee left us behind November 14, 2023 to join our father, Rulon
Wesley Crezee in the afterlife.

On January 14, 1932 she began life in Firth, Idaho as the 4th and final child of Hershell Lyon Mecham and Ellen Marion Andersen, joining sisters: Allene and Shirley and brother: Vergene. Mom grew up at the end of the great depression and endured the rationing of World War II thereby gaining the knowledge needed to hone a lifetime of hard work, repurposing items and careful budgeting. Those skills came in handy to raise 10 children: 5 girls and 5 boys.

Every summer meant toiling in a large family garden and canning jars packed to the brim with fruit, jams, and vegetables to get through the coming winter. She taught us bread making and how to turn leftovers into planned overs. Getting 10 children into school each fall was no small task. To augment the cost we all worked in the family’s 5 acre berry patch picking crates and crates of strawberries and raspberries for mom to sell.

She became an accomplished artist, seamstress, writer, and sports woman. We each have landscapes on our walls and Christmas cards painted by mom.

Mom used her great skill with a sewing machine to make alterations for the JC Penney Company. Over the years she sewed hundreds of shirts, pajamas and dresses for her children, and taught us girls to do the same for our families. She handcrafted each of us a beautiful quilt and gifted the grandchildren quilts at their weddings as well. We clamored over each other to buy many lottery tickets at our family reunions for a chance to win a “Grandma Quilt”. She was very disappointed when valley fever and arthritis made it too painful to continue sewing.

Mom loved genealogy and history and researched extensively to write “The History of the Mechams.” She always regretted leaving high school without graduating and at the age of 69 became the eldest graduate Vo-Tec’s GED class has ever had. When her eldest son fulfilled a Navajo speaking mission to New Mexico she became obsessed with Native American art and filled
her home with art and collectibles.

Mom skied both on snow and water. She was a graceful bowler earning many awards and trophies.

Mom became a successful business woman operating a wedding catering business she established with her sister Allene. She supported dad in his carpentry businesses as his bookkeeper. She and dad purchased John’s Grocery in Firth and renamed it Firth Grocery and Laundromat after converting the adjoining property into a coin operated laundry facility.

As busy as she was, Mom’s favorite thing to do was spend time with the family. Every holiday was an excuse to have all of us and our children enjoy a large home cooked meal with game time after. She baked and decorated dozens of Christmas cookies and made candy to give us. A tradition we have incorporated into our own Christmas activities. Her divinity and fudge was to die for. She looked forward to and planned weeks ahead for the grandkid party/sleepover each year held for those under 14 years old. After dad passed, mom tried to carry on the tradition, but it had lost some of the fun because the life of the party was no longer present. The Peanuts gang brought out the child in mom. She wore Peanut t-shirts and collected household items, Christmas ornaments and trinkets of all types, making it easy for us at Christmas time and her birthday as we searched out anything Peanuts related to gift Grandma Snoopy. Our best memories are of family outings whether boating, picnicking or visiting our cousins. Mom made sure we did everything as a family.

After we kids left home and built homes of our own, mom joined dad in his wanderlust making many road trips to visit those who had moved away as well as exploring territories they’d never before seen: Canada, North and South Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington and everywhere in between.

Mom outlived her husband of 52 years and her parents, sisters: Allene Lyon and Shirley Mecham, brother: Vergene Mecham, son: Jeffrey Lee (Rita) Crezee, sons in law: John (Janet) Osalvo and Raymond Fessler (19-year partner to Marsha) granddaughters: Michelle Dianna Crezee and Carrie Anne Morgan Hogarth, infant grandson: Wesley Ned Crezee. She will be missed by her children: Marsha Rae Morgan, Wesley Blain (Carole) Crezee, John Hershell Crezee, Kriss (Alan) Pearson, Vicki Jean (Ray) High, Janet Osalvo, Cynthia Ellen (Alexander) Haleluk, David Mecham (Becky) Crezee, Brian Rulon (Konnie) Crezee, 37 grandchildren, 88 great grandchildren, 21 great great grandchildren.

We, the Crezee family, thank Symbii Long Term Hospice for the help and care they gave mom and John in mom’s last year, allowing her to spend more precious time at home. We are sincerely grateful for the caring doctors and 2nd floor nursing staff at Bingham Memorial Hospital for their specialized pain care and patience toward our mother in her final few days.

We are honoring our mother’s request and holding a family only viewing at Nalder Funeral Home in Shelley, Idaho followed by a graveside service at noon in the Firth Cemetery.

Those who would like to participate in the graveside service remotely are invited to view the service on a live broadcast on Nalder Funeral Home’s Facebook page.

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