My sweet Grandma Longmore passed away this week. I think next to my own mother she is the most kind person I have ever known. She would have been 100 Years old in a few months. Her obituary follows:
Estella May Anderson Longmore, 99, of Blackfoot, died at the home of a granddaughter in Pocatello on Wednesday, June 16, 2010, of causes incident to age.
She was born Oct. 8, 1910, in Moreland, Idaho, the only daughter of Ernest and Millie May Neel Anderson.
When she was just 2 years old, her mother died in childbirth. She was raised in Moreland, where she attended Moreland High School until 1928.
On her 18th birthday, Oct. 8, 1928, she married Lester George Longmore in Coltman, Idaho. She was sealed to him and their eight children in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on June 24, 1947. Estella was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout her life and served faithfully for many years as a teacher in the Sunday School, Primary, the Relief Society and as a visiting teacher. She also was a longtime member of the choir in her ward. She enjoyed attending the temple.
She was a lifelong homemaker, and her greatest love and concern was for her family and friends. Her entire life was spent showing that love to all of us. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and example to all. For many years, an annual Christmas tradition was for her to purchase, wrap and give gifts and cookies to each of her numerous posterity and their spouses.
Following the death of her husband April 30, 1973, she resided for most of the remainder of her life with her children. As her health began to fail, she was lovingly cared for by them; for the past year and a half, she has lived in the home of a granddaughter, RaeLyn, and her husband, Rdale Price and family in Pocatello.
Estella is survived by her children, Mardene Gough, Vonda (John) Fisher, Melba (Donald) Nilsson, Diane (Robert) Parkinson and Carolyn (Don) Scott, all of Blackfoot, Gary (LaRae) Longmore of Pocatello, Dean (Connie) Longmore of Mapleton, Utah, currently serving an LDS church mission in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission, and Ronald (Jean) Longmore of Idaho Falls; 40 grandchildren; 138 great-grandchildren; and 28 great-great-grandchildren. She has a total of 273 descendants, including spouses.
Besides her husband, parents and stepmother, Iretta Anderson, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Lloyd, Raymond, Arthur, Golden, Joseph and Lawrence Anderson; a sister, Madlyn Lodefink; a son-in-law, Don Gough; grandson-in-law, Gary DeGiulio; granddaughter-in-law, Winnie Fisher; and a great-grandson, Jeremy Stocking.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Blackfoot LDS 4th Ward, 520 N. Shilling Ave., with Bishop Paul Yancey conducting. The family will meet with friends from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Hawker Funeral Home, 132 S. Shilling Ave., and from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to the services at the church. Interment will be in Riverside-Thomas Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at condolences@hawkerfuneralhome.com.
